is very little And therefore falling vpon their faces they adore him vvith a profound silence confessing that he only is his own perfect prayse to which they are not able to reach And this silence is an honour very fit for God for it is a confession that such prayse is due to him as cannot be expressed by all the creatures Of this honour Dauid (l) Psal â—4 sayth To thee O God is prayse due in Sion In such sort that although in heauen there be an incessant voyce of diuine (m) Isa 6. prayse saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God of hoastes with other admirable prayses which day and night they yeild to him yet do they also confesse in silence that our Lord is greater then they can either expresse or vnderstand For (n) Psal 17. he mounted aboue the Cherubim and he flew vpon the winges of the wind and there is none how speedy soeuer that must thinke to ouertake him And all they who shall know see him must be faine to say that which the children of Israel sayd when they saw bread comming from heauen Man-hu which signifieth what is this Admiring as the Queen of Saba did that infinite abysâ—us of light whereof although they shall see in heauen much more then they heard therof on earth yet can they not comprehend it all Such is the God whome vve haue and such doth our Fayth teach him to be singing that which Dauid (o) Psal â—0 sayth The heauen of the heauen is for our Lord because the secret of what he is after the aforesayd manner is for himself alone since he only comprehendeth himself CHAP. XXXII How agreable to reason it is to belieue the Mysteries of our Fayth although they exceed all humane reason ALTHOVGH thou hast heard that our Fayth belieueth certayne thinges which by reason alone cannot be arriued to yet take heed thou do not thinke that to belieue them is a thing either against reason or without reason For as it is very (a) For if he could it would not be fayth but knowledg farre from him that belieueth euidently to vnderstaÌ„d that which he beleeueth so is it farre from the beliefe of a Christian to be light or to wauer in belieuing For we haue such reasons to belieue as that we may dare to appeare and giue account of our Fayth before any Tribunall how exact soeuer as (b) 1. Pet â— 5. S. Peter doth aduise that we Christians should be prepared to do This thou shalt easily vnderstand by the similitude which heere I put If thou shouldst heare say that a man borne blind had suddenly recouered his sight or that a dead man were restored to life it is plaine that thy reason could not reach to the meanes of doing this because it would exceed the boundes of nature and reason doth not reach to supernaturall thinges But yet so (c) Note this well for it iustifyeth Catholike giueth ProtestaÌ„ts reason to be both more pious and more prudent many and so well conditioned witnesses might auow the hauing seene it that not only it would be no leuity to belieue it but it would be incredulity and hardnes of hart not to beleeue it For though reason cannot reach to know how a blind man may come to see or a dead man return to liue yet at least it reacheth to this That it is reason to belieue such and so many witnesses And (d) Obserue well these gradations for they are most reasonable and they are all in fauour of Catholiques if they should dye in confirmation of that which they affirmed there would be more reason to belieue it And if they should worke other miracles as great or greater then the former in confirmation thereof the fault of not belieuing it would then be great howsoeuer the thing which they affirmed to haue happened were very strange and high Iust so art thou to vnderstand that there is nothing which reason can lesse reach vnto theÌ„ the cleare vnderstanding of that which is belieued by Fayth nor is there yet any thing so agreable to reason as to belieue it and it is an extreme fault not to belieue it It is certayne that for the true miracles which Moyses wrought the people of Israel belieued him to be the messenger of God and that he spake with God and receaued the law at his handes as giuen by God And so also the Mâ—â—ves who are a bestiall kind of people belieued that Mahomet for a few and they false miracles which he wrought was a messenger of God and as from such an one they râ—ceaued the bestiall law which he gaue them Well then do thou consider the true miracles which haue byn wrought by Iesus Christ our Lord and by his Apostles and by other holy men in confirmation of our faith from that tyme to this and thou shalt find that as easily thou mayst count the sandes of the sea as the multitudes of them and that incomparably they do exceed al the others which haue byn wrought in the world both in quality quantity Three only dead persons were raised to life in the whol course of the old law which continued almost two thousand yeares And if thou consider the new law thou shalt find that S. Andrew alone did raise at once forty dead that so it might be fulfilled which our Lord sayd He (e) Ioan 〈◊〉 14. that belieueth in me shall do greater things then I. And that so his great power may be seene since not only by himselfe but in such other of his seruants as he is pleased to worke he can do what he will though it be nouer so wonderfull I haue related to thee that which one Apostle did at one tyme to the end that hereby thou mayest vnderstand the innumerable miracles which haue byn wrought both by that Apostle and by other both Apostles Saintes of the Christian Church And although in the beginning of the Church there were so many and so great miracles wrought for the confirmation of our faith that the proofe thereof is superabundant yet (f) That true miracles are wrought to this day and the causes why it pleaseth God to worke them so great is the desire which our Lord hath of the saluation of vs all and that we all may come to the knowledge of his truth and that they who do already know it may be comforted and confirmed therein that his prouidence hath care to renew or refresh (g) Of miracles which confirme the faith of Christ this kind of proofe and to giue testimony to the truth by new miracles And so is there hardly to be found an age wherein some Christian or other is not canonized for a Saint which (h) I would to God that any reasonable ProtestaÌ„t would but informe himselfe well of the exact and rigorous care which the Catholike Church doth we when there is question of Canonizing any Saint is neuer done without sufficient proofe of a
perfect life that he hath led and of many miracles that he hath wrought Whereof if any man were curious would make search he should find no difficulty euen in our tymes to meete with miracles amongst vs and in the Indies both Orientall and Occidentall in more aboundance CHAP. XXXIII Of how firme and constant and authorized witnesses our faith hath had who haue giuen their liues for the truth thereof IT is possible that some may doubt of the truth of our witnesses which speake and write of the multitude of miracles which haue byn wroght in the Christian Church For as they are people who detest our faith so it seemeth to them that if these witnesses should be true they must not fayle to confesse that we haue much more reason to belieue our Truth then they their Errour But I aske that since they will not giue credit to our witnesses and therefore they refuse to receyue our fayth why giue they credit to their owne witnesses in receiuing their false behefe Whereas (i) A wise and excellent consideration it is certaine and cleere that if they would take the paines to consider it our witnesses do far exceed theirs in all kind of weight of authority There haue byn men in the Christian Church whose (k) The high vertue and piety of many Catholike Christians life hath euidently byn so good as to prooue that they were free from all couetousnesse from all appetite of honour and from all that which flourisheth and is esteemed in the world being full of all vertue and Truth so farre as to dye rather then loose it To what interest can he pretend by the testimony that he giueth who doth not only not pretend to any thing of this world but euen that which he hath of his owne he casteth away What interest can mooue that man to be a false witnesse who giueth his life vnder most greiuous tormentes in confirmation of what he sayth And though some vse to be drawne by force of tormentes to confesse that which the Iudge desires although it be against truth yet if ours would say that which is desired by the Iudge not only should they not loose their goods and life but much more prosperous should they haue remayned by the much which the Iudges promised and would haue performed But despâ—â—ing all this they chose to dy that they might not abandon their faith or vertue which the Iudge would so faine haue had them loose So that they loued no temporall thing nor feared they any thing that was temporall how terrible soeuer No exception therefore can be taken to that which such men say and if it should seeme to any that these proofes were sufficient to make vs hold them for good men and that willingly they would deceaue no body but that themselues were yet deceaued and did so deceaue others without knowing it To this I answeare that in the Church there haue byn men shedding their bloud for Christ so euidently full of (l) The great wisdome of many Catholike Christians who haue suffered death in confirmation of the fayth of Christ wisedom that no reason can be giuen why we should belieue of them that they were deceaued in a matter of so great weight and that so far as to loose their liues for the same For the much interest that a man hath in any thing doth make him looke looke againe what it is that he ratifyeth nor doth a man vse to lay downe his life in confirmation of a truth if he be not sufficiently certifyed thereof And it is a thing notorious that so great wisedome hath byn found among the Christian people as therein they exceed all other generations of men no lesse then wise maisters do ignorant schollers And that there haue byn not one nor one hundred but a mighty number of such persons is a very great testimony of the truth of our faith in confirmation whereof they gaue their liues And (m) Let the false martyrs of foolish Iohn Fox be vnpartially compared with out true ones and their basenesse bestiality will soone appeare although we read of some who also dyed in confirmation of their Errour yet ours do incomparably exceed them in number vertue and in wisedome CHAP. XXXIV That the perfect life of such as haue belieued our fayth is a great testimony of the Truth therof and how farre Christians haue exceeded all other Nations in goodnesse of life SINCE we haue made mention of the goodnes vertue which hath been found in our Christian Martyrs it is not reason that I forbeare to let thee know how great a testimony of their Fayth is the perfect life of them that belieue it Since (a) Another excellent consideration of the perfection of the life of many of them who professe the Christian Catholike Fayth God being good and the maker of all thinges that are good al reason telleth vs that God is a friend to the good since euery one loueth another that is like himselfe euery cause the effect which is produced by it Now if he be a friend he is to help them in their necessityes wherof the greatest of all is the saluation of their soules And c saued they can neuer be without the knowledge of God nor can they know him so as to be saued by him if he do not discouer himselfe vnto them It therefore remaynes that since none of these things can be denyed if on earth there be any such knowledge of God (b) No saluation without fayth which iâ— entirely and precisely true as by which meÌ„ may be saued God giueth this to Christians since amongst them there haue byn and are people of the most eleuated life and most perfect manners that hath beene seene in any tyme or in any generation It seemes that the Philosophers were the flower of Nature and the very beauty thereof where it seemeth that she employed al her streÌ„gth towardes that which concerned liuing well in conformity of reason But laying aside those deformed sinnes which S. Hierome imputeth to the chiefe of those Philosophers and to speake of some who appeared to carry more resemblance of vertue in them then others did so much do they of the Christian Church exceed those others as that we haue weake and young women amongst vs of more vertue then they had who were yet amongst them esteemed for heroicall men For who amongst them will be able to equall the courage and â—oy wherewith S. Catherine S. Agnes S. Lucy S. Agatha with innumerable others like to them did offer themselues to most grieuous torments and to death it selâ—e for the loue of Truth and Vertue And if in the vertue of Fortitude which seemeth to be so much estranged from the weakenes of that sexe these did so farre exceed those others as well in number as in the greatnes of the torments and their â—oy in suffering them how much greater will the excesse be in Humility Charity
at the soules of men and not at the only tickling of their eares or the applause of their handes shoots at no lesse then the souls of meÌ„ them he conuinceth by so pregnant reasons and obligeth by so plaine demonstrations as to make them glad or or least he giues them cause why they should be so to cast away that loose liberty which made them slaues to their own passions to step or rather to leap into the chaines of the loue of God which will put them into a kind of soueraignity not only ouer all other thinges created but euen ouer their very selues And (y) The extraordinary great care wherwith he conducteth his Reader throughout the whole discourse in this he equalleth in my poore opinioÌ„ if he do not rather excel any other whom I haue read That he most carefully doth conduct the soule which he instructeth in the way of spirit accompanying his discourse with aboundance of caution so to saue his Reader from sliding into any extreme and being no lesse sollicitous to guide him straight then a tender mother or nurse would be to lead her only child by the sleeues or armes for feare least otherwise he might take a fall I (z) The occasion whereupon he wrote this booke will further premise to you vpon what occasion he wrote this Booke and to whom he did particulerly direct the same and then by way of preuention I will both make and answere an obiection to the end that your selfe may be kept from errour afterward There was a Lady called (a) The person for whom he wrote it Donna Sancba the daughter of the Lord of Guadalcaçar who for her beauty and other better parts was designed to serue the Queene of Spayne in quality of a Lady of Honour Already she was euen vpon the point of parting from her parents who had put her into an equipage which was to haue becom a Court But before her iourney she meant to arme her selfe with the holy Sacraments of the Church in the strength of that desire she went and cast her selfe at the feet of Doctour Auila in the way of Confession She would after say that he reprooued her a little sharply for bringing a hart which pretended to be penitent for sinne in a body set out ardorned too curiously too costly for such a busines What els passed between them in that priuate conference and Confession of hers God and they do only know but the sequele thereof was notorious to the world For she instantly did vnturne Courtier she grew quickly to cast away her vaine and sumptuous attires and she betooke her selfe though only in her Fathers house to a course of admirable pennance recollection which she accompanied with a Vow of perpetuall chastity wherein she dyed most holily and most happily some ten yeares after This Lady then as being the Child and Creature as it were in spirit of Doctour Auila was deare to him after an extraordinary manner And so for her both consolation and instruction he made this Booke of Audi Filia and she esteemed it as she ought for she neuer would know or call it by other name then of her Treasure But when she was gone to God he took the Booke againe to himselfe and enlarged it and enriched it to that proportion which at this day we see it beares Now in regard that he chiefely speakes therein to her as to a person who had giuen her selfe to God by a vow of chastity you (b) An obiection which it importeth much to be wel answered may seeke perhaps to make your selfe belieue that the doctrine therin conteined belongeth only to such as she But the answere is obuious and assured That howsoeuer it may import such as she was knowne to be in a more eminent manner then other Christians in regard that she had consecrated her selfe to our Lord Iesus as to the spouse of her soule by a particuler vow yet for as much as coÌ„cernes the obligation which we (c) The general obligation to which all good Christians are subiect all haue to abstaine from sinne to imploy