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
proceeding vertue many whereof were yet formerly in miserable case and made slaues to sinne and so passionatly affected to it that their harts did seeme euen to be transformed into the same And that with so great determination to follow wickednes that they wold passe as we vse to say the vory pikes for the committing thereof But (a) The powerfull grace which God imparteth in the holy Catholike Church these miserable captiues who were so weake in the deliuery of theÌ„ selues from so strong a tyrant haue sometymes by the hearing of one Sermon other tymes by making one confession other tymes by some one single inspiration of God and others by other meanes which doe abound in the Catholique Church haue found within themselues a most powerfull and mighty hand which putting those in captiuity who lead them captiue drew them out of the slauery of sinne wherein they were and made a change of their hart so truely changed that many tymes in lesse space then of a month yea and of a weeke they haue been seen to haue more abhorred wickednes then formerly they were louers of it Saying with their harts I haue abhorred (b) Psal 118. sinne I haue detested it and I haue loued thy law And this they do so truly as that they resolue not to commit a sinne neither for life nor death nor any thing created as S Paul (c) Rom. 1. saith Who is he that wrought this so strang and happy change in so short a tyme Who drew water out of so hard a rocke Who raysed vp such a miserable dead man bestowing such an excellent life vpon him No other certainly but the hand of God who is so belieued in and so beloued as the Christian Church belieueth in him and loueth him by those meanes which the Christian doctrine imbraceth and teacheth And if this manner of proceedinge with God doe passe on as in many it doth in such sort as that leauing all thinges they imploy themselues wholly vpon attending to God who brake their chaynes and if they began to walke by the solitude of a spirituall life and by that strayt way which leadeth to true life though many tymes they might see themselues in so great afflictions and fierce tempestes that as Dauid sayth it makes such as sayle loose their courage and their discourse yet by calling vpon their Iesus who is the guid of their way and at other tymes by receiuing the comfort of the Sacraments and at other tymes agayne by hearing or reading the word of God or by such other meanes as are in the Church they haue found themselues so wonderfully assisted in their tribulation as that seeing the sea of their hart to be growne so still vpon such a sudden it hath made them say with the Apostles (d) Matt. 8. Who is this to whom the sea and the winds obey Certainely this is the holy Sonne of God S. Bernard relateth how by experience he had found many tymes that the name of Iesus being cordially called vpon was a remedy and cure of all the infirmities of the soule and that which the Saint did say was approued in him by experience The same hath hapned to many others both before after him among whom S. Hierome may be one who is worthy of all credit He relateth as I haue sayd before that seing himselfe in tribulation of the flesh without meeting with remedy in any thing that he had thought vpon without knowing what more to do did find it out by casting himselfe at the feete of Iesus Christ and by calling vpon him with deuour prayer Whereupon his tempest receiued such a calme that he seemed to himselfe as (e) S. Hierome in Extasis if he were euen assisting among the quires of Angels For (f) Note the fauour which God is wont to do doth not only remooue the tribulatioÌ„ that a man is in which may happen sometymes by the turning of his thoughts some other way or by such other naturall meanes as that but it is a fauour which God doth whereby he planteth such a disposition in the mind as is directly contrary to that which was felt before Now this change and perfect deliuery and that vpon such a sudden is not in the power of any man to giue himselfe as (g) Or els let him neuer trust me he that shall try it will confesse From abroad it cometh from God it cometh and from such other Christian meanes it cometh and so experience is taken of that which S. Paul sayd That Christ Iesus crucified to them that were called by God was the strength of God and the wisedome of God Because they calling vpon him in the day of tribulation he giueth them light and force that so ouercomming all impedimentes they may proceed in their way and sing therein as (h) Psal 1â—7 Dauid doth Great is the glory of our Lord. And so they find in themselues that which the same Prophet (i) Psal 55. sayth In whatsoeuer day I called vpon thee I haue knowne that thou art my â—od For to remedy them so speedily and so powerfully is a great testimony and motiue to proue to them that God is the true God and that he hath care of them And here we speake not of celestial visions or reuelations which may rather passe amongst maracles but only those things which are more ordinary and which may be subiect to better proofe CHAP. XXXVII Of the many and great good things which God worketh in the soule that followeth perfect vertue and that this is a great proofe that our Fayth is true because that did teach vs meanes how to obtaine those graces NOT only do they who trauell diligently in the way of perfect vertue enioy the benefit of being deliuered by Christ from the dangers which present themselues but moreouer do they obtaine and possesse such graces in their soule as that we may say to them and that with much truth (a) Luc. 7. The Kingdom of God is within you Which as S. Paul (b) Rom. 14. sayth doth consist in hauing with in ones selfe iustice and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost And so these persons are so affectioned and such louers of that which is iust and good as that if the lawes of vertue which are written in bookes were lost we should find them written in their hartes Not because they haue them without (c) In their memory booke but for that the resolute loue of their hartes doth say the selfe same thing which the Law sayth exteriourly Their hart being already so transformed into the loue of goodnesse and to worke it with so much diligence and delight as that to follow that to which their hart inclineth is to follow vertue and to fly from vice they being made a liuing Law and a kind of measure of humane actions which euen Aristotle himselfe was ayming at And from hence doth spring a certayne ioy and contentment so complete as none
thy prayses with great ioy and to serue thee with most ardent loue Nor doest thou content thy selfe O Lord to open thyne eares towards our prayers so to heare them with attentiue speed but as one that loues another in all truth of affection and doth take pleasure to heare him speake or sing so thou O Lord doest say to the soule which is redeemed by thy bloud Shew (y) Canâ— â— 2. me thy face let thy voice sound in myne cares for thy voyce is sweet thy face is very faire What is this O Lord which thou sayest That thou desirest to heare vs and that our voyce is sweet How doth our face seeme fayre in thyne eyes which we hauing defiled with many sinnes committed by vs euen whylest thou wert looking on are a shamed to let thee see Infallibly it is true that eyther we merit much in thy sight or else thou doest loue vs much But (z) The true humility which is taught by the doctrine of the holy Catholike Church far be it from vs O Lord far be it froÌ„ vs that out of thy mercifull proceeding we should draw a reason of being proud Since that whereby we please thee and are acceptable to thee is thyne owne grace which thou didst giue vs. And besides that thou doest regale and thou doest reward thy seruants more aboundantly then becomes any merit of theirs Let glory therfore begâ—uen to thee O Lord from whom all our good proceedeth and in whome all our good consisteth to vs in vs let confusion be for our vnworthynesse and wickednes Thou art our ioy and thou