dignatus est disciplina morum fuit sed praecipue humilitatem suam imitandam proposuit dicens Matt. 11. Discite à me quia mitis sum humilis corde The whole life of Christ our Lord on earth was ledd for our instruction and hee was the Master and teacher of all the vertues but especially of this of humilitie which hee desired cheifely that wee should learne And this consideration alone may well serue to make vs vnderstand both the greate excellencie of this vertue and the greate neede alsoe which wee haue thereof since the sonne of God himselfe came downe from heauen to earth to teach vs the practise and to make himselfe our instructour therein and that not onely by word of mouth but much more particularly by his actions For indeede his whole life was an example and liuely patterne of Humilitie The glorious S. Basill goes discoursing through the whole life of Christ our Lord euen from his birth and hee obserues and shewes how all his actions serued to teach vs this vertue in most particular manner Hee would needes saith the saynt be borne of a mother whoe was poore in a poore open stable and be laid in a manger and be wrapped in miserable cloâ—ts hee would needes be Circumcised like a sinner and fly into Egipt like a poore weake creature and be baptised amongst Publicans and sinners like one of them And afterward in the course of his life when they had a minde to doe him honor and take him vp for their king hee hidd himselfe but when they put dishonor and afronts vpon him hee then presented himselfe to them When he was celebrated and admired by men yea and euen by persons whoe were possessed with the deuill hee commaunded them to hould their peace but when they thought fitt to reproach and scorne him hee held his peace And neere the end of his life that hee might leaue vs this vertue by his last will and Testament hee confirmed it by that soe admirable example of washing his disciples feete as alsoe by vndergoeing that soe ignominious death of the Crosse S. Bernard saith Exinaniuit semetipsum vt prius praestaret exemplo quod erat docturus verbo The sonne of God abused and diminished himselfe by taking our nature vpon him and hee would haue his whole life be a patterne of humilitie soe to teach vs by actions that which hee would alsoe teach vs by words A strange manner of instruction But why Lord must soe high a maiestie be abased soe Low Vt non apponat vltra magnificare se homo super terram To the end that from henceforth there may not soe much as one man be founde whoe shall once aduenture to be proud and to exalt himselfe vpon the earth Intollerabilis enim impudentia est vt vbi sese exinaniuit maiestas vermiculus infletur intumescat It was euer astrainge bouldnes or rather a kinde of madnes for a man to be proud but nowe saith the saynt when the maiestie of God hath humbled and abased it selfe it is an intollerable shame and an vnspeakeable kinde of absurditie that this little wretched worme of man should haue a minde to be honored and esteemed That the sonne of God who is equall to the father should take the forme of a seruant vpon him and vouchsafe to be dishonored and abased and that I whoe am but dust and ashes should procure to be valued and admired With much reason did the Sauyour of the world declare that hee is the maister of this vertue of Humilitie and that wee were to learne it of him for neither Plato nor Socrates nor Aristotle did euer teach men this vertue For when those heathen Philosophers were treating of those other vertues of Fortitude of Temporance and of Iustice they vere soe farre of the while from being humble therein that they pretended euen by those very workes and by all their vertuous actions to be esteemed and recommended to posterity It is true that there was a Diogenes and some others like him whoe professed to contemne the world and to despise themselues by vsing meane cloathes and certaine other pouerties and abstinencies but euen in this they were extreamely proud and procured euen by that meanes to be obserued and esteemed whilst others were despised by them as was wisely noted by Plato in Diogenes For one day when Plato had inuited certaine Philosophers and amoÌ„gst them Diogenes to his house hee had his roomes well furnished and his carpetts laid such other preparations made as might be fitt for such gests But as soone as Diogenes entred in hee began to foule those faire carpetts with his durtie feete which Plato obseruinge askt him what he ment Calco Platonis fastum saith Diogenes I am trampling saith hee vpon Platoes pride But Plato made him then this good answere Calcas sed alio fastu insinuating thereby that the pride wherewith he trode vpon Platos carpetts was greater then Platos pride in possessing them The Philosophers did neuer reach to that contempt of themselues wherein Christian Humilitie consists nay they did not soe much as knowe Humilitie euen by name