ourselues in prayer good workes to despise the vanity of the world to resist the motions of sense to arme our selues against the temptations of the Diuel to which the promise euen of our very Baptisme bindes vs to loue God aboue all thinges to imitate the life and to practise the doctrine of our Lord Iesus and finally to be and to continue true children of his holy Catholique Church this doctrine I say doth so much and so mightily belonge to vs all as that none of vs shall euer get to heaueÌ„ but either by an exact obedience to it or a cordiall griefe for hauing swarued from it And so (d) Of the variety of addresse in the way of spirit which is to be found in this book for persons of al quality es if you may be intreated to obserue what variety of addresse for spirit the Authour giueth in the seueral parts of the worke you cannot chuse but discerne that it is not only meant for Virgins but for all others also if they be Christians yea and if they be not so much as that they yet will heer find reason to beg of God that they may grow so happy Let (e) How much it importeth that this booke be read with great attention deuotion vs also all beg hard for that whereof we haue most need That when heerafter at the day of Iudgment we shall meete Doctour Auila in the valley of Iosaphat there may be no cause to be reproached by our Iudge of so deep ingratitude as not to haue been the better for the great benefit which the godnes of God hath vouchsafed to mankind by means of this his deare and most deuout seruant But (f) In this valley there abouts is the vniuersall IudgmeÌ„t to be made Ioel. 3. that the seed which hath fructified so abundantly in Spayn in Italy in France in I know not how many other countryes by the translatioÌ„ of this booke into so many seuerall languages may also in England be of comfort to that good (g) Matt. â—â— husbandman of the ghospell and not be choaked by thornes nor supplanted by stones nor deuoured by the rauenous birds of the aire who are euer watching how to enrich themselues by our pouertie For so truly miserable are those damned spirits as to think themselues more happy in nothing then if they might draw vs into a society with them in torment though indeed euen our very torment would be sure to serue but for an increase of theirs Our Lord Iesus deliuer vs from that place of eternall malediction both for that which we know thereof by Fayth already and much more for that which we do not know and which I hope we shall neuer know by experience A RICH CABBINET FVLL OF SPIRITVALL IEWELLS CHAP. I. WHEREIN IS TREATED How necessary it is for vs
seeke myne owne honour and doe thou after the same manner And (e) Note if thou wilt rayse vp the eares of thy soule to heare that lamentable Edict with attention which was made against innocency it selfe proclayming Iesus Christ our Lord throughout those streets of Hierusalem for a malefactour thou (f) Sure I am that we ought to be so wilt be confounded when thou seest that thou art honoured or when thou shalt desire so to be And thou wilt say with a deep cordial sigh O Lord. art thou proclaymed for wicked and I praysed for good What is there that can giue vs greater griefe And not only wilt thou loose the hungar of wordly honour but thou wilt couet greedily to be despysed in conformity of our Lord whome to follow as the Scripture (g) Eccles â—â— sayth is great honour And then wilt thou say with S Paul God forbid that (h) Galat. â— I should receaue honour but in the Crosse of Iesus Christ our Lord yea thou wilt desire to fullfill that which the same Apostle sayth els (i) Heb. 13. where Let vs go out and seeke Christ in the campe and let vs imitate him in his dishonour Now if this passion of vayne glory be a powerfull kind of thing much more powerfull is the remedy of the example and grace of Christ Which (k) The bloud of our Lord worketh wonders vpon the proud hart of man doth in such sort ouercome roote it out of the hart as to make it find that it is a thing to be abhorred for a Christian to see the Lord of Maiesty abase himselfe to such contempt whilest he vile worme swelleth vp with the loue of honour Therefore is it that our Lord inuiteth encourageth vs by his example saying Haue confidence for I haue ouercome the world As if he had sayd Before I came hither a hard point it was to wrastle with the deceitpfull world casting away that which flourisheth therein and imbracing that which it contemnes but after that it imployed all the forces it had against me inuenting new kinds of torments and dishonour all which I endured without once turning my face aside it is now not only growne weake for hauing encountred with one who was able to suffer more then that but it is euen ouercome outright to your benefit since by my example which I gaue you and by the strength which I haue gayned for you you may at case subdue and trample it vnder your feet Let the Christian man consider that since the world dishonoured the Blessed Sonne of God who is Eternall Truth and our Soueraigne Good there is no cause why any man should esteeme or belieue it in any thing Nay seeing (l) A demonstration why we ought to beleeue the world no more that it was deceaued in not discerning such a light of extreme clarity and in not honouring him who is most true and perfect honour let the Christian man reiect that which the world allowes let him prize loue that which the world doth despise hate Flying with much care from being esteemed by that (m) The World which did despise his Lord and holding it for a great signe of being beloued by Christ to be despised by the world with him and for his sake Out of which this resultes That as they who are of this world haue no eares wherewith to hearken to the truth and doctrine of God nay rather they despise the same so (n) The seruant of our Lord ought at least to be as careful to please him as the seruants of the world are to please it he who taketh the part of Christ is to haue none wherewith to hearken to or to belieue the lies of the world For in fine whether it flatter or persecute whether it promise or threaten whether it speake frightfully or fayre it doth euery where deceaue and hath a mind to doe so and with such eyes we are to looke vpon it And (o) Note this for a most certaine truth it is certayne that for so many lies and false promises wherein we haue taken it tripping if any man should haue told vs but the one halfe we would trust him now in nothing yea hardly should we credit him althogh he might chaunce in other things to say true That (p) If the world do either promise or threaten it lyes which the world can do is indeed neither good nor bad since it cannot eyther giue or take away the grace of God Nay euen in that ouer which it seemeth to haue power it is yet not able to do any thing since it cannot reach to the least hayre of our head without the will of our Lord. And if it tell vs any other tale of it selfe we must not belieue it And who then will not dare to encounter an enemy who hath no power at all CHAP. IV. In what degree and to what end it is lawfull for a man to desire Honour in the world and of the extreme danger which there is in holding places of Authority and Commaund THAT thou mayst the better vnderstand what hath byn sayd thou art to know that it is one thing to loue honour and humane estimation for it selfe as resting therin this is euil as hath byn shewed But another thing it is when these things are beloued for some good end and this is not euill It is a cleare case that a person who hath coÌ„mand holdeth place may for doing good to others desire that honour and estimation which is fit for the discharge of his employment therby the more to do good (a) Men of authority may desire to be well reputed so that it be to a good end For if men haue him who commaundeth in meane account they will not much esteeme of his commaundement though it be iust And not only this kind of persons but all Christians ought to practise that which is writreÌ„ Take (b) Eccles 41. care of thy good name Not as if he were to rest in that but because a Christian ought to be such a kind of man as that whosoeuer should vnderstand or behould his life (c) Note might giue the glory to God as we vse to do when we see a rose or a tree full of shade fruite This is that which the holy Ghospell requires That our light may so shine before men that they seing our good workes may giue glory to the celestiall Father from whome all good things proceed This ayme at the honour of God and the profit of men did mooue (d) 1. Cor. 4. S. Paul to recount those great and secret fauours which our Lord had done him without holding himselfe for a transgressour of that other (e) Prou. â—7 Scripture which sayth Let the mouth of another prayse thee and not thine owne For (f) He might safely do so but other men must take heed he recounted his own prayies so much without the sticking of
any part therof vnto himselfe as if he had not spoken therof at al. Thereby fulfilling that which he had already sayd to the Corinthians (g) â— Cor. 7. That they who had wines were to haue them as if they had them not and they who wept were to be as if they did not weep the like Wherby he had a mind to say That he vseth temporall things as he ought whether they be prosperous or aduerse whether they be of consolation or affliction who suffers not his hart to stick vnto them but it passeth by as by a thing which is transitory and vayne And certaynly S. Paul when he related those things of himselfe did speake of them with a hart which was not only a despiser of honour but a louer of contempt and dishonour for Iesus Christ his sake whose crosse he held for the highest honour Such hartes as these may well be trusted with taking honour and may relate such things as will purchase it for they wil neuer do so but wheÌ„ it shal be necessary for some good end But as it is a point of much vertue for a man to possesse a thing as if he had it not and so as that the honour which is imparted to vs by others should not cleaue vnto our hartes so (h) The more need we haue to vse all diligence is it also a matter of much difficulty and to which very few arriue For as S Chrysostome sayth To be in the middest of honour and that the hart of him that is so honoured should (i) Both these cases are full of daunger not be affected by it is as if a man were to conuerse amongst fayre women without euer behoulding them with vnchast eyes And experience hath taught vs that honourable and high place hath seldome made men better of worse hath very often made men bad of good For to beare the weight of honour to resist the occasions which grow in company thereof a man had need of much strength Because as S Hiâ—rome sayth The highest mouÌ„taynes are assaulted by the greatest winds This is certayne that greater vertue is requisite for commaunding then for obeying And not without cause great cause did our soueraigne Mayster Lord who knoweth al things fly away (k) This point deserueth great ponderation from being made a King Now since it was not possible for him to run hazard in any estate how high so euer it is playne that this doctrine was deliuered for the help of our weaknesse and that we ought to fly from that which is daungerous since he fled who was out of daunger And if it be a very great boldnesse and against the example of Christ to receyue a place of honour when it is offered what then shall it be to desire it and what againe to procure it For as for the mischeife which it bringes to purchase such a thing with money there liues not the man that can declare it We should find it very strange that a man who might walke securely vpon firme land would rather choose the daungers of going by sea (l) We should thinke that he were mad and that not in fayre weather but in a perpertuall tempest For as S. Gregory sayth What other thing is the power of honour but a tempest of the soule And besides these troubles and the daungers which are euer found in eminent place are followed by that terrible menace sounded forth by God though it be hearkned to vnderstood by few A (m) Sap. 6. most seuere iudgment shall passe vpon sâ—ch as command What kind of thing shall this be wheÌ„ (n) Let men of power commaund consider this euen the ordinary iudgment of God is such as that the men who are most refin'd in vertue do tremble thereat and say (o) Psal 141. Enter not O Lord into iudgment with thy seruant And yet there are persons so blindly bold as (p) For want of faith and the consideration of the next life that they choose to enter into his iudgement and that not such a one as may be accounted ordinary but into the most straite and hard that God affoardes And considering that Saul (q) 1. Reg. 10. the King to whom that kingdome was offered by the order of God without his prizing it or making much account thereof yea he declined it by hiding himselfe but was poynted out and shewed by the hand of God yet neuerthelesse that height of dignity with the circumstances therof treated him so ill that although God made choice of him and himselfe desired to be excused he yet passed through so wicked a life and ariued to so wretched a death that it ought to cast apprehension and feare vpon such as enter into place of honour though they be called in by the right doore and far far more vpon such others as go not in by so good a way Verily (r) A strange blindnes or rather madnes it is to be wondered at that there are persons to be found so strait-harted in the seruice of our Lord that if they be aduised to do any thing therein though it be clearely good yet do they go considering reconsidering whether or no the doing of it do oblige vnder the payne of mortal sin that so indeed they may forbeare to do it For they say that they are but weake they will not ingulfe themselues into matters of great perfection but tread in the playne beateÌ„ way And yet these very men who are so voyd of courage in the search of true vertue which by the grace of our Lord it would be no hard matter for them to obtayne are on the other side so audacious as to put themselues into dignity honour and places of Command For the innocent vse whereof without the hurt of him that hath them there is need of perfect and tryed vertue which they make themselues belieue that they haue and that forsooth they will giue a good account of the forward ranke they hold without hazarding any thing of conscience wherein yet others haue runne so much hazard So (s) How mightily doth the loue of honour intoxicate the brayne deeply doth the desire of honour and command and other humane interests blind men as to make them who dare not set vpon an enterprize which is secure and easy attempt other thinges which are accompanied with difficulty and danger Yea they who do not confide in God that he will help them in those good workes which only do concerne themselues do promise themselues with strange boldnesse that God will guide them by the hand towards those things which concerne the gouernement of others Whereas indeed he may answeare them with great reason That since they would needs plung themselues into that danger let them looke to their owne carriage therein For of such as these it is that God did say They raigned but not by my direction They were Princes and I knew