art that glory wherein we glory and this we do not vniustly but vpon great reason For a high honour it is to be beloued by thee and so beloued as that thou wouldst deliuer thy selfe ouer for our sakes to the tormentes of the Crosse from whence all blessings are deriued downe vpon vs. CHAP. LXXXVI Of the great loue wherewith our Lord doth behold such as are iust and of the much that be desyreth to communicate himselfe to creatures and to destroy our sinnes which we must behold with detestation that God may looke vpon them with compassion NOvv that thou hast vnderstood the speed wherwith God heareth the prayers of such as are iust it remaineth for thee to know the great loue wherwith he behouldeth them that (a) God heareth seeth our prayers as he requireth vs to looke vp to him to giue eare to his holy inspiratioÌ„s so he may entirely performe in himselfe that of hearing and seeing which he commaundeth of vs. The eyes of our Lord saith Dauid are vpon the iust to deliuer them from death but the face of our Lord is vpon the wicked that he may cast out the memory of them from the earth Heereby it appeares that our Lord placeth his eyes vpon the iust as the pastour doth vpon his sheep that they may not perish And so also doth he place them vpon the wicked to the end that they may not passe without the punishment which their sinnes deserue Two (b) What God made and what we make thinges there are in vs one which God made and that is the creature consisting of a Body and Soule with all the good that we haue the other which our selues did make and that is sinne Now if we did not accompany that good which we haue of God by somewhat else which is an euill of our owne there could be nothing in vs which our Lord would behold with the eyes of Anger but only of Loue since it is a naturall thinge for any cause to loue the effect of it selfe But now though we haue defiled and destroyed that which the beautifull God had made fayre in vs yet will he not totally cast vs off Nor can our wickednesse hinder his supereminent goodnes which for the recouering of that which he made good resolueth to destroy that euill which our selues did make For (c) An excellent comparison set forth with great life of circumstance if we see that this corporall sunne do with so liberall a hand impart it selfe and goeth as it were inuiting men to receiue it bestoweth light and heat vpon all them who giue no impediment thereunto yea when they do yet doth it as it were euen become obstinate in making them remooue the same and if it meete with any chinke or crany how little so euer it doth by that conuey it selfe and fill the whole house full of light what shall we say of that supreame diuine goodnesse which with so great anxiety as it were and force of loue doth go circling round about the creatures that he may bestow himselfe vpon them and fill them with liuely and diuine splendours What occasions doth he seeke of doing good to meÌ„ And to many for some smal seruices he hath vouchsafed to do no small fauours What entreaties doth he vse to them who depart that they will returne againe What imbracementes doth he giue them when they come backe What seeking of such as are lost What addressing such as are gone astray What pardoning of sinnes without reproach What ioy in restoring men to saluation Letting them know that he more desireth to graunt a pardon then they care to sue it out And therefore it is that he sayth to sinners Why (d) Ezech. 33. will you needs dye Know that I desire not the death of a sinner but that he may returne and liue Returne to me and you shall liue Our (e) Note this excellent consideration death consisteth in our departure from God and therefore to returne to him is to liue Whereunto we are inuited by Almighty God whose principall intention is not to lodge the eyes of his wrath vpoÌ„ the worke of his hands which is our selues but vpon the worke of ours which are our sinnes These would God faine destroy if we did not hinder him but this we do when we loue our sinnes giuing them life by our loue which by being loued do murther vs. And so great is the hungar which that soueraigne bounty hath towards the destruction of our wickednesse to the end that so his creature may not be destroyed that (f) Let all the Angels prayse our Lord for so infinite goodnes when soeuer a man will and how oft soeuer he will and how great soeuer the sinnes be which he hath committed if he will dispose himselfe to do pennance and to begge pardon of our Lord for his part he is ready to receaue vs. Forgiuing that which we haue deserued curing that which we made sicke straightning that which we made crooked and giuing vs grace to abhorre those thinges which formerly were by vs beloued Yea in such sort doth he destroy our wickednes and deuide it from vs that Dauid (g) Psalâ— 102. sayth Looke what distance there is betweene the rising and setting of the Sunne so far hath he separated our sinnes from vs. So that the beginning and first
to giue eare to God and of the admirable Language which our first Parents spake in the state of Innocency Which being lost by Sinne many ill ones did succeed in place therof Heâ—â—â—en O Daughter and behold Psal 4 4. and incline thine eare and forget thy people and the house of thy Father and the King shall with delight desire thy beauty THESE words O thou deuout Spouse (a) This Booke was writteÌ„ chiesly for the Lady DonÌ„a Sancha daughter to the Lord of Guadalcaçar who liued not in a Monastery but in her Fathers house though she consecrated her self to God by a vow of virginity of Iesus Christ doth the Prophet Dauid speake or rather God by him to the Christian Church aduising her of that which she ought to do that so the great King may be drawne to loue her by meanes whereof she may be endewed with all happines And because thy soule is by the great mercy of God a member of this Church I haue thought fit to declare these words to thee Imploring first the ayde of the Holy Ghost to the end that it may direct my pen and prepare thy hart that so neither I may speake vnfitly nor thou heare vnfruitfully but that both the one and the other may redound to the eternall honour of God the performing of his holy will The first thing that we are wished to in these wordes is that we hearken not without cause Because as the first beginning of our spiritual life is fayth this as (b) Rom. 10. S. Paul affirmes doth enter into the soule by meanes of hearing it is but reason that first we be admonished of that which we are first to put in practise For it will profit vs very litle that the voyce of diuine truth do sound exteriourly in our hearing (c) We must hear first practise after if withall we haue not eares which may hearken to the saâ—â— within It will not serue our turne that when we were baptized the Priest did (d) According to the ancient custome of the holy Catholike Church put his finger into our eares requiring them to be open if afterwardes we shall shut them vp against the word of God fullfilling so in our selues that which the Prophet Dauid sayth of the Idols (e) Psal 11â— Eyes they haue and they see not eares they haue and they d ee not heare But because some speake so ill that to heare them is no better then to heare the Syrens who kill their auditours it wil be fit for vs to see both whom we are and whom we are not to heare For this purpose it is to be noted that Adaw and Eue when they were created spake one only Language and that continued in the world till the (f) The confusion of tongues grew in punishment of the pride of man pryde of men who had a mind to build vp the Tower of confusion was punished Wherevpon insteed of one Language whereby all men vnderstood one another there grew to be a multitude of Languages which they could not mutually vnderstand By this we also come to know that our first Parents before they rebelled from their creatour transgressinge his Commaundement with presumptuous pride did speake also in their soules but one spiritual Language making a (g) A sweete happy Language perfect