this was and it was answered him that they were Franciscan-Friars that were going to accompanie a certain man of their Order into Heauen that was newly departed that they themselues lined al of them in Heauen in great glorie happines and that the honour of that white garment was particularly granted them in lieu of the Habit of Religion which they did weare on earth the glorie of their bodies for the incommodities which they had suffered in it of which glorie he should be partaker if he remained firme and constant in the course he had begun which afterwards he easily effected being so encouraged with this Vision that he neuer after had anie wandring thoughts at al. 10. Which Vision doth put vs moreouer in mind of another happines and particular ioy which Religious people shal haue in heauen by the concourse and meeting of manie of the same Order and Religion togeather For as the troâ—p which this man saw doth giue vs to vnderstand we must think that in heauen there is a seueral distinct place for euerie Religious Order to be in to which place al that are of the same Order doe presently repayre so soone as they arriue in heauen which cannot but giue euerie one new matter of glorie and gladnes For if in this world it be so ioyful a thing to meete with our Bretheren conuerse with those of our owne Order and Institute in regard of the loue which is betwixt vs there can be no doubt but that in heauen this ioy wil be farre greater where our loue shal be more seruent and al perfections of Nature and Grace more eminent without anie mixture of vice or imperfection and withal most apparent to euerie one beholding them before our eyes as in a cristal-glasse which as they wil excessiuely encrease our loue so also the eternal sweetnes of our louing conuersation Wherefore it is certain that to be continually in that Blessed companie and ourselues to be a blessed part therof must needs be an infinit happines farâ—e greater then we heer can either conceaue or belieue Of the Antiquitie of Religious courses and first how they were prefigured in the Old Law CHAP. XIX WE are now to discourse of another kind of dignitie belonging to a Religious state For that of which we haue hitherto spoken though doubtlesse it be the chiefest and most to be esteemed as being founded vpon the plentie and rarenes of the Vertues which concurre in it the coniunction and similitude with God and the rewards and honour which in the life to come it expecteth yet it is partly spiritual and concealed within vs partly also not present but long to come heerafter and consequently the glorie and splendour therof lyeth open only to the eyes of God and to those that hauing their soules enlightned with his soueraigne light are withal enabled to make a true estimate of these spiritual things who certainly are but few and in a manner none in comparison of the rest for as the Wise-man sayth of fooles the number is infinit Wherefore to the end that so rare and so excellent a thing should not be hidden from the most part of men God hath enriched it with other graces and ornaments so playne and conspicuous to be seen of al that the rudest sort cannot be ignorant of them No man sayth our Lord doth light a candle and put it vnder a buâ—hel but vpon the candlestick that it may giue light to al that be in the house And that which he sayd he did for he hath not placed this light of Religion in dennes caues of the earth but in the publick view of the world into which he brought it to enlighten the darknes therof and hath bestowed such high fauours vpon it that it doth not only march side by side with the Nobilitie of the world but goes farre before it euen for the things which the world doth most of al esteeme and prize For wherefore is it that Families and Citties and whatsoeuer Companies or Corporations are esteemed honourable in the eyes of men but for the antiquitie of their standing or descent the number and worth of their subiects their noble acts atchieued and deriued to the notice of others by common fame and such like other things which as I sayd are in the world accounted glorious Of al which a Religious state is so abundantly furnished that humane Pride hath not wherof to extol and beast itself nor anie thing indeed which can be comparable to this true and solid Glorie Wherfore we wil bestow some leaues in discoursing of these ornaments and first we wil speake of the Antiquitie of Religion For though so rare an excellencie of eminent vertue was to be reserued to the times of the Ghospel and for the Sonne of God himself to bring downe from heauen those former Ages which the Apostle compareth to the childhood of the world because the Law brought nothing to perfection not being capable of so much spiritual perfection so rare vertue I say being to be reserued to the fulnes of times and grace bestowed vpon vs by CHRIST IESVS our Sauiour yet it is no smal honour and glorie for it that it is so plainly and so expresly prefigured in the Old Law 2. First â—lias was a liuelie patterne of this course liuing without wife or children or familie a chast and sinâ—le liâ—e and continuing in it in that pouertie that his garment is expressed to haue been a belt of leather and that he receaued his sustenance in a manner of almes sometimes by a widdow sometimes by meanes of a crow Elizâ—us was one of his chief disciples and resembled him most in the course of life which he had liued and being inuited by him to this forme of Perfection he presently forsooke his father's lands and cattle which he was following yea his parents and house-hold giuing Religious people so long-before a rare example how couragiously they are to forsake al these things for the loue of CHRIST 3. The Sonnes as they called them of the Prophets were men that vnder the conduct and discipline of these two which I haue named did professe and follow a more perfect kind of life then others in those dayes For the miracles which Elizeus is recorded to haue wrought at their request in Healing of the waters and in Sweetning the bitternesse of the pot and in Multiplying the bread which was to serue them al doth sufficiently testifie that they were separated from the rest of the Children of Israel and liued in Communitie togeather And we may gather that they liued a single life because we doe not had anie meÌ„tion of anie wife or children which they had and indeed with them they could not haue liued in common Finally it appeareth sufficiently that they liued in Obedience because as Elizeus returned from beholding the taking vp of Elias into the ayre they al meeting him â—el downe on their faces
worse disposed then the Angels for so are his words because as in the Angels there is no distemper neither do some grieue while others reioyce but are al of them ioyful with one and the self-same gladnes and quiet so it hapneth for al the world in Monasteries And S. Basil deliuering his mind yet more plainly compareth the life which Religious people leade in common with the life of the Angels and giueth this reason for it because al enioy the self-same spiritual riches and treasures which because they are spiritual may without diminution be equally possessed by al and therefore sayth he Religion is a liuelie representation of heauen and giueth vs a tast in this life of the happines which is to come 9. What shal we say of the similitude which Religion hath with that perfect subiection in which al that are in heauen liue vnder God al their wils being wholy and most admirably absorpt in his wil and holding it for the onlie rule of al their actions and motions For in like manner Religion cutteth off and rooteth out by the vow of Obedience al wil of our owne and by vertue of that vow the wil of God by the ministerie of man swayeth and ruleth in al things 10. Pouertie also hath a hand in this resemblance for as they that are in heauen take no thought for gold nor siluer but mind only the spiritual treasures which they enioy so Religious people shake off al earthlie things and glorie most of al that they are maisters of nothing 11 Moreouer in that heauenlie Palace al haue one kind of employment and one busines to wit to loue God and continually to prayse him This is that which Religionâ— people also ayme at and labour for to this end they forsake the world to attend see that God is sweet to this they wholy apply themselues and this is the reason as S. Denys writeth why from the beginning they were called Monks to the end their name deriued from vnitie might signifie the vnitie of the Soule with God which Religious discipline worketh in vs. Wherefore as S. Augustin sayth that they that are in heauen are blessed because they doe nothing but prayse God they doe not plough nor sowe the ground nor go to mil because they are works of necessiâ—â—â— and there is no necessitie nor they do not robbe nor steale nor commit adulterie because they be works of iniquitie and there is no iniquitie So we may say of Religion For first Iniquitie hath no place in Religion and as for Necessitie it is for the most part shut out by abandoning al desire of earthlie things and for the rest which remayneth it is directed wholy to the glorie of God which of itself is to prayse God and consequently they neuer cease praysing him For as the same S. Augustin deliuereth Thou praysest God when thou goest about busines thou praysest God when thou eatest and when thou drinkest thou praysest God when thou dost rest in thy bed and when thou sleepest 12. Finally it is no smal resemblance of a heauenlie life that a Religious Soule imitateth the conuersation of those that are in heauen as S Bernard discourseth in a certain place as when it worshippeth and adoreth God alone as the Angels it is chast as the Angels and that in flâ—sh of sinne and this frayle bodie as the Angels are not finally when it seeketh and mindeth the things which are with them and not that which is vpon earth And the same S. Bernard not without great reason applying those words of the Apocalyps to our Sauiour I saw the holie Cittie Hierusalem new descending from heauen sayth that when he came downe from heauen to teach vs vpon earth the conuersation which is in heauen he brought in himself a perfect patterne and visible pourtraicture of that heauenlie Hierusalem giueth the reason why he sayth so in these words The Heauenlie Man did not appeare in vaine seing of earthlie people he made so manie heauenlie ones like himself Because from that time we liue heer on earth after the manner of them that are in heauen while to the likenes of that heauenlie and blisful Creature this also which came from the vtmost bounds of the earth to heare the wisdome of Salomon cleaueth to her heauenlie husband with chast loue 13. The last resemblance which Religion hath with Heauen is in Ioy and felicitie For though there must of necessitie be great difference in the quantitie excesse of this ioy because in heauen we shal see God face to face and heer we see him by a glasse in a dark 〈◊〉 Yet the ioy heer is not only very great but of the self-same nature with that which is in heauen for they both proceed from one fountaine and haue the self-same obiects to wit not flesh and bloud or anie thing created but God only who is infinit and the Soueraigne Good of al. 14 And heer we might spinne out a long discourse concerning the abundance and multiplicitie and assurednes and soliditie and perpetuitie of the Ioyes which are in Religion but that we haue spâ—ken sufficiently of them in al that which goâ—â— before Yet vpon that which hath been hitherto sayd we may iustly conclude that no State can be fuller of al kind of happines then a Religious life specially seing it so liuely resembleth the ioyes life of heauen that we may truly say we are continually tasting of them yea plentifully feeding vpon the excessiue felicities which there we shal enioy fitly apply to this purpose that verse of the Royal Prophet Blesse our Lord al yâ—e seruants of our Lord who stand in the house of our Lord in the courts of the house of our God Where inuiting the seruants of God to the prayses of him he distinguisheth them into two ranks Some he placeth in the house of God others in the outward courts The first are they that dwel in Heauen which is the proper Mansion-house of God Religious people are the second that stand as I may say in the court-yard of the heauenlie Palace They are not yet in the house but next doore to it and in a manner in the porch or entrie where they haue two great commodities First that vnlesse they wil needs giue back they may both easily quickly get into the house when their turn comes and secondly bordering so neer vpon that Heauenlie habitation they cannot choose but haue part very often of the manie commodities and daynties which that house affordeth as so manie crummes falling from a table richly furnished An answer to certain Obiections which are wont to be made against Religion and first That few enioy these Comforts CHAP. XV. IF the World could speake for itself or had Counsel that were not blind and deafe with too much loue of the World I make no doubt but it would yeald to Religion al that which I haue
alteration in vs because it doth both help vs manie wayes to encrease the inward grace which we receaue in Baptisme and furnisheth vs besides with manie outward meanes and instruments speedily and easily to to attayne to al perfection An answer to them that feare that they shal not perseuer in Religion CHAP. XXXII HAuing shut-out this feare which tooke occasion of the corruption of our former life it wil not be hard to cure another feare not vnlike vnto it and most commonly caused by it to wit least our resolution howsoeuer it be seruent in the beginning in time growing cold we looke back and be swallowed vp againe in the world This feare riseth first by consideration of our owne infirmitie man by nature being wonderful weake specially when he meetes with hard encounters and then the lamentable ends of those that began to runne wel in the midst of their course haue sunck and fallen back worke forcibly vpon our apprehension insomuch that some think it wisdome to learne by others perils and to looke to themselues betimes But S. Gregorie doth excellently discouer this kind of temptation and deceit of the Enemie and conuinceth it to be no other in these words Oftimes we see manie that desire the life of holie conuersation but haue not the power to vndertake it because they feare suddain chances and disasters that may befal them who while like prouident men they take thought to preuent vncertain euils are vnprouidently detayned in the bonds of their offences For they lay manie things before their eyes which if they happen in their conuersation they feare they shal neuer be able to subsist Of whom Salomon sayth wel The way of lazie people is as hedges of thornes For while they loue the way of God their fearful suspicions meeting with them prick them as thornes of the hedges that are in their way This is S. Gregorie's opinion of this busines And in my iudgement that saying of Iob may be fitly applied vnto them They that feare the white frost snow shal vpon them For while they giue way to feare of vncertain dangers to come they remaine for the present in great and most certain euils 2. But to lay open the roote of this distrust let vs consider what may be the causes of so soule a breach betwixt God and vs after we haue plighted our troth and bound ourselues by Vow vnto him There can be no other ground of it but if either God depart from vs or we frō God that is if either God forsake vs withdraw his holie spirit frō vs or we suffer ourselues to be ouercome with tediousnes or labour or inconstancie so forsake him As for the first it cannot enter into anie man's thought to think that the infinit goodnes of God will at anie time take from vs the guifts which once he hath bestowed vpon vs. And S. Paul assureth vs of it when he sayth The guifts of God are without repentance and God himself by his Prophet in these words I am God and am not changed consequently that which S. Augustin sayth to God is true No man leeseth thee but he that leaueth thee God therefore neuer reiecteth them that seeke him he neuer casteth them forth that come vnto him as himself professeth and heauen and earth shal first passe away before anie change or shadow of vicissituted come vpon him Seing therefore there can be no danger on this side al the danger is in ourselues and our owne infirmitie 13. But yet because no bodie is il for nothing and there is hardly anie to be found so malicious as to delight in sinne because it is sinne but that some other cause drawes him into it let vs see what cause there may be to disioynt and break this league of societie and friendship so inuiolably and religiously sworne betwixt God and vs. In humane friendship manie things of this nature may happen for in time we may discouer some flaw in the league itself or some wrong may be offered or one partie may be damnifyed in his state or we may think we haue enough of it as oftimes it falleth out Nothing of al this can be sayd of God for we cannot feare least the continuance of our loue with him be preiudicial vnto vs seing we haue al that we haue of him and he most bountifully makes vs partakers of al that is his Neither can we feare least his conuersation grow tedious seing we find written of the Eternal Wisdome Entring into my house I wil rest with it for the conuersation with it hath no bitternes nor the liuing togeather with it anie tediousnes but ioy and gladnes And therefore that also is true which the same Wisdome reporteth of itself They that eate me shal stil hunger and they that drink me shal stil thirst So that by enioying God we shal be so farre from hauing our desire of him quayled at anie time as rather it wil be daily more inflamed the more degrees of his infinit beautie and goodnes we shal dayly discouer and the better and cleerer insight we shal haue into him And if while we were as yet in the world a smal raye of that beautie which is in Religion shining vpon vs in that darknes was so powerful as to bring vs vnto him as it were out of a farre countrey and to draw vs with such a violence as was able to breake through al the snares the Diuel had to hold vs back what wil not the sunne-light and excellencie of Religion doe when we shal haue had leasure to enter more into it and by the knowledge and possession of so great a good be more taken and enamoured with it And if it were able to force vs to loue it and embrace it while we were free and vnconstant how much more wil it hold vs in loue of it when we shal be obliged and bound vnto it with that triple cord which is hardly broken 14. What ground therefore can we imagine that we can haue to alter from our purpose with so great losse and shame to ourselues Shal we alter in regard of the rigour and austeritie of that kind of life Wherefore then haue we spoken so much of the commodities of it which alone were sufficient and of the sweetnes besides and pleasure which is in it Rather seing we are naturally so much taken with pleasure follow so greedily the bare shadow of it in the idle toyes which the world doth thew vs we haue no cause to feare but that meeting with the verie fountain of pleasure which is God we shal stick the faster by it and drink with more contentment of it For our part therefore we haue no cause why we should euer repent ourselues of a thing which hath been inuented and commended vnto vs by God so carefully practised by so manie holie men so earnestly desired and embraced by ourselues and found by our owne experience to