for this is that vertue which was properly and onely taught by Christ our Lord. And S. Augustine obserues how that diuine sermon made by our Sauiour in the Mount began with this vertue Beati pauperes spiritu quoniam ipsorum est regnum caelorum Blessed are the poore of Spiritt for theirs is the kingdome of heauen For both S. Augustine S. Hierome S. Gregorie and other Saints affirme that by poore in spirit such as be humble are vnderstood Soe that the redeemer of the world beginns his preaching with this he continues it with this and he ends it with this This was hee teaching vs all his life and this doth he desire that we should learne of him Discite à me non muÌ„dum fabricare non cuncta visibilia inuisibilia creare non in ipso mundo mirabilia facere mortuos suscitare sed quoniaÌ„ mius sum humitis corde Hee said not as S. Augustine obserues Learne of mee not to create heauen and earth learne of mee not to doe wonderfull things and to woorke miracles to cure the sicke to cast out diuells and to reuiue the dead but learne of mee to be meeke and humble of hart Potentior est enim tutior solidissima humilitas quam ventosissima celsitudo Better is the humble man whoe serues God then hee whoe works miracles That other way is plaine and safe but this is full of stumbling blocks and dangers The necessitie which wee haue of this vertue of Humilitie is soe greate that without it a man cannot make one stepp in spirituall life The glorious S. Augustine saith Nisi humilitas omnia quacunque bene facimus praecesserit comiâ—etur consecuta fuerit iam nobis de aliquo bono facta gaudentibus totum extorquet de manu superbia It is necessarie that all our actions be very well accompanyed
Paule saith itaque neque qui plantat aliquid neque quirigat sed qui incrementum dat Deus God onely is he whoe can giue increase and spirituall fruite God onely is he whoe can strike the harts of men with amazement and mightie feare God onely is hee whoe can make men abhorre sinne and forsake wickednes of life And as for vs we can onely make a little noyse with the trumpett of the Ghospell and if we shall breake theis earthen potts of our bodyes with mortification and if men may be able to see the light of a very exemplar life shine in vs we shall indeede haue done our parts but yet still it is only God whoe must giue vs the victory Lett vs gather and draw two things from hence that soe we may exercise our functions with much comfort and with the profitt both of our selues and our neighbours The first is that whereof we haue already spoken to distrust our selues to place all our confidence in God and to attribute the whole fruite good successe of all things to him S. Chrisostome saith Nolimus igitur extolle sed nos dicamus inutiles vt vtiles efficiamur Let vs nos wax proud but lett vs confesse our selues to be vnprofitable that soe we may growe to be profitable and vsefull And S. Ambrose saith If you will produce much fruite amongst your neighbours obserue the rule which we are taught by the Apostle S Peter Si quis loquitur quasi sermones Dei si quis ministrat tanquam ex virtute quam administrat Deus vt in omnibus honorificetur Deus per Iesum Christum cui est gloria mperium in secula seculorum Amen Hee whoe speakes lett him make accompt that God put those words into his mouth he who workes lett him make accompt that it is God whoe w rks by him and lett him giue the honor and glory of it all to him Let vs not ascribe any thing to our selues nor runne away with strange conceipt nor take any vaine contentment in the act The second thing which we are to fetch from hence is that wee be not difaminated or deiected when we consider our owne wretchednes and misery Of this we haue alsoe greate neede For who obseruing himselfe to be called to soe high an institute and to so supernaturall an end as it is to conuert soules to drawe them out of sinne out of heresies out of infidelitie who I say considering this will not fainte vnder the thought and say Iesus how a greate disproportion is this Such an imployment fitts not well with me who am the most needy and miserable creature of all others But yet in this you are deceiued for euen for this very reason this enterprise is fitt for you Moyses could not beleiue that he was euer to performe so greate a worke as to draw the people of Israell out of the Captiuitie of Egipt and he excused himselfe thus to God whoe was desirous to send him Quis sum ego vt vadam ad Pharaonem educam filios Israell de Aegipto What am I that I should goe treate with the king and procure him to lett the people of Israell depart out of Egipt Obsecio Domine mittequem inissurus es Send him o Lord whome you are to send for as for me I am a stammerer and vnfitt for the imployment This is thaâ— saith God which serues my turne Ego ero in ore tuo docebo te quid loquaris It is not thou who shalt doe it I will be with thee I w ll teach thee