kind of concord which one mainteyned with another and each one with himselfe and so also with God liuinge in the quiet estate of Innocency the sensitiue part obeying the rationall and the rationall obeying God and so they were in peace with him in peace within themselues and in peace with one another But now when they rebelled with so bold disobedience against the Lord of heauen both they were punished and we in them In (h) The case is altered such sort that insteed of one good Language by meanes whereof they vnderstood one another so wel there haue succeeded innumerable other ill ones all full of such confusion and darkenes that neyther do men agree with others nor the same man with himselfe and least of all with God And although these Languages do keep no order in themselues since indeed they are but moore disorder yet to the end that we may speake of them we will reduce them to a kind of method and to the number of three which are the Language of the World of the Flesh and of the Diuell whose office as S. Bernard sayth is Of the first to speake vayne thinges Of the second delightfull things And of the third afflictiue bitter things CHAP. II. That we must not hearken to the Language of the World and Vayne-glory And how absolute dominion it exerciseth ouer the hartes of such as follow it and of the punishment that they shall incurre VVE must not hearkeÌ„ to the language of the VVorld for it is al but lyes and they most preiudiciall to such as credit them For they make vs forsake that truth which is indeed and to imbrace a lye which hath no being but only in appearance and custome Heereby man being deceaued presumes to cast Almighty God and his holy will behind his backe and he disposeth of his life according to that blind guide of pleasing the world and so he groweth to haue a hart all desirous of honour and to be esteemed amongst men He proues like those ancient proud Romans of whome S. Augustine sayth That (a) A strange and yet true state of mind for the loue of worldly honour they desired to liue and yet for loue of is they did not feare to dye So much do they prize it as not by any meanes to endure the least word that may be in preiudice thereof nor any thing which may tast or eueÌ„ sauour of neglect though neuer so far of Nay heerin there are such nyceties and puntillios that it is hard for a man to scape stumbling vpon some of them so the offending of this sensitiue worldly man yea (b) A miserable seruitude which pryd hath put vs in and often you shall fal out to offend him much against your wil. These men who are so facile to find theÌ„selues despised are no lesse vntoward and vntractable in passing ouer and pardoning the same And if one should yet of himselfe be disposed to do so what troupes of (c) Indeed they are truly sayd to be false freinds who perswade a man to the perdition of his soule false friendes and kinred will rise vp against him and alleadge such lawes and customes graunted by priuiledge of the world as whereby this proposition may be concluded That it is better to loose a mans fortune his health his house his wife and his children yea all this seemeth little to them since they do as good as say that he must euen loose the life both of body and soule and all the care that he hath both of earth and heauen yea that euen God himselfe and his law are to be contemned and troden
ignorant That (a) Eccl. 7. in the day of prosperity which we haue we must be calling those (b) A safe and most profitable aduice miseryes to mind which we may haue and that we must take in those diuine consolations by the weight of Humility accompanying it with the holy feare of God least otherwise he experience that which Dauid himselfe deliuered Thou turnedst thy face from me and I was troubled Another cause of his fall is giuen vs to be vnderstood in holy Scripture by saying that at such tymes as the Kings of Israel were wont to passe into the warres against the infidells King (c) 2 Reg. 1. Dauid stayed at home And walking vp and down vpon a tarrasse of his pallace he saw that which was the occasion of his adultery and of the murther also not only of one but many All this had byn auoyded if he had gone to fight the battailes of God according to the custome of other Kings and himselfe had done so other yeares If (d) A good lesson to vs Catholike to be sympathizing alwayes with the Holy Church our Mother both in sorrow and in spirituall ioy according to the diuersity of tymes occasions thou wilt be wandring vp and downe when the seruants of God are recollected if thou wilt be idle when they labour in good workes if thou wilt be dissolutely sending thyne eyes abroad whilest theirs are weeping bitterly both for themselues and others and if when they are rising vp by night to pray thou art sleeping and snorting and leauing of by occasion of euery fancy the good exercises which thou wert wont to vse and by the force and heate whereof thou wert kept on foote how doest thou thinke to preserue chastity being carelesse vnprouided of defensiue weapons and hauing so many enemies who are so stout laborious and compleatly armed in fighting against it Do (e) Note not deceiue thy selfe for if thy desire to be chast be not accompanied by deeds which are fit for the defence of that vertue thy desire will prooue vayne and that will happen to thee which did to Dauid Since thou art not more priuiledged more stout nor more a Saint then he And to conclude this matter of the occasions through which this pretious treasure of chastity is wont to be lost thou art to vnderstand that the cause why God permitted that the flesh shold rebell against reason in our first parents from whome we haue it by inheritance was for that they rebelled against God by disobeying his commandement He chastized them in conformity of their sinne and thus it was That (f) Note Lex Taliotus since they would not obey their superiour their inferiour should not obey them and so the vnbridled nesse of this flesh being a subiect and a slaue rebelling against her superiour which is reason is a punishment â—ayd vpon reason for the disobedience with she committed against her superiour which is God Be therfore very carefull that thou be not disobedient to thy superiours least God permit that thy inferiour which is thy flesh do rebell against thee as he suffered Adad to rebell against King Salomon (g) 3. Regâ— 12. his Lord and least he scourge persecute thee and by thy weakenesse draw thee downe into mortall sinne And if with the inward eyes of thy hart thou haue vnderstood that which heere with the eyes of thy body thou hast read thou wilt see how great reason there is that thou shouldest looke to thy selfe and consider what there is within thy selfe And (h) No man can see himselfe exactly but by light from heauen because thou art not exactly able to know thyne owne soule thou art to begg light of our Lord and so to sift the most secret corners of thy hart that there may be no ill thing there which eyther thou knowest or knowest not off by meanes whereof thou mightest through some secret iudgement of God runne hazard to loose the treasure of chastity which yet it doth so much import thee to keep safe by meanes of his diuine assistance CHAP. XIV 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 guist 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 ALL that which hath byn sayd and more which might be sayd are meanes for the obtayning and keeping of this pretious purity But it happeneth oftentymes that as although we bringe both stone and wood and all other necessary materialls for the making of a house yet we do not fall vpon the buylding of it so also doth it come to passe that vsing all these remedies we yet obtayne not the chastity which we so much desire Nay there are many who after hauing had liuely desires thereof and taken much paynes for the obtayning of it do yet see themselues miserably fallen or violently at least tormented in their flesh with much sorrow they say We haue laboured all night and yet we haue taken nothing