were ready to take paynes heere that they might inioye eternall glorie and were free from all turbulent passion like the Angells of heauen they are happy and thrice happy because they discouered with the cleere steddy eye-sight of their mind the vanitie of all things present and the variablenes and vnconstancy of humane prosperitie and despising it they layd vp in store for themselues euerlasting riches and tooke hold of that life which neueâ— sets and is neuer cutt off by death 8. Eusebius Casariensis shall shut vp the ranke of the Greeke fathers who sayth that in the Church of God there be two manners of life ordayned The one doth stepp beyond nature and the common strayne of the life of man It looketh nâ—t after mariage nor issue nor goods nor abundance of wealth but is vowed to the sole seruice of God through excessiue loue of heauenly things such as haue imbraced this kind of liuing looke downe vpon the life of the rest of men as if themselues were seuered from this mortalitie and carying their body only heare vpon earth dwell in heauen with their mind and cogâ—tation as being consecrate to our great God in Feu of all mankind And certainly among Christians there is such a kind of perfect life there is also another kind more slack and which hath more of the man this is intangled in sober wedlock and breeding of children it groaneth vnder the care of howsehold busines and setteth downe lawes for those that follow a iust warre it alloweth also of trading in marchandise and husbandrie so that the seruice of God go with it These men belong to an inferiour degree of pietie 9. Now to come to the latin Fathers that which S. Cyprian sayth of vowed virgins is a notable commendation and is quoted by S. Augustin in his treatise of Christian doctrin for a singular speach It is sayth he the floure of the Ecclesiasticall branch the glorie and grace of spirituall graces The very lustre of honour and prayse a worke perfect and vnattainted the image of God answearable to his sanctitie the nobler part of the flock of Christ the glorious fruitfullnes of our holy mother the Church is filled with ioye by reason of these virgins and in them she doth abundantly blossome And by how much the number is greater of this glorious virginitie the more is the ioye of the mother increased 10. To him we may adde the worthy testimonie of S. Ambrose who in his booke of widdows vpon that document of our Sauiour when you haue done all things that are commanded you say we are vnprofitable seruants what we ought to haue done we haue done discourseth thus The virgin sayth not so he that hath sold all his substance sayth not so but doth looke to haue some recompence layd vp for him as the holy Apostle sayth behold we haue left all things and followed thee what therfore shall we haue He sayth not as an vnprofitable seruant I haue done what I ought but as profitable to his Maister and as one that hath multiplyed the talents which were committed to his charge by putting his money to profitt doth wayte for the reward of his trust and vertue knowing he hath done and deserued wel And in one of his Epistles the same S. Ambroise sayth This is an Angelicall trade of life to be allwayes praysing God by frequent prayer they endeauour to appease our Lord and craue his fauour they keepe their mind busied with reading and with continuall labour and liuing a part from the Compagny of woemen they are Mothers and Nurses to one another O what a life is this in which there is nothing which wee need to feare and very much which we ought to Imitate 1. Sainct Hierome hath many things to the same purpose in diuers places of his works and some whole Epistles of this matter as to Heliodorus and Iulian. In that which he writ to Marcella he speaketh thus Certainly the assemblies of Virgins and Monks are the flowre of the church and amidst the Ecclesiasticall ornaments a most pretious gemme And writing to Demetrias It is the height of an Apostolicall life and of perfect vertue to sel al and â—eale it among the poore thus lightned and disburdned to flie vp to heauen with Christ though in this euery one be left to his free will and choyce He sayth if thou wilt be perfect I do not force you I doe not comand you I propose vnto you the prize I shew you the rewards It is yours to choose whether you will bee crowned in the lists and combat In the Acts of the Apostles while the blood of our Lord and Sauiour was yet warme and the faith of the new beleeuers did yet boyle within them they sold their possessions and layed the price therof at the feete of the Apostles to shew that money was to be troden vnder foote they dealt to euery one as they had need 12. S. Augustine in the booke which he writ of the manners of the Church doth record the like prayses with an equall current of eloquence who can choose but admire sayth he and prayse those who forsaking and contemning the allurements of this world dwel al their life time in common togeather in a most chaste most holy manner of liuing occupied in prayer in reading in profitable discourses not swollen with pride not turbulent with contention not pale with enuie but sober modest and quiet they offer vp a life peaceable among them selues and most earnestly fixed in God an offering most gratefull to him by whom they haue deserued to be able to performe these things no man possesseth any thing as his owne no man is burthensome to the rest The fathers excelling not only in sanctitie of life but in heauenly doctrine voyde of all hautinesse prouide for them whom they cal their Children with a greate deale of auctoritie on their parte in commanding and a great deale of Willingnesse of their subjects in obeying And after many other prayses he concludeth thus If I should goe about to extol this trade this life this Order this Institution I should not be able to performe it as it deserues and may iustly feare that men will thinke me to be of opinion that it is not pleasing enough of it self at the first sight 13. To these let vs add S. Bernard who though he be generally more carefull to put fire into the Religious then curious in setting forth their prayses in many places of his workes hath left many things written to their Commendation and this among the rest I know not by what name I shal more deseruedly cal them Men of heauen or Angells vpon earth liuing on earth but hauing their Conuersation in Heauen And els-where he calleth Religion The castle or fortresse of God A castle strongly defended his Territorie or peculier possession out of which
or Slaue is to his Maâ—ster as a parte of any thing is to the whole or as a thing that is in possession is to the possessour for as a parte is not properly for it self but for the whole of which it is parte and that which is in possession is not for it self but for the possessour so is a seruaÌ„t his â—aillers al that he is seeing therfore as we find by the discourse of this Philosopher there may be so great a distance betwixt creatures themselues that some by nature may iustly be subiect to other some among them how farre true shal this be found to be betwixt God and man For a man thâ—ugh he excel anâ—ther man neuer so much yet the difference can be but in wit or learning or wisdome or some such accidental qualitie and though it be neuer so great yet it is limited and not so very greate neither for in nature there is no difference euery one of vs hauing a body of the same earth and a soule of like substance to an others soule But if we compare man with God wisdome with wisdome goodnes with goodnes power with power essence with essence The distance is not only infinite but whatsoeuer man hath he hath it from God and of himself he hath nothing and therfore we may truly say of him that in very deed he hath nothing or rather is nothing Wich is the reason why Saint Paul saith that God is only Powerfull and our Sauiour himself that he is only good and Iob that he only is And if the whole globe of the earth as is taught in the Mathematicks compared with the circumference of the heauens be but as it were a point notwithstanding that the earth of itself is of so great a bulk and the heauens haue their limits what shal we think that one man can be being compared with that Infinitie and that Endlesse Bottom in which so many perfections without number and measure do concurre which the Prophet Dauid with great reason admiring sayth Great is our Lord and exceedingly to be prayâ—ed and of his greatnes there is no end 3. The second Cause why we are not our owne but Gods is because we are made and created by him For among men though there be many reasons and grounds wher-vpon we pretend right to the things of this world as by purchase or deed of guift and the like yet no Title can be greater or more iust then when ourselues haue made a thing or begot it Who doth plant a vineyard sayth S. Paul and doth not caâ—e of the 〈◊〉 thereof so whoeuer buyldeth a house or maketh a chest or any other worke with his owne hands by all right and law is Lord of that worke which is of much greater force in God for by arte no man can do more then giue an outward shape to a thing he cannot produce the nature it self or substance of iron or wood or any thing els nor so much as come neere vnto it but God as S. Augustin speaketh toucheth the very bottom of all things that is the very vtmost farthest degree of their Essence by his strength power and so we find that vpon this title cheefly holy Scripture doth grounde the soueraigntie of God The earth is our Lords sayth the Psalme the fulnes therof the seaâ— his as it were yealding the reason therof he addeth he made it 〈◊〉 hands haue sounded the dry land And againe The heauens are thine and the earth is 〈◊〉 thou hasâ— sounded the circle of the earth and the fulnes therof Thyne is the day and thine is the night thou hast made the dawning of the day and the Sunne And in an other place Myne are al the wild beasts of the woods the beasts vpon the â—â—â—s and the oxâ—n â—yne is gold and mine is syluer finally in the booke of Iob God doth challeng to himself all things togeather all things vnder heauen are myne And Saint Paul in his learned sermon preached at Athens God who made the world and all things that are in it he being Lord of heauen and earth c. wherfore seeing he hath soueraignty ouer all other things because he hath made them all why should he not also haue it ouer men Of whom he speaketh in this manner by his Prophet Ezechiel Behold all the soules are mine as the soule of the Father so the soule of the sonne is mine S. Bernard therfore in one of his sermons doth with great reason conclude from this ground among the rest that wee are wholy gods who made vs as a worke is the workemans Behold he is at hand who made heauen and earth He is thy Creatour thou art his creature he thy Lord thou his seruant he the potter thou the vessell Thou art debtour therfore to him of all that thou art from whom thou hast all To that Lord I say who hath made thee and hath done well for thee and doth serue thee with the course of the starres and with seazon of the ayre and the fruifulnes of the earth and the plentifulnes of fruites Him certainly thou must serue with all thy force and hartyest strength least he behold thee with an angrie eye and despise thee and consume thee for euer And to like purpose S. Laurence Iustinian writeth thus Reason bred in the very bowels of our soules doth call vpon euery one to subiect himself to him from whom he hath his being for the nature of man being created by God and persisting actually in being through him by necessarie course of equitie and Iustice stands obliged to the commands of his Creatour For though man haue receaued benefites with out number for which he is bound to serue God yet this only thing of it self doth oblige him to obedience euen vnto death that from him he hath his being Finally Lactantius sayth also well to the matter which we haue in hand It is apparent that there is no hope of life left to man vnlesse he acknowledge God casting off all former vanities and wretched errour and serue him renouncing this transitory life informe himself in the practise of Religion by the principles of Iustice. For this is the condition with which we are borne that we performe our Iust bounden dutie to God that made vs. That we acknowledge him alone and follow him This is the bond of pietie with which we are obliged and bound to God and from which Religion it selfe hath the name which it beareth 4. The third cause of this subiection is taken from the End of man for when soeuer any thing is made for an other thing it must necessarily be subiect to that for which it was made and be in a kind of seruitude and bondage vnto it and as I may say alwayes Eying it Now certainly nothing is or can be the End of man but God himself For which reason it
the desire of heauenlie things For as thâ—se that gaue themselues ouer to carnal pleasure or the care of anie worldlie busines haue their minds so carried away vpon them that they seeme to beset 〈◊〉 in the same 〈◊〉 as I may tearme it of which those things are made so contrariwise they that liue chast and intire and curbe the flesh and bring it vnder and withal busie their mind in holie exercises and settle it vpon spiritual things are not much molested by the corruption of the bodie but rather as S. Paul speaketh their conuersation is in heauen And consequently death being nothing but a separation of the bodie from the soule which Religious people doe practise al their life they are not to begin to dye when the soule is departing but they went about it long before and were alwayes dying by which meanes they are not troubled at the time of death as if they were to abide some hard and vnwonted thing It helpeth also that they parte not with a life that hath manie things to hold them with delight in it which is one of the chiefest causes why people loue this life but rather a life wherin they suffer manie incommodities by pouertie watching and paynes-taking much mortification of their senses and wil which are as so manie spurres quickning our soules to desire more ardently eternal rest and more cheerfully to embrace it when it is at hand Besides they come not suddenly and vnprouided to that houre but they both soresaw dayly that it might happen by reason of the common frayltie of our nature and wished dayly for it because they desire to appeare in the sight of God and their whole life is but one good preparation for death as a certain Franciscan-Friar sayd truly of late yeares in the Indies For after he had long laboured in those countries very paynefully sickning and being aduised by the Physicians to prepare himâ—elf for death he spake thus I haue done nothing else al the while I haue worne this Habit but prepared myself for this passage The same al Religious people doe for the State itself doth direct them to doe no other but as our Lord commaÌ„ded expect his coming with their loynes gyrt and burning lâ—ghts in their hands which S. Gregorie interpreteth to be Chastitie and continual practise of good works both which are principally found in Religion 3. Now as for the assaults and temptations of the Diuel wherewith euerie bodie is troubled at his death thus much we may truly say that if there be anie man that is not troubled at al or very litle with them anie man that doth resist them and ouercome them it is a Religious man For first it belongeth to the goodnes of God not to leaue him at his death vpon whom in his life-time he heaped so manie great guifts and graces somewhat also it belongeth to his Iustice to defend and protect him that during life serued him and fought for his honour Wherefore we ought not to doubt but that he that is our strength and stabilitie wil assist vs most of al in that dangerous and fâ—areful combat and in time of need enlighten our vnderstanding and giue vs courage wipe away al feare and teach our hands and fingars to wage warre compasse vs round and couer vs with the shield of his good pleasure and with inward comforts strengthen our mind and fil it with assured hope of eternal saluation which being so what crownes and kingdomes can be compared with this bâ—nefit And no man can think but that it must needs be wel bestowed not only that he forsook this one world but if there were infinit worlds to leaue that he alone had left them al to the end that in such a feareful passage he might haue such assured comfort and defence 4. To this we may adde the comfort which euerie one receaueth by the assistance of his Bretheren their exhortations counsel and continual prayers which alwayes but chiefly at the point of death are very powerful to encourage vs and to abate the fierce assaults of the enemie We learne this by example of a yong man called Theodore of whom S. Gregorie relateth that hauing liued in his Monasterie somewhat wantonly like a boy he fel sick and was brought to the last cast and while diuers of the Monks stood by praying for him he began to crye out as if he were desperate to get them gone For he was as he sayd deliuered to a dragon to be deuoured by him and their being present hindred him Whervpon they fel presently vpon their knees and prayed more earnestly for him and soone after the sick man now quite and chearful affirmed that the Diuel was gone vanquished and put to flight by their prayers 5. The like passage though somewhat more feareful is recorded of Cuno Lord of Malburch who after he had spent in the world almost fourtie yeares liuing for the most part after a worldlie fashion betook himself to Religion where when he had liued some three yeares he made a happie end At which time the Diuel by the mouth of a woman whom he had possessed told that he and fifteen thousand more of his crue for so manie he sayd they were came to this Cuno's Celle when he lay a-dying but could not hurt him nor so much as come neer him by reason of the lowde cryes of those bald-crowned fellowes that stood by his bed-side for so the enemie of God tearmed God's seruants and their prayers in scorne And he complayned further that God had done him great iniurie in regard that wheras Cuno had serued the Diuels fourtie yeares and God but three yet he spared him from the paynes of hel and carried him to Heauen Whereby we may plainly see the force of Religion 6. It remayneth that we speake of the hope of saluation which I sayd was in Religion very assured Two things cause this assurance in a Religious man first not to be guiltie in his conscience of anie grieuous sinne secondly the memorie of the abundance of good deeds of his former life both which cannot fayle in a Religious course For we are not heer troubled with marchants accounts nor with obscure and ambiguous formes of conueyances nor with worldlie ambition nor such like occasions of sinning On the other side we haue much matter of patience and continual occasion of practising other vertues whereof I haue spoken at large before Wherefore S. Hierome sayth excellently wel to this purpose writing to Iulian and exhorting him to Religion in these words Happie is the man and worthie of al blessednes whom old age doth ouertake seruing Christ whom the last day shal find fighting vnder our Sauiour who shal not be confounded when he shal speake to his enemies in the gate to whom in the entrance of Paradise it shal be sayd Thou hast receaued â—l things in thy life but now reioyce heer S. Bernard also pressing Romanus to