what thou art to say The same hapned alsoe to the Prophet Ieremy whome God sent to preach to the world but he began to excuse himselfe thus A. A. A. Domine Deus ecce nescio loqui quia puer ego sum A. A. A. Doe you not see O Lord that I can hardly pronounce my words but am a very Childe how then wâ—ll you haue me vndertake soe great an enterprise as this Euen for this very reason he will vse thee and thou art iust the man he seekes And perhaps if thou wert indued with many parts God would not haue chosen thee to this end but now thou shalt haue noe coulour to steale the praise and attribute any thing to thy selfe by such weake instruments is he desirous to doe great things The holy Euangelists recounte that the Apostles cominge from preaching Christ our Lord obseruing the fruite which they had gathered and the wonderfull things which they had wrought did highly reioyce in the holy Ghost and gaue great thanks and glorified his eternall father In illa hora exaltauit Spiritu sancto dixit Confiteor tibi Pater Domine caeli terrae quod abscondisti haec a sapientibus prudentibus reuelasti ea paruulis ita pater quoniam sic fuit placitum ante te I giue thee thanks o eternall father lord of heauen and earth for that thou hast hidden theis things from the wise and prudent of the world and hast reuealed and communicated them to thy little ones and by their meanes doest worke soe greate wonders Blessed and praysed be thou O Lord for euer because thou hast bin pleased to doe thus O happy little ones happy humble soules for theis are they whome God exalts and by whome he works wonders whome hee takes for his instruments in doenig great things in working great conuersions and gathering great fruite of soules Therefore lett noe man be discouraged or dismaid Nolite timere pusillis grex quia complacuit patri vestro dare verbis regnum Be not affraid little flocke be not diâ—aminated or put out of hart O thou little Society of Iesus because thou seest thy selfe very little and the least of all others for it hath bene pleasing to your heauenly father to giue you power ouer the harts and sowles of men I will be with you said Christ our Sauyour to our father Ignatius when he appeared to him as he was grenig to Roome Ego vobis Romae propitius ero I will assist you I will be with you And by occation of this miracle and admirable apparition the Tytle and name of Societie of Iesus was giuen to our Order To the end we may vnderstand that we are not called to the Society and Order of Ignatius but to the Society of Iesus that we may hould for certaine that Iesus will euer be in our succour as himselfe promised to our father and that we shall euer haue him for our conductour and Captaine and therefore let vs not grow weary or be discouraged in this soe greate affaire of helping sowles to which God hath called vs. Of the first degree of humilitie which is for a man to thinke meanely of himselfe CHAPTER V. SAint Laurentius Iustinianus saith that noe man knowes well what Humilitie is but he who hath receiued the guift of being humble from God It is really a very hard thing to be knowne A man saith this
gladd Wee reade of our Father Franciscus de Borgia that noe one thing troubled him soe much as when hee found himselfe to be honored for a Saint and seruant of God And being asked once why he afflicted himselfe so much for this himselfe not desiring it nor procuring it he made answere that he feared the accounte which he was to giue to God When he found himselfe to be soe farr another man from that which he was conceiued to be which is that which we said before of Saint Gregory Aâ—ter this manner are wee to be very deepely grounded in the knowledg of our selues that so the winde of prayse and estimation of men may not blow vs vp and draw vs out of our Nothing But we must rather be the more ashamed thereof confounded thereby considering how false those prayses are that we haue noe such vertue in vs as may deserue them and that we be not such as the world conceiues and publishes and as indeede we ought to be Of the fowerth stepp which is to desire to be disesteemed and despised and to be glad thereof CHAPTER XV. THe fowerth stepp for arriuing to the perfection of Humilitie is for a man to desire to be despised and disesteemed and he be glad of dishonors iniuries and contempt Saint Bernard saith Verus humilis vilis vult reputari non humilis praedicari gaudet de contemptu sui The man who is truly humble desireth to be held by others in small accounte and not to be accounted humble but vnworthy and meane and to be glad thereof This is the second degree of Humilitie and in this the perfection thereof consists And for this reason Humilitie is compared to Narde which is a smalle and odoriferous hearbe according to that of the Canticles Nardus mea dedit odorem suum For then dot the Odour of this Narde of Humilitie extend and impart it selfe to