his passion and which doth worke in his most pretious (l) The benefit of the Passion of our Lord Iesus is conueyed to our soules by the Sacraments of the Holy Church sacraments is that we may thereby be able to pay all our debts to liue heere in the life of grace and afterwards in that of Glory But it is necessary that like the other Widdow we doe walke on maintayning good dispositions in our selues according to which euery one shall be sure to receaue the effect of his sacred passion which in it selfe is most sufficient yea and superaboundant CHAP. XIX Of the much which God the Father gaue vs in giuing vs Iesus Christ our Lord and how thankefull we ought to be and to help our selues by this fauour and to strengthen our selues thereby for the excluding of all desperation wherwith the Dinell is wont to assault vs. MVCH reason hath God to complaine and his Preachers to reproue men for being so forgetfull of this benefit which is so excellent as that for it we should giue thankes to God day and night For as S. Iohn sayth So God loued the world that he gaue his only begotten Sonne to the end that euery one who belieueth in him loueth him may not perish but haue eternall life All other blessings are locked vp in this as the lesse in the greater and as the effect in the cause It is a plaine case that he who gaue the sacrifice against sin did giue pardon to those sinnes for as much as concerned him and to whome our Lord gaue that he also gaue command ouer them And in (a) The great reason of our comfort fine he that gaue vs his Sonne and such a Sonne and so giuen and borne for vs will deny vs nothing that is necessary And he that hath not what is fit let him blame himselfe for to complaine of God he hath no reason For the vnderstanding heerof S. Paul sayth thus He that gaue vs his sonne will he not giue vs all things togeather with him Nay he sayd more He hath already giuen vs all thinges with him for in as much as concerneth the part of God all is already giuen pardon grace and heauen O (b) Lay vp these considerations at thy hart you men why do you loose such happinesse and why are you vngratefull to such a louer and for such a benefit And why are you slothfull in the preparation of your selues to receiue it Worthy it were of all reprehension that a man should goe naked vp and downe halfe dead with hungar and full of miseries and if when another had giuen him great legacies by his will whereby he might pay his debtes and depart from his wantes liue at ease he should yet remaine without enioying all this happines rather then trauell two or three leagues for the prouinge of that will Our redemption was made so copiously that although Gods forgiuing the offences which men coÌ„mit against him be a blessing which exceedes all humane conceite yet the payment which is made by the passion and death of Christ our Lord doth exceed the debt of man in valew much more then the highest part of heauen doth the lowest part of the earth as S. Augustine sayth It (c) This coÌ„parison in full of coÌ„sort to vs sinners was due to sinfull man that he should be fettered torne and killed and can you find in your hartes to thinke that these debtes are not well payd by the scourges tormentes and death of a man who was not only a iust man but man and God An inexplicable fauour it is that God doth adopt for his sonnes the sonnes of men who are but as so many little wormes of earth But to the end that we might not doubt of this fauour it is seconded according to (d) Ioâ—n 1. S. Iohn with another and a greater For he sayth The word of God is made flesh As if he had thus expressed himselfe you may not fayle to belieue that by spirituall adoption men are borne of God for in proofe of this wonder hearken here to a greater which is That the sonne of God 〈◊〉 made man the sonne of a woman So (c) Note also is it a wonderfull thing that a miserable little thing called man made of earth should arriue to heauen enâ—oying God and accompanying the Angells therein with vnspeakeable glory But yet a farre greater matter was it that God should be placed in the torment and ignominy of a Crosse and that he should dye betweene a couple of murthering theeues Whereby the diuine iustice was so entirely satisfied both by reason of the much that our Lord did suffer and chiefely because he that suffered it was God as that he both pardoned that which was past and doth further powre his benedictions vpon vs for the future But yet so as that our barrennesse must bring forth the fruite of good life worthy of heauen which is figured by the Sonne who was graunted to (f) Gen. 18. Sara when she was old and barren For the calfe which was sodden in the house of Abraham this being Christ Iesus crucified by the people who (g) The â—ace of the lewes descended from Abraham was of so much gust to God that of wrathfull he grew calme thereby and curses were exchanged into blessinges Because he receyued a certayne thing which contented him more theâ—â— all the sinnes of the whole world could displease him Why then O man dost thou despayre hauing for remedy of thy miseries for payment of thy debtes God himselfe humaned who is of infinite merit and who by dying put our sinnes to death much better then the (h) Iud. 16. Philistines were made to dye by the death of Sampson And (i) How infinitely good is God although thou hast committed as many sinnes as the very Diuell himselfe who thus would draw thee into despayre thou must take hart in Christ who is That lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world Of whom it was prophesied That be would cast and as it were shoote all our sinnes into the lowest bottome of the sea and that he was to be anointed the holy of holies And that sinne should haue an end and then that Iustice should raigne for euer Yf then our sinnes be remooued be drowned and be dead vvhat cause can there be that such vveake and defeated enemies should ouercome and cast thee vpon despayre CHAP. XX. Of some meanes which the Diuell vseth against the remedy that is spoken of whereby to fright vs and how for this we must not fainte but animate our selues the more considering the infinite mercy of our Lord. BVT I already heare O Man that which thy weakenesse answeareth to what is sayd What (a) A shrewd obiection but mark the answear for it satisfyeth doth it profit thee sayest thou that Christ dyed for thy sinnes if the pardon therof be not applied to thee And though Christ dyed for
prouided a day for thy selfe wherein thou wilt complaine of this offence and say My name is blasphemed vpon your occasion amongst the infidells and to chastize him with seuere punishment who in steed of gathering togeather with thee that which was scattered as he ought to haue done doth eyther scatter that which was gathered or doth hinder it from being so And (l) Let men be as wicked as they will God will stil be iust good then wilt thou make the whole world vnderstand well mough that thou art good though thou haue seruantes that be wicked For the sinnes which they commit displease thee And thou doest forbid them by thy commaundmentes and thou doest seuerely punish them CHAP. XXXV That the very conscience of him that deâ—yreth to obtaine vertue doth testify that our Faâ—th is true and how the desire of leading an euill life doth both procure the loosing of Faith and hinder the getting it BY how much more the witnesse of any thing in question is nearer to vs and well knowne by vs so much doth his credit increase towards the making vs belieue that be sayth true And therefore since I haue â—old thee of some of the meanes which giue testimony of the truth of our Fayth Hearken heere to some others and those not past but present And they againe are so neere thee that they are in thy very hart if thou wilt receaue them and take particuler knowledge of them as thou vsest to take of those thinges which passe there This is grounded vpon the word which our Lord spake If (a) Ioan. 7. any man will doe the will of my Father he shall know whether my doctrine be of God or no. Blessed be thou O Lord who art so assured of the iustice of this thy cause that is the Truth of thy doctrine that thou leauest the sentence which is to proceed vpon it in the hands of whosoeuer will whether he be friend or enemy with this only condition That he who shall make himselfe the Iudge thereof will do the will of God which is but that he should be vertuous and so be saued It is (b) Note this well for it is a wise and most certayne truth certaynely so that if a man should cordially desyre to be good both towards God and towards himselfe and towards his neighbours and would seeke out the fittest doctrine that he could find for making himselfe such if before such an one I say they should lay all the Lawes and doctrines which are in the whole world both true and false to none of which he already carried any particuler affection or passion but did only ayme at the finding out of Truth this man laying aside all the rest would take in hand the Ghospell doctrine of Christ if he (c) According to the true sense therof which is only taught by the holy Catholique Church vnderstood it as a thing which might addresse him better to the end of his iust desires then any other And as he were practising the vertue that he aspired to he would be making experience of the efficacy of this doctrine how fit it were for all that is good for the soule and how wel it were framed for the reliefe of our necessityes and in how short a tyme with how great clarity it did help a man to be vertuous So that such a man comming on by the very experience of the power of this doctrine would confesse as our Lord hath sayd That it came from God and he would also say that which others sayd when they heard Iesus Christ our Lord preaching to them neuer did man speake so well And if euen they who know not Christ by fayth did but heare that admirable charitable word which our Lord himselfe did vtter with so loud a voice If (d) Ioan 7 any man be thirsty let him come to me and drinke and if they would come and make triall of that delicious fullnes and so take experience of this doctrine with desire of being vertuous it is certaine that they would not remain in their infidelity and blindnes But (c) Behold heere the most true cause why Catholik Religion is no more imbraced in England for as much as they are friendes of the world and not of true and perfect vertue nor do they seeke with care the certainty of Truth and the knowledge of God they continue without hearing receauing it And although they heard it yet would it not be receaued by some because it would be contrary to the things which they desire And for this our Lord sayd to the Pharisees certaine wordes which I cyted once before How (f) 1. Ioan. 5. will you be able to belieue since you seeke honour one of another and seeke not the honour which is of God alone And not without great waight of reason did S. Paul (g) 1. Tim 〈◊〉 affirme That some had lost their faith by giuing themselues to couetousnes Not that a man doth instantly loose fayth by committing of any sinne except heresy but for that a hart which is affected to thinges of the world disaffected from vertue when it finds in Christian doctrine certaine Truthes which are contrary to the wicked desires of the same hart and which condemneth vnder so grieuous paynes the thinges which it selfe desires to practise it growes by little and little to seeke other doctrine which may not be of so bad tast in the mouth nor keep such a barking against the ill affections actions thereof And (h) The case of most Protestants who are intelâ—â—gâ—â— so the will being ill inclined is wont to be a meanes of putting blindnes vpon the Vnderstanding and preuailes so farre at last as to make a man giue ouer that Fayth which cryeth out against wickednes that he may follow and belieue other doctrines wherin he may be more at ease and liue how he listes And as this corrupted will is a meanes sometymes to make him loose Fayth that hath it so is it also a meanes to deâ—aâ—ne him from it that hath it not For both these those carry a fastidious kind of mislike against perfect vertue without alleaging in very deed any other cause but only That it is vnsauoury or too highly good so they haue also such a mislike against the Truth of Fayth as being contrary to that wickednes which they loue CHAP. XXXVI That the admirable change which is made in the hart of sinners and the great fauours which our Lord doth to them who follow him with perfect vertue and do call vpon him in their necessityes is a great testimony to the Truth of our Fayth IN how much better case are they who with desire to serue God haue chosen to imbrace this perfectioÌ„ of vertue though al they that serue him do enioy otherwise if they will marke it many testimonyes which Fayth placeth in their hart But especially do they enioy it who serue him with a profiting and
him So God is not solitary but in the vnity of Essence there are three persons Nor is he couetous or barren since there is a communication of an infinite Deity Neither must thou forbeare to belieue that so it is although thou know not how it commeth to be so since euen because it is so high it carryeth a kind of trace or sent to be a thing of God And because it is better to be so then not euen for this very reason it is a thing which it is fit for God to haue and that so we should belieue it since of God we are to thinke according to the greatnes of God that is the highest that possibly we can imagine CHAP. XL. Wherein answere is made to thē who obiect against the receauing of our Faith that it teacheth meane and low thinges of God and how in these meane things which God teacheth most high glory is contayned NEITHER yet is there any reason to stumble at the humility which the most high God took vpon him abasing himselfe to become man to liue in pouerty and to dye vpon a Crosse For these workes are not only not to be sayd vnworthy of God but they are most worthy if they be well vnderstood Indeed if he had abased himselfe because he could not chuse or if by that abasement he had lost the height which he had before or if he had been moued to it by any interest of such an abasement But neither did he leaue to be what he was by taking that which he was not nor came he from heauen to earth by any constraint nor was he induced by regard of profit since God cannot increase in being rich But (a) Note this well discourse and learne to loue God greatly by it he was moued to it by his owne only goodnes and by the loue which he bare to men and the desire which he had to recouer them by such meanes as might be of most glory to himselfe and of most aduantage to vs. And such was the meanes he tooke by making himselfe man and dying vpon a Crosse For there is not a greater signe of loue then that a man should dy for his friends Which loue so excellent did not spring from any desert of theirs but from his owne excellent goodnes So that his lownesse and his death do not argue in him any want of power or goodnesse For as much as he being omnipotent and wholy wise might haue giuen vs remedy by many meanes besides this but it argueth in him an immense excesse of loue and goodnes and this so much the more as God who loueth and suffereth this is the greater and as that which he suffered was more grieuous and painefull and they for whome he suffered were the more vnworthy and base And since in louing such persons his excellent goodnesse is manifested this worke is to be called a great height since in spirituall things high and good are all one and when it is the more good so much the more great and high it is And since the greatest honour which we can do any man is to hold him for good more then for being valiant or wise for as much as no mā who is sensible of honour doth not so desire it it is euident that since these workes do manifest his goodnes and loue more then all the rest they giue him consequently more honour and they giue it better then all the rest And (b) In true account nothing doth so exalt Christ our Lord as his abasement if in the opinion of ignorant persons the abasement which God hath made of himselve take honour from his dignity and height it ought in the iudgment of wise men to extoll the honour of his goodnes and consequently of his height and greatnes and so he looseth neither the one nor the other And not only doth his goodnes shine in these workes more then others but so also doth his wisedome and power other his most wonderfull attributes appeare therin For amongst all the workes which God hath wrought or is to work there is none equall in being moruailous nor is there to be found so great a miracle as that God should make himselfe man and suffer afterward for man And whosoeuer belieueth not this doth his best to take from God the greatest honour he hath and greater then if he should take the honour that is due to him for all the other workes which he hath made or is to make in (c) Since the Creation of the world Tyme Consider well of this and thou shalt discerne how the omnipotency and wisedome of Goth doth shine in making two so different extremes to meet in one as are God and man in the vnity of one person And note that his power is more declared in combatting and conquering our sinnes and death by the armes of our weaknes then if he had ouercome them with the weapons of his owne omnipotency as we sayd before whylest we were speaking of despaire And (d) An excellent discourse consider that when God continued in his greatnesse he had but a small people that serued him and the same went also dayly from him to adore strange Gods and euen when it did not so it serued him yet with much weakenes But when God abased himselfe so far as to be man and to dy for him it made such deep impression vpon the minds of men as that they who were high did abase themselues and the weake became strong the wicked good and finally there grew so great a change ouer the world as well in the destruction of idolatry as in the renouation of life and manners that the accomplishment of the word which our Lord spake was plainely seene (e) lo. m. 1◠When I shall be exalted from the earth and placed on the Crosse I will draw all things to my selfe And so it appeares that he obteyned that victory ouer the hartes of men by basenesse weakenes tormentes and death which he obteyned not whylest he remained in the height of his Maiesty And thus was that fullfilled which S. Paul (f) t. Cor. 1. sayth The weaknes of God is more thē the strength of men And so it also appeareth that God doth not only gaine the honour of goodnesse but of wisedome power also by taking vpon him our basenesse and by working that thereby which he wrought not by his greatnes For this it is that S. Paul (g) Rom. 1. sayth That he is not ashamed to preach the Ghospell since it is the vertue of God for the sauing of men For although this humanity hunger dishonour torment death be truly affirmed of God yet there is no cause for a Christian to be ashamed thereof since by meanes of these thinges God obteined the conquest ouer other thinges that were so mighty as are sinne and death and procured that man might obtayne the grace of God and his Kingdome which are the greatest things that could