had the first fruits of Spirit so abundantly as the day of Pentecost doth witnes Wherupon S. Bernard in a certain Sermon speaketh thus to his Brethren What is it thanks be to him by whose grace al this is donne what is it that your life doth resemble the life of the Apostles they forsook al and assembled togeather in the Schoole of Christ in his presence drew waters in ioy of the fountaine of our Sauiour drinking of the fountaine of life at the fountaine itself Blessed are their eyes that beheld it Haue not you also done somewhat the like not in his presence but in his absence not at the word of his mouth but vpon the word of his messengers Maintayne this your prerogatiue which they vpon sight and word of mouth you by hearing and by message haue belieued Behold how he compareth a Religious State with that worthie act of the Apostles and in a manner doth preferre it before them in regard that as our Sauiour sayd they are more blessed that haue not seene and haue beleeued 9. In an other place he doth yet more fully and more playnly compare this kind of life not only with the Apostles but with the Prophets and the verie Angels These are his words You see my Bretheren what spirit you haue receaued the spirit which is of God that you may know the things which God hath giuen you We haue heard the degree of excellencie wherein the Apostles and the Prophets and the Angels are seated and I make account we cannot ayme at anie higher thing Verily me thinks I find something of each of them in you and something that is excellent For who wil not be bold to say that this single life of yours is a life celestial and Angelical or that in the Resurrection al the Elect shal be as you now are as the Angels of God in heauen wholy forbearing marriage Preserue my Brethren this precious Iewel preserue that sanctitie of life which resembleth you to the Saints and maketh you of the house-hold of God holie Scripture saying that Incorruption maketh a man neare to God You are that which you are not by your owne desert but by the grace of God in regard of your chastitie and sanctimonie Angels vpon earth or rather Cittizens of Heauen but yet a while vpon earth pilgrims What shal we say of the guift of Prophecie Truly it is a rare kind of prophecying that which I see you giuen vnto and an excellent studie to which I see you applied What is that that which the Apostle speaketh of not to consider the things which are seene but which are not seene This certainly is to prophecie To walk in spirit to liue according to faith to seeke the things which are about not which are vpon earth to forget the things which are behind to stretch to those which are before vs is a great part of Prophecie For how is our conuersation in heauen but by the spirit of Prophecie For so the Prophets of-old were as if they were not among the men of their time but by spirit and Prophetical commotion transcending the dayes they liued in they did reioyce to see the day of our Lord they saw it and were glad in it Let vs heare what profession the Apostles were of Behold we haue left al and haue followed thee If it be lawful to glorie we haue glorie but if we be wise we wil haue care that we haue it with God For not our mightie hand but our Lord hath done al these things He that is powerful hath done great things to vs so that our soule may worthily magnify our Lord. For it is by his great guift that in so great measure we follow that great course and purpose in which those great Apostles did glorie Thus doth S. Bernard discourse in commendation of a Religious state paralelling it in manie things with those three degrees of Perfection Let vs see how in some things he doth preferre it which is a farre greater commendation Perhaps saith he if I wil glorie also in this I shal not be vnwise for I shal speak the truth There be some here that haue left more then a boat and nets And what is it that the Apostles left al indeed but to follow our Sauiour who was present with them It is not for me to say what it is we shal with more safetie heare our Sauiour himself saying Because thou hast seene me Thomas thou hast belieued blessed are they that haue not seene and haue belieued Perhaps also it is a more excellent kind of Prophecie not to attend to anie temporal thing nor to things that with time doe perish but to those that are spiritual and Eternal And the treasure of Chastitie is more illustrious in a vessel of earth and vertue in some sort more laudable in flesh that is fraile and weake When therefore we find in this bodie of ours an Angelical conuersation in our hart a Prophetical expectation in both an Apostolical perfection what a masse of grace is there Thus spake S. Bernard and I know not what can be said more to the honour and commendation of a Religious Institute 10. But what do we stand heaping togeather the praises of men when we haue the verdict of Truth it self from God's owne mouth For of this State our Sauiour spake those words If thou wilt be perfect go and sel al that thou hast and come follow me Where it is to be considered what our Sauiour said and to whome He spake to a man that was not wicked and debauched but honest and orderlie for he had kept the commandments of God al his life-time he had done no man no wrong and our Sauiour beholding him did loue him Who would not haue thought that this man was perfect seing he had been so careful and diligent in fulfilling the law of God and yet our Sauiour tels him Thou wantest yet one thing a thing so great and of so high a straine that the man though inuited by our Sauiour had a horrour to climbe vp this one degree and step Let vs see therefore in what this Perfection doth consist which the man did want If thou wilt be perfect go and sel al. He therefore that selleth al that is he that forsaketh al and followeth the doctrine of Christ is in a perfect state he that hath not done this though he haue done al other things wanteth yet one thing Wherefore a Religious life is the highest Perfection by confession not only of learned and holie men but of our Sauiour himself and for as much as concerneth the perfection of our owne soules there is not a higher or more eminent State 11. If we consider the nature itself of Religion we shal discouer more plainly the same Prerogatiue For first Religion is ranked among the Euangelical Counsels and is one of the chief of them or rather the chiefest and greatest among them Which we may gather by
glorie of this action of which I haue discoursed in the precedent Chapter be so great that al Princelie power and glorie layd togeather is no wayâ—s to be compared with it yet the glorie which Religious people shal enioy in heauen iâ— farre aboue it For their Iudiciarie power is but temporal their glorie in heauen is eternal the first is but an honour done outwardly vnto them this second is inwardly fixed in their soule which we shal the better vnderstand if we consider that as Fayth doth teach vs though the blisse euerlasting of the Saints be one thing in al of them consisting in the clear sight of that Good in which al good is comprehended to wit the vnchangeable Essence of our GOD yet there be diuers very different degrees of seing it wherof S. Gregorie speaketh in these words Because in this life ther is difference in our works doubtles in the other ther wil be distinctioÌ„ of honours as one is aboue another in merit so one shal surpasse another in the reward Wherefore seing the inequalitie there proceedeth meerly out of the inequalitie heer of merit in this life if we shew that the course of a Religious life in this world doth furnish them with farre more commoditie and plentie of merit heer it wil be easily granted that their reward there must needs be farre more plentiful also in the world to come 2. First therefore this State doth afford farre more abundant occasion of exercising vertue then a Secular life and of vertues more singular and more heroical For in the world a bodie seldome hapneth vpon occasion of doing good vnlesse he be careful in seeking it Religious people haue daylie occasions at home for both their Institute and their Rules and their Suâ—eriours and their Companions al and euerie thing that is in house with them ministreth them occasions of vertuous actions and indeed thrusteth them vpon them and requireth them at their hands And as the work of a carpenter or a smith is wholy in wood or iron because his art is in handling those materials so the works of Religious people is Vertue and they are al day employed in the inward and outward exercises therof Wherin not only our owne desire and deuout endeauour doth help vs but a kind of necessitie of doing wel hauing tyed ourselues to certain Rules orders which compel vs in a manner sâ—metimes to pray sometimes to reade sometimes to employ ourselues in humble offices sometimes in charitable actions towards our neighbour so that though we would not we cannot but doe wel And euerie day and euerie hower being ful of these vertuous practises it is easie to see to what a summe the reckoning wil at last amount To which purpose it is recorded that Aegidâ—us S. Francis his Companion was wont to say If the riuer of Tyber should haue stood and the water been stopt which was wont to haue his course how would it haue been swollen by this time Not only so manie yeares as it hath already had his course but a few dayes would be enough to make it of a Riuer a great Sea The like we may say of Religious people continuing dayly and howerly in vertuous actions and day and night labouring to multiplie them what an â—ncrease of glorie heape of crownes must they needs gather togeather at last 3. Pouertie moreouer is of itself a liuing fountaine of merit by reason of the daylie troubles and incommodities which it bringeth the suffering wherof doth infinitly enrich a Soule And Obedience is no lesse the least and meanest kind of works being by meanes therof oftimes more pleasing to God then faire greater works vndertaken of our owne accord and fancie A Religious life therefore consisting wholy vpon Obedience and al kind of actions great little being ruled by it our verie diet and sleepe and recâ—â—ation and such like who wil be able to say to what an infinit treasure it wil come at length Palladius a Monk and Register of the actions of ancient Monks which himself had seen writeth of himself that being troubled in mind as thinking with himself that he lead but an idle and vnprofitable life in his chamber he went to that famous Macarius of Alexandria who as he was ful of the spirit of God vnderstanding his grief sayd vnto him Answer thy thoughts that for our Sauiour Christ thou keepest the foure walles of thy Cel giuing vs to vnderstaÌ„d how meritorious the works of a Religious man are when vacancie from al work for the loue of God and for the performance of his wil is not to be accounted idle or vnfruitful 4 What shal we say of the humilitie of a Religious course which doubtles is a great glorie vnto it For the saying and promise of our Sauiour must necessarily be fulfilled Euerie one that humbleth himself shal be exalted Which if it be to be vnderstood also of them that inwardly in their mind are humble and think meanly of themselues much more doth it agree to them that are not only humble in mind but haue chosen an humble manner of liuing farre from al pride and oftentation perseuering moreouer in perpetual pouertie which in mens opinon is the basest and most disdaigneful state of al. It is reason therefore they should be exalted in heauen seing they haue so much abased themselues heer on earth 5. Our Sauiour doth also put Religious people in good hope by this other saying He that ministreth to me let him follow me where I am there let him be that is my minister Now among the seruants of Christ there be manie differences For as Kings and Princes haue manie subiects and al of them owe some dutie to him but the name of the King's seruant doth properly follow them that liue in household with the King and are readie at a cal and at a beck and haue no other busines but the King 's So al Christians may be called and are the seruants of Christ but they that haue left their owne houses and possessions and betaken themselues into the house of God to attend wholy and only to his affaires may most truly and most properly challenge this Prerogatiue 6. Wherof Religious people reape another commoditie which I haue spoken of more at large before to wit that seing the busines which they handle is God's and not their owne by occasion of the state itself in which they are they may farre more easily and the more effectually direct al their actions to God and good ends in which the greatest part of our merit doth consist For vnlesse a man wil be wilfully euil and defraud his maister of his seruice as a naughtie seruant doth him of his money and employ it in other vses most of the works which a Religious man doth of themselues doe tend to God others may be easily guided to the same end with smal industrie and labour which works God accepteth
constantly with most feruour followed this course of life Palladius relateth of Apollo who was a famous man among the ancient Heremits that hauing fiue hundred disciples he was wont to bid them to be alwayes chearful and merrie And a man should not meete vpon earth such mirth and exultation as was continually among them For he sayd it was an vnseemlie thing for anie of them to be sad and heauie that had such assured hopes of eternal happines The Infidels and Iewes and wicked Christians might with reason be truly sorrowful but the seruants of God should alwayes reioyce For if people that traffick in earthlie things reioyce in them why should not Religious people that are in present possession of so manie good things and doe so certainly hope for the happines of the life to come be in perpetual gladnes This was the saying of that ancient Father and he sayd true 3. For first in this state people haue the comfort of a good Conscience which if things goe wel with vs doth much encrease our ioy if they happen crosse as sometimes perhaps they wil it is a great solace vnto vs and in fine giueth life to al the howres a Religious man doth liue For a good Conscience is as it were a Maister or Tutour that staÌ„deth at our elbow both in regard of the light belonging vnto it which without much adâ—e easily discerneth good from euil iust from that which is vniust and in regard of the propension which it giues to our wil to loue that which is good and to shunne that which appeares to be euil so that whosoeuer resisteth this light and this inclination or propension must needs be in continual torment and vexation whosoeuer goeth with it obeyeth it liues in ioy and comfort This we haue out of S. Iohn Chrysostom who speaketh thus Though there be some paynes to be taken in the practise of vertue yet it sils a man's conscience with a great deale of pleasure and brings so much inward delight with it that it cannot be expressed in words For what is delightful in things present a board wel furnished health of bodie riches But al the sweetnes that is in anie of these is bitter compared with that delight For nothing is more pleasant then a good Conscience and good hope 4. And this contentment of a good Conscience which according to S. Iohn Chrysostom is so ful of sweetnes is not alone in Religion but bringeth manie other pleasures with it which S. Macarius speaking of this verie abundance of spiritual comforts in one of his Homilies setteth forth in liuelie coulours and sayth thus It fareth with the seruants of God sometimes as with them that sit at a Prince's table royally set-forth with al kindes of choice meates and there they exult with a gladnes which no man can come neare to expresse in words and with admirable satietie and contentment Sometimes they are like a bride melting with vncoÌ„ceauable heauenlie delight in the armes of God their Spouse Sometimes they are like Angels that haue no bodies arriue to such a lightnes and freedome that the weight of their bodie troubleth them no more then if they had none at al. Sometimes they are so ful of pleasure as if they had drunk largely of the best wine that is and are euen drunk with a holie drunkennes of Diuine mysteries are not sensible of anie thing that passeth in this life Sometimes they are like mourners lamenting the miseries of mankind powring forth their prayers to God for the saluation therof readie to lay downe their owne life and soule at stake for the good of others Sometimes they do so burne with this spiritual loue of their Neighbour that if it were possible they would hide al men good and bad within their bowels Againe at other times they cast themselues so farre vnder al mens feet through humilitie of spirit that they make account they are the least and the lowest and the worst of al men in the world Contrariwise sometimes they resemble a stout warrier that gathering his weapons to him goeth of his owne accord into the field and valiantly encountreth his enemies Oftimes their soule reposeth in profound silence enioying most sweet and quiet peace and taking vnspeakable delight in it Finally oftimes their mind is so cleared by the guift of the Holie-Ghost which we cal Vnderstanding and Wisedome that in an instant it conceaueth things which no tongue can expresse Al this is out of S. Macarius 5. How rare and admirable therefore must that course of life needs be which swimmeth in al these delights and is serued with ioy after ioy and contentment after contentment as a sumptuous bancket with dish after dish Which the Prophet Dauid deseruedly admireth in these words How great is the multitude of thy sweetnes ô Lord which thou hast hidden for these that sent thee It is great but hidden and knowne to them only that truly feare God And they are in a great errour that think that they that vow themselues to God prouide wel for the good and safetie of their Soules but buy this safetie at a high rate of excessiue toyle For it is not so this spiritual iourney hath also pleasure with it and greater pleasure then flesh and bloud is capable of and conformably thervnto nothing is more often repeated in holie Writ or more seriously inculcated Light sayth Dauid arose to the lust and gladnes to the vpright of hart as who should say That is true gladnes which riseth of the light of our mind and the vprightnes of our hart And againe How sweet are thy speeches to my tawes aboue honie to my mouth And A 〈◊〉 of exultation and health in the tabernacles of the Iust. Let the iust make feasts and exult in the sight of God My soule that exult in our Lord and delight in the Sauiour therof al my bones shal say Lord who is like to thee But he comes most neare vnto vs and speaketh in a manner particularly to vs that dwel in the House of God when he sayth They shal be drunk of the plentie of thy House and thou wilt make them drink of the torrent of thy pleasure He calles it a Torrent in regard of the plentie and because the source of it is not in the earth but in heauen and raynes downe abundantly from about He likeneth it to drunkennes because they that are silled with these comforts like people that are drunk haue not only perfectly drowned and quenched their thirst but see not the things which are vpon earth or at leastwise take no heed to that which is before their eyes and inwardly burne with a spiritual fire and feruour putting them vpon manie actions which others perhaps may think foolish or impertinent The Prophet Esay speaketh to the same effect in diuers places and particularly when he sayth I wil put the desert therof as delight and the solitude as a