others when not onely you put little esteeme vpon your selfe but when you alsoe desire and like well that you be despised and disesteemed by others Saint Bernard notes that there are two kindes of Humilitie One is when a man considering himselfe and perceiuing his misery and basenes is conuinced by the truth and houlds himselfe in noe esteeme and resolues that he is worthy to be despised and dishonoured by all men Hee saith that the former Humilitie namely that of the vnderstanding was not in Christ our Lord for it was not possible for him to thinke that he deserued to be held in meane accounte and much lesse to be dishonored and despised Quoniam sciebat se ipsum Because he vnderstood himselfe perfectly well and â—now that he was true God and equall to his Father Non rapinam arbitratus est esse se aequalem Deo sed semetipsum exinaniuit sormam serui accipiens But the second kinde of Humilitie was in him namely that of the hart and will For in reguard of the great loue which he bore vs he was pleased to abase and disauthorise himselfe and to seeme vile and contemptible in the eyes of men And soe he saith Discite a me quia mitis sum humilis corde Learne of me for I am meeke and humble of hart But as for vs wee are to haue both theis Humilities because the first with out the second is decâ—ipt full false To desire to seeme and to be held for other then that which really you are is falshood deceipt Hee whoe really is humble and indeede thinks basely and disesteemes and despises himselfe is alsoe to be gladd that others may dâ—spise and disesteeme him This is that which we are to learne of Câ—rist our Lord. Consider how cordially and with how ardent desire and will he embraced dishonour and contempt for loue of vs. For he was not satisfied with abasing and emptying himselfe by making himselfe man and takeing the forme of a seruant vpon him he who was is the lord of heauen and earth but he would needes assume the forme and habit of a sinner Deus filium suum mittens in similitudine carnis peccati saith the Apostle God sent his sonne in the habit and similitude of a sinfull man Hee tooke not sinn because sinne could not be in him but he tooke the marke and signe of sinners for he would be circumcized as a sinner and baptised amongst Publicans and sinners as if he had bene one of them and would be lesse esteemed then Barrabas and iudged to be a worse man and more vnworthie of life then hee To conclude the desire which he had to suffer affronts and scornes and reproach for loue of vs was soe very greate that he thought the hower to stay very longe wherein all inebrated with loue he might remaine naked like another Noe to be scorned by men Baptismo habeo baptizari quomodo coarcto donee perficiatur With baptisme saith he am I to be baptised which was a baptisme of blood and how am I in paine till I may be able to put it in execution Desiderio desideraui hoc Pascha manducare vobiscuÌ„ with desire haue I desired that the hower may once arriue wherein there shall be nothing for me but buffetts and spurns as to any slaue For he knew that they would spitt vpon his face as a blasphemour and cloath him with white as a foole and with purple as a Counterfeit king and aboue all that they would loade him with scourges Which was the punishment of Malefactors and murdering theeues and finally with the torment of the Crosse in the company of murderers which then was the most ignominious and reproach full manner of death that could be sound in the world This is that which Christ our redeemer desired with soe great desire Improperium expectauit cor meum miseriam saith the Prophet in his name I was expecting reproach and affronts as one would expect â—ome what which were very pleasing to him and were to giue him much gust For indeede of such things as theis ought we to haue hope and greife for our feare of others And the Prophett Ieremy saith Saturabitur opprobriis Hee desired and thirsted after this hower that he might as a man may say euen haue his bellyfull of reproches and affronts and scornes as of things to which he carryed an extreame appetite and of which hee was very greedy and indeede they were most sauory to him for the loue of vs. Bâ—t now if the sonne of God desired dishonor and contempt with soe greate appetite and receiued them with soe much contentment and gust for the loue of vs hee hauinge noe way deserued them mee thinks it should be no such strange matter for vs who haue soe well deserued all kinde of dishonour and contempt to desire for loue of him to bee held for noe other then what we are and to reioyce in suffering those disgraces and affronts which wee deserue as Saint Paule did when he said Propter quod placeo mihi in infirmitatibus meis