BVT thou art further to note that many do find in themselues their own meanesse and that of themselues they are nothing and they seeme to attribute the glory to God for all the blessings that they receaue and they haue many other signes of humility but notwithstanding all this they are full of pride and that so much the more dangerously as they coÌ„ceaue themselues to be most free from it The reason of this is because although they do liue as in the sight of Truth by not attributing those blessinges to themselues yet do they liue in errour by conceauing them to be more and greater then indeed they are and they take themselues to haue so much light from God as that they are able not only to rule themselues in that way but others also and no man is of sufficiency in their opinion to gouerne them They are greatly friends to their own fancy yea and sometymes they make not much reckoning of that which former Saints haue sayd or that which the seruants of God liuing in their owne tyme conceaue They (a) This is still meant of those hereticall Illuminati boast themselues to haue the spirit of Christ and to be gouerned by it and to haue no need of human counsell since God with so great certainty and the vnction of his spirit doth giue them comfort in their prayers They thinke as S. Bernard sayth of other mens houses but that the sunne doth only shine in their own and they defye and despise all wisemen as Golias did the people of God Only he is good in their opinion who conformeth himselfe to them and to them nothing is more troublesome then to meet with a man that contradicteth them They will be the maisters of all men and belieued by al men and they will belieue none The wary discretion of men who are well experienced they call tepidity and feare but as for vnbridled feruours noueltyes full of singularity which are the occasions of tumult these men call the liberty of spirit and the strength of God and they haue almost euer in their mouthes This my spirit telleth me God satisfyeth me in this and the like At other tymes they alleadge the Scripture of God but they will by no meanes vnderstand it as the Church and the Saints haue vnderstood it but only as they list themselues Belieuing that they haue not lesse light then the former Saints nay that God hath taken them for instruments of greater matters then those others and so they make Idolls of themselues and place themselues vpon the heades of all men with intollerable presumption So miserable is the errour of these men that being extremly proud they hold themselues for perfectly humble and belieuing that God only dwelleth in them he is indeed far from them and that which they take to be light is profound darknesse Of these or such as these Gerson sayth There are some to whome it is a thing very agreeable to be gouerned by their owne conceit and they walke vnder the conduct of their owne inuentions or rather they are cast headlong vpon their owne opinion which is a most dangerous guide They (b) Euen in doing of pennance discretion is to be followed whensoeuer excesse therin is vsed and not accompanyed with docility other interiour vertue it is not only suâ—piâ—â—ouâ— but dangerous macerate themselues with too extreme fasting they watch too much they trouble and empty their braine with excesse of teares and in the middest of all this they follow no mans admonition or counsell They care not to aske the opinion of them that are wise in the law of God nay they care not to heare them when eyther they do heare or aske their counsell they despise their sayings And the cause of this is that they conceaue theÌ„selues to be some great men and that they know better then all the world what is fit for them to do Of these I pronounce that speedily they shall fall into the illusion of the Diuell speedily shall they fall vpon the stone of offence because they are conducted by a blind kind of rashnes and an excessiue kind of lightnesse And therefore what soeuer they shall tell thee of any extraordinary Reuelations know thou that it is to be suspected Al this sayth Cerson CHAP. LIIII Of some propertyes which they haue whome we sayd to be deceaued in the last Chapter and how necessary it is to take the opinion of others and of the mischiefe that men are brought to by following their owne THOV art to vnderstand that some of them of (a) He coÌ„tinueth to describe those aforesayd heretikes whome I spake in the last chapter are people without learning yea they are cordiall enemyes to men that are learned And if perhaps they haue a little Latin to read and to carry a new Testament about them they do belieue themselues so much conceauing the while that they belieue God and they rest so much vpon certaine light motiues and do answere themselues thereby in such blind errours that how manifest soeuer in themselues they be these men know not how to shake them off and they are so presumptuous and so impossibly to be perswaded that as the Scripture sayth A man were better encounter with a beare from whome they had taken her whelpes then with a foole that presumeth in his fault And yet they haue much in their memory and no lesse in their tongue that saying of S. Paul Knowledge doth blow vp but Charity doth build vp And by this they thinke they haue a pattent to contemne wise men as men that are pussed vp they valew themselues at a high rate as a kind of people that is full of charity The (b) Let heretikeâ— examine theÌ„selues by this rule and they will see their owne extreme pride whyle they marke not that themselues are the men that are puffed vp with the pride of sanctity which is more dangerous then the pride of science as a thing which riseth from that which is better and for the same very reason it is worse though indeed neither science nor good workes do of themselues produce this moath but it is the wickednes of the wicked which taketh occasion to swell by that which is good Since the case standeth so they ought not instantly to contemne such as are wise because wisedome of it selfe is no impediment but that withall a man may be humble and holy Yea to many it hath beene and still is a great occasion of their being so for others to esteeme that they are not so proceedeth from an erroneous iudgment and an excessiue pride in themselues But suppose they were not yet were those others to remember that it is written Vpon (c) Matt. 1â— the chaire of Moyses sit the Scribes and Pharisees do therefore that which they direct you to but do not that which they do Whereas these fellowes do iust the contrary for they receaue not the good
forth no other fruit then confusion sinne and death And if in any sort I haue had any good thing I receaued it of thee And whatsoeuer good I haue now the same I hold of thee If at any tyme I stood fast on foot I stood by thee but when I fell I fell of my selfe and for euer should I haue remained fallen into that durt if thou hadst not raysed me and for euer should I haue beene blind if I had not beene illuminated by thee When I was fallen I should neuer haue risen vnles thou hadst reached forth thy hand and after I was once raysed I should instantly haue returned to fall if thou hadst not held me And so thy grace and thy mercy O Lord did euer march before me deliuering me out of all mischiefe sauing me from sinnâ—s stirring me vp to auoyd such as were present preuenting me in such as were to come and remouing from before my ne eyes those snares of wickednes by diuerting the causes and occasions therof And if thou O Lord hadst not done so there is no sinne in the whole world which I might not haue committed For I know that there is no sinne which hath beene committed by any man in any kind which another man may not commit if that guide retyre himselfe by whome man was made But thou didst procure that I should not do it and thou didst command me that I should abstayne from it and thou didst infuse thy grace that I might belieue thee For thou O Lord didst conduct me towardes thy selfe and didst preserue me for thy selfe and didst giue me grace and light that I might not commit adultery and all other sinne CHAP. LXVII Wherin he prosecuteth the former exercise and of the much light which our Lord is wont to giue by meanes thereof whereby they know the greatnes of God and as it were the Nothing of their littlenes CONSIDER therefore O Virgin these wordes of S. Augustine with attention thou wilt see how farre off thou art to be from ascribing any glory to thy selfe not only of raysing thy selfe from sinne but in determining thy selfe from returning to fall For as I told thee if the hand of God should once retyre it selfe from thee thou wouldest instantly fal backe into that profound pit of being nothing so if God should forbeare to preserue thee thou wouldest returne to those and more grieuous sinnes then those from which he deliuered thee Be therefore humble and gratefull to this Lord of whome thou art at al moments in so great necessity know that thou art depending vpon him and that all thy good is to be deriued from his holy hand as Dauid sayth In thy hand O Lord are my lett es for lettes he calleth the grace of God and the eternall predestination which commeth by the (a) The first grace of God is giuen vpon no other ground then his own meer goodnes goodnes of God and they are graunted to such as to whome he graunteth them And as if he should resume the being which he gaue thee thou wouldst againe be nothing so he retiring his grace from thee thou wouldest returne to be a sinner I speake not this that thou shouldest fall into any deep discouragement or desperation in that thou seest how thou art hanging vpon the handes of God but to the end that with so much the more security thou mayst enioy the good thinges which God hath giuen thee (b) Let this be the hope of any man who by the goodnes of God doth liue lesse sinfully then he was wont mayst haue confidence that through his mercy he will finish that in thee which he hath begunne And that so much the more as thou with greater humility and profound reuerence and holy feare shalt cast thy selfe trembling and prostrate at his feete not relying any way vpon thy selfe but hauing a strong hope in him For this is a great good signe that his infinite goodnesse will not forsake thee according to that which that blessed and (c) The humility of our B. Lady was aboue all the humilities of al pure creatures humble aboue all humble creatures Mary did sing when she said (d) Luc. 1. His mercy is from generation to generation vpon them that feare him And if our Lord be pleased to giue thee this knowledge of thy selfe which thou desirest thou (e) The sweet and sublyme effects of holy humility wilt find coÌ„ming into thy hart a certaine heauenly light and a kind of feeling into thy soule whereby vpon the driuing away of all darckenesse it findeth and knoweth that there is no being nor good nor strength in any thing created but that which the blessed and deare will of God hath bin pleased to giue and conserue And then he knoweth how true that part of the other canticle is The heauens and the earth are full of thy glory For in all that is created he seeth nothing good the glory whereof is not due to God And he vnderstandeth how truly God directed (f) Exod. 3. Moyses that he should say of him to men He that Is hath sent me to you and that also which our Lord said in the (g) Marc. 10. Ghospell There is none good but God alone For as all the being and all the good which thinges haue whether they be of free will or of grace is giuen and preserued by the hand of God such a person will know that God is more to be said to be in them and to worke that which is good in them then they in themselues Not (h) How God worketh in man and how man worketh with vnder God but that they doe also worke but because they worke as second causes being moued by God who is the principall and vniuersall operatour and of whome they hold their power to worke And so looking vpon them he findeth there no hand-fast nor resting place but vpon that infinite Essence which vpholdeth them in comparison wherof they doe all how great soeuer they be appear but as a little needle which is cast into an infinite sea From (i) This is an inestimable iewell but pray hard for it and by the goodnes of God thou maist purchase it this knowledge of God there doth result to the soule which profits by it a profound and loyall reuerence to the superexcellent diuine maiesty which placeth in her such a detestation of atributing any good thing to her selfe or any other creature that she will not so much as once thinke thereof Considering that as the chast Ioseph who though he were sollicited by the wife of his Lord yet would not commit such a treason against him so must not a man rise vp and robbe God of his honour which he resolueth to keep for himselfe as the husband doth his wife according as it is written My glory I will not giue to another And then also growes a man to be so grounded in this truth that although all the world
purpose by some (a) Certaine bookes which instruct meÌ„ how they may examine their consciences for confessioÌ„ which are euery where to be sold in Catholike couÌ„treys Confessionary And after that he hath lamented them well he must declare them to some spirituall Phisitian who hath the power and knowledge to prescribe fit remedyes for that infirmity and who may lay his conscience as flat and euen as yf the man were that day to dye to be presented before the iudgement seat of God In this businesse he may spend some moneth or two dissoluing with bitter sighes the sinnes which he committed by wicked pleasures And for this purpose he may serue himselfe of the reading of some good booke such as I spake of (b) In the discourse of tâ—e knowledge of ones selfe longe before which may helpe him to thinke of his death and Iudgement and with his thought to descend aliue into that bottomles pitte of eternall fire to the end that he may not descend after he is dead to find the misery which there is felt It will also conduce to this purpose that beholding some Image of the Crucisixe or else remembring it he consider how himselfe by his sinnes was the cause why our Lord did suffer so great tormentes And (c) Woe will be to vs if we do it not let him behold him with attention from head to foot and ponder euery particuler payne of his by it selfe lament euery particuler sinne since the afflictions of our Lord do correspond to our crimes he suffering dishonour for the payment of our pride and of scourges and paynes in payment of our sensuall pleasures and so also in the rest And let him thinke that if a sonne should see his father cruelly scourged and tormented for a fault which not the Father but that sonne had committed and if he should heare this Proclamation made He that committeth such a sinne shall pay for it with such a punishment This Sonne would haue great compassion of his Father and great sorrow for hauing done any such thing as was to cost that Father so dear And if he were a true Sonne it would more afflict him to see his Father so punished then if they should haue punished himself And a straÌ„g thing it would be if he cryed not out through excesse of griefe confessing that himselfe was the guilty person that him they should punish and not the Father who had made no fault From hence let vs take example to conceans therby more griefe for hauing sinned For it is God who was offended and it is God who was punished for euery mischiefe which might haue growne to vs by euery sinne It is (d) Let euery one make this case his owne I O Lord that sinned but it is thou that payest the payne thereof My wickednes O Lord did put thee in prison and it made thee be proclaimed with infamy through those streets and at last it layd thee vpon a Crosse Let this be thy lamentation with desire to suffer all that for God which he shal be pleased to ordayne And when thou shalt haue made this Examen of thy conscience with sorrow satisfaction according to the aduice of thy Ghostly Father thou mayst after thy hauing receaued sacramental absolution haue confident hope of pardoÌ„ receaue comfort into thy soule CHAP. LXXII How the second pace towardes the bringing vs to God is the giuing of