God himself we may truly ranke the ioy comfort which we finde in the loue and conuersation with out spiritual Brethren 9. The Saint-like familie of holie Iob was a liuelie resemblance of it For he had manie children and they liued al in such a league of perfect loue togeather that though euerie one of them kept a seueral house familie yet they were al of them as it were of one house-hold and al things were common among them they feaâ—â—ed one another as the holie Scripture relateth in their turnes and euerie one had his day So that they liued alwayes togeather in mirth iolitie continual banckets The sisters could not inuite their brethren but were euer inuited by them did eate drinke with them After this manner euerie Religious man is as it were continually making a spiritual bancket for the rest of his BrethreÌ„ with whome he liues the bancket is not set-forth with ordinarie dishes but with exquisite vertues choice actions speeches of deuotion they feast one another in their turnes because euerie one doth reciprocally serue one another in the â—â—ke kind The children of Iob could in one day meete but once at one of their brethren's table we feed at euerie one of our Brethren's table and al at once which is farre more And as there were sisters among them so if among Religious people there be anie that are inferiour and somewhat more imperfect in vertue and feruour as they were in sexe of which kind certainly there be few in comparison of the rest as among the children of Iob there were but three sisters for seauen brethren though they haue not so much prouision of vertue as to be able to feast others yet by reason of the brotherlie vnion which is among them they haue the happines to be feasted with the rest and enioy for the present the pleasure of the feast bettering themselues by litle and litle furnish themselues with plentie as I may say of fat marrow so that at last they also grow able sufficient to inuite others Of the pleasure which Religious men take in Learning CHAP. XI THE ground of the pleasures of which I haue hitherto spoken is supernatural it followeth that we speake of one that is natural to wit Learning varietie of al kind of knowledge which how delightful it is may he gathered by two things First if we consider the noblenes of knowledge as belonging to the noblest part of man being the fruit of the mind vnderstanding withal wonderfully enriching and embellishing it Secondly if we weigh how proper and how agreable it is to the nature of man to know vnderstand For as Aristotle sayth euerie man is naturally bent to desire knowledge he maketh an argument to proue it by the loue which we naturally haue to the particular senses which are most vseful to bring knowledge as to the sense of Seing and Hearing Now if a man be so naturally inclined to knowledge it must needs be a great pleasure to be learned For commonly euerie thing â—â—kes most contentment in that which is most agreable to nature as the chiefest pleasure which birds haue is to flye fiâ—hes to swimme and in our bodilie senses our eyes are most delighted with seing our tast with tasting our eares with Musical coÌ„cent Why therefore should not our wit and vnderstanding be farre more pleased with the search and knowledge of truth which is the proper food of it and the diet which it must naturally feed on 2. Insomuch that Aristotle did not stick to say that there was no other way to liue alwayes a contented life without sorrow but to betake oneself to the studie of Philosophie in regard of the abundance of pleasure which iâ— affords And no wonder if we consider the number the varietie the extent the rarenes of the things which Philosophie treateth of For Philosophie being nothing else but the search of Nature as Nature extends itself farre and neere is admirable to consider so vniuersal so admirable is the studie of Philosophie leauing nothing in Nature to the bottome wherof it doth not endeauour to diue First it considers the beginnings causes of euerie thing time motion place things obuious dayly in our eyes in our hands and yet withal so obscure intricate that nothing more It searcheth into the composition of man soule bodie al the properties faculties of either part It disputes of the earth of the ayte seueral affections therof as of the windes thunder lightning rayne the causes of them It beholdeth the heauens and whatsoeuer belongeth to the knowledge of them their greatnes their light and perspicuitie the number of the spheres the constancie of their motion their power and influence into these inferiour things for the continuance and preseruation of them Among so manie things therefore and infinit more which cannot be numbred but are exceedingly delightful can anie man make anie question but that a mind that is giuen to the contemplation of so manie so great so admirable things so farre aboue the capacitie of ordinarie people turning and tossing them vp and downe on euerie side can otherwise choose but liue in a perpetual paradise For can there be anie thing more absurd then to acknowledge as we must needs that our eares and our eyes take pleasure in their seueral obiects and to think that our mind by which our senses come to be capable of pleasure hath no pleasure proper vnto it For if it be delightful to behold a horse that is wel limmed or a tree that spreads itself abroad with faire and large branches why should it not be more delightful to contemplate the nature and essence of the horse or tree seing in this second contemplation that is inuolued which we see with our eyes and much more and more excellent considerations For as a picture that is wel drawne and liuely set-forth in coulours doth naturally delight euerie bodie that beholds it but much more a skilful paynter that besides the sight of the coulours and draughts of the pensil is able to iudge of the reasons of them and the nature of the shadowes and the conueniencie and proportion and connexion of euerie part of it So in al things of this world the vulgar sort beholds the outside of them and rests there they that are learned consider that which is more inward the nature the properties and seueral qualities and dispositions of euerie thing which as they are in themselues things farre more noble so also more delightful and indeed able sufficiently to entertayne anie man's thoughts and accordingly al ancient Philosophers were so taken with them that they thought no happines in the world comparable to this kind of studie But Religious people haue yet one thing more that giues the busines a sweeter relish which no Heathen could arriue vnto beholding al this world of things not so much
the life of the Soule eternal And what ioy think you should we conceaue of this euerlasting fruit seing we find a Heathen Philosopher reioycing at the temporal progresse of his Disciples and esteeming it a very iust and reasonable cause of ioy If a tree sayth he when it is come so farre as to bring forth fruit reioyceth the husbandman if a shepheard take pleasure to see the fruit of his flock if euerie man beholding the child which he nurseth delights in the growth of his child as in his owne how dost thou think it fares with them that haue nursed vp wits when knowing the tender beginnings of them they behold them suddenly flourish Thus spake this Heathen Philosopher of the brickle â—â—ort momentarie fruit which he could arriue to know The fruit of our labâ—â—â—s is spiritual immortal so that if as our Sauior testifyeth there be ioy in heauen vpon one sinner doing pennance is there not the like cause of reioycing on earth when we see a man either coÌ„uerted to do pennance for his sinnes or established in vertue and taking great strides to perfection Doubtlesse there is For certainly in this one we haue manie causes of ioy coÌ„fort the glorie of God the saluation of our neighbour whom we are coÌ„manded to loue as ourselues a ioyful most admirable representation of the Diuine goodnes clemeÌ„cie patieÌ„ce not only in bearing with the lost sheep but in bringing it againe to the fold vpon his shoulders of which goodnes and clemencie we are witnes and spectatours Finally it is no smal encrease of ioy that we find ourselues made partners in some measure in so great and so noble a work and able in a manner to glorie with S. Paul and say I planted For it is natural for euerie bodie to loue and take delight in that in which he hath taken some kind of paynes and the more excellent the work is the more pleasure he takes in it And what greater work can there be then to make men Saints a work not only proper to God alone but the greatest of al his works a work wherof S. Paul reioyced in the Philippians saying of them My ioy and my crowne and in the Corinthians stiling them his glorie in the day of our Lord and to the Thessalonians What is our hope and ioy or crowne of glorie Are not you before our Lord IESVS CHRIST in his coming For you are our glorie and ioy Wherefore seing Religious people labour so diligently in this haruest of Soules and haue so manie peculiar helps towards the reaping of the fruit of it as we haue shewed in the precedent Booke their ioy and comfort in it must also necessarily be both most assured and continual Of the Hundred-fold promised to Religious people CHAP. XIII THat which we haue hitherto sayd of the pleasantnes of a Religiouâ— course of life is very admirable Yet one thing remayneth behind more to be valued then al the rest as contayning indeed al other things and hauing it we may iustly make account we haue al. This is the large and ample and magnificent promise which Truth itself makes vs in these wordes Euerie one that shal leaue father or mother or brethren or sisters or house or lands shal receaue a hundred-fold in this life Of which promise S. Bernard discoursing sayth and very truly These are the words which haue perswaded men through the whole world to contemne the world and embrace voluntarie Pouertie words that fil Cloysters with Monks Deserts with Anchorets These I say are the words which put Aegypt to pillage robbe it of the best vessel it hath This is that liuelie and efficacious word conuerting soules by a happie ambition of sanctitie and faithful promise of truth Finding therefore so great a promise vpon record and knowing withal that he that makes vs this promise cannot fayle of his word nor forget how faâ—re he hath engaged himself it concernes vs diligently to search into the riches of it and acquaint ourselues throughly with the treasure which it containeth 2. Cassian in his last Collation relating a discourse of Abbot Abraham sayth that the words of this promise are to be vnderstood plainely as they sound to wit that we shal receaue the verie things which we leaue in quantitie multiplied For saâ—thlâ— whosoeuer contemning the loue of one father or mother or child for Christ's sake doth passe into the most sincere loue of al those that serue Christ shal receaue a hundred-fold in quantitie of brethren and parents that is to say for â—ne he shal find so manie fathers and brethren that wil loue him with a more ardent and more eleuated kind of loue and shal be also enriched with possessions and lands in like manner multiplied that is whosoeuer abandoneth one house for the loue of Christ shal possesse innumerable Monasteries as his owne in al parts of the world and enter vpon them as vpon his owne land of inheritance For how doth not he receaue a hundred-fold and if we may be so bold as to adde anie thing to the words of our Sauiour more then a hundred-fold that forsaking ten or twentie seruants that wayte vpon him by force and are scarce to be trusted is attented euer after with the voluntarie seruice of so manie men wel borne and of honourable descent A notable saying comprehending not only Religious people that haue reuennues in common but al in general euen those that professe the strictest Euangelical Pouertie that can be and haue nothing either in priuate or in common for these also haue their hundred-fold of almes which the faithful bring-in vnto them abundantly of deuotion Let vs giue care sayth S. Bede discoursing of this kind of Pouertie to the ioyful promises of our Lord and Sauiour let vs see how out of the special fauour of his goodnes he promiseth them that follow him not only the rewards of eternal life but excellent guifts also in this present life Euerie one that shal leaue house or brethren or land for my sake shal receaue a hundred-fold For he that renounceth earthlie loue and possessions to follow Christ the more he profiteth in his loue the more he shal find that wil be glad to embrace him with inward affection and maintayne him with their outward substance The first degree therefore of this hundred-fold in this world is to receaue it euen in these outward things 3. But the inward treasures which God bestoweth vpon vs are farre greater and more to be esteemed to wit a sweetnes and satietie in our soules incomparably better then al earthlie pleasure S. Hierome conceaued right of it and sayth that the promise of our Sauiour is to be vnderstood in this sense that he that forsaketh caâ—nal things for our Sauiour shal receaue spiritual which for the worth of them are in comparison of earthlie things as a hundred for one And what shal we
Eternal Word of God and Image of his Father is properly ours giuen granted and deliuered to al men in general and seuerally to â—uery one At which Esay the Prophet reioycing in spirit sayth A little one is borne vnto vs and S. Paul He spared not his owne Sonne but deliured him vp for vs al and in an other place who gaue himself for vs. And our Lord and Sauiour sayth of himself God hath so loued the world that he gaue his only begotten Sonne Wherfore if God may iustly challenge vs al wholy for his owne in regard he hath created vs because he doth but demand that soule and that body of vs which he bestowed on vs. Certainly with much greater reason he may now challenge vs by title of purchase since Christ himself hath payed downe for vs no lesse price then his own life and soule so incomparabily worthy and pretious and withal his body and his diuine person Worthyly therfore doth S. Chryâ—ostâ—me say in one of his homilies seeing we liue by the death of Christ we must certaynly liue to him by whom we liue Where we may thinke that this holy man repeateth twice one and the self same thing in diuers words but if we weigh them well we shal find that he means two seueral things first that we liue by Christ. Secondly that he died for our sakes either of them seuerally considered is sufficient to obligevs wholy vnto him But put them both togeather and euery one may â—asyly se how the reckoning is inflamed S. Bernard in his sermon of the fouâ—efold debt teckoneth this obligation to be the first First thou arâ— debâ—our to God of thy whole life because he hath giuen his life for thyne and indured most bitter torments that thou mighâ—st not indure the eternall And â—â—uing spoken many things to the same effect he concludeth thus when therfore I shal haue giuen him al that I am and al that I can do is not al this like a little sâ—arre in comparison of the Sun like a droppe of water in comparison of a mayne riuer as a pibble stone to a huge montaine as one grayne to a heape of corne And in an other place speaking of the same thing he sayth To omit al other things for this reason alone he may iustly lay clayme to our life because he gaue his owne life for it let not man therfore liue to himself but to him who died for him for to whose vse should I with greater reason liue then to his without whose death I had not liued And for whom can I liue with greater commoditie to my self then for him who hath promised euerlasting life For whom had I more need to liue then for him that threatneth eternal fire Finally we may easily discouer how fully this Saint was perswaded of this truth how deeply he had it printed in him by an other discourse of his more large to the same effect where he sayth most excellently If I be debtour of my self wholy in regard he hath made me what shal I giue him for repayring me and repayring me after so strange a manner For I was not so easily mended as I was easily made For he that made me with one only word once spoken in repayring me againe spake many things and wrought wonderous things and indured most paynful things and not only painfull things but things most vnworthy By his first work he gaue me my self In his second worke he bestowed himself vpon me and bestowing himself he restored me to my self Being giuen therefore and restored I ow my self for myself and am twice debtour of my self What shal I render vnto God now for himself For though I could a thousand times lay downe my self what am I to God 8. The sixt Cause and none of the least is the infinit reward which is prepared for vs to wit the eternall and immortall glory of Heauen In which as S. Augustin speaketh God will possesse vs and be possessed by vs and all for vs. Seing therefore he is there to possesse vs and this is one part of our eternal happines let vs now begin to inioy this happines and suffer our selues to be possessed by him yea seeing we are there to possesse him let it not seeme heauy vnto vs to purchase the possession of so great a good and so inestimable at so smale and so easy a rate as is the guift of our selues for this in effect is the price which God hath sot vpon that glory and felicitie and vpon those eternal ioyes that we giue our selues in purchase of them Which argument is expresly handled by S. Augustine in these words How much doth a man striue when death aproacheth flying hiding himself giuing al that he hath to redeeme himself taking thought enduring torment and trouble puting himself vnder the hands of physitians and doing al that is in the power of man to do If therfore we indeauour with so great paynes so great labour cost diligence watchfulnes and care that we may liue but a litle longer how great should our endeauours be that we may liue eternally And if we esteeme them wise who labour by al possible meanes to differre their death to liue a few dayes that they may not loose a few dayes what fooles are they that liue so that they loose the euerlasting day giue me therfore a man that liues in perfect health and hath nothing to suffer if any body should assure him that he might be alwayes so and that this happy state might neuer decay how would he reioyce and brissle vp himself and be as it were out of himself for ioy to be without payne without griefe without end of liuing And if God should promise vs this only which I haue now sayd and which I haue expressed in such words as I am able what would we not giue for it if it were to be sold What would we not giue that it were to be bought Would it be enough to giue all that thou hast if thou hadst the world in possession Yet it is put to sale buy it if thou wilt trouble not thy self ouer much to find some greate matter to giue for it in regard of that at which it is valued it is valued at what thou hast be not sollicitous what thou hast but what thou arte The thing is worth as much as thou art giue thy self and thou shalt haue it But thou wilt say I am naught he will not take me By giuing thy self to him thou becomest good This is to be good to put thy self vpon his assurance and promise Thus farre S. Augustine And by it we may conclude that the heauenly kingdome is not to be purchased but by giuing our selues wholy sincerly to our Lord God and what soeuer we are or can do And it stands with great reason because infinite reward deserueth infinite labour and paynes which is not in our powre