nay rather it seemes to him that you lett him liue at greate ease and how soeuer you proceed with him he is very well satisfied that you treate him better then he deserues Humilitie is also a mightie meanes towards Patiēce And therefore the wiseman aduising him who meanes to serue Almightie God to prepare himselfe to suffer temptatiōs disgusts and to arme himselfe with Patience assignes him for the meanes thereof that he should be humble De prime cor tuum sustine Carry thy hart abased ād then suffer Omne quod tibi applicitū fuerit accipe in dolore sustine Receiue all that in good part which comes vpon thee though it be very contrary to thy gust and to thy sēce and indure it though it put thee to paine But how shall this be done What kind of armour is that which you meane to put vpon me to the end that I may not feele affliction or if I feele it that I may be able to support it In humilitate tua patientiam habe Possesse Humilitie and soe you shall haue Patience From Humilitie doth alsoe springe that kinde of peace which is so much desired by all which is so necessary for such as are Religious So saith Christ our Sauiour Discite à me quia mitis sum humilis corde inuenietis requiem animabus vestris Be humble and you shall possesse greate peace both with in your selues and with your brethren And as amōgst the proud there are euer contentions and disputes and brawles Inter superbos saith the wise man semper iurgia sunt so amongst such as are humble there can be no contētion or strife except onely that holy strife and contention who may be the inferiour may giue all kinde of aduantage to his fellow which was that blessed contention which occurred betweene S. Paule the Hermit and S. Anthony about who should first breake the bread one of them importuning the other to do it because hee was his ghest and the other him because hee was his elder and each of them procuring to honor and prefer his fellow Theife are good contentions and strifes which as they grow from true Humilitie and fraternall Charitie so do they also strengthen and conserue the same Lett vs now passe on to those three vertues which are proper and essentiall to à Religious man to which wee oblige our selues by the three vowes of Pouertie Chastitie and Obedience Pouertie hath so great coniunction and is so neere of kinne to Humilitie that they seeme to be sisters And so some holy wryters by that pouertie of Spiritt which Christ our Lord put for the first of the Beatitudes vnderstand Humilitie and others voluntary pouertie which is the fame that Religious men professe And it is necessary that Pouertie be euer accompanied by Humility for the one without the others is daungerous A spiritt of vaine-glory and pride is easily deriued frō base cloathing and from pride vses to grow a contempt of others And for this reason S. Augustine declined the vse of such apparrell as was extraordinary lyneane or base and tooke care that his Religious should weare decent and ciuill Cloathes the better to fly from that inconuenience Humilitie is alsoe necessary for vs to the end that we may not desire to be too well accommodated and that wee may not be too carefull to want nothing but rather that wee may content our selues with what soeuer they giue vs yea and with the very worst since wee are poore and professe Pouertie That Humilitie is necessary for the preseruing of Chastitie wee haue many examples in the histories of the fathers of the Desert of vgly and abhominable falls of men who had already spent many of their yeares in a solitarie and penetentiall life all which proceeded from want of Humilitie and from confiding and presuming on them selues which God is wont to punish by permitting men to falle into those other sinnes Humilitie is also so greate an ornament to Chastitie and pouertie that S. Bernard saith sine Humilitate audeo dicere nec virginitas Mariae deo placuisset I dare aduēturi to say that euen the virginitie it selte of our B. Lady would not haue bene pleasing to God without Humilitie Let vs now come to the vertue of Obedience wherein our H. Father requires as of the Society to excell A cleere truth it is that both hee cannot be truly obedient who is not humble and that he who is humble must meedes be obedient The humble man may be commaunded to do any thinge but so may not hee who is not humble The humble man frames no contrary iudgments but cōformes himselfe in all things to his Superiour and not onely in the worke but euen ni the will and vnderstanding also nor makes he any contradiction or resistance If now wee will comme to speake of Prayer vpon which the very life of a Religious and spirituall man relyes if it be not accompanined with Humilitie it is of no worth Whereas Prayer with Humilitie pierces heauen Oratio humilianus se nubes penetrabit donec propinquet non consolabitur non discedet donec altissimus aspiciat The Prayer of him who humbles himselfe doth penetrate heauen saith the wise man and he will not giue ouer till he obtaine all that which hee desires at the hands of God That holy and humble Iudith