thankes which we owe him for his hauing so deliuered vs and of the manner how this is to be done by meanes of diuers Misteryes of the Passion which are to be meditated in diuers dayes VVHEN the soule is thus purged from the humours of sinne which gaue it death it must imploy it selfe vpon giuing of thankes for so great and so vndeserued a fauour Not (a) A greater blessing it is to be made the adopted Sonne of God then to be freed from the paines of hell only in respect that God hath forgiuen him the paynes of hell but because he hath receaued him for his Sonne and hath bestowed his grace vpon him and certaine interiour guifs by the merits of the true God Iesus Christ our Lord who dyed for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification killing our sinnes and our old life by his dying and raysing vs vp to a new life by his resurrection And if Iob sayd That the body of a poore man whome he had cloathed would heap benedictions vpon the man who imparted that benefit with much more reason ought we to blesse Christ Iesus crucifyed when our soule doth find it selfe free froÌ„ misery conforted with fauours belieuing that all our good commeth from him for it is strangely against all reason to be vngrateful to such loue and for such benefits And although euery tyme that thou findest thy selfe well thou art instantly to prayse Christ Iesus with particuler gratitude yet to the end that this may be don the better and with more fruit it will be fit That as to thinke of thy sinnes I aduised thee to seeke some priuate or retyred place there to looke vpon thy selfe so now thou do with much more reason imploy another part of the day in thinking of the Passion of our Lord in giuing him thankes for the benefits which are come to thee by it crying out from thy hart I will neuer forget thy iustifications because in them thou didst giue one life The course then which thou shalt hold if no other better doe occurre may be this On (b) A distribution of the dayes in the Meditation of the PassioÌ„ of our Lord. Munday to thinke on the prayer of our Lord and the taking of him in the Garden and that which passed in the house of Annas and Caiphas On Tewesday the accusations which were presented against him and the processions that he made from Iudge to Iudge and of the cruell scourging which he endured when he was tyed to the piliar On Wednesday how he was crowned with thornes and what scorne they put him to by drawing him out in a red coate and with a Reede in his hand that all the people might see him and how they sayd Ecce Home On Thursday we cannot displace that most excellent mistery how the sonne of God with profound humility washed the feet of his disciples and gaue to them afterwardes his body and bloud for food of life Commanding both them and all (c) It was his Apostles and in their person to all lawfull Priests their successours whomour Lord coÌ„maunded to do the like and not to lay persons as the ProtestaÌ„ts imagine preistes who were to follow that they should doe the same in memory of him Doe thou make thy selfe present at that admirable Lauatory and in that most excellent banquet and then trust in God that thou shalt not depart from thence eyther defyled or dead of hunger Thou shalt thinke on Friday how our Lord was presented before the Iudge and sentenced to death
knowledge of ones selfe Then read that mystery of the Passion which thou art about to meditate in some booke that treates thereof This (b) The manner of reading spirituall bookes will serue thee for two purposes The one to teach thee what did happen in that mystery that so thou mayst be able to thinke vpon it for as for the life death of our Lord thou art to know them and that soundly knowne The other for the recollecting of thy hart to the end that when thou meanest to thinke vpon the Passion thou mayst not haue wandring or tepide thoughtes And although thou do not read at one tyme all that which the booke deliuereth of that part of the Passion thou wilt be at no losse thereby because vpon the same dayes of the weekes following thou wilt come to an end thereof And as I told thee before thy reading must not be such as to make thee weary but to stirre vp the appetite of thy soule and to prepare matter for thee to thinke and pray vpon The bookes which may profit thee in the thought of the Passion are amongst others the Meditations of S. Augustine in Latin and those of the Father Lewys de Granada in Spanish and the (c) Diâ—â—ysius Carthusianus Carthusian who writeth vpon al the Ghospells When thou hast ended thy reading cast thy selfe vpon thy knees and hauing first recollected thyne eyes doe thou beseech our Lord that he will send thee light of the Holy Ghost which may impart to thee an amorous and compassiue feeling of that which Christ with such dearenesse of loue did suffer for thee Be very (d) Obserue this excellent discourse with great attention importunate with him not to permit in thee so great ingratitude as that thou being bound to imitate his passion shouldest hardly find in thy hart to thinke vpon it Then place the image of that Mystery which thou wouldst meditate within thy hart and if this succeed not with thee yet esteeme at least that thou hast it neere thee And (e) A necessary aduice this I say to let thee know that thou art not to carry thy thoughts to contemplate our Lord at Hierusalem where the Passion was accomplished for this would do thy head great hurt and dry vp thy deuotion But make account that he is present to thee and place thou the eyes of thy soule vpon his feet or on the ground neere to him and behold with all reuerence that which passeth as if thou wert present at it and hearken to that which our Lord did say with all attention Aboue all (f) Our Lord make vâ— fit to do so thinges behould with a pure and quiet sight his most sacred hart which so aboundeth with loue towards vs and which did so much excell in comparison of that which he suffered exteriourly thogh euen that were also vnspeakable as the Heauen doth exceed the Earth But take heed that thou doe not afflict thy hart with any forced griefe which vseth to fetch out some (g) Take heed of forcing thy selfe to teares few teares with violence for this doth hinder that quiet repose which is wholy needfull in the exercise of prayer as the Abbot Isaac was wont to say they dry vp the hart make it vnfit for the receauing of the visitation of Gods spirit which requireth peace and rest Yea and they vse to preiudice euen our bodily health and to leaue the soule so frighted with the disgust which therein it found that it feareth to returne againe to praier as to some painefull thing But if with a quiet thinking of these things our Lord do giue thee teares and compassion other deuout affections of mind thou art to take them vnder this condition That the excesse thereof be not such as to ouerworke thee to wardes the notorious preiudice of thy health or that thou becommest vnable therby to resist them and to hinder crying out or by other such exteriour signes to make shew of what thou findest within For yf thou doest vse thy selfe to this thou wilt grow to make those expressions amongst others and with greate note to which thou art accustomed in thy Oratory without being able to resist them but from this it is reason that thou fly So (h) How we are to carry our selues when we haue tears tender motions of the mind as thou art to receaue these spiritual gustes and teares in such sort as that thou do not greatly go after them least (i) That pious thought which was the cause of teares is to be cherished and the teares tâ—es lues neglected in the pursuit thereof thou loose that pious thought or spirituall affection by which they were caused But vse thou great diligence that the thought continue and as for the other exteriour and sensible feeling let it take the chance and by this meanes thou mayest continue a long tyme togeather in a spirituall and deuout gust of mind Whereas that other which may be accompted but as corporall to touch vpon the sensible part of the soule cannot last Nor yet will it suffer the spiritual affection to continue vnles it be withheld from following the other which is more corporall Only (k) IndulgeÌ„ce may be vsed towards beginners to such as are new beginners a little leaue may be allowed that so they may taste of this sweet kind of milke a little more then such as are proficient For (l) In this true deuotion doth consist these later haue an ayme to feele in their soule the high dignity of him that suffers and the deepe indignity of him for whom he suffers and the mightily much that he suffers and yet that the loue wherewith he doth it is still greater and (m) Do this and liue they desire to imitate this loue and this passion with all the strength that our Lord shall giue And if herewith he giue them the aforesaid gustes they driue them not away nay rather they are thankfull for them but not as for the more principall And (n) Both these loues of God are excellent but generally speaking men excell in the former and women in the later although I make no doubt but that there is a certaine kind of loue of God so inflamed and so fyery as that it doth not only not prouoke teares but it hindreth them and dries them vp so do I also aduertise thee that there is another tender kind of loue which procureth those aforesaid gustes in the sensitiue part of the soule and in the eyes of the body which yet is not blame-worthy since the doctrine of Christ is not a doctrine of Stoickes who condemne euen the passions which are good And because Christ our Lord did weepe and was sad that sufficeth to make vs belieue that these thinges are good yea euen in the most perfect men O how much hurt hath bin done by certaine vnlearned men both to themselues and to others by their taking the businesse of
of the crosse◠as that the bitter and the base he maketh honourable and delightfull and (o) A certayn truth nobly expressed he makes his seruants ready to cast the gorge when they are but 〈◊〉 take a tast of that for which worldlings are vpon the point to cut the throates of one another This fruitfull and firme loue do I desire that the thought of the sacred Passion of which thou art so enamoured should worke in thy hart (p) As S. Pau◠sayth he did he sayth he did it in his body by punishing its not only in his thought and in his tongue that thou mayst carry the mortification of our Lord in thy body And if there be none who fling stones at thee or imprison thee or scourge thee as they did our Lord and his Apostles who (q) Act. 5. went ioyfully suffering for his name yet seeke thou also meanes to suffer in what thou mayst And giue (r) No protestant will hold any such discourse God many thankes when he offereth thee any occasion to the end that vsing well that little our Lord may giue thee strength to suffer more and may send thee more And consider well that thou art not to esteeme little of these thinges in respect that S. Paul (ſ) 1. Tim. 4. sayd That the exercise of these corporall thinges is of little profit For although we should grant that (t) Where of many are yet in doubt he meaneth it of such thinges as we haue heere deliuered yet he will not haue vs esteem (u) How this place of Scripture is to be vnderstood little of them in themselus but only in comparison of greater matters For the obtayning whereof and for the satisfaction of the payne which is due in Purgatory yet further for the acquiring of more grace and glory and for the seruing of God both with the interiour and exteriour mā there is no doubt but that since we are debtours to him for all these other thinges are very fit to be vsed Whereof our soueraigne Maister of light did tell vs what we were to thinke when he sayd speaking of greater matters That is was necessary to do them and speaking of the lesser that is was fit not to emit them CHAP. LXXVII That the Mortification of our passions is the second fruit which we are to draw out of the meditation of the passion of Christ our Lord and how we are to vse this exercise that so we may gather admirable fruit thereby THAT which in the next place thou art to procure by the meditation of the sacred passion that so by litle litle thou mayst go ascending from the lower to the higher is the curing of the woundes of thy passions by the medicine of the passion of our Lord whome Isay (a) Isa 11. calles the flower of the rodde of Iesse For (b) Such as are medicinal by being bruised as flowers vse to be the meanes of giuing health so Christ Iesus being grinded vpon the Crosse applyed by our deuout consideration to our soares how dangerous soeuer they are they wil be cured thereby Of this S. Augustine (c) Thou needest not feare to take S. Augustins word in a more doubtfull matter then this is had experience and he sayd When I am assalted by any deformed thought I go instātly to the wounds of Christ when the diuell layeth any ambush for me I run into the bowells of the mercy of my Lord and so the diuel flyeth from me If the ardour of any dishonest conceit would put my body into disorder it is quenched by my remembrance of the woundes of my Lord the sonne of God In all my aduersityes I haue not found any remedy of so great force as the woundes of Christ wherein I sleep secure and discharge my care without feare The same did S. Bernard say and know by experience as all they do who finding themselues as it were assalted by their Passions as the stagge is by a kennell of dogges do go with a pious hart to drinke of those sacred fountaynes of our Sauiour painfull indeed to him but the causes of restauration and ioy to vs. And there they learne by experience how great a truth that is which (d) Num. 21. Moyses declared in figure by the commaundment of God when he raised the brasen serpent vpon a staffe to the end that being beheld by such as were stung by venemous serpents it might free them from death and restore them to health This serpent although by the shape it would seeme to carry poyson in it yet it had none indeed for it was a serpent of brasse And in the same manner Iesus Christ our Lord had true flesh like the flesh of sinne whereby it was subiect to paine but indeed it is farre from all sinne because it is the flesh of God and framed by the holy Ghost and kept by him and being placed on high vpon the (e) The infinite power of the Crosse of Christ our Lord. Crosse and being dead vpon it it deliuereth from death and giueth health to all such as being bitten by temptations haue recourse to him with Faith and Loue. And since thou hast so powerfull a remedy for thy recouery so neere at hand there remaineth no more but that (f) How necessary it is to be exact in making the Examen of our selus especially cōcerning our passions thou take a very particuler accoumpt to know what serpents they are which sting thy soule by dayly and leasurely examining what inclinations thou hast in the very bottome of thy hart what are the quickest passions that thou art subiect to what are the faults into which thou fallest sometymes and such obseruations as these whereby thou maiest be so perfect and cleare in the knowledge of thy frailtyes as that thou mayst haue them not only in thyne eyes but euen at thy very fingers ends Thou wilt not arriue in short tyme to this no nor yet in long vnles thou be assisted by light from heauen whereby thou mayst discerne the very roots of thy hart which is so deepe that not thy selfe but God alone can throughly sift it It (g) The most excellent meanes whereby we may come to know our selues exactly is to consider diligently the vertues of our Lord Iesus expressed in his sacred passion will helpe thee much towards this knowledge to consider the vertues which our Lord did exercise in his passion since he is to be the glasse of thy soule insteed of that other by which women that are married vse to dresse themselues for the pleasing of their husbands Behold (h) The vnspeakable vertues of our Lord. his meekenes his Charity his inuincible patience his profound silence and so thy faultes will grow playne to thee how hidden soeuer they may be Yea and thy vertues being compared with his will appeare to thee euidētly to be faults And thou wilt be ashamed both of the one