is euil The third and fourth are Infirmitie and Concupiscence which with ioynt forces setting vpon al the inclinations of our mind do on the one side disarme it of Fortitude and make vs shrink away from euery thing that is hard and strippe vs on the other syde of the vertue of Temperance leading vs as beasts into al kind of sensual pleasures without shame or moderation Therfore S. Augustin sayth wel that the state of our soules euen after they haue been washed by baptisme is fitly expressed in the parable of him that falling into the hands of theeues was wounded with many wounds and left half dead For though he were caried into the Stable or Inne by which he sayth is meant the Church though wine and oyle as present and powerful remedies were powred into his wounds yet stil he is faint and feeble and wil allwayes be soe til as S. Paul desired he be deliuered from this body of death What therfore wil become of this man that is so weake and but half aliue if in a place so disaduantagious he be set vpon by his enemie and an enemie so strong that no power on earth can be compared with him an enemie that ranget lâ—ke a roaring Lion and is so not only in fiercenes and crueltie but in strength and abilitie Who can be able to withstand his shock and rage defend himself from his poysoned weapons Especially seeing as Cassian sayth it is not one enemie which we haue to do with but there be troopes without number armed against euery one of vs al of them mercylesse and sauage and thirsting nothing but our hart blood and ruine Besids that they are inuisible and cannot be discouered before hand or auoyded which make's the euent of this spiritual battaile the more disastrous to euery body the enemies charge being so hot and the incounter so secret besids that he is very expert in al kinds of stratagemes and sometimes as S. Bernard speaketh he setts vpon vs and pursue's vs with open warre and hotly sometimes with secret sallies and deceitfully but allwayes most maliciously and cruelly and who is able sayth he I do no say to ouercome but to withstand these things 5. Such is therfore the miserable state of this world which S. Iohn the Apostle expresseth in few words but diuinely saying The World is al glaced in Naughtines as if he had sayd it is so ful of vice and corruption so desperately naught and perished that it hath not one patch whole sound in it But now if we wil not only imagin what it is but see it with our very eyes and take a thorough view of it to the end we be not deceaued with the outward face it beareth we must mount vp into that high watch towre of which S. Cyprian maketh mention from thence behold it from end to end consider with attention the seueral imployments of men in this world their cares their thoughts their businesses their curiosities their labours their speeches their traffick and al their doings for thus cretainly we shal discouer so much vanitie in al their idle toyes so much filth in al their synne wickednes such villanie vncleannesse among them that the man must be a very stock and stone without sense or feeling that doth not tremble at it shal proue himself to haue very litle or no care at al of his owne saluation if presently he resolue not to withdraw himself out of so miserable and stinking and abominable receite of beasts Monsters into some place of more saftie quiet Which deluge of euills for so I may cal it couering the face of the whole earth though it be elegantly and copiously described by S. Cyprian yet I wil rather take the description therof out of holy scripture the auctoritie of it being of farre greater weight This is therfore the thing which the Prophet Dauid in the psalmes doth set forth with great Maiestie of words saying Our lord hath looked downe froÌ„ heauen to see if there be any that vnderstand and seeke after God And addeth what that diuine eye beheld among men They haue al declined they are alltogeather made vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not so much as one Who would beleeue it that in so great a number in a world so packt togeather with men there should not one be found that did wel but that God himself by the mouth of the Prophet hath deliuered it But his meaning is that though there be some good among many euil they are so few that he chose to say there was not so much as one Then he rehearseth and detesteth their wickednes Their throate is an open sepulcher they haue dealt deceitfully with their tongues The venome of the Aspis is vnder their lipps their mouths are ful of cursing and bitternes And thus they offend with their tongue What are their works Their feete are swift to shee l blood contrition and infelicitie in their wayes and they haue not knowne the wayes of peace Finally he concludeth with that which is as it were the Total of al euills The feare of God is not before their eyes The Prophet Osee speaketh also to the same effect There is no truth there is no mercy There is not the knowledge of God on earth Cursing and lying theft and adulterie haue ouerflowâ—e and blood hath touched blood The like hath Hieremit the Prophet who bringeth God speaking in this manner Goe round the wayes of Hierusalem locke and consider and seeke in the streets therof whether you can finde a man doing Iustice and seeking after sidelitie and I wil be merciful vnto him And least a man might think that one only kind or race of men stood thus guiltie of al wickednes he passeth further But I sayd perhaps the poore are fooles and know not the way of out Lord the iudgment of their God I wil goe therfore to the better sorte and speake to them For they haue knowne the way of our Lord and behold these haue more broken of the yâ—ake they haue burst the bonds in sunder I haue filled them and they haue committed adulterie they are made like horses that looke after the mare and stalions they haue neyghed euerie one after the wife of his neighbour Thus spake the holy Prophets or rather God by their mouth Wherby we may moreouer vnderstand how ancient this disease of the world is and how farre it must needs haue spread and rooted it self in the extent of so many yeares and we may wel think that as it hapneth in the bodies of euery liuing thing so the world growing old and decrepit in this last howre therof as we may say al the iuyce of pietie and deuotion being dried vp and the vital vigour of diuine loue eaten away and extinguished it hath no more strength and force in a manner left but dayly decaye's and growe's worse and worse
For that which truth it self hath foretold must needs come to passe The Charitie of many wil waxe cold and iniquitie wil abound in an other place when the Sonne of man shal come dost thou think he shal find faith on earth Which being so what must necessarily follow therof but which is to be bewayled with a whole world of teares that an infinite multitude of men created al for eternal blisse the ioyes of heauen carelesse of this hope carelesse of the diuine promisses blinded with the fayre outside of these temporal things leading their dayes in good things and al kind of pleasure as holy Iob speaketh shal in a point of time in a moment descend into Hel fire Which the Prophet Esaye doth also most seuerely denounce Therfore hath Hel dilated his soule opened his mouth without any bound his stronge ones shal desced vnto him his high ones those that are glorious And this hath not only been foretold vs by the holy Prophets but God hath shewed it in diuers visions at seueral times in particular in that which we read in the Historie of S. Francis his order not long after the beginning of the same order For when Bertholdus a famous man of that holy Religion was one day preaching in Germanie and had earnestly inueighed against a certayne vice a woman there present guiltie of that synne fel instantly dead in the midst of the people by force of her sorrow contrition while euery bodie betooke himself to prayer she came to life againe related the cause of her suddayne death how she was commanded to returne to her body that shee might confesse her synne and be absolued Then shee spake of many things which she had seen but one thing cheefly which is most feareful wonderous That when she stood before the iudgment seate of God there were at that instant brought thither threescore thousand soules which by sundry chances in seueral quarters of the world among Christians Infidels had theÌ„ newly departed this life of al this huge number three only were sent to Purgatorie al the rest were condemned to hel fire one only man of S. Francis his order dying also at that very time passed through Purgatorie but stayed not long there tooke with him to heauen the soules of two that had been his intire friends in this world Many other such kind of visions ReuelatioÌ„s we may read but I wil content my self with this one it hauing so many witnesses vnto it as there were people at the sermon and expressing both the things which heere we treat of to wit the dangers of this world out of which so few do escape with safetie the securitie of a Religious estate which relieueth others also Three euills of this world of which S. Iohn doth aduertise vs. CHAP. VI. HItherto we haue spoken of the miseries dangers of the world in general though too compendiouslly in regard of the number greatnes of them for to expresse them as they deserue we had need of a volume as big as the world it self which is so ful of miserie wherfore since it is fitting we should yet speake something more amply and more particularly of them what can we say that can be better spoken or be of greater weight and moment then that which we find in S. Iohn the Apostle who giue 's vs this aduise Loue not the world neither the things which are in the world of any loue the world the charitie of the father is not in him because al that is in the world is concupiscence of the flesh and concupiscence of the eyes and pride of life How foule and abominable a body is it which is composed of three so foule and so abominable members And that the whole kingdome of this world is fitly diuided into these three parts and as it were prouinces and countryes is a thing which may be easyly vnderstood because whensoeuer a man begin's to cast aside the thought of Heauenly things and to bestow himself wholy vpon things present temporal Three things offer themselues vnto him vpon which he may set his affection First al external things and to these doth belong the Concupiscence of the eyes that is the vnquenchable thirst of Auarice Secondly his own body inuiting him to pamper and feed it with euery thing that is delightful pleasing which is concupiscence of the flesh Thirdly he meets with other men ouer whom to haue command or at least to be renowned praysed among them or to ouer-top them in any kind is held to be a great thing and is that which the Apostle dâ—th cal Pride of life Wherfore al those that serue this world subiect themselues to temperal things are slaues to one or more of these three And these are as it were three nets which the craftie poacher of mens soules doth lay so thick that whosoeuer escapes one is catched in an other These are three kinds of darts which the enemie of mankind doth incessantly brandish against vs or rather three warlike engines wherby he doth continually labour to shake weaken beate downe the very foundation of a Christian life Therfore let vs consider with attention in what manner euerie one of these do hinder and stop our passage to heauen 2. And concerning the Concupiscence of the Eyes we read that Oracle of our Sauiour Woe be to you that be rich In which one syllable wâ—e he comprehendeth al euills calamities miseries And in an other place more playnly more significantly he sayth Amen I say vnto you that a rich in a shal hardly enter into the kingdome of heauen and againe I say vnto you it is easyer ser a Camel to passe through a needles eye then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen what can we desire more Is it not proofe enough to euery Christian man that our Lord Sauiour Truth it self hath sayd it sayd it so playnly and so expresly as we see For if we beleeue al other Mysteries of our faith as the Misterie of the Blessed Trinitie of the Real Presence and such like for this reason only because our Sauiour who cannot ly hath taught them and notwithstanding natural reason falls short of them and humane capacitie cannot diue so farre as to conceaue the depth of them yet we beleeue them strongly and with that assurednes that we are ready to lay downe our liues rather then to forgo them why should not the same Auctoritie sway vs also in this point concerning riches though the case stood so that it were not possible for vs to behold with our eyes the harme that is in them But it is not a thing so hard to conceaue nor so hidden or remoued from our sense and vnderstanding as be those other Misteries For if we wil diue into the causes and reasons why Riches are so dangerous
to come 6. The fift vtilitie which Pouertie doth bring vnto vs is that as itself is greatly in the loue and fauour of God so it causeth al those that espouse themselues vnto it to be highly loued and fauoured by him by reason wherof he bestoweth vpon them daily great benefits and spiritual graces We need no other testimonie that God doth loue Pouertie then to see that his Infinit Maiestie comin downe from heauen was pleased to associate himself so neare vnto it takin flesh of parents that were poore though of a Royal stock and making choice of the poorest place on earth for his birth not so much as a litle house or cottage or shepheard 's cabin but a stable of beasts belonging to others in the cold of winter and the night-season what should we stand to speake of the rest of his life seing he had no place where to put his head and waâ— relieued by the almes of other folke That Eternal Word I say was relieued in whom are al treasures and by whom al things are made And can anie man dâ—ubt but that he wil loue in others that which he loued in himself made choice of and powre-out abundaÌ„ce of very special blessings vpon those in whom he shal find it We shal not need to stand coniecturing about the matâ—er for we see what he at done already so long as he liued and coÌ„uersed on earth those with whom he liued most and were his most familiar acquaintaÌ„ce were not rich wealthie people but the poorer vulgar sort for foure of them were fisher men one was a gatherer of Toule Custome and the rest were much of the like stamp No man can bei noraÌ„t how at the self-same instant when he was borne he made himself presently knowne to poore people with great demonstration of loue and honour towards them sending from heauen a companie of blessed Angels to tel them that he was come into the world inuiting them to himself by word by an extraordinarie light and a most sweet consort of musick as if he had loÌ„ged for their presence acquaintance How manie noble persons according to the flesh sayth S. Bernard how manie great men how manie wise men of this world were taking their rest at that houre in their soft beds none of them was esteemed worthie to behold that light to taste of that great ioy to heare the Angels singing From whence the Saint draweth this argument If our Lord and Sauiour did beare so great loue to those poore people that were poore by necessitie certainly he wil beare farre greater loue to those that are voluntarily poore and haue forsaken al that they had meerly for his loue This is a benefit of al benefits because they whoÌ„ God doth loue can want no kind of thing that is good no grace no light no benefit nothing at al can be desired by man which he wil not most liberally bestow vpon them 7. The sixth commoditie of Religious Pouertie is very great and worthie to be considered For as among the euils which are bred by riches we declared before that the excesse of delight and pleasure arising of them is very poyson and death to our soules so contrariwise in pouertie the spare diet and meane fashion of liuing is very profitable for saluation For as we season dead flesh with salt to dry-vp the abundance of moysture and preserue it from corruption so our liuing flesh vnlesse it be dryed and preserued by abstinence and austeritie wil certainly perish with delicacie and wanton lust and no wonder because the affinitie and nearnes of our soule and bodie is so great that they must needs infect one an other with their vicious inclinations and as S. Basil speaketh while our flesh is lustie and fresh our spirit becomes dul and carnal And S. Iohn Chrysostome sayth that sobrietie is as it were the wings of our soule wherewith it beareth itself aboue the earth and is enabled to soare on-high by Contemplation 8. Finally to comprehend in one word al the commodities of Religious Pouertie what can be spoken more ful and effectual then that which our Sauiour sayth of it Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of heauen in few words expressing the present and future happines of it And it is not without special cause that for the most part he promiseth a reward for other vertues after this life but for Pouertie he appointeth presently the Kingdome of heauen either because the hope therof is so assured and so free from hazard as if it were in our owne present power and command or because it is so free from al worldlie care that in this verie life it giueth a taste and earnest of the felicitie which we shal heerafter enioy Wherefore Religious people may worthily make account that in this one vertue of Pouertie they haue a very great and rich treasure to which the infinit reward of that Infinit Good is due which neither eye hath seen nor eare hath heard neither hath it ascended into the hart of man And euerie one may esteeme it as a thing proper to himself which S. Augustin sayth of al that the happines of Christians is exceeding great in regard they may make Pouertie the price of the kingdome of heauen let not thy Pouertie be distastful to thee there can be nothing found more rich wilt thou know how rich it is it buyeth Heauen What masse of treasure can be compared with the worth which we see granted to Pouertie A rich man cannot finde meanes to come to heauen by enioying lands and possessions but by contemning them he finds meanes to compasse it And much more he speaketh in commendation of Pouertie but that is remarkable that he sayth that God did vs a very great good turn when he comprized the summe and total of al felicitie in Hauing nothing For if he had placed it in riches few men could haue had the meanes and abilitie to attayne vnto it and not without great labour and trauail but hauing placed it in the contempt of riches euerie man that wil hath power and meanes to get it 8. For these and the like reasons the Saints of God ful of heauenlie light haue been as affectionately addicted to Pouertie as anie worldlie man can be to riches and laboured as hotly to preserue themselues in poore estate as others to encrease their wealth Among whome S. Francis is most eminent of whom S. Bonauenture an Authour renowned for sanctitie and learning doth write that he was so deare a friend of Pouertie loued it so intirely that a man would think he searched al the corners of the world for it to espouse it to himself with perpetual loue and for the loue of it he forsook father and mother and al things which he might haue enioyed And 〈◊〉 brethren often asking him what vertue makes a man most acceptable to