being shutt vp in her Oratory cladd with Sackcloath and couered with ashes prostrate vpon the earth cries out in theis wores Humilium mansuetorum semper tibi placuit deprecatio The Prayer of the humble and meeke of hart was euer pleasing to thee O Lord. Respexit in orationem humilium non spreuit precem eorum God beheld the prayer of the humble and desprised not their petitions Ne auertatur humilis factus confusus Neuer thinke that the humble man shall be driuen a way or that hee shall depart out of countenāce he shall obtaine what he askes God will heere his prayer Doe but cōsider how highly that humble prayer of the Publican of the Ghospell pleased God he who presumed not so much as to list vp his eyes to heauen or to approach the Altar but disposing himselfe farr of into a corner of the Temple and knockinge his brest with humble acknowledgment of himselfe he said O Lord haue mercy vpon me for I am a greiuous sinner Dico vobis descendit hic iustificatus in domum suam ab illo I tell you of a truth saith Christ our Redeemer that this man went iustified out of the Temple and that proude Pharisie who held himselfe for a Saint went condemned In this very manner might wee goe discoursing of the rest of the vertues and therefore if you desire to goe the next way for the hettinge of them all and to learne a short and compendious document for the speedy obteyning of perfection this is it Be humble Of the particular necessitie which they haue of this vertue whoe professe
few but heauenly words This was the perfection of those auntient Fathers to loue God to despise them selues not to contemne or iudge any other And then instantly the booke vanished a way How much it concernes vs to be exercised in the knowledge of our selues CHAPTER XII IT will appeare by what is said how much it concernes vs to be exercised in the knowledge of our selues Thales Milesius one of the seaueÌ„ wise men of Greece being asked which of all naturall things was the hardest to be knowne made this answere A mans selfe Because the loue which a man beares himselfe is soe great that it distracts and hinders this knowledge and from hence grew that saying which was soe much celebrated amongst the auntieÌ„ts Nosce te ipsuÌ„ know thy selfe And an other said Tecum habita Dwell with thy selfe But lett vs leaue theis strangers and come home to others of our owne communion who are better Maisters of this science The B. Saint Augustine and Saint Bernard say that the science of a mans knowing himselfe is the most profitable and most high that euer was inuented or found Men saith Saint Augustine are wont to esteeme much the knowledge of the heauens and of the earth by Astrologie and Cosmographie and to knowe the motions of the skye and the course of the planetts With their proprieties and influences but yet the knowledge of a mans selfe is the most high and profitable science of them all Other sciences blow a man and puffe him vp as Saint Paule saith but wee are humbled and edified by this And soe the Saints and all Maisters of spiritt doe greatly charge vs to employ our selues in prayer vpon this exercise and they reproue the errour of some who passe too lightly ouer the consideration of their owne defects and detaine theÌ„selues in thinking vpon other deuout things because they finde gust in them but none in the consideration of their defects and faults because they take noe pleasure in looking into them selues and in this they are like such as are deformed who because they are soe dare not looke vpon themselues in a glasse The glorious Saint Bernard speaking to man in the person of God saith thus O homo si te videres tibi displiceres mihi placeres sed quia te non vides tibi places mihi displices O man if thou didst see and know thy selfe thou wouldst be displeasing to thy selfe and thou wouldst be pleasing to mee but now because thou doest not see and know thy selfe thou art pleasing to thy selfe and art displeasing to me Veniet tempus cum nec mihi nec tibi placebis mihi quia peccasti tibi quia in aeternum ardebis Take heede that there come not once a tyme when thou shall neither be pleasing to God nor to thy selfe not to God because thou hast sinned nor to thy selfe because thou art damned by thy selfe through thine owne fault Saint Gregory treating of this saith there are some whoe as soone as they beginne to serue God and to take vertue a litle into their consideration thinke presently that they are holy and good and doe soe place their eyes vpon the good they doe that they forgett their miseries and sinnes past yea and sometymes their present sinnes too for they are soe very busy about gazing vpon the good they doe that they attend not nay and see not the ill which sometymes they committ But such as indeede are good and the elect of God proceede after a very different manner For where as indeede they are full of vertue and good works they are