were deafe For incomparably more acceptable to God was the voyce of Christ and of his Passion and death which demaunded pardon then all the sinnes of the whole world are offensiue demaunding vengeance What doest thou thinke that (h) The profound silence of Christ our Lord in his sacred passion the silence of Christ did procure and that he made him selfe as deafe who did not heare and as a dumbe man who did not open his mouth when he was accused Without doubt since the sinnes of them who by their mouth accused Christ did make a noyse which was full of lyes against him who was not guilty and when he in the meane tyme would needes hold his peace who yet might haue answered them with all iustice it is but due that the rest of the world may not be accused of their sinnes by the Diuells though of it selfe this might be iustly done but that they should be dumbe because they had accused him who was innocent And that since he would needs be (i) Sicâ—â— mutus non aperiâ—â—s os suum deafe who yet was so well able to answere it is but reason that the diuine iustice to which Christ offered himselfe for vs should also make it selfe as deafe though we haue done thinges which require vengeance Reioyce therefore O thou spouse of Christ and let all sinners reioyce if indeed they be sorry for hauing sinned and if they dispose themselues to take the (k) Contrition ConfessioÌ„ and Satisfaction remedyes which are in the Catholike Church For God is deafe towards the punishment of our sinnes but hath his eares wide open towardes the hearing of our prayers with mercy Feare not thy accusers nor those outcryes although thou haue giuen cause thereof since Christ was accused and by his silence did strike dumbe the clamour of our sinnes It was (l) Isa 35. prophesied that he would be silent as the lambe is before the shearer But (m) The great profit which we reape by the silence that Christ our Lord did vse in his sacred Passion when most he was silent and did suffer most in the sight of men so much greater were the out cryes which he gaue to the diuine iust 〈◊〉 by paying for vs. And these out cryes were heard as S. Paul (n) Hebr. 5. sayth for his reuerence that is for his great humility and for the reuerence wherewith he humbled himselfe to his Father euen to death and that of the Crosse reuearing in as much as he was man that superexcellent diuine Maiesty and loosing his life for the honour of it He was heard I say by his Father of whome it was written He (o) Psal 102. regarded the prayer of the humble and despised not their petition Now who is so humble as our Blessed Lord who sayd Learne (p) Matt. 11. of me for I am meâ—ke and humble of hart And therefore he was heard as before it was prophesyed in his person Our q Psal 21. Lord did not remooue his face from me and when I cryed out he heard me And the same Lord of ours sayth in the Ghospell I giue (r) Ioan. 21. thee thankes O Father because thou doest euer heare me Now since the Father doth heare him when he prayeth for thee and that the obtayning of grace whereby thou mayst be made iust that so thou maist be heard by God did cost him so dear procure to get it if thou haue it not and if thou haue it employ it in offering vp prayers to God since to such prayers his eares are open And as we must heare our Lord with the Prophet Samuel when he sayth Speake (Å¿) 1. Râ—g â— Lord for thy seruant heareth so doth our Lord say to vs Speake seruant for thy Lord heareth thee And as we sayd long before that our hearing the voyce of God must not be the only hearing of the sound of the wordes but to belieue them and to be pleased in them to put them in execution so the eares of our Lord are opened by the loue of Christ not only to heare what we say for so also doth he heare the blasphemies which are spoken of him and which offend him but our Lord doth heare our petitions in such sort as to performe them And to the end that thou mayst see how true it is that our Lord doth heare the deep sighes that we present to him hearken thou to that which the â—aâ—â—â—e Lord sayth by (t) Isa 65. Isaias Before they call I will heare them O blessed be that holding thy peace O Lord for both within and without didst thou hold thy peace vpon that day of thy Passion Out wardly by not cursing or so much as answearing and in wardly by not contradicting but accepting with great patience those blowes and cryes and paynes of thy passion For thereby thou didst so speake in the eares of God as that we may be heard euen before we speake Nor is this any great meruaile for (u) The inestimable prouidence and goodnes of God in Christ our Lord. as much as we being yet nothing thou didst make vs and before we could aske thee any thing thou didst maintayne vs both within and without the wombe of our Mother and before we knew what it was that might do vs good thou gauest vs the adoption of Sonnes and the grace of the Holy Ghost in holy Baptisme And before we had beene ouerthrowne by sinne thou didst keep vs and when vve were fallen through our own fault thou didst raise vs vp and thou didst seek vs when we sought not thee And that which is more before we were borne thou hadst already dyed for vs and prepared heauen for vs. It is not therefore any wonder that of whome thou hadst so much care before they had any of thee thou haue it also in this particuler And that thou dost giue vs that many times wherof thou seest vs to haue need without expecting that we should weary our selues so much as to aske it since thou didst weary thy selfe so much both in asking and procuring it for vs. What shall we giue thee O most blessed Iesus for this silence which thou didst vse before them vvho did so hate and hurt thee And what shall vve giue thee for those loud cryes so full of loue vvhich thou gauest for vs before thy Father O (x) A deuout contemplation that it were pleasing to thy infinite goodnes to do vs so great a fauour as that we might be so silent towardes the offence of thee and so willing to suffer that which thou vvouldst do with vs as if we vvere so many dead men And that we vvere so full of life towardes the vttering of voyces in thy prayse that neither we whome thou hast redeemed nor the heauens nor the earth nor that which is vnder the earth nor any of that which is in them all might euer cease with the very extremity of all our strength and theirs to sing
pace that the eyes of God do make is not against the man whome he created but against the sinne which we committed And whensoeuer he looketh vpon a man to his destruction it is then when the man will not suffer him to execute his wrath against sinne which he would (h) By drawing that soule to pennance fayne destroy But man would needs continue in sinne giue life to that which destroyed himself and displeased God It is therefore but reason that his death remaine aliue and that his life be for euer dead since he would not open the gate to him who for loue and with loue both could and would haue murthered his death and endued him with life But some will say what remedy shall I meet withall that God may not behold my sinne to punish but that he may looke vpon his creature to saue it S. Augustine (i) Hearken to the great and good S. Augustine doth briefly and truely answere thus Let thy selfe looke vpon thy sinnes that is do thou consider them and do pennance for them and God will not see them but if thou cast them behind thy backe then will God place them before his face Dauid did beseech our Lord to forgiue his sinnes saying thus Haue (k) Psal 50. mercy on me O Lord according to thy great mercy and he also sayd Turne thy face O Lord from my sinnes But what did he alleadge towards the obtayning of so great a fauour Nothing lesse then any seruice that he had done For he wel knew that if a seruant should commit a treason against his Lord his seruices would not be considered though he should haue serued many yeares before with diligence For if he serued before he was obliged so to do and he brought not his Lord in debt thereby but his treason is the thing that must be thought of which he was bound not to haue committed and therefore by paying that which he did owe before he came not to ransome himselfe from that penalty which afterward he incurred Neither yet did Dauid offer sacrifices as well knowing that God takes no pleasure (l) Vnles it were accompanied by a penitent Religious hart for if it were it was acceptable to God in the old law for so himself had ordained in the burning of beasts But he who could find no remedy eyther in seruices that were past or in pious external works which then vvere present did find it in an humbled contrite hart And he desired to be pardoned vpon this ensuing reason For I know my wickednes and my sinne doth euer stand before myne eyes An admirable power did God giue to this our beholding and profoundly sighing for our sinnes since Gods seeing of them doth follow to the end that he may dissolue them And we conuerting our eyes with griefe towardes that which vve did wickedly commit he conuerteth his towards the saluation and consolation of him vvhome he did create CHAP. LXXXVII Of the many and great benefits which come to men in that the Eternall Father doth behold the face of Iesus Christ his Sonne BVT some wil say whence commeth so great force to our looking and to our weeping that so instantly it should draw after it Gods seeing and that so as to forgiue vs. It is far from comming from our looking it selfe For the theef deserueth not to be pardoned the gallowes because he knowes that he did ill in stealing and how much and yet much more soeuer he lamenteth But this proceedeth from another sight which is more fauourable and withall so full of power that it is the cause and fountaine of al our good This is that whereof Dauid (a) Psal 83. sayth Behold O God our defendour behold the face of thy Christ. He twice beseecheth God to behold to giue vs therby to vnderstand with how much affection we are to thinke of this and how much it importeth vs to obtaine it For as the sight of God vpon vs doth bring all benedictions to vs so Gods looking vpon Christ doth draw the sight of God to vs. Do not thinke O Virgin (b) How Almighty God commeth to loue mankind that the gracious and amorous beames of the eyes of God descend in a right line vpon vs when he receaueth vs inâ—o his grace or euen when already we are in grace that they desceÌ„d vpon vs as vpon a differeÌ„t thing from Christ For if so thou thinke thou art no better then blind But know that first they addresse themselues to Christ and from thence to vs by him and in him Nor (c) No creature can obtaine the least cast of an eye of â—erev from God but only for the loue of Christ our Lord. will our Lord vtter one word nor cast one countenance of loue to any creature of the whole world if he see it separated from Christ but for the loue of Christ he so behouldeth all them as to pardon them who although they be neuer so wicked will behould and lament themselues in Christ he also behoâ—ldeth such persons for their preseruation and for their increase in the good which already they haue receaued Christ being beloued is the cause that we are receaued into grace And if Christ Iesus were not no creature at all would be acceptable or beloued in the sight of God as was sayd before Know therefore O Virgin what necessity thou hast of Christ and be thou (d) Al woe will be to such as are not so internally and profoundly gratefull to him For the good which thou hast came towardes thee by no other meanes then by Christ and in him is it to be conserued to thee and augmented by the eternall Father And this is that which was figured in the beginning of the world when the iust Abel that Pastour of sheep did offer a sacrifice to God out of his flocke which sacrifice was accepted as the Scriptore sayth For our Lord did looke on Abel and his guifts And this looking on him doth import that Abel was gratefull to him and for that agayne his guifts were gratefull And in testimony that so they were God sent downe visible fyre which consumed the sacrifice Now this is a figure of our iust soueraigne Pastour who sayth himself I (e) Ioan. 10. am the good Pastour and he is also a Priest consequently as S. Paul (f) Hebr. 5. sayth he is to offer guifts and sacrifices to God But what can (g) Leuit. 22. Deut. 22. he offer that shall be worthy of him Certainly not brute beasts and much lesse sinfull men for such do rather serue to prouoke the wrath of God theÌ„ to obtayne his mercy Nor without cause did God commaund in the old law that the beast which was to be offered should be male not female and of such an age neither too little nor too great nor blind nor lame nor subiect to any of those conditions which are there described to the end that the
after it was obteined that they might bring forth workes which (l) Al this originally by the only goodnes and promise of God through the meriâ—s of Christ our Lord carry a condignity to the deseruing of eternall life as a iust reward of such seruices and as an inheritance duly deriued vpon sonnes And if it seeme a thing disproportionable to the basenes and weakenes of mankind to do a thing which carryeth a proportion of merit to the sublimity and eternity of that heauenly kingdome (m) Note and be no longer scandalized at thyn own conceits for the Catholike doctrine being rightly vnderstood will giue thee no cause thou art not heere to looke vpon a man as of himselfe but as being honoured and accompanied with that celestiall grace which is infused to his soule and so made (n) These are great wordes but it was the holy Ghost which spake theÌ„ partaker of the diuine nature as S Peter (o) 2. Pet. 1. saith And do thou consider him as a liuing member of Iesus Christ our Lord which being incorporated to him doth liue and worke by that spirituall inffluxe which commeth from him and whereby he doth partake his merits Now (p) Note these thinges are so high as that they carry an equality with those other thinges which are hoped for and they are sufficient to enable vs to say with truth That such as liue so do fullfill the law of God and do that which S. Paul required of the (q) Col 1. Colossians and the (r) I hâ—sâ— 1. Thessalonians when he aduised them To liue worthy of God Of (s) Note this inference whome he would neuer haue expected the discharge of so that by the meanes aforesayd it might be performed and that it was more the worke of God then of men For instantly the same Apostle giueth thanks to God For making them worthy of the portion of the Saints in light And what kind of portion this is the Prophet Hieremy (t) Threâ—â— declareth saying My portion is our Lord and therefore I will hope for him And Dauid sayth of God Thou art my portion for euer Of this portion he is worthy who doth (n) Et facere pati magn Christianis est accomplish the law of God by those workes aforesayd and who is found faithfull in those trialls that God doth send him as it is written Our Lord did try them and he found them worthy of himselfe And both for these and those it is also written That God will giue them the hire of the labours of his Saints CHAP. XC That the graunting that there is perfect cleanesse from sinne in such as are iust by the merits of Christ Iesus doth not only not diminish his honour but much more declare it LET no (a) A wise confortable and wel grouÌ„ded discourse man feare to attribute the height of spirituall honour and the aboundance of spirituall riches and perfect cleanes from sinne to them whom the heauenly Father doth iustify by the merits of Iesus Christ our Lord. Let no man thinke that the qualifying of such persons so doth put the honour of the same Lord to any preiudice For since all that which they haue descendeth vpon them by his meanes not only doth not their being so full of dignity dishonour him but it doth publish magnify his honour Since it is euident that how much more iust and more beautifull they are of so much more valew do the merits of him plainely appeare to be who purchased so great a blessing for them which of themselues they neither had nor could procure The Scripture sayth That (b) Thâ—en 14. where the manger is full the strength of the Oxe is made apparent the reason is because by his labour he filled the same full of meate And S. Paul (c) 1. Thes 2. sayth to some whome he had holpen forward by his doctrine and by his labours That they were his honour his crowne in the sight of our Lord. And then how much more will they be the crowne of our Lord Iesus himselfe They who by him are drawn to the honour of being his sonnes and to be full of treasures and blessings which honour is so much the more as those blessinges are the greater Our (d) Our aduersarves make him such a one wheÌ„ they conceaue that he alloweth not that the Saints should be honoured by our inuâ—cations whylest yet themselues do giue the same honour to sinnefull men Lord is not like some persons who are in paine or at least not greatly pleased with the honour or vertue of their seruants as conceauing that it doth obscure their owne or like certaine vaine women who fly from being attended by fayre seruants least so the flowre of their owne beauty should be blasted But make thou no doubt but that Iesus Christ our Lord hath a certaine kind of Charity which exceedeth all humane conceit as S. Paul sayth in (e) In infâ—â—itevâ—n chating of God esteeming our good as his owne and to the end that we might be made rich in graces he left his most worthy life vpon the Crosse The naturall sonne he is of God and we are sonnes adopted through him and he being the only sonne did exalt vs to the title of brother hood giuing vs his God for our God and his Father for our Father as himselfe said I (f) Ioan. â—0 ascend to my Father and to your Father to my God and to your God And so as (g) Ioan. â— S. Iohn saith speaking of the same Lord we saw the glory of him as the glory of the only begotten sonne And he saith also of him That he is full of grace truth Therfore the honour and spirituall riches of these adopted sonnes must be such as becommeth the sonnes of a Father who is God And if grace and truth were made by Iesus Christ as S. Iohn (h) Ioan. 1. saith it was not made that it might remayne alone in him but that it might be deriued downe vpon vs and that we might take some part of his fulnesse and this in such abundance that S. Paul (i) 2. Cor. 9. calleth it a gift which as now we are cannot be related by vs. And to the end that we may know the riches of that inheritance which in his company we may hope to enioy the same S. Paul (k) Ephes beseecheth God To giue him the spirit of wisdome and of reuelation because that blessing is greater then our reason is able to reach vnto Glory and grace and thankes be to thee O Lord for euer who so hast honoured and enriched vs with present giftes and hast comforted vs with the hope of being the heyres of God togeather with thy selfe and who didst carry so great loue to vs as that it wrought better with thee then it did with (l) Iob. 41. Iob That thou mightst not cate thy bitte of bread alone but that the orphane