to our kindred is so forcible it must needs follow that our loue wil be so diuided and distracted among them that none of it can come to God or if he also haue part of it it wil be so litle and so cold that it cannot but be a great wrong to that Infinit Goodnes whose wil is and certainly he doth deserue it that we loue him with our whole hart our whole soule our whole strength 8 These euils are auoyded by Chastitie and they that embrace it haue none of these hindrances but may powre-out their whole loue vpon God To which purpose S. Augustin sayth that by Continencie we are gathered in and brought home againe to that One from which we were distracted and fallen-of inâ—o manie things which One thing is God the onlie Soueraigne Good by whose loue we are good and by enioying him eternally blessed And S. Gâ—egorie Naâ—â—anzen in commendation of Chastitie sayth that as the water which is conueyed close in conduits of lead spouteth higher then the weight therof doth naturally allow because it is much prest and driuen thick togeather so if as â—uled â— gather al her loue togeather and do not suffer it to runne out vpon creatures but powre it forth vpon God it wil stil â—ise vp-wards and neuer fal downe vpon earth Wherefore S. Basil was not much awry when hauing reckned-vp the incommodities and infinit cares for so he speaketh of a coniugal life at last he addeth concerning the happines of Religious people to whom he wrote that whosoeuer desiâ—eth to be freed from the bonds of this world must auoide wedlock as playne fetters and consecrate his life to God professing Chastitie For he that so doth hauing resolued with himelf to loue God alone and longing to taste of that puritie and traÌ„quillitie of his which is voyd of al trouble and of the ioy and gladnes which riseth therof seeketh nothing but how he may perfectly withdraw his mind from al affinitie with anie material thing and from al alteration rising from the bodie and contemplate things Diuine with a clear eye free from obscuritie receauing light from heauen vnfatiably 9. But there is yet an other thing in this busines wel to be considered For of al Christian vertues which our Lord and Sauiour hath specially commended vnto vs two are of greatest note to wit Euangelical Pouertie of the commodities wherof I haue already spoken and Fraternal Charitie of which I shal speake heerafter at large These two as great and as beneficial as they are are not to be found in a Coniugal state but in a Religious state they are in-bred and essential For how can Pouertie be where wife and children and familie and al things els do put vs vpon a necessitie of hoarding to vse the word of S. Paul And I find that S. Iohn Chrysostom doth reckon Pouertie for a special coÌ„moditie of a single life For in the Booke which hâ— wrote of Virginitie hauing brought the exaÌ„ples of Helias Helizaeus S. Iohn Baptist he sayth If these men had had wife children they could not haue endured to liue in the desert forsaken their families not prouided things necessarie for 〈◊〉 sustenaÌ„ce but now free froÌ„ al these tyes dwelling on earth as if they had been in heauen they wanted neither house noâ— bed nor shed nor table nor anie such kind of things but heauen was their couering the earth was their couch the wide wildernes was their board and the verie barrennes of the desert which famisheth other solk did furnish those holie men with plentie of al kind of things they stood not in need of vineâ— or wine-presses or corne or haruest but the fountaines and riuers yealded them abundance of sweet drink and for one of them and Angel furnished a table with wonderful prouition farre beyond that which men do vse Thus sayth S. Iohn Chrysostom concluding that Pouertie is very easie when we are not bound to wayte vpon a wife and haue no charge of children 10. The like we may say of Fraternal Charitie and mutual conuersation for where women are there is no liuing To which purpose S. Augustin relateth of himself a thing worthie obseruation that when he was yet a Manichee he and diuers other friends of his being wearie of the turmoils of this world plotted togeather a kind of life resembling somewhat a Religious course for they resolued to withdraw themselues from companie and to meddle with nothing and whatsoeuer anie of them had they should bring it forth and put it in common that no bodie might say this was his or the other an other 's but that which came from al should belong wholy to euerie one of them and al of it to euerie bodie Now when this proiect was very much applauded by euerie one and al of them did think themselues happie in such a kind of life the busines was instantly dashed by occasion of the women which some of tâ—em had already and some of them were desirous to haue and so breaking-of they turned themselues as S. Augustin speaketh to groanes and sighs and bent their course to the bread and troden paths of the world Therefore they that enter vpon marriage depriue themselues of this and much more wheras in Religion nothing is more in force or more common 11. But Chastitie hath yet an other commoditie which may be worthily esteemed one of the greatest For there is no questioÌ„ but al pleasure belonging to the bodie and most of al that which is ordayned for generation doth much abaâ—e the edge of the mind and pul it downe from the constant vpright manlie state which doth become it and the reason is because for as much as concerneth the bodie and specially that action of the bodie we do not greatly differ from beasts so that whensoeuer the mind doth stoope to that action it becometh in a manner flesh and of so base and brutish a disposition as the action itself is vile abiect and earâ—hlie and by often vse it groweth so dul and lumpish that it cannot think of anie higher matter or rayse itself to things more generous and Diuine because it hath abased itself to a thing so abiect and contemptible which dulnes and obscuritie groweth vpon the mind not only by vse of vnlawful pleasure but also by that which is lawful and in this kind they are alike hurtful Whervpon S. Augustin sayth I do not find anie thing that doth so much pul downe the courage of man from the top of Vertue as the dallying with women and that nearnes of bodies without which a wife cannot be had so that nothing can be more to the commendation of Chastitie or more glorious then that as the functions of Matrimonie do prostrate the mind and abase it so Continencie and puritie doth rayse and perfect it and the lesse communication it hath with flesh the more liuelie it is the spirit of man remayning fully
life it would go directly to heauen Which certainly is a very great benefit greatly to be esteemed for if we were to redeeme but one sinne by our owne labour and endeauour how manie teares how manie fastings how manie disciplines what peÌ„nance would it cost vs What then wil be necessarie for such a masse of imperfectioÌ„s as an idle carelesse life is woÌ„t to gather 3. It is very true that there be diuers other meanes to get remission of punishment due to sinne and chiefly by Indulgences granted by His Holines to whome God hath giuen power to that effect but there is a great deale of difference betwixt these two wayes For though the power which the Pope hath in this kind be great yet it is limited For first there must be some iust cause to â—â—ant an Indulgence and a cause which may carrie some proportion to the Indulgence which is granted Secondly there must be some work performed whereby to satisfye for our sinnes in some measure also proportionable to the sinnes which are remitted If either of these be wanting the Indulgence is not auavlable or at leastwise it reacheth no further then the weight of the cause or of the work wil carrie it and the valuaâ—ion of these things depending of the iudgement of men and the matter being obscure and hard to iudge of the Indulgence may quickly come to litle or nothing specially seing manie faults may be also committed in performing negligently the works which are enioyned It is not so in the pardon which a Religious life doth bring vs for it doth not depend of anie grant of man but proceedeth from the nature of the fact itself so that there can be no doubt but that it is alwayes auaylable to al after one and the self-same manner and that God as the Prophet Micheas speaketh hath mercie vpon vs and putteth away al our iniquities and casteth al our sinnes into the deapth of the sea Wherefore al Diuines who are wont to examin these things very narrowly with common consent do number this among the greatest priuiledges of Religion And among them S. Antonine a man renâ—wned for learning and sanctitie proueth it very solidly and bringeth also Paludanus for his opinion And manie others haue deliuered the same and chiefly S. Thomas giuing this reason For if Almes-giuing do redeeme sinnes as we find deliuered by the Prophet Daniel how much more shal the Entrance into Religion worke the same effect which kind of voluntarie pennance is not only of equal force with almes-giuing but doth saâ—e excel it And there is good reason to think so because he that giues an almeâ— to a poore bodie giues his external substaâ—â—â— and part only of that wherof he hath plentie but a Religious man giueth al and himself withal so that no almes or guilt can be equal with it Of wâ—ich also S. Thomas in an other place giueth this reason Because when we enâ—er into Religion our sinnes are forgiuen vs but yet so as we on our part lay downe a real and very great satisfaction for them For when we deliuer-vp our wil whâ—ly to God bequeath ourselues to his seruice we giue him that which is more deare vnto 〈…〉 al things else in the world and consequenâ—ly do fully satiâ—fye for al our sinnes past because we giue him the greatest guift that man can â—iue Thus sayth S. Tâ—â—mas Waldâ—â—â—â— a learned Authour is of the same opiniâ—n and confirmeth iâ— by the testimonie of a holie man who in a Vision saw the like Grace descend vpon a Monk when he tooke the habit of Religion which he had seen â—iuen in Baptisme And S. Anselme in the latter end of his Booke of Similitudes sheweth it by example of one Oâ—borâ—â— a Monk who not lonâ— after he was deceased appeared in the night to S. Anselme himselfâ— told him that he haâ— beâ—n â—hree times most cruelly assaulted by the Diuel in his last agonie defended by one that stood by him and pleaded hard for him For first the Diuel 〈…〉 vnto him the sinnes which he had committed before Baptisme for he was baptized when he was in yeares but when it was answered that al those sinnes had been washed away by Baptisme the Diuel was mute A none 〈…〉 the sinnes which the man had committed in the world before he entred into Religion to which answer was made that these also were forgiuen by the profession of a Religious life Finally he layd against him al his faults and negligences committed duâ—ing the time he liued in Religion but when it was replyed that he had satisfyed for them by often CoÌ„fession and other vertuous exercises the Diuel hauing no more to say went away vanquisht and confounded 4. S. Athanasias recounteth the like example of S. Antonie the Great tha◠〈…〉 Ninth Houre he was once in spirit carried vp towards heauen 〈…〉 and when the Diuels flocking about him laboured with al might to hinder him the Angels asked them what interest they had in him and they began to rip vp the sinnes of his youth but the blessed Angels presently stopped their mouths and told them that they were not to looke back vpon those things which he had coÌ„mitted in the world before he was a Monk but if from that time forward they had any thing they should lay it open but finding nothing to say they were fayne to yeald against their wils and leaue him free passage to Heauen 5. In the chronicle of S. Francis his Order we reade also that a certain Religious Priest of that Order Christopher by name was wonderfully troubled in mind about the sinnes which he had committed in the world and desired one of his Brethren that did often see and speake with his Good Angel that he would aske him concerning it The Good Angel made answer that forasmuch as concerned those sinnes he should not be dismayd nor take any thought but from thence forward labour diligently to perseuer to the end that he might be saued 6. And that which Leontius Bishop of Cyprus an ancient Authour doth relate in the Life of Simeon the Abbot is a pleasant narration and worthie to be recorded as suting to our present purpose This Simeon then a yong man and of noble extraction to eather with one Iohn of equal nobilitie and in the flower also of his youth coming to a Monasterie and being both of them to be cloathed the next day in their Monastical weed some of the Brethren of the house began to speake thus vntâ— them for I wil put downe the Authour 's owne words because they are plaine and ful of ancient simplicitie You are happie because to morrow you shal be regenerate and cleansed from al sinne as when you were first borne no otherwise then as if you were Baptized the same day Which when they heard they were both of theÌ„ astonished ranne to the godlie Abbot of the Monasterie called Nico
nature mistris is enabled the more nimbly and chearfully to runne the way of spirit and in a short time to aduance itself greatly in the perfection of Humilitie and Charitie and al other Vertues For our soule being a spiritual nature and substance darke without vertue as the ayre is without light but bright and ligthtsome when it is adorned with vertue certainly in al reason it must needs loue vertue more then anie earthlie thing in regard vertue is spiritual and consequently more like vnto it and more beautiful were not this desire and inclination hindred by the lumpishnes of the bodie which lumpishnes being greatly diminished for it cannot be altogeather shaken-of til we come to heauen and the burden of this bodie folded into a smal roome and easie to carrie our soule must needs be not only more light to runne but able to flye in pursuite of whatsoeuer is vertuous and prayse-worthie 4. To which purpose S. Leo sayth excellently wel that Abstinence breedeth chast thoughts reasonable desires holesome counsels and by voluntarie afflictions the flesh dyeth to inordinate lust and the spirit is renewed by vertue It is recorded that our Sauiour reuealed the like thing to S. Francis when he 〈◊〉 entred vpon a spiritual life saying to him Francis take to thyself hard things insteed of those that are pleasing and contemne and vilisie thyself as much as thou canst And we reade of S. Catharine of Siena that our Sauiour sayd the same to her almost in the same words to wit that she should seeke after bitter things as if they were sweet and refuse sweet things as if they were bitter Which Truth itself spake indeed to these two Saints but we may take it as spoken to euerie bodie 5. A third commoditie of Austeritie is that it is the best disposition a Soule can put itself into to gaine spiritual comfort and plentie of inward ioy Gâ—â—e sideâ— to those that sorrow and wine to those that haue a bitter hart sayth the Holie-Ghost in the Booke of Wisdome What is this sider or this wine but the sweet lickour of heauenlie comforts wherof the wine-celler is ful into which the Spouse in the Canticles reioyced to see herself admitted Those therefore only that be sad and sorrowful haue part of this wine because as holie Iob giueth vs to vnderstand it is not found in the land of those that liue at ease And our Sauiour confirmeth it when he sayth Blessed are they that mourne because they shal be comforted This is to be sad and to mourne to cut-of from ourselues whatsoeuer is pleasing to flesh and bloud and may giue contentment to our senses and on the other side to embrace that which is irksome to them and doth restrayne them of their desires and inclinations S. Bernard expounding those words of our Sauiour which are written in S. Iohn Vnlesse I go the Paraclet shal not come vnto you sayth very wel that the comfort which his disciples took in his corporal presence was a barre vnto them that they could not receaue the fulnes of spiritual graces Vpon which ground he discourseth thus very pertinently to our purpose The man that giues himself to worldlie pleasures and followes the allurements of the flesh of sinful flesh flesh borne and bred in sinne in which there is no good how dares he expect the Paraclet He I say who is alwayes nayled vnto this dunghil pampers his bodie soweth in flesh fauours nought else but flesh dares he notwithstanding hope for coÌ„fort of the heauenlie visitation that torrent of pleasures the grace of that vehemeÌ„t Spirit which as Truth itself doth witnes the Apostles could not receaue togeather with the flesh of the Word Incarnate No no he is farre wide whosoeuer thinks that such heauenlie sweetnes can dwel with this duâ—t and ashes or that Diuine Balsame be tempered with such wicked poyson or the grace of the Holie-Ghost with these flattering pleasures By which large testimonie of S. Bernard and manie others which might be brought to the same effect it is playne that carnal pleasure is a mayne impediment to al spiritual delights and contrariwise the strictnes of Religious Paâ—sâ—onie a great entrance thervnto 6. Lastly I may reckon among the commodities of an austere life that which is the chief and total of al other commodities to wit Eternal Life and blisse euerlasting There is no other way thervnto but the way of the Crosse. This way Christ himself our King his Apostles and disciples and al Saints haue walked in labour and patience and continual mortification of their bodies denying heer their owne soules that they might possesse them eternally That life and that glorie is the Euangelical pennie which is not giuen but to such as labour in the vineyard it is the Crowne which is not bestowed but vpon those that fight lawfully it is the Prize which those only gaine that doe runne we cannot raigne togeather with Christ and his Saints vnlesse we suffer with them we cannot â—eape but what we haue sowen Few words are abundantly sufficient to conclude this point Since it behoued Christ to suffer and so to enter into the glorie which was before-hand his owne by so manie titles how much more must we expect to suffer that we may enter into an other's glorie a glorie which by right we haue as often lost as we haue sinned But I know not what blindnes hath possessed mankind that as S. Bernard speaketh so few wil go after Christ and yet al would come vnto him they care not to seeke whom they desire to find they would fayne ouertake whom they wil not follow 7. Let vs rather harken to S. Hierome who hauing taken vpon him to perswade one Iulian a noble and wealthie man to forsake the world and embrace a Religious life insisteth chiefly vpon this argument It is hard yea it is impossible to enioy the goods that are present and also those that are to come heer to fil the bellie and there to fil the mind to passe from pleasure to pleasure to be first in this world and in the next to be in heauen and earth renowned 8. But why do we stand rehearsing the testimonies of men hauing the Oracle of our Sauiour directly for this purpose Woe be to you that laugâ— because you shal mourne and weep And againe Woe be vnto you that haue your comfort in this world And he explayneth his meaning by the example of the rich Glutton expressing no other cause obiected vnto him by Abraham but this Remember that thou receauedst good things in thy life-time and Lazarus in like manner euil but now he is comforted and thou tormented 9. The self-same he declared to S. Catherine of Siena in a Vision For he appeared vnto her holding in each hand a Crowne the one of thornes the other of gold and pretious stone and made offer of them both vnto her but vpon this condition that which