yet euer looking â—pon the ill they doe and are considering and ruminating vpon their imperfections defects And we shall quickly see what becomes of both theis kindes of men For they whoe are most considering their sinnes secure their good deedes and conserue the great vertues which they possesse remayneing euer in humilitie and on the contrary side those others whoe are looking soe earnestly vpon their good deedes loose them because they growe vaine and proud thereof So that good men serue themselues of their very sinnes and draw good spirituall profitt from thence whereas ill men draw hurt and losse euen from their good deedes because they make ill vse thereof As it happens in the case of corporall food which though in it selfe it be healthfull good yet if a man eare of it without rule or measure it will make him sicke And soe on the other side if the very poyson of vipers be taken wiâ—h a certaine composition proportion it will become a Treacle and giue him health When therefore they shall bring the good things which you haue done to your memory to the end that you may esteeme and value your selfe S. Gregory aduises you to oppose your ill deedes against them and to call your former sinnes to minde So did S. Paule to the end that his great vertues might not blowe him vp as alsoe his hauing benne rapt into the third heauen and made capable of those high reuelations which were imparted to him Quia prius blasphemus fui persecutor contumeliosus Alas saith hee I haue bene a blasphemour and a persecutor of the seruants of God and of the name of Christ alas I am not worthie to be called an Apostle because I haue persecuted the Church of God Qui non sum dignus vocari Apostolus quoniam persecutus sum ecclesiam Dei This is a very good counterpoise and a very good countermine against this temptation Vpon those words which the Archangell Gabriell spake to the Prophet Daniell Intellige fili hominis O sonne of man obserue what I intend to say to the S. Hierome saith that those holy Prophetts Daniell Ezechiell Zacharias through the high continuall reuelations which they had seemed already as it were to conâ—erse amongst the Quires of Angells and to the end that they might not exalt them selues aboue them selues and grow idle headed and proud vpon that occasion as conceiuing that they were growne to be of a kinde of Superiour Angelicall nature the Angell letts them know on the part of God that they must remember their humaine nature and frailty he calls them sonnes of men that soe they might vnderstand them selues to be fraile men and miserable creatures like the rest and that soe they might be humble and esteeme them selues but as they were And wee haue many examples in histories both Ecclesiasticall and prophane both of Saints and other illustrious persons kings Emperours and Prelates who vsed this meanes and euer kept some about them whoe might bring them to remembrance from tyme to tyme that they were but men soe to conserue them in Humilitie and to keepe them from growing vayne and proud It is recounted of our Father Franciscus Borgia that whilst he was yet Duke of Gaudia a holy man gaue him this councell that if hee had a minde to profitt much in the seruice of God no day might passe
beloued by Christ our lord to be despised by the world with him and for the loue of him This is the cause why Saints haue taken so much gust in the contumelies and affronts of the world and haue tryed soe many conclusions for the obteyning to be contemned thereby It is true saith Saint Iohn Climachus that many of theis things were done by particular instinct of the holy Ghost and soe are a more fitt obiect for our admiration then for our imitation to worke vpon But Though we arriue not to performe that holy kinde of simplicitie in act as those Saints did we must yet procure to imitate them in the loue and great desire which they had to be vndervalued and desprised Saint Diadocus goes on further and saith that there are two kindes of Humilitie Vna mediorum altera perfectorum The first is of the middle sort who are proficients but yet are still in the fight and are combated with the thoughts of pride and of ill motions though they procure with the grace of our Lord to resist them by humbling and confounding themselues Another Humilitie there is which belonges to such as are perfect and this is when our lord communicates soe great light to a man in the way of knowing himselfe that it seemes as if now he could not be proud yea and that euen the motions thereof could now come noe more Tunc anima veluâ— naturalem habet humilitatem Then haht the soule a kinde of Humilitie euen as if it were naturall For howsoeuer hee may performe greate things yet he exalts not himselfe one iott the higher for that nor doth he esteeme himselfe the more but rather houlds himselfe for inferiour to all And he saith there is this difference betwene theis