And it seemeth to them that in themselues that is fulfilled which the Wiseman sayd The (a) Eccl. 7. more I sought it the further off it fled away This (b) Take heed of trusting to thy selfe vseth oftentymes to happen by reason of a secret confidence which these proud labourers haue in themselues imagininge that chastity was a fruite which grew from their only endeauour and not that it was a guift imparted by the hand of God And for not knowing of whom it was to be asked they iustly were depriued of it For (c) God sheweth mercy sometyme euen in suffring vs to sal into â—â—nne it had byn of more preiudice to them to haue kept it since withall they would be proud and vngratefull to God then to be without it yet withall to be full of sorrow and humility and so to be forgiuen by pennance It is no small part of wisedome to know by whom chastity is giuen and he is gone a good piece of the way towardes the obteyning of it who indeed belieueth that it comes not from the strength of man but that it is the guift of our Lord. This doth he teach vs in his holy Ghospell saying All are not capable of this word but they to whome it is giuen by God And although the remedies already pointed out for the obtayning of this happinesse be full of profit and (d) We must both worke pray for neither of them both alone will serue the turne that we must employ our selues thereupon yet must that be with this condition that we place not our confidence in them but let vs deuoutly pray to God which Dauid did both practise and aduise by saying I did cast vp myne eyes to the mountayns from whence my succour shall descend my succour is of our Lord who made heauen
all men yet many of them are in hell not through any fault of his redemption which is abundant but for want of their disposition to receiue it From hence therfore groweth thy despayre To this I answeare That although it be true which thou sayest yet doest thou not serue thy selfe wel thereof S Bernard telleth vs that towards 2 hauing the testimony of a good conscience which may giue a man the ioy of a good hope it sufficeth not to beâ—eeuâ— in generall That sinnes are pardoned by the death of Christ but it is also necessary to haue confidence and good coniectures that this pardon is applied in particuler to such a man by meanes of (b) Contrition Conseâ—â—ie and Sâ—â—â—ofaction those dispositions vvhich the Church doth teach For though he belieue the first part he may yet despayre but that he cannot do if he belieue the second for how can he despaire if he liue in hopes But (c) Behold the solution indeed thou oughtest to consider that it is high reason that when thou seest euen those bowells of the heauenly Father all open for the giuing to thee his sonne as he gaue him seeing that he was at such cost therein and that the diuine Lamb is already dead to the end that thou mayst feed vpon him and not dye thou art to driue from thee all pusillanimity and sloath procure to serue thy self of this Redemption with confidence that God will help thee to it And since for thy being pardoned there is no cause why Christ should put himselfe to new paines or to suffer heereafter more or lesse or to dye for thee any more why shouldest thou thinke it to be any desyre of his that since he hath beene at the charge of such a feast there should be want of guests to sit thereat But it is far from this nor is it his will That the sinner should dye but that he should be conuerted and liue And to the end that he might do so himselfe left his life vpon the Crosse And do not thou belieue that it is needfull for thee towardes the enioying of this Redemption to do any impossible thing yea or euen so hard as that thou shouldst despaire to go throgh with it euen when thou art considering thy weaknes Send but one cordiall sigh to God for hauing offended such a Father and haue thou a purpose of amendment and manifest thy sinnes to a Priest who may absolue thee and the eares euen of thy flesh and bloud shall for thy (d) It is a picture in little of the ioyes of heaueÌ„ which no man knowes but he that feels thâ—â—â— greater consolation heare the sentence which is giuen vpon the ending of thy suite Which shall certify thee in this manner I absolue thee from all thy sinnes in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost And (c) Note although it should seeme to thee that thy griefe for thy sinns were not so complete as it ought to be and that therefore thou art afrayd of thy selfe yet art thou not (f) So that yet thou be sorrv though imperfectly for that which is past and haue a firme purpose to auoyd the like in tyme to come to be afflicted thereat because the desire which our Lord hath of thy saluation is so great that he supplyeth our wants by the priuiledge which he gaue his Sacrament which maketh a man of attrite contrite And (g) Note yet againe if it seeme to thee that thou art not able to do euen so much I tell thee once for all that thou must not presume to do it of thy selfe but call vpon thy heauenly Father and beseech him by his Sonne Christ Iesus that he will help thee both to grieue for thy life past and to purpose an amendment for the tyme to come and to confesse thy selfe well and lastly for all that whereof thou hast need And (h) Deus cutus nâ—tâ—â—a bonitaâ—â— cutus Voluntas potentia cuâ—us opus misâ—râ— or dâ—◠〈◊〉 S. Leo. he is of such a nature as that there is no cause why we should expect any other thing at his hands then sweetnes and succour since he who giueth the pardon is the same who doth first inspire vs with a disposition to demand it And if withall this thou do not find comfort euen after hauing heard the sentence of absolution yet (i) In the seruice of God a man must haue a patient noble courage be not thou dismayed thereat nor giue ouer that which thou hast begun For if in one confession thou hadst no comfort thou shalt be sure of it in others and that shall be fullfilled in thee which was sayd by that penitent King (k) Psal â—0 Dauid Thou shalt giue ioy and comfort to myne eares my bones which are humbled shall reioyce It is certainly so that although the wordes of sacramentall absolution do not giue a man such a certainty of pardon as that he can beleeue (l) Not as an article of Faith it by fayth or know it by expresse euidence yet do they giue such repose and consolation as wherwith the powers of our soule may be recreated which by sinne were humbled and oppressed And let no man giue ouer to aske pardon for if he persist in his desire the Father of mercyes will go out to meete his prodigall sonne and will giue him pardon and will cloath him with the heauenly garment of grace and he will take pleasure to see him so recouered by pennance who was lost by sinne Nor (m) Note let any man thinke it to be incredible that God should liue with sinners vnder the laws of so great tendernes sweetnes which are penned by his owne goodnes most faythful loue since he executed lawes of so great rigour vpon his Sonne as that louing him as he loued himselfe and being the person that he was and paying for the iniquity but of others he did not yet acquit him of any one only sinne for which his iustice was to be satisfyed And for this reason as (n) A comparison which is both significaÌ„t sweet a Lyon who how fierce soeuer he be if he yet be satisfyed and fully fed doth no harme to inferiour creatures which yet he would swallow vp if he were hungry so the iustice of God being satisfyed with that which was payed by Iesus Christ that diâ—ine lambe he doth them no hurt whome he findeth â—o approach towards him that so they may be incorporated to his body nor doth he hinder his mercy from working in them according to his custome And from hence it groweth that insteed of being an angry iudge to vs he becommeth a Father full of paâ—ty CHAP. XXI 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 A Cup (a) What a hideous thing sin is if it be truly