Religious people find great ease and performe it with little or no difficultie The reasons therof are manie and first because as we sayd elswhere speaking of it as of the source and head of manie other commodities Religion doth take away the matter almost of al sinnes and the matter being taken away the obseruance of the Commandments of itself is easie For our wil is as it were a kind of flame or fire the fuel of this fire is the presence of a pleasing obiect put this fuel to it and presently it wil flame vp take away the fuel and either it wil not kindle at al or much more slowly and remissely And this is that which Religion doth taking vs out of the world and the allurements therof And so S. Basil euen for this reason sayth that Religion is highly to be esteemed tearming it a quiet life voyd of multiplicitie of businesses and a help to the wel-obseruing of the doctrine of the Ghospel 3. A second cause why Religious people find so much case in keeping the Commandments is the strength and vigour which a soule gets by litle and litle by the practise of Religious discipline growing into great hatred of al vice and vncleannes and great loue of vertue and honestie abhorring nothing more then sinne not only because God is offended therewith but because it is in itself mâ—st vglie and deformed 4. A third reason iâ— because wheras al men must commonly are induced to sinne out of conâ—â—ouines or ambition or incontinencie either directly offending in these things or to compasse tâ—eir pretences in the 〈…〉 of these poysoned roots are found in Religion but the 〈…〉 arie vertues in lieu of the desire of temporal things profesting 〈…〉 mble Obedience in steed of ambition and desire of rule the flower of 〈◊〉 in steed of filthie lust 5. Besides Religious people are alwayes employed in things of a higher nature and therefore doe more easily performe those which are of lesser moment For as to a man that hath vsed himself euerie day to carrie a hundred weight it is nothing to carrie twentie so when a Religious man hath forsaken al his owne land and liuing what hard matter wil it be for him to withhold himself from taking-away or coueting that which is another's And being accustomed to carrie the yoake of Obedience how can it be hard to resist the temptation of ambition and desire of honour And the like may be sayd of al other things which are either commanded or forbidden by the Law of God 6. This is that which Eusebius a man of great sanctitie taught vs by his owne example as Theodoret writeth in his Historie For hauing on a time ouer-curiously beheld certain husbandmen that were ploughing for punishment of this smal fault he put an iron collar about his owne neck and fastned it with a chayne about his middle so that of force he must alwayes hold his head downewards and this pennance he endured fourtie yeares togeather neuer being able to reare himself and looke vp to heauen And being asked why he did so and what benefit he hoped thereby his answer was that he 〈◊〉 Satan from greater combats and from tempting him with pride or wantones to these smaller conflicts in which if he should be ouercome there were no great harme done if he did ouercome the greater shame was the Diuel's that could not be maister in such smal trifles A memorable saying and worthie of so spiritual and holie a man and by it we may vnderstand to our purpose that it is true that Religious men are the farther from transgressing the Commandments of God in regard they take so much care to performe manie smaller things pertayning to his seruice 6. A fourth reason of this facilitie in keeping the Precepts drawne from the nature of the state itself is that this course of life is aboue the Law and consequently doth lift a man aboue that which the Law requireth And as in a Schâ—ole where there be manie formes according to the seueral capacitie of the schollars and the progresse which they haue made in learning they that be in the higher forme doe the exercises with great ease which they of the lower forme can not at al or very hardly performe so they that walk this higher way of perfection doe not so much as feele the burden of the Precepts they are so light vnto them because as I sayd before their abilitie is greater the state itself doth enable them the more Wherefore if there were no other thing but this to be found in Religion that it enableth vs to keepe the Commandments of God constantly with great ease and pleasure and with very litle danger of euer sinning against them we should not need to seeke anie other benefit by it For the more it enableth vs in this kind the more certain and easie it doth make our passage to eternal glorie to which we must come by keeping the Commandments The eighth fruit of Religion proceeding from the humble lowlines of the State CHAP. XX. ANother great commoditie of Religion is that it is voyd of al worldlie pompe ostentation and 〈◊〉 and in outward shew low and humble that euerie Religious man may truly say with the Prophet Dauid I haue chosen to be an 〈◊〉 in the house of God rather then to dwel in the tabernacles of sinners For Religion as I haue shewed els-where is truly the hâ—use and household 〈◊〉 and the Religious certainly doe choose this abiection because neither mâ—annes of birth nor necessitie doth enforce it vpon them but tâ—ey vndertake iâ— voluntarily of their owne accord S. Bernard doth so highly esteeme this benefit that he thinks it is a direct signe of Predestination For in one of 〈◊〉 Sâ—rmâ—ns turning his speech to his Brethren thus he speaketh Who knoweth whether al your names who be heer present be written in Heauen and signed in the Booke of Predestination Me thinks I see in the conuersation of so great humilitie sâ—me â—iâ—nes of your Vocâ—â—ion and Iustification Wherefore dearly beloued perseuer in the course you have vndertaken that by humilitie you may ascend to 〈◊〉 This is the way and there is no other way but it he that goeth otherwise doth rather fal for Humilitie alone exalteth humilitie alone leades to life If therefore we be of S. Bernard's mind there is no cause why we should enuie Secular people their preferments or purple robes or external pompe rather we ought to esteeme it very beneficial and highly glorious that we liue without glorie because this Humilitie is not only an assured way but as he sayth the onlie way to eternal Saluation and is particularly rich in three commodities or as I may cal them priuiledges which heer I shal set downe 2. First God doth particularly affect this kind of humble state and communicate himself and his heauenlie treasures with it more plentifully more familiarly and with greater sweetnes A strange thing yet
purchased with his owne most pretious bloud are in a manner fallen within compasse of the walles of Religion vpon Religious people alone For though they be giuen for al Christians manie scarce make vse of them manie not at al howsoeuer Religious people certainly may best enioy them and with greatest ease Among these guifts we reckon the Sacraments of the Church and chiefly those two which are so ful of grace and so much the more beneficial because they alone amoÌ„g the rest may be dayly vsed to wit the Sacrament of Confession and of the holie Eucharist wherin after CoÌ„fession we feed vpon the verie Bodie Bloud of our Sauiour from whence vnspeakable ioy happines is deriued to our sâ—ules Now therefore though this infinit treasure be layd open for al the Faithful to partake of it yet who seeth not that Religiouâ— people doe make faire better vse of it haue greater commodiâ—ie for it Secular people most commonly are hindred either wholy from receauing these Sacraments or from receauing them so worthily as the maiedie of them doth require by the daylie cares and troubles passions and affâ—ctâ—ons to which that course of life is continually subiect the state of Religion being free from secular busines and vexation and wholy composed to the end to taste of God doth help the subiects therof in the vse of these Sacraments aâ— in al other things The like may be sayd of al other spiritual riches chiefly of holie Scripture which as it is profitable for al occasions withal most delightful to reade studie so we finde by experieÌ„ce that very few others besides Religious men doe employ themselues in the studie therof with that feeling that spirit with which it is fitting so holie a thing should be handled 8. A certain spiritual Authour sayth truly and wel that as for the life of our bodie we neede meate to refresh it light to direct it so to maintaine the life of our soule â—e must haue meate and light Our meate is the blessed Bodie of our Lord our light is the Word of God a lamerne to our â—â—etâ— as the Prophet spâ—aketh Therefore as I began to say though these heauenlie guifts be infinitly pâ—â—fitable and necessarie and indifferently proposed to euerie one yet they are not knowne to al neither wil al that know them vse them Religious people in a manner doe nothing else and consequently euerie bodie must needs conâ—â—â—le that they are in ful and perfect possession of al the riches and iewels whiâ—h Câ—riâ—t our Sauiour hath most bountifully bestowed vpon his Spouse the Church and of whaâ—soeuer is therin holie beneficial and pretious descended from heauen vpon mankind I might say that Religious people only haue them because few others haue â—he wil or leasure to make vse of them howsoeuer it is sufficient thâ—t Religious people haue them in that abundâ—â—e which I haue declared These are the ornaments of a Religious state 〈…〉 is so much enriched and embellished these we may liken to the fouâ—e Riuers 〈◊〉 out of Paradise for the foure fountains of Grace of which I haue discoursed doe flow from the Paradise of Religion washing ouâ— sâ—ules tâ— make them brighter and watering them that they may become more fruitful The eleuenth fruit of Religion Greater merit by vertue of the State CHAP. XXIII AS the sunne which giues light vnto the earth hath light within itself and borroweth it not abroad as the rest of the starres doe from the sunne so God only hath Being and Blessednes of himself al other things receaue their being and blessednes by his bountiful guift and participation they receaue I say life and being without anie cooperation of their owne thervnto for before they were they could conferre nothing to their being but to the attayning of happines God hath ordayned they should concurre with their owne works and such works as may haue some proportion and congruence with the final End for which they were made 2. The Iustice of God which he alwayes regardeth required this proceeding and it was also for our honour that so great a good should not be giuen vs sleeping but that we should employ our industrie and prowesse in purchasse therof This is the reason why we were put into this course of pilgrimage vpon earth and to this end al our life is directed whervpon holie Iob doth fitly tearme himself and al vs day-labourers who haue nothing but what they earne day by day by strength of their armes and sweat of their brow Our Sauiour in like manner resembleth al men to Marchants in the Parable where the Maister of the house distributing his Talents among his seruants speakes thus vnto them Trade 〈◊〉 come giuing vs to vnderstand that this life is no other but a kind of trading or trafficking not in earthlie but in heauenlie marchandise Wherefore as marchants employ their whole industrie and labour to become rich and wealthie and therefore doe withdraw themselues from al other exercises as hunting â—iding or following the camp they seeke al occasions of gayne let nothing slip whereby they may hope for anie lucre and esteeme al care and labour sweet so that they thriue by it much more ought we to do the like in this spiritual trade of ours the benefit therof being euerlasting And hence we may gather two things First the miserie of this world wherin people liue in great barrennes and dearth of al spiritual commodities their harts being altogeather set vpon earthlie pelfe secondly the happines of a Religious state wherin we may euerie moment of time encrease our heauenlie stock with great ease and facilitie Much might be sayd of the blindnes and indeed madnes of Secular people who so vnprofitably lauish away this short moment of time which was giuen to purchase Eâ—ernitie in temporal things subiect to corruption But I wil content myself with one place of S. Gregorie who discoursing vpon those words of Iob They shal walk in vayne and perish doth wel expresse their foolishnes for why may I not cal them fooles that voluntarily draw vpon themselues so infinit a losse S. Gregorie therefore sayth thus They walke in vayne who carrie nothing hence with them of the fruit of their labour one striues to rise to honour another employeth his whole endeauour to encrease his wealth a third runnes himself out of breath after humane prayse but because euerie bodie must leaue these things behind him when he dyes he that hath nothing to carrie with him before the Iudge spends his labours in vayne The Law aduiseth vs to the contrarie Thou shalt not appeare in my sight emptie He that goeth not prouided of merit of good works to deserue eternal life appeareth emptie in the sight of God but of the Iust the Psalmist sayth Coming they shal come with â—y bearing their bundles They who shew good works within themselues whereby they may deserue life come
in purchase of vertue such as we see among fellowes of the same Schoole for learning among souldiers for the victorie among racers for the prize And this eagernes I dare say is one of the chiefest meanes to Perfection for as a man may best see his owne heauines when he runnes in companie of others that leaue him a great way behinde and to be so left doth egg him on to make more speed so in this spiritual race we shal hardly find anie thing that doth more playnly shew and vpbraide vs with our owne â—epiditie and slouth then to see others so feruent that if we be not as heauie as stones and lead it alone must needs suffise to spurre vs on Wherefore it cannot be denyed but that there is a daylie great benefit coming-in vnto vs by the example of our Brethren with whom we liue which suffers vs not to be quiet but is continually admonishing and instâ—ucting and egging vs forward A solitarie life such as the ancient Anachâ—rets did leade was certainly ful of vertuous practises yet because it wanted this benefit of example S. Hierome doth exhort Rusticus rather to liue in a Monasterie in the companie of manie thâ—t as he speaketh he may learne humilitie of one patience of another one may teach him silence another meekenes To which purpose Theodoret also an ancient Authour who liued in time of those Fathers and had seen manie of them relateth of a holie man named Publius who being of noble descent in the degree of a Senatour borne in a cittie of Greece called Zâ—ugma tooke his dwelling vpon a hil not farre from the cittie and manie resorting to him at first he built for euerie one of them a seueral cottage but afterwards vpon better aduise he pulled al those cottages downe built one house for them al togeather that liuing vnder one roofe they might encourage one another in vertue and deuotion In consequence wherof he was wont euer after often to exhort them that they should endeauour continually to profit by one another imitating the meeknes of one and strengthning their owne meeknes by the zeale of an other and learning watchfulnes of one they should mutually teach him austeritie in fasting finally tâ—at among themselues they should be to each other both maister and schollar for taking of another what themselues wanted they should as he sayd arriue to great perfection in vertue Which excellent document be confirmed with this fit Similitude For as seueral trades-men bring al kind of commodities to the market one selles bread another hearbs another apparrel or shoes and no one man can sufficiently prouide the market of al necessaries but imparting to others that wherof himself hath plentie as bread or apparrel receaueth of others what he wanteth as oyle wine shoes and the like so the seruants of God among themselues seing no one man can possibly compasse al things must meete as it were in one market and changing one with another the seueral commodities and parcels of vertue receaue of one an other what they finde they want The fifteeneth fruit Concord and vnitie of Religious men among themselues CHAP. XXVII IT is wel knowne that in al the Law of Christ our Sauiour no one precept is more earnestly or more often commended vnto vs then the Loue of one another And as for the measure and proportion of this inward coniunction