it for it walkes in darknes and it is obscured beyond (b) Thren 4. the black of coales according to that lamentation of Hieremy Least of all hath it the fourth condition since there is nothing so miserably little as to be a sinner who is nothing and lesse then nothing So that all the conditions of beauty being wanting to such a soule it will not faile to be deformed And because all those soules which are infused into the bodyes that descend of Adam be (c) Christ our Lord our B. Lady are excepted and therefore he vseth the word ordinary to oppose it to that other way which is extraordinary ordinarily sinners it will follow that they are all deformed CHAP. CVII How the deformity of sinne is so wicked a thing as that no force or law of Nature or of Scripture were sufficient to abolish it but only Iesus Christ in vertue of whome sinne was euer taken away and grace was giuen THIS deformity of sin is so hardly or indeed so impossibly to be taken away by the force of any creature that all of them togeather are not able to beautifye any one deformed soule Our Lord declareth this by the Prophet (a) Hier. 2. Hieremy saying If thou shalt be washed with salpetre and with abundance of sope yet art thou defiled in my presence The meaning whereof is That for the taking away of sinne neither the salpetre or the reprehensions of the Prophets nor the rigorous punishmentes of the old law nor yet the faire speaches and promises which God did make at that time were sufficient Men were defiled then in the middest both of their punishmentes and of their comfortes of threatninges and of promises For no man was iustified in the sight of God as S. Paul (b) Gal. 3. sayth by the works of the old law and therfore the soule could not haue such beauty in it as to make it desirable by Almighty God because there was a want of iustification which is the cause of beauty in a soule Now if in that law and in those sacrifices which were giuen by God himselfe beauty could be imparted to the soule it is euident that it must lesse haue bin in the law of Nature for as much as that had not so great remedyes against sinne and in particuler it had no written law But (c) No soule was euer purged for sinne but by the precious bloud of our Lord Jesus the beauty which then inhabited the soules of men as well vnder the law of Nature as that other which was written was obtained by the shedding of the bloud of that pretious lambe Iesus Christ our Lord who as S. Iohn (d) Apoc. 13. doth teach vs was slaine from the beginning of the world For although he dyed vpon the crosse in the latter dayes thereof for so the Apostles doe call the time of the comming of Christ yet is he sayd to haue beene slaine from the beginning of the world because euen from that tyme did (e) How the bloud of our Lord thē did worke before it was shed his death beginne to obtaine pardon and grace for them who grew to haue it So taking that vp as a man would say vpon trust which he would after pay vpon the crosse For God ordeined that as there was one Father who was the head and fountaine of sinne and death to all such as were to descend from him in an ordinary course so in like māner there should be one by whome all such as desired might be free both from that mischiefe wherin the other had placed them and from those others also which they should bring vpon themselues So saith Saint (f) Rom 5. Paul That as by the inobedience of one many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many should be made iust And (g) Let the Protestant note this truth without passion as the obedience which Iesus Christ performed to his Father euen to the death yea and the death of the Crosse doth not only make men iust by a kind of resemblance but by giuing of true iustice so the hurt that Adam did vs was not by giuing vs an example only of sinne but by making vs through his sinne true sinners And so that which (i) Act. 4. S. Peter sayd That there is no other name vnder heauen then that of Iesus Christ wherein we may thinke of being saued is not only to be vnderstood from the time that God became incarnate but from the beginning of the world as hath beene sayd Since they who at any time haue beene in grace with God were so by the merits of this our Lord by (k) Fayth pennāce are the meanes of applying the merits of Christ our Lord to a soule meanes of fayth pennance And although by the circumcision of Children Grace were giuen whereby they became iust and their originall sinne was pardoned yet was it not the circumcision alone which gaue the grace for that precious gift was reserued for the Sacramentes of the new law but (l) What that was which gaue grace in the old law it was A protestation of Faith in the Messias who was afterwards to come which protestation was to be made vnto him then And when after being growne in yeares they came to loose their grace by any mortall sinne they offered vp some such beast as God commaunded the bloud whereof was to be shed in the Temple Not to the end that it might iustify for that it had no power to do but that the sinner might protest the Faith which he had in that Lord who was to come And by this saith and by that inward sorrow for his sinns which God inspired he was made partaker of that pretious bloud of Christ which for the pardon of sinnes was to be shed Not (m) The same bloud of our Lord was the remedy also of sinne vnder the law of Nature only was there a remedy in the written law against sinne by faith and internall pennance as we haue said but also in the law of nature although it were not then required that their faith in our Lord should be so explicite But so also were there such exteriour protestations of their Faith as our Lord who would haue all men saued did inspire To the end that although the nations were diuers and their (n) In seuerall places seuerall externall rites may be vsed by the members of the same Church so that the Church allow the same as we see it is in Milan and many other places but the doctrine must be euery where alike externall rites were different yet the Sauiour and Mediatour betweene God and man as (o) 1. Tim. 2. S. Paul affirmeth might be but one CHAP. CVIII That Christ our Lord taketh away the deformity of the soule by his bloud and that it was conuenient that rather the Sonne should become man then either the Father or the holy Ghost and of the great force of
O my Friend how beautifull art thou Thyne eyes are as of a doue besides that which is hidden within He saith two seuerall times That she is beautifull because (g) The soule that serueth God must haue both good desires good deeds she must be so both in body and soule within by desires and without by deeds And because that which is within is to exceed that which is without he therefore saith Besides that which is within And for that the beauty of the soule as S. Augustine saith doth consist in louing God he therefore saith Thyne eyes are as of a doue Whereby is noted that syncere and amourous intention which only aymes at the pleasing of God without any mixture of proper interest Then Behold thou Christ that Christ may behold thee And (h) We must giue all glory to God take the shame to ourselues as thou must take heede of thinking that he had done any thing for which he might deserue to take vpon him the shew of being deformed so be sure thou haue no imagination that thou hast deserued the beauty which he gaue thee of meere grace For without any obligation did he vest himselfe with our deformity and without any obligation but of meere grace he hath apparailed vs with his beauty Of such men as thinke that the beauty which they haue in their soules they haue of themselues God saith by (i) Ezech 16. Ezechiel thou wert perfected by the beauty which I had placed vpon thee and yet hauing confidence in that beauty (k) As if it had beene his owne not only imparted by God of thine thou didst commit fornication in thyne owne name and thou didst expose thy selfe in that sinne to all such as passed by to be made theirs This God doth say For when a soule ascribeth to her selfe the beauty of Iustice which God gaue her she doth after a sort commit fornication with her selfe For as much as she desireth to ioy in her selfe and not in God who is her true spouse and from whome she hath all her being beautifull and she resolueth rather to glory in her owne name which is to commit fornication in that name then to glory in God who gaue her that which she possesseth For this cause doth God with great reason take away the beauty which he gaue her since she rebelled from him by occasion thereof And because this vaine and wicked complacence which she taketh in her selfe is pride and the beginning of all mischeife therefore it is said Thou didst offer thy selfe in the way of fornication to euery passenger For (l) A iust punishment the proud man leaning resting vpon himself who is but a meere vanity is carried away with euery winde taken prisoner by euery sinne that passeth by and that most iustly because he would not humble himselfe so as to be established by putting his confidence in God Behold therfore this man Christ Iesus in himselfe and behold him in thy selfe In thy selfe that so thou mayst see who thou art In himselfe that so thou mayst see who he is Those ignominyes and abasements of his thou didst deserue and therefore they are thyne The good which is in thee is his and he gaue it without any merit in thee CHAP. CXIII Wherein is prosecuted the way that we are to take in beholding of Christ and how he is beautifull in all thinges and that those thinges which in our Lord seeme vgly to the eyes of flesh bloud such as are troubles and torments be of great beauty IF thou know how to make the right vse of that which hath been sayd thou wilt employ all thy intention in beholding this Lord of ours with thy spirituall eyes thou wilt find it to be of more profit to thee then if thou didst see him with the only eyes of flesh and bloud For to these eyes Christ was made deformed but in the eyes of fayth he was full of beauty Isay sayth That to the eyes of the body his face was as if it had beene hidden but (a) How cleare and piercing are the eyes of Fayth nothing is hidden from the eyes of fayth but like the eyes of a Leopard which looketh as it were through walles they passe through all exteriour impediments and striking in they find diuine strength vnder that humane weaknes and vnder contempt and dishonour they find beauty with glory So that the wordes which Isay sayd We saw him and he had no beauty were spoken in the person of such as beheld him with the only eyes of their body But thou O Virgin take in thy hand the light of fayth and looke further in and thou wilt perceaue that he who comes forth in likenes of a sinner is both iust and a iustifyer of sinners and that he who is murthered hath in him the innocency of a lambe And he that hath his face all discoloured is of himself most beautifull and did but dresse himselfe so for the making of them beautifull who were deformed And (b) There is nothing that ought so to enamour a soule vpō the beauty of christ out Lord as to consider that our sinnes and his loue did cause his deformity how much the more the spouse doth suffer and abase himselfe for his fellow-spouse so much the more is she to exalt him and how much the more he commeth wounded and steeped as it were in sweat bloud so much the more beautifull is he in her eyes considering the loue wherwith he resolued to suffer those afflictions for her And in fine it is cleare that if we ponder the cause why Christ tooke vpon him this deformity so much the more beautifull will he seeme to be as he shall seeme to be more deformed Tell (c) The foure cōditions of beauty recapitulated The first me therefore now if the first condition of beauty were hidden in him when being rich and aboundant he abased himselfe to the want of many thinges what cause can be assigned thereof but that he did it to preuent euery want of ours And (d) The second if he grew to seem vnlike the image of his beautyfull Father it was for no other reason but because the Father resolued not to giue vs beauty but by the sonnes taking vpon him our deformity And (e) The third if the third condition which is light or heat did hide it selfe from that sacred face which was obscured and mortifyed and those bright shining eyes were darkned when he was dying and after he was dead why was it but to giue light to put a liuely colour vpō our obscurities According to that which himselfe figured when of spittle which signified himselfe as God and of earth which signifyed his humanity he made durt which signifyed his contumelious passion and so the blind man who signifyed mankind receaued sight And (f) The fourth condition of beauty if when he made himself man and that the most abased of men
hartes of such as follow it and of the punishment that they shall incurre pag. 4. Chap. 3. Of what remedies we are to serue our selues towards the contempt of the Vayne-glory of the world And of the great force which Christ our Lord doth giue for the ouercomming thereof pag. 8. Chap. 4. In what degree and to what end it is lawfull for a man to desire Honour in the world and of the extreme danger which there is in holding places of Authority and Commaund pag. 13. Chap. 5. How much we ought to fly from the pleasure of flesh and bloud and what a most dangerous Enemy this is of what helpes we are to serue our selues for the subduing thereof pag. 20. Chap. 6. Of two causes that there are of sensuall tentations what meanes we must vse against them when they rise from the Malice of the Diuell pag. 25. Chap. 7. Of the great peace which our Lord God giueth to them that sight manfully against this Enemy of the much that it importeth vs for the ouercomming of him to fly from familiarity with women pag. 30. Chap. 8. How the Diuell vseth to deceaue spirituall men by meanes of this enemy of our Flesh and Bloud of the course that we are to hold in keeping our selues from errour pag. 33. Chap. 9. That one of the principall remedies for the conquering of this Enemy is the exercise of deuout and feruent Prayer whereby we many find gust in diuine considerations which maketh vs abhorre all worldly pleasures pag. 39. Chap. 10. Of many other meanes which we are to vse when this cruell Enemy doth assault vs with his first blowes pag. 44. Chap. 11. Of other meanes besides the former wherby some grow to loose their Chastity that we may fly from them if we also will not loose ours and by what meanes we may strengthen our selues pag. 49. Chap. 12. That God vseth to punish such as are proud 〈◊〉 by permitting them to loose the treasure of Chastity thereby to humble them and how necessary it is to be humble for the ouercomming of the enemy to this vertue pag. 55. Chap. 13. Of two other dangerous meanes which are went to make way for the losse of Chastity in such as endeauour not to auoyd them pag. 60. Chap. 14. How much we ought to fly from the vaine confidence of obteyning victory against this enemy by our owne only industry and labour and that we must vnderstand it to be the guift of God of whom it is to be humbly asked by the intercession of the Saintes and in particuler of the Virgin our Blessed Lady pag. 63. Chap. 15. How our Lord disposeth not equally of the guist of Chastity vnto all because to some he giueth it only in their soules and of the great profit which the temptations