doth know but he that feeleth it For as much as Isaias (d) Isa 4â— sayth That the peace of such persons is as a riuer as the very gulfes of the sea And S. Paul (e) Philip. 4. sayth That this peace of God doth exceed all vnderstanding And S. Peter saith That this ioy cannot be recounted A hidden manna it is which is giuen to him that manfully ouercometh himselfe and they only know it who receiue it And from whom now doth this so perfect vertue proceed and this rest of mind which is the earnest-penny and introduction to eternall felicity Certainely it is not by meanes of the Diuell For (f) Note although sometymes the Diuell as we haue sayd haue counselled some to doe some particuler good that by meanes of those counsells he might gaine credit to himself wherby the better to deceiue them afterward yet to make a man perfectly good and a fulfiller of the law of nature which cannot be denied to be good since God is the authour of nature it selfe is a worke which neither the Diuell doth not can effect who cannot giue that goodnes which himselfe hath not Nor yet is it the worke of man alone for as much as to haue vertue and much more to haue perfect vertue wherby God may perfectly be serued is the guift of the Father of lights from whome euery perfect guift descendes And (g) See therefore how vniustly the Catholike doctrine is charged by the Caluinists to be a doctrine of presumptioÌ„ the same man doth find by experience more then once that he is deliuered from sinne out of which he was not able to depart and that he is fauoured with certaine graces which it was not in his power to compasse Since therefore this perfect vertue commeth neither from the Diuell nor from the spirit of man it remayneth that we conclude it to be infused by God when (h) The perfection is only to be found in the holy Catholique Church he is inuoked serued as the Catholike Church doth teach And man findeth by experience that this vertue commeth to him by the meanes of Fayth in confirmation of the truth thereof for out of a lye such profit of light or knowledg could not come for the procuring of perfect Vertue and for the inuoking of God to fauour him in the pursuite thereof S. Paul vseth this proofe when he speaketh thus to the Galathians I desire only that you will tell me The holy Ghost which you receaued was it by meanes of the workes of the Law or els by means of fayth As if he should haue sayd Since I preaching Fayth to you and not the old law and you belieuing it and disposing of your selues thereunto by your will did receaue the holy Ghost why do you now returne to the old Law since you find by experience that without it and by meanes of Fayth and of pennance vpon the receauing of Baptisme you haue receaued the holy Ghost with the graces benefits therof And so to proue the thing which we haue in hand That perfect verene which is obteyned by the right vse of Fayth and by those other meanes which it teacheth vs doth giue testimony that it is true because towardes the obtaining of so good a thing it was a meanes and it taught vs also other meanes And so these persons who are so rich through the graces which come to them by Christ Iesus are so adherent to him so enriched by him that they haue no thought of looking for the Messias whom the Iewes expect nor of enioying that paradise which Mahomet doth entice men by For as they despise those bestiall delights of the flesh which Mahomet in his paradise doth promise and those other transitory benefits of the earth which the Iewes by their Messias do expect so they willingly take their leaue both of the one and the other howsoeuer they be intreated to the contrary And they remember how it was prophesied that in the tyme of the Messias They (i) Ezech. 14. 16. Ierem. 31. should know that our Lord was God by his breaking the chaynes of the yâ—â—kes of men and that God would giue men new hartes and that he would write his Law in the very howells of them that would receaue it Now because they make very great coniectures that they haue a part in these blessings it is a testimony to them that Christ is come By these and other effects which cannot be related and which they haue within themselues they are so full of ioy and peace and confidence in Iesus Christ as that if men should tell them of another Christ that were (k) Matt. 14. in the desert or in the secret closets of the house or that he were farre off or neere hand they would neuer bestow the seeking of him For since the true Christ is but one and that they find the conditions of being true in him in whom they do belieue with the same fayth wherby they accept the one they reiect the rest But (l) Note yet I say not this to the end thou shouldest thinke that Christians belieue by the only experimeÌ„tal motiues which they find within themselues for they only belieue through faith which is infused by God as heer after I will shew But this I haue only sayd that thou mayst know the many motiues that we haue to belieue since we are treating of this subiect And one of them is The experiments which perfect men do find in their soule which since they are thinges that passe vp and downe in their hart thou art not to looke for them in bookes or in the liues of others but in thy owne priuate conscience by striuing to attayne perfect vertue That so as I was saying in the beginning thou mayst haue witnesses both neere thee and well knowne by theo as remayning vvithin thee and that thou mayst fullfill what the Scripture sayth Drinke the water of thyne owne Cisterne and thou shalt see such meruailes vvrought within thy selfe as shall take from thee all appetite of seeking any vvithout thy selfe CHAP. XXXVIII That if the power and greatnes of the worke of Belieuing be well pondered we shall find great testimony to proue that it is much reason that the vnderstanding of man do serue God by imbracing of Fayth HE (a) A worthy a wise discourse that had light to know and a steedy hand to weigh the very worke of belieuing vvould be in no necessity of other witnesses towards the receauing thereof but euen therein vvould find beauty to make him loue it reason to imbrace it For who is he that will not conceaue it to be wholy fit that a creature should serue his Creatour with all his power vvithal his meanes And so also do all men know that although we owe him this seruice withall that we haue yet specially since God is a spirit the prime seruice that we are to do him is with our spirit
answere shall he make who sayth I belieued O Lord of thy highnesse and of thy goodnes all that possibly I could because I held thee O Lord to be infinite in all thinges And let it not please thee that thy workes should seeme ill to me because they contayne an excesse of goodnes and loue towards me as it doth to the infidelity of some who find no other fault in thee but that thou art so very good and so amorous to mankind It being indeed but reason that for this goodnes we should come to thee and should take thee for our God since euery one O Lord had rather that thou shouldest be a â—ouing Father and a pardoner then a seuere iudge who would make men tremble by chastizing them in rigorous manner And if the fashion of Gods treating with mankind and of redressing our miseries were put into the hand euen of a man he could chuse no other then that which God chose as most honourable to himselfe most vsefull to vs and full of all happy sweetnes CHAP. XLII Wherein it is proued that the Truth of our Fayth is infallible as well in respect of them that haue preached it as of them who haue receaued it and of the manner how it was receaued LET vs adde to that which hath been sayd how (a) This consideration alone may suffice to proue the vndoubted diuinity of Christ our Lord. this Fayth and beliefe was receaued in the world not by force of armes nor by fauour of men nor by humane wisedome but that the Truth of God fought single by meanes of a few Fisher men without knowledge or countenance against Emperours and against Priests and against the whole wisedome of mankind And it proued to be victorious by making them quit their old and false beliefe and by inducing them to entertayne a Truth which was