two kindes of Humilitie that commonly the first is exercised with some trouble and paine as being in fine perfourmed by such a one as hath not yet obteyned a perfect conquest of himselfe but still feeles some contradiction for this is indeede that which giues sorrow and paine when the occasion of Humiliation and disestimation arriue for in this case they may take things with patience but they cannot doe it with ioy for still there is some what within which makes resistance because the passions are not ouercome But now the second kinde of Humilitie giues noe paine or greife at all but rather much ioy soe that the man be indeede in that confusion shame and haue that true disesteeme and contempt of himselfe before our lord for such a one hath nothing now which can make him any resistance in reguard that he hath conquered and subdued the contrary passions and vices and obteyned a perfect victory ouer himselfe And from hence it is sayth the Saint that they whoe haue but the first humilitie are troubled and altered by the aduersities and prosperities and variety of eueÌ„ts in this life But as for them whoe possesse the secoÌ„d Humilitie neither are they troubled by things aduerse nor doe prosperous things make them giddy or light nor doe they cause any vaine coÌ„tentment in them but they euer stand fast in one and the same kinde of State and they inioy greate tranquillity and peace as men whoe haue acquired perfection consequently are superiour to all euents Nothing can disquiet and giue paine to him who desires to be disesteemed and is glad thereof for if that which might trouble him and giue him paine namely the being forgotten and disesteemed be that in fine which he desires and that which giues him contentmeÌ„t and gust whoe can euer be able to disquiet him If in that whereby it seemes others sustaine soe much warre he can finde as much peace nothing can depriue him of that peace And soe saith S. Chrisostome Such a man as this hath found heauen and the state of happines heere on earth Anima auteÌ„ quae sic se habet quid potest esse beatius quicuÌ„que talis est is in portu continuo sedet ab omni tempestate liber oblectaÌ„tur in screnitate cogitationum Now to this perfection of Humilitie must we procure to arriue and lett vs not hould it to be impossible for by the grace of God saith S. Augustine not onely may we imitate the Saints but euen the lord of Saints alsoe if wee will For our Lord himselfe requires vs to learne of him Discite à me quia mitis fum humilis corde Learne of mee for I am meeke and humble of harte And the Apostle Saint Peeter sayth that he gaue vs am example to the end that we might imitate it Christus passus est pro nobis vobis relinquens exemplum vt sequamini vestigia eius And Saint Ierome vpon those words of Christ our Lord Si vis perfectus esse saith that it is cleerely gathered from theis words that it is put into our power to be perfect since Christ our lord saith If thou wilt be perfect Qâ—ia si dixeris vires non suppetunt qui inspector est cordis ispe intelligit For if you say I haue noe strength wherewith to doe it God knowes our weaknes very well and yet still he saith that you may if you will For he is euer ready to helpe vs if we will and with his helpe we may doe all things Iacob saith the Saint saw a ladder which reached from earth to the heauens and the Angells went vp and downe by it and at the vpper end thereof the omnipotent God himselfe satt to helpe them who were ascending vp and to animate them by his presence to vndertake that lâ—bour And now procure you alsoe to mount this ladder by theis steps whereof we haue spoken for himselfe will reach you forth his hand that soe you may be able to ascend euen the last stepp thereof When the trauailer sees some steepe hill whereby he is to passe it seemes from farre off to be a kinde of impossible thing for him to ascend there but when he comes neerer he findes the way ready made and that it is easily to be ouercomed Of some meanes for the obteyning of this second degree of Humilitie and perticularly of the example of Christ our Lord. CHAPTER XVIII THey ordinarily vse to assigne two seueral wayes or meanes for the obteyning of Morall vertues The one is of reasons and considerations which may conuince and animate vs thereunto and the other is exercise of the acts of that vertue whereby we may acquire the habitts thereof To begin with the first kinde of meanes one of the most principall and efficatious considerations whereof wee may helpe our selues towards being humble or rather the most principall and most efficatious of them all is the example of Christ our Lord our Mâ—ster and our Redeemer whereof though wee haue already said some what there will euer be enough to add The whole life of Christ our lord was a most perfect Original of Humilitie from the very tyme of his birth to that other of his expiring vpon the Crosse But