against Chastity do bring if they be well borne pag. 67. Chap. 16. How the guift of Chastity is graunted to some not only in the interiour part of the soule but in the sensuall part also this after two manners pa. 71. Chap. 17. Wherein he beginneth to discourse of the languages spoken by the Diuell how much we ought to fly them that one of them is to make a man proud so to bring him to great mischeife and errour and of the meanes how to auoyd this language of Pride pag. 77. Chap. 18. Of another snare all contrary to the former which is Despaire whereby the Diuell procureth to conquer Man and how we shall carry our selues against him pag. 87. Chap. 19. Of the much which God the Father gaue vs in giuing vs Iesus Christ our Lord how thankefull we ought to be to help our selues by this fauour and to strengthen our selues thereby for the excluding of all desperation wherewith the Diuell is wont to assault vs. pag. 92. Chap. 20. Of some meanes which the Diuell vseth against the remedy that is spoken of whereby to fright vs how for this we must not faint but animate our selues the more considering the infinite mercy of our Lord. pag. 96. Chap. 21. He proceeds in the discourse of Gods mercy which he sheweth to them that cordially aske pardon This is a consideration of power to conquere all Despaire pag. 100. Cap. 22. Where he prosecutes the treaty of the mercy of God which he vseth towards vs his Maiesty ouercomming our enemyes after an admirable manner pag. 106. Cap. 23. Of the great mischeife which despaire doth worke in the soule and how we must ouercome this enemy with spirituall alacrity and diligence and feruour in the seruice of God pag. 110. Chap. 24. Of two remedies for the getting of Hope in the way of our Lord and that we must not turne coward although the remooue of the temptation be differred and how there be certayne hartes which know not how to be humbled but by the knocks of tribulation and therefore that they must so be cured pag. 118. Chap. 25. How the Diuell procureth to draw vs to despayre by tempting vs against fayth and the diuine mysteries and of the remedies that we must vse against these temptations pag. 122. Chap. 26. How the Diuell endeauours by meanes of the aforesaid temptations to remooue vs from our deuotion and good exercises that our remedy is to increase therein laying aside all superfluous desyre of feeling spirituall sweetnesse in the soule and to what end these also may be desyred pag. 126. Chap. 27. That the conquest of these temptations doth consist more in hauing patience to beare them and in the hope of the fauour of our Lord then in procuring forcibly that they may not come pag. 132. Chap. 28. Of the great remedy which groweth against these tentations by seeking a wise and well experienced ghostly Father who must be entirely informed and credited and how the ghostly Father ought to proceed with such persons of the fruit which riseth from these temptations pag. 135. Chap. 29. How the Diuell procureth by exteriour meanes to make vs giue ouer good exercises And how we must strengthen our hart by confidence in our Lord for the ouercomming of him And of other things which help to free vs from this feare and of the fruite of this temptation pag. 139. Chap. 30. Of many reasons which there are why we must hope that our Lord will deliuer vs out of all tribulation how greiuous soeuer it be of two significations which this word Belieue may be accounted to haue pag. 150. Cap. 31. That the first thing which we are to heare is diuine Truth by meanes of Faith which is the beginning of all spirituall life and which teacheth vs so high things as that they exceed all humane discourse pa. 159. Chap. 32. How agreable to reason it is to belieue the Mysteries of our Fayth although they exceed all humane reason pag. 163. Chap. 33. Of how firme and constant and authorized witnesses our faith hath had who haue giuen their liues for the truth thereof
all thinges of the earth yea and of heauen it selfe are but very poore and vnworthy of being desyred or enioyed if from them we seuer the will of our Lord. And that there is no one thing how little soeuer or how bitter soeuer it be otherwise which if it be ioyned to the will of our Lord is not of extreame valew Better it is without comparison to be in affliction if our Lord require it then abstracting from his will to be in heauen And if once we did banish from our selues this secret couetousnes with resolution there would fall of withall many euill fruites which grow from thence and we should gather others in place thereof of more worth namely ioy and peace which vse to be deriued from the vnion of a soule with the will of God And so firme they would be withall that tribulation it selfe would not be able to take them from vs. For as much as although such persons do find themselues afflicted and forsaken yet are they not in despayre no nor greately troubled as knowing that to be the way of the Crosse to which they haue offered themselues and by which Christ did walke as it appeared when being vpon the Crosse he sayd to his Father O (o) Matt. 17. my God Why hast thou forsaken me But shortly after he sayd Into thy hands O Father I commend my spirit Our Lord had also sayd already Againe (p) Ioan. 10. Will I see you and your hart shall reioyce and no man shall take this ioy from you For if a man enioy this condition there is no tribulation which there in the most inward part of his soule doth much disquiet him because there within he is close vnited to the will of him that sendeth it If thus we would carry our selues we should deceaue the deceauer which is the diuell For as much as by not being dismayed nor retyring from our good course begun notwithstanding the euill language he speaketh but on the other syde taking that which our Lord doth send with obedience and giuing of thankes we depart without any hurt out of this skirmish although it should last as long as we liue Yea we come to greater profit then we had before since it gaue vs occasion to gaine more crownes in heauen in reward of that conformity which we had to the will of our Lord without respecting our owne euen in that which was very painefull to vs. CHAP. XXVII That the conquest of these temptations doth consist more in hauing patience to beare them and in the hope of the fauour of our Lord then inprocuring forcibly that they may not come THE conquest whereof we haue spoken proceedeth more from the stratageme of hauing patience at that which commeth vpon vs then in the force which we can vse in procuring that it may not come And for this did the spouse say in the Canticles Catch me those little foxes which spoyle our vineyards for our vine hath sâ—orished The vineyard of Christ is our soule which was planted by his hand and watered by his bloud It doth flourish when the tyme of sterility being past it beginneth to lead a new life and yealdeth fruite to him that planted it But because in such beginnings both these and other temptations of the crafty Diuell do lye in waite for vs therefore doth the noble spouse admonish vs that since our soule which is his vineyard is in flower we should procure to hunt those foxes out By which word it is giuen vs to vnderstaÌ„d that it must be done in the (a) Because the flowers come before the fruits morning as hath bin sayd By saying that they were foxes we are as good as told that they come disguised to deceaue vs seeming to byte on the onesyde they wound on the other and in saying that they are little he telleth vs that they are not so much to be feared by him that knoweth them for the knowing theÌ„ is to weaken theÌ„ if not to ouercome them out right In saying that they destroy the vines he signifyeth that they doe men much mischiefe who know them not For being frighted and not confiding to goe through with their businesse in the sight of God they leaue their way and following a lamentable perswasion they giue themselues openly to sinne conceauing that they enioy more peace in the broad way of perditioÌ„ then by the strayte one of vertue which leadeth to life The end of such persons if they returne not first to the right way many tymes is such as that it carrieth most certayne tokens of eternall perdition as the Scripture sayth He (b) Eccl. 〈◊〉 that passeth from iustice to sinne God hath prepared him for the instrument of iustice that is for hell They (c) Note should consider that as the Gabaonites were besieged and persecuted by their enemies for hauing made peace with (d) Iosue 10. Iosue and that Iosue being called vpon by them to giue them succour did relieue and free them making their case his owne because they were persecuted by their enemies in regard of the peace they made with him so they who beginning to serue God do enroll themselues in his band grow instantly to be persecuted by the Diuells which they were not before and this doth euidently appeaâ—e to be so because by forsaking the party of Christ the persecution which is made against them would cease and if they continue to suffer they suffer for holding vp the party of Christ Now this is a most particuler fauour which God doth as S. Paul (e) Phil. 1. affirmeth To you it is giuen by Christ not only to belieue in him but also to suffer for him And if the Angels of heauen were capable of enuying earthly creatures (f) The great nobility of suffering for the loue of God and for his will it would be for this that they suffer for God And although by the word of God a Crowne is promised to that man who suffereth (g) lac 1. temptations is prooued by them which reward it shal be fit for vs to consider and desyre thereby to get more spirit that we be neither tepide in working nor weake in suffering as it is sayd both of Moyses and of Dauid also that they had an eye to the reward yet the true and perfect louer of our Crucifyed Lord doth so much esteeme a being in conformity with him that he receiueth euen the very suffering it selfe as a great fauour and reward for as Saint Augustine saith A happy iniury is that wherof God is the cause And since there is not a man who will not succour another that suffereth by comming to his seruice much more may this be expected from that diuine goodnesse And that he will make that mans cause his owne as Dauid thus desyred that he would Rise vp o Lord and iudge thy cause remember the iniurious words with the foole hath vttered against thee all the day longe That businesse
belongeth to God which is pretended to by such a one as serueth him therfore God commeth out to his succour with great fidelity and in this hope and not in any thing of our owne we are to set vpon the enterprize of Gods seruice CHAP. XXVIII Of the great remedy which groweth against these tentations by seeking a wise and well experiented ghostly Father who must be entirely informed and credited and how the ghostly Father ought to proceed with such persons of the fruit which riseth from these temptations IT vseth in these temptations to put men to much difficulty that they are plainly to declare them to their Ghostly Father in regard that they are thinges so wicked and so deformed that they deserne not to be mentioned and euen the very naming of theÌ„ doth strike with horrour And yet on the other syde if they declare them not very much at large and do not expresse euery thought though neuer so little it seemeth to them that they made no good confession and so they neuer go well satisfyed whether they speake or be silent but with the same affliction that they had before Such (a) It is no â—nerâ—aile if so many make theÌ„selues away for despayre who are not Catholiks for they want this great and soueraign meanes of comsort persons as these are to seeke a wise and well experienced ghostly Father to whome they must lay open the roots of the temptation in such sort as that he may be satisfyed and possesâ—e the businesse And the penitent must giue entiere credit to him for therein consisteth the remedy of these persons who eyther for the litle that they know or the much passion that they haue are wholy vnfit to iudge themselues Now this ghostly Father must pray much to our Lord for the recouery of his patient nor must he be made weary if the penitent do many tymes aske him the same questions nor for other weaknesses which such vse to haue Nor must he wonder at them nor despise him for them but he must carry a cordiall and deep compassion towards him and (b) Galaâ—â— â— correct him in the spirit of meeknesse as S. Paul saith least himselfe grow also to be tempted eyther in that or somewhat else so he fynd to his cost how great humane weaknesse is He must recommend to him the reformation of his life and to resort to the remedies of the Sacramentes then assure him that there is no thought so deformed and so wicked as that it can defile the soule vnlesse it consent and let him giue him good hope that by the mercy of our Lord he shal be deliuered in fit tyme that in the meane whyle he must content himselfe to suffer that torment by those executioners in discharge of his sinnes and in imitation of that which Christ Iesus suffered The penitent being thus comforted and carrying his Crosse with patience and offering himselfe to the will of our Lord to carry it all his life if it be pleasing to God shall gaine more by that vinegar and gall which the Diuell gaue him then by the hony of deuotion which himselfe desired From hence it groweth that our soule being in the flower of her beginnings doth enter vpon yealding the fruite of perfect men since for merly we were sucking the milke of deuotion and now we can eate the bread with the (c) Note the true difference between beginners and proficieÌ„ts in spirit crust Sustaining our selues by the hard stones of temptation which he did cast before vs to try whether or no we were the sonnes of God as he proceeded with our Lord himselfe Thus do we fetch hony out of poison and health out of being wounded we come out of the tentations wel tried with a million of other blessings For which yet we must not giue the diuell thankes whose intention was not to make Crownes for vs but Chaiâ—es But (d) The infinite power wisedom goodnes of God the thankes we are to giue is to God that supreme Omnipotent Good who would neuer suffer any euill to happen if it were not to draw good from thence in a superiour kind of manner Nor would he suffer that enemy who is both his and ours to afflict vs if it were not for the great confusion of that enemy and for the good of him that is afflicted as it is written That (e) Psal 2. God will scoffe at these scoffers he that dwelleth in heauen will deride them For although this dragon play his part and doth in the sea of this world make a ieast as it were of tempting and vexing the seruantes of God yet it is God who indeed doth make a ieast of him because he draweth good out of the others mischeife And whylest the diuell thinkes that he doth vertuous men most harme it is then that he doth them most good whereat he is so confounded and ashamed that through his pryde and enuy he could wish that he had not begunne that enterprize which fell out so much to the aduantage of him whom he hateth And that mischeife and snare which he prepared for others hath cast it selfe about his own necke and he is choaked with enuy to see that the persons whom he tempted go free a way with this cheerfull song in their mouthes The (f) Psal â—â—â— sâ—are is broken and we are free our help is from our Lord who made heauen and earth CHAP. XXIX How the Diuell procureth by exteriour meanes to make vs giue ouer good exercises And how we must strengthen our hart by confidence in our Lord for the ouercomming of him And of other things which help to free vs from this feare and of the fruite of this temptation SO great is the enuy which the Diuells haue of our happinesse as that they alwayes endeauour to keepe vs from enioying that which themselues lost And when in any battayle they goe away ouercome by vs or to speake more truly by Almighty God they are still ranging more and more battailes if so peraduenture they may find some carelesse person to be defeated They change their weapons and their manner of fighting in hope that whom now they ouercame not they may afterward And so when they haue discouered that they could not intangle vs by craft for as much as we are guy ded by true Christian doctrine which telleth vs that we must commit our selues to the most iust will of God that patiently we must suffer what he sendeth vs eyther from without or within they resolue to denounce an open warre and he maketh himselfe a fierce Lion who was before a Dragon but concealed He aymeth at one thing and thrusteth at another and more boldly doth he procure to make himselfe be feared conceauing that he may obtaine that by giuing frightes which he was not able to doe by other crafty meanes Heere shall you see him not made a foxe but a fierce Lion who amazeth men