so superiour to reason and that to be so cordially imbraced For to giue so firme credit to thinges so high is a great wonder of God as also it is that the same men who first did murther those that belieued should suffer themselues afterward to be murthered for the Truth of the same thinges and that with greater strength and loue then formerly they disbelieued them and then they persecuted others And withall there was a law preached to them most pure commandments giuen them so much against the haire of the inclination of their harts as that they could not thinke of things which carryed greater contradiction to one another then the law of the Ghospel the disposition which man hath to sinne as S. Paul sayth The law is spirituall but I am carnal sold vnder sinne And notwithstanding al this the same law was receaued by the same vertue of Christ Iesus their harts and their workes were so renewed towardes the accomplishing thereof as that it did euidently appeare that he who formerly had created men in their naturall being was the same who by his vertue did renew them And (b) A wise and worthy contemplation if this should haue beene preached amongst the bestiall people of Arabia where Mahomet did preach his lyes or amongst men like to them who were as easy to be deceiued as they vse to be who seeke and who carry lies some suspition might be had of such beliefe But what shall we say This Truth was preached in Iâ—wry where the knowledge of God and his scriptures were in Greece where was the top of humane wisedome and in Rome where was the Empire and gouernoment of the world And in all these places though it were persecuted yet in the end it was belieued and the triumphant title of the Crosse was verifyed being written in Hâ—breâ—â— Greeke and Latin whereby it was giuen to be vnderstood that in those tongues which were the principall of the world Christ was to be confessed for King If therefore such as they belieued vpon sufficient motiues it is reason that we follow them and if there were any want of humane motiues it is playne that they were led to it by light from God for as much as being people so aduised and so affected to their owne ancient beliefe so strong in power of armes such a deep plant of Faith could not haue byn so low rooted in a people so contrary to this Truth if the powerfull hand of God had not cooperated therewith S. Augustine obseruing this sayth That he who seing that the world belieueth will not yet belieue or demaundes new miracles for that purpose he himselfe is a prodigious and fearfull miracle since he refuseth to follow where so many so noble and so wise men haue gone before and which they haue imbraâ—ed with so great constancy Most iust cause haue we to do this who by the grace of God are Christians For as much as since the world was a world it neuer had appearing in it a man of such doctrine and of so heroicall vertue and of so wonderfull and miraculous works as Christ Iesus our Lord who preached himself to be true God and (c) Plaine proofes of the Diuinity of Christ our Lord and the nobility and sanctity of the Catholique fayth did prooue it by diuine scripture and by a multitude of miracles and by the testimony of S Iohn Baptist who was a witnesse auowed by all And the same hath also byn preached since and proued by a multitude of miracles in the Christian Church And there hath neuer appeared any Fayth which doth so honour God as this of his nor any law which doth so teach men how to serue him as doth the ghospel which if a man could well vnderstand no other motiue would be needfull for the making of a man belieue Neither haue there byn seene in the world men of so great sanctity as they of the Christian common weath nor haue there byn euer preached so great and so high rewards for them that follow vertue nor so horrible threates against men of vice in testimony that our God is a great friend to goodnesse and an enemy of wickednes Nor haue there byn wrought in the whole world so many and so great miracles in confirmation of any opinion as in confirmation of this Fayth Which if it were not true it would be vâ—ry iniurious to the honour of the true God since it ascribed an equality and vnity of essence with God himselfe to a man Nor would he haue suffered it to continue such a number of yeares nor would he so seuerely haue punished the people of the Iewes for hauing crucifyed such a man nor would he haue wrought so many and so great miracles in confirmation of this beliefe So that we may with reason say to God as Richardus doth If we be deceaued in that which we belieue God hath deceaued vs. For as much as this Truth hath of it selfe so much cleere euidence and such effects haue followed and such miracles haue byn wrought in confirmation thereof that other then God could not worke them
thinges togeather by saying He (g) Marc. vâ—â—uno that shall belieue and be baptized he shall be saued The same Lord of ours sayd also to his Apostles when he instituted the Sacrament of Pennance Whose (h) Ioan. 10. sinnes you shall pardon they are pardoned c. and consequently grace and iustice is giuen by this Sacrament since there can be no pardon of sinne vnles grace be giuen withall which is signifyed and contayned in all the seauen Sacraments of the Church And it is giuen to him that receaueth them welâ— euen with more abundance then (i) To which dispositioÌ„ out of the Sacrament there would not be allowed so great a grace though yet still the receaâ—â—â— must haue good dispositioÌ„ if he meane to acquire new graâ—e and not to coâ—â—â—t a new â—acri ledge there is disposition in the receauer in regard that they are priuiledged workes which by the very being receaued do conferre grace Therefore ought they to be receaued and renewed in extraordinary manner as the Catholike Church doth belieue and teach vs. Now (k) This is worthy oâ— great consideration if Fayth were in the beginning of the Church so frequently mentioned preached it was fiâ— to be so because the fayth was then newly planted and the endeauour was to make infidells receiue it and to enter by it as by the first gate which sheweth the way to saluation that when once they were come in they might be informed more particulerly both of what they were further to belieue and what they were to do So also was it necessary in those tymes to expresse after a particuler manner the mystery and high valew of the passion and death of our redeemer Iesus Christ who with extreame dishonour had then byn crucified and how the fayth of this mystery maketh men belieue and confesse That vpon that wood which to outward appearance was so dishonourable that diuine life was hanged and that there in the middest of the earth God wrought by meanes of his death the recouery and saluation of the world This fayth being such doth honour the dishonour of the Crosse and is the exaltation of that basenes which was exercised thereon in a strang and extreame manner For which reason it was fit to make often mention of the name of fayth and that with great respect since it resulted to the honour of Iesus Christ our Lord of whose person and merits she (l) The Church giueth testimony by preaching the height thereof So as if the Scripture say That men are iustifyedly fayth it is not meant as if that alone were sufficient but because it is the beginning and foundation and rote of all that is good as the Councell of Trent defineth and (m) O how true is this they who attribute iustification to fayth alone do but seeke for comfort in their tepidities or in the impiety of their liues desiring to secure themselues by the way of belieuing that their Circle may be the wider in the way of liuing And the peace and confidence of a good conscience which is caused by perfect charity these men will needs obteine without the taking of such paines as the perfection of vertue doth require Yea and they content not themselues herewith but although according to the very truth no man can be entirely certayne in this life whether he be worthy of loue or hate though yet according to the grace verâ—ue which he hath more or lesse he may haue more or fewer reasons of confidence yet these men who giue that certainty to such as belieue according to their owne imagination that they are pardoned by God which a Christian man is to haue in belieuing an article of fayth are people deceaued by the diuell and these things are belieued by such as haue neyther any firme ground of fayth nor any sanctity of life but are haters of all obedience and who being blindfold go groping after the mysteries of God and indeed if they were not blinded the diuell could not so easily deceaue them CHAP. XLV Why our Lord did resolue to saue vs by the meanes of Fayth and not of humane Reason and of the great subiection which we must yield to those things which our Fayth doth teach of the particuler deuotion which we owe in especiall manner to that which our Lord Iesus taught vs by his own sacred mouth THE methode of the words of this Treatise did require that after the first word therof I should declare the second to thee but the order of the sentences whereof the first and the third say the same thing requireth that forbearing at the present to touch the second I now declare the third which sayth thus Incline thyne care By this thou art to note that so great is the height of the mysteries of God and so low poore is thy reason and so easily subiect to deceite that for the security of our saluation God resolued to saue vs by our faith and not by our knowledge And this not without most iust cause because since the world as Saint Paul sayth did not know God by meanes of wisedome but sell impertinently vpon many crrours asâ—â—â—bing the glory of God to the Sunne and Moone and other creatures And because others who by the trace of those creatures came to know God tooke such a deale of pride in their way of tracing the knowledge of a thing so high this light was taken away for their pride which our Lord had giuen them through his goodnesse and so they fell into the darknesse of idolatry and into a multitude of other sinnes such as they had fallen into who neuer had knowne God For which reason as after the fall of the wicked Angells God taking as a man may say a kind of warning by that he would not suffer any creature to remaine in heauen that could be able to sinne perceiuing how ill the creatures serued themselues of reason and because the world as S. Paul sayth did not know God by wisedome he would not leaue the knowledge of him the saluation of themselues in the hands of their wisedome Therefore as soone as the holy Ghost had giuen vs counsaile by the two words already mentioned of Heare and See he doth instantly aduise vs by a third which sayth Incline thyne eare Whereby he giueth vs to vnderstand that we must submit our reason most profoundly not be too confident therin if we meane that our hearing and our seeing which were giuen vs for our good may not be the occasion of our eternal perdition Certayne it is that many haue heard the word of God and haue had an excellent sight and notice of high and subtile things but yet because they rested vpon the curiosity of their sight more then they did â—â—cline the eare of their reason with obedience their sight grew to be starke blindnes they went stumbling in the light of Noone-day as if it had beene in vtter darkenes If therefore
and how he carried his crosse vpon his shoulders and was after crucified vpon it with all that which passed there till such time as he recommended his spirit into the handes of his Father and so dved On Satturday do thou rest in thinkng vpon that cruell thrust of the lance into his sacred side and how they tooke him off from the Crosse and layed him in the armes of his blessed Mother and afterwardes in the sepulcher And goe thou accompaning his soule to that Limbus of the holy Fathers and be present at the ioy yea the paradise which there was grannted to them Be carefull also vpon this day to thinke vpon the much greife which the virgin Mother felt and be a faithfull companion in taking part thereof with her For besides that this office is most due to her from thee it wil be full of profit to thy selfe Of Sunday I say nothing because thou knowest already that it is deputed to the consideration of the Resurrection and of the glory which the inhabitantes of heauen possesse and in this thou art to imploy thy selfe vpon that day In (d) This may best be practised by persons who are of good health who liue not in cōmunities not are ordinarily of great pennance otherwise particuler I recommend to thee that vpon Thursday night thou take as little sleepe as possibly thou canst to keepe company with our Lord who after those vexations of his arrest the long way that he went betweene the house of Annas and Caiaphas and after many buffets and scornes and other lewd impieties that were put vpon him did consume the rest of that night in excessiue affliction in a prison extreamely hard with so great abuse by such as kept him that neither had he a mind to sleepe nor would any other man forbeare to lament and weep if he well knew what passed there Which was so much as that S. Hierome saith will not be knowne till (e) Our Lord graunt that we may know it then to our comfortes not to our confusiō the day of iudgement Demand of him a part of his paines and take thou for him euery thursday night some such paine in particuler as himselfe shall addresse thee to For a great shame it is to any Christian if he put no difference betweene that and other nights And there was a certayn person that said Who is he that can find in his hart to sleepe vpon a Thursday night And I belieue also if the truth were known that the same person did not sleepe much vpon Friday night CHAP. LXXIII Of the way which we are to hold in the consideration of the life and passion of Iesus Christ our Lord. THIS exercise of thinking vpon the paces of the life and death of Iesus Christ our Lord may be performed in one of these two manners Eyther (a) How we are to thinke of the passiō of Christ our Lord. by representing to thy imagination the corporall figure of Christ our Lord or by meerly thinking without any imaginary representation And (b) Note do thou know that since the most high inuisible God did make himself a visible man to the end that by meanes of that visible he might conuey into vs the consideration of that which is inuisible there is no question but that it was a very profitable thinge to behold him with corporall eyes that so men might come to behold him with the spirituall which are of Faith if the malice of the looker on had giuen no impediment And without doubt all that which in our Lord was corporall was excellently ordered did carry a particuler efficacy towards the helping of a pious hart to raise it selfe vp towards spirituall thinges Nor was it a small fauour for them to enioy this sight which many Kinges and Prophets desired to enioy but obteyned it not And although we that come after do not enioy this fauour in so complete a manner yet may we not forbeare to help our selues thereby in the best sort we may And to this purpose our Mother the holy Church doth with great reason propose to vs the images or pictures of the body of our Lord that so being stirred vp thereby we may remember his corporall presence and he may communicate to vs by meanes of his resemblance some part of the much which would haue been communicated to vs by his presence And since a picture which is painted without my selfe vpon a piece of wood doth bring me profit without doubt that which is painted within me and in the imaginatiue part of my mind will also profit me by taking it as a steppe whereby I may be raised higher For (c) This is most certainly true and our Lord be blessed because it is so all that which hath relation to our Lord and which concerneth and representeth him doth carry a meruailous force towards the conducting vs towards him And although these thinges may seeme meane to thee yet because they are a way to higher thinges these also must be esteemed high And by this meanesse God will haue them to begin who are humbled and whome by his hand he will aduance to greater matters But they (d) Take heed of too high flying at the first who instantly giue themselues to such high flying thoughts as seeming to be full of tast and more worthy of their consideration may looke for a fall sure inough For as the Scripture (e) Prou. 1◠saith He that goeth a pace will stumble And (f) Prou. 28. he that maketh hast to be rich shall not be without sinne And it happeneth to these men that if they would afterwards returne to thinke of such things as carry proportion with their poorenes they cannot light vpon it because they haue beene entred with such a gluttonous appetit vpon greater matters And so they runne such a kind of hazard as a bird may do which maketh too much hast out of her nest whither it cannot returne againe nor yet proceed by way of flight Therefore it will be fit for vs to beginne at the bottome with the consideration of our sins as hath beene sayd and then with the Meditation of the sacred humanity of Iesus Christ our Lord that so we may be exalted to those altitudes of his Diuinity CHAP. LXXIIII Wherein the way of considering the life of Iesus Christ our Lord to the end that it may be of greater profit to vs is prosecuted in a more particuler manner BEING then retyred into thy Oratory at the tyme which thou deputest to this Exercise first make thy (a) According to that pious forme which is vsed in the Holy Catholike Church Confiteor Deo Ommuipotenti Confession in generall desiring pardon of our Lord for thy sinnes and especially them which thou mayst haue committed since the tyme of thy last Confession and thou shalt say a few vocall prayers according to the former aduice which I gaue when I treated of the
pag. 166. Chap. 34. 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 pag. 169. Chap. 35. That the very conscience of him that desyreth to obtaine vertue doth testify that our Faith is true and how the desire of leading an euill life doth both procure the loosing of Faith hinder the getting it pag. 175. Chap. 36. That the admirable change which is made in the hart of sinners and the great fauours which our Lord doth do 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 pag. 179. Chap. 37. Of the many and great good things which God worketh in the soule that followeth perfect vertue that this is a great proofe that our Fayth is true because that did teach vs meanes how to obtaine those graces pag. 183. Chap. 38. That if the power greatnes of the worke of Belieuing be well pondered we shall find great testimony to proue that it is much reason that the vnderstanding of man do serue God by imbracing of Fayth pag. 188. Chap. 39. Wherein answere is giuen to an obiection which some make against our Fayth by saying that God teacheth things which are too high pag. 191. Chap. 40. Wherin answere is made to theÌ„ who obiect against the receauing of Fayth that it teacheth meane and low thinges of God and how in these meane thinges which God teacheth most high glory is contayned p. 193. Chap. 41. That not only the glory of our Lord doth shine in the humble thinges of God which our Faith teacheth but also our owne great profit our strength and vertue pag. 200. Chap. 42. VVherein it is proued that the Truth of our Fayth is infallible as well in respect of them that haue preached it as of them who haue receaued it and of the manner how it was receaued pag. 203. Chap. 43. That such is the greatnesse of our Fayth that none of the aforesayd motiues nor any other that can be deliuered are suffâ—cient to make a man believe with this diuine Fayth vnles our Lord doe incline a man to belieue by particuler fauour pag. 207. Chap. 44. That we must giue our Lord great thanks for the guift of Fayth and that we must vse it to the end for which it was giuen in such sort as that we attribute not that to it which it hath not and what both the one and the other is pag. 214. Chap. 45. Why our Lord did resolue to saue vs by the meanes of Fayth and not of humane Reason of the great subiection which we must yield to those thinges which our Fayth doth teach of the particuler deuotion which we owe in especiall manner to that which our Lord Iesus taught vs by his owne sacred mouth pag. 223. Chap. 46. That the holy Scripture must not be declared by what sense one will but by that of the Church of Rome and where that declareth not we must follow the vniforme exposition of the Saints And of the great submission and subiection which we must performe to this holy Church pag. 227. Chap. 47. VVhat a terrible chastisement it is when God permitteth men to loose their Faith and that it is iustly taken away from them that worke not in conformity of what it teacheth pag. 232. Chap. 48. VVherein the former discourse is more particulerly prosecuted and it is declared what dispositions are requisite for the beginning to read and vnderstand the diuine Scripture the holy Doctours pag. 237. Chap. 49. That we must not grow in pride for not hauing lost our Fayth as others haue done but rather we must be humble with feare and the reasons which we haue for being so pag. 244. Chap. 50. How some vse to be much deceaued by giuing credit to false Reuelations and it is particulerly declared wherein true liberty of spirit doth consist pag. 249. Chap. 51. Of the way wherein we are to carry our selues that we may not erre by such illusions and how dangerous the desire is of Reuelations and such things as those pag. 256. Chap. 52. VVherein some signes are giuen of good bad or false Reuelations or Illusions pag. 260. Chap. 53. Of the secret pride Whereby many vse to be much deceiued in the way of Vertue and of the danger that such are in to be ensnared by the illusions of the Diuell pag. 264. Cap. 54. Of some propertyes which they haue whoÌ„ we sayd to be deceaued in the last Chapter how necessary it is to take the opinion of others and of the mischiefe that men are brought to by following their owne pag. 267. Chap. 55. That we must fly fast from our owne opininion chuse some person to whome for the loue of God we must be subiect and be ruled by him and what kind of man he must be and how we must carry our selues with him pag. 274. Chap. 56. Wherein he beginneth to declare the second word of the verse and how we are to consider of the Scriptures and how we must restayne the fight of our eyes that we may the better see with those of our soule which the freer they are from the sight of creaturs the better shall they see God pag. 279. Chap. 57. That the first thing which a man must see is himselfe of the necessity which we haue of this knowledge and the inconueniences that grow vpon vs through want thereof pag. 284. Chap. 58. That we must be diligent to find out the knowledge of our selues by what meanes this may be done that it is fit for vs to haue some priuate place into which we may dayly retire our selues for a tyme. 291. Chap. 59. Wherin he prosecuteth the exercise which conduceth to the knowledge of ones selfe and how we are to profit in the vse of reading of Prayer pag. 296. Chap. 60. How much the Meditation of death doth profit towards the knowledge of a mans selfe and of the manner how it is to be meditated for as much as concerneth the death of the body pag. 299. Chap. 61. Of that which is to be considered in the meditation of Death about that which shall happen to the soule that so we may profit the more in the knowledge of ourselues pag. 302. Chap. 62. That the dayly examination of our faults helpeth much towards the knowledge of our selues of other great benefits which this practise of Examen doth bring and of the profit which commeth to vs both by the reprehension of others and those also which our Lord doth interiourly send vs. pag. 308. Chap. 63. Of the estimation which we are to make of our good works that we may not fayle thereby in the knowledge of our selues and of true Humility and of the meruailous example which Christ our Lord doth giue vs for this purpose pag. 313. Cha.