and charitie how great and fast he desired it should be himself euidenâ—ly shewed when in his last speech to his disciples as it were in his last wil and testament he so ardently besought his Father that al his Elect might be one among theÌ„selues as he and his Father was one What greater thing could be required or more significantly expressed seing as He and his Father haue one the self-same nature so their wil and intentions must needs be one and vndiuided This concord and vnitie did long flourish among Christians specially in those first and as we may cal them golden times while the precepts of our Lord were yet fresh in their memories and fâ—â—ie in their harts and as we reade in the Acts of the Apostles the beleeuers had one hart and one soule yea al their earthlie substance and possessions were one common thing to al and euerie one of them Tertullian a learned authour for this reason doth not stick to say that the whole Euangelical Law doth consist in performing charitable offices towards one another and recordeth that it was a common thing among the Gentils in his time to say Behold what loue is among them in so much that they are readie to dye for one another Moreouer he sayth that the Christians of those times did vsually cal Brothers and were so not in word only but in verie deed because al things but their wiues were comon among them and none of them had anie thing so priuate to himself that he had not rather his Neighbour had it then himself 2. Aâ— example of this mutual charitie and charitable beneficence and liberalitie towards one another of the force and efficacie therof remaynes vpon record in the Life of S. Pachomâ—us He while he was a Heathen bare armes vnder Constantine the Great at which time the armie being almost famished for want of victuals it came before a certain Cittie where presently al things they could desire were brought them with such expression of good wil care sollicitude that Pachomius beholding it was very much strucken and amazed and being very inquisitiue what people they might be that were so readie to doe them that good turn he was told they were Christians a people whose profession was to loue euerie bodie and to be readie to doe them anie seruice Whervpon presently lifting vp his hands to heauen calling God to witnes he vowed to be of that Religion though he neuer had heard anie thing of it before Such was the impression loue made in him This Euangelical concord and amitie therefore a vertue so noble in itself and so acceptable to our Sauiour Christ in former times so much esteemed and now in this corrupted Age of ours so much neglected impayred as there is scarce anie remaynder of it a Reliâ—ious Staâ—e doth perfectly reuiue bring to life againe And it is to be reckoned among the best coÌ„modities of the State that it doth so solidly renew and set on foot againe this Christian societie charitie laying al things common which charitie our Sauiour gaue for the mark and Deuise by whiâ—â— his people should be knowne to be truly his Disciples But this wil appeare more cleerly if we compare the bonds of this Religious societie with the bonds of other companies and consider the great difference that is betwixt them 3. There be two kind of bonds whereby men among themselues are bound to one another One is voluntarie entred by consent and wil as among friends mâ—rchants and souldiers of a companie the other is
al Religious Orders Truly in ours though it be the last and the least partly I myself haue seen manie and partly haue had by relation of others that haue seen them as of one who being told that he was to looke shortly for death did for verie ioy embrace him thrice that told him of it Another hauing had the like message did what he could to sing the Hymne Te Deum with great signes of ioy though his voice and strength were almost quite spent Another when he was giuing vp the ghost began to sing that verse of the Psalme I haue reioyced in the things that haue been sayd vnto me we shal goe into the house of our Lord. I might relate manie more but because I wil not be tedious I wil content my self with one 16. William Elsinston borne in Scotland of good extraction rare for vertue and wit was admitted into our Societie a verie youth Not a ful moneth after he fel into a burning feauer which brought death into his face but yet was alwayes wonderful chearful and shewed it in his speaches and countenance and in whatsoeuer he did thinking he could neuer thank God enough that he dyed in Religion When he began to draw on his Brethren flocked into the roome where he lay and seing them he cryed out O glorious death attended by so manie Angels And expressing exceeding ioy he sayd further Doe you not see doe you not see the Angels And calling vpon is good Angel he spake with him for a while as if he had beheld him with his eyes and related that he told him he should passe through Purgatorie but not stay long there Whervpon one asked him in what shape he saw his Angel and he pointed at a youth that stood by and sayd He was like him Soone after his soule was so ouerioyed that his bodie did as it were leape vpon the bed as he lay weakned as he was with a deadlie sicknes to the great admiration of the standers by who had neuer seen the like and turning his eyes back to the beds head with chearful countenance and muttering something which could not be vnderstood he shewed that he saw something that did giue him great contentment amidst wherof suddenly stopping he gaue vp the ghost as if he had layd himself downe to sleepe What can be more happie or more desireful then such a death Or who is there that were he to choose had not rather dye such a death then as Princes are wont to dye in their Royal pallaces in their Beds-of-state in their silks and purple garments amidst their seruants and retinue And certainly this yong man being but a Nouice came not to so sweet an end and so easie a combat with the enemie and so happie a passage out of this life by long exercise of vertue and strong habits therof but if anie cause can be giuen therof it must needs be the force of Religion itself and the grace of God chiefly-bestowed vpon him in that plentie in regard of Religion so that by this one example we may euidently see how farre more securely and more sweetly this last act of warfare as Iob doth cal it is shut-vp in a Religious state The twentieth fruit that it is a signe of Predestination CHAP. XXXII THE Kingdome of Heauen is so infinit a happines and the paynes of hel so infinit a mischief that whosoeuer belieues them should in reason haue no other care nor feare then least he leese the one and fal into the other specially seing they so necessarily follow one vpon the other Insomuch that if God had reuealed that among al the men that are or euer were and shal be one among them al should be damned to hel-fire euerie one might iustly liue in continual feare and trembling least he might be that vnhappie and vnfortunate man vpon whom that dreadful lot should fal But now seing God hath so often and so certainly and so plainly told vs that manie walke the broad way of perdition few find-out the way of saluation what care and circumspection and feare ought euerie one to stand in 2. In which so iust occasion of feare we cannot in this life haue a greater comfort then to light vpon some signes of our eternal saluation and predestination For S. Bernard sayth truly When doth God leaue his Elect without some signe or what comfort could they haue standing doubtful betwixt hope and feare if they were not worthie of some testimonie of their Election God knoweth who are his and he alone knoweth whom he hath chosen from the beginning but among men who is there that knoweth whether he be worthie of loue or hatred Wherefore seing it is certain that we can haue no certaintie in this kind if we may at least meet with some signes of our Election wil not al things be more delightful to vs For what rest can our spirit haue so long as it hath no hope of predestination 3. This then is the fruit of a Religious state and truly none of the least that it giues vs so certain a hope and so cleere a signe of our predestination that without expresse reuelation we cannot haue a greater For first we haue the signe which our Sauiour himself giueth when he sayth He that is of God heareth the words of God Whervpon S. Bernard els-where speaking to the Monks of his Order biddeth them be of good cheere hauing reason to belieue they are of the number of the Elect because they heare the word of God so willingly and with so great fruit And this is natural to the state of Religion For their chief and continual food is whatsoeuer proceedeth from the mouth of God receauing it by prayer meditation and reading of good books and principally by giuing eare to that word of God which called them out of Aegypt to his Diuine seruice For the hearing and obeying of this word alone is a great signe of their predestination by that reason of our Sauiour My sheep heare my voice though indeed they did not then only giue eare vnto it and follow it when they forsooke the world but doe continually hearken vnto it remayning in Religion vpon command of that voice and spending al their life in doing according to his voice deliuered vnto them by obedience so that none can haue more right then they to that saying of our Sauiour Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it 4. There be other signes of Predestination wherof S. Bernard discourseth at large speaking to his Brethren and draweth them at last to these three heads If sayth he thou refrayne from sinne if thou doe worthie fruits of pennance if thou work works of life Al which three can they be better more perfectly or more plentifully performed then in Religion or where are they to be found if not in Religion And of euerie one of them I haue spoken sufficiently heertofore 5. Another
sayd more He thought it little to say he toucheth me but nameth that part of man which is dearest to euerie one and most sensible which though it be spoken of euerie bodie that serues God sincerely yet particularly it sutes best with Religious people in regard they are more diligent and more exact in his seruice and employ themselues and their whole strength and power in that alone 5. A fourth reason is in a manner proper only to Religious people For we find euerie-where that God is wont to take particular charge and care of those that are most destitute of humane help So the Psalmist speaketh of him The poore man is left to thee thou will be a helper to the orphan and againe A Lord preseruing little-ones and in another Psalme Our Lord protecteth strangers the pupil and widdow he wil receaue for these kind of people haue no humane assistance to relye vpon God therefore owes protection to Religious people vpon the same title for they are truly poore in regard they haue nothing and haue giuen away al power of hauing anie thing they are truly orphans and pupils hauing forsaken father and mother and al other things the friendship of men the fauour of Princes the countenance and power of riches they are most truly orphans bereft of al human help and little-ones hauing humbled and abased themselues so low finally they are truly strangers and as guests and pilgrims in this world haue heer no permanent citâ—â—e Wherefore to them most of al doth that saying of the Prophet Dauid agree He that dwelleth in the help of the Highest shal remaine in the protection of the God of Heauen For they do not as Secular people flye sometimes to the help of the Highest but dwelling in his house and familie they liue alwayes in his help and remaine euer in his protection and consequently that which there is set downe more at large must necessarily follow that he wil shaddow them with his shoulders and protect them with his shield that they dread not the night-feare that is the secret deuises of the enemie nor the arrow flying in the day that is his open assaults 6. Now the commodities which arise of this protection of God are innumerable but may be reduced to foure heads wherof some concerne our soule some our bodie some the conseruation of the whole Order some are for defence of the same against their enemies First therefore God hath care of the soules of his seruants aduancing them in Vertue and not suffering them to be tempted aboue their strength but euen when he doth permit them to be tempted giuing them grace that they may haue the vpper hand to their greater glorie finally as a diligent maister labours by al meanes to aduance the schollar whom he loues in matter of learning so God seeketh with al diligence and care to put his disciples forward in spirit that we may truly say of them as it is in the Psalme Blessed is the man whom thou ô Lord dost instinct and teach him thy law 7. And that he hath such care ouer our soules wil appeare the more by the care which he hath ouer our bodies For if he doe so diligently and louingly prouide for our bodies which are of so base a substance we may easily vnderstand how careful he wil be of our soule and spirit And certainly so it is that no father euer bestowed so much care in bringing-vp the children begotten of his bodie and in maintayning them as God doth in maintayning Religious people Our Sauiour hath giuen vs testimonie heerof in the care which he had of the multitude that followed him in the Desert for beholding them he sayd I haue compassion vpon the multitude because loe three dayes they now endure with me neither haue what to eate For how much rather wil he say so now from heauen and take compassion vpon Religious people For the multitude had not endured more then three dayes and yet had not left al they had but were soone after to returne home againe but they that giue themselues to God in a Religious course endure with him not for three dayes only but their whole life-time and leaue themselues nothing at al for his sake not so much as power to returne to that which vpon good aduise they haue once forsaken and bound themselues thervnto by Vow Wherefore it belongeth properly to God Almightie his prouidence to prouide them necessaries for life and mayntenance which truly he doth so carefully and continually that a man may say he taketh pleasure in it But as he doth not vpon the suddain create of nothing the graine or the wine which is necessarie for mens vses or send it downe miraculously from heauen but produce it out of the ground and out of the vine so also he prouides for the necessities of Religious people by secondarie causes to wit by other mens hands mouing first their minds thervnto So we see that God found Helias in the time of dearth not by himself but by the woman to whom he sent him with these words I haue commanded the widow-woman to feed thee Wherefore S. Franciâ— as we reade did not vnfitly apply that verse of the Psalme Man did eate the bread of Angels to the bread which he gathered of almes because the Angels did moue people to giue that bread 8. And to the end no man might doubt of this care which God hath ordinarily ouer al Religious people he hath often testifyed the same with wonderful extraordinarie examples In which kind Palladius doth record that the Abbot Appollo liuing in the Desert with his disciples and being vnprouided of necessaries towards Easter-time our Lord was not wanting of his care and liberalitie towards them For vpon the suddain certain men vnknowne to euerie bodie came and offered themselues saying that they came a long iourney and brought store of prouision great loaues of bread a vessel of new milk honie diuers kinds of fruit pomegranats figs grapes and such like as grow not in Agâ—pt nor had euer been seen there by anie of them and they brought such plentie as they lasted til Whitsontide What can a man desire more of the goodnes of God then to prouide for his seruants in time and withal so plentifully such dainties at such a time 9. S. Gregorie doth relate another not vnlike to this of S. Benedict that in a deare yeare when his Monasterie was wholy vnprouided of corne there were found at the gate two hundred bushels of meale and no bodie knew from whence or by whom they were brought thither The same hapned to S. Columbanus who hauing seated himself in a solitarie place vpon the rock he and his Brethren had little or nothing to eate manie dayes togeather and vpon the suddain they discouer a man coming towards them with diuers beasts laden with bread and other victuals and the man when he came told them that he was
moued suddainly in his mind to bring them that prouision Another time when their prouision fayled them and they had a long time lingred-on with wild hearbs and barkes of trees in quiet of the night it was put in the Abbot of Salice his mind to releeue God's seruants that were readie to starue and when their carts were laden and knew not which way to goe they layd the raynes vpon the horses necks and doubtles guided by an Angel they came directly to the place where Columbannus lay hid with his companions 10. We haue also manie memorable examples of the like prouidence of God in seueral passages of the life of S. Francis but chiefly at the time of the first general Meeting of his Friars at Assisiâ— For there being about fiue thousand of them then gathered togeather he gaue them very strict command that they should not take anie care at al for anie thing pertayning to the bodie grounding himself in that verse of the Psalme which he had often in his mouth Cast thy care vpon our Lord and he wil 〈…〉 thee Dominick was present when S. Francis gaue this commandment and he thought it somewhat too much fearing least he might seeme to tempt God if he prouided nothing at al for so great a multitude And behold not long after there came from al the neighbouring townes and citties such a world of men and beasts bringing with them al kind of prouision of victuals household-stuffe and household-vessel that S. 〈◊〉 was quickly changed and from that time resolued with himself that his Order also which was then beginning should haue no certain reuennues to liue on relying vpon the Diuine prouidence wherof he had seen with his eyes so euident a testimonie 11. And S. Dominick himself had afterwards trial therof For once in Rome there was nothing at al for them to eate in the Monasterie and moreouer two of the Friars that had been al about the cittie begging almes from doore to doore came back with emptie wallets to the end the liberalitie of God might be the more remarkable Wel notwithstanding al this S Dominiâ—k caused them al to be called downe to an emptie board and they were no sooner set but two exceeding comelie youths coming into the Refectorie serued euerie one of them with a wondrous white mancheâ— loafe beginning from him that sate lowest and when they had dealt about to euerie one they reuerently bowed downe their heads and vanished out of their sight S Dominick presently called for wine and when they that wayted sayd there was none he bad them go to the emptie vessels and coming they found one ful of excellent wine What ioy may we think there was at that board What teares of gladnes beholding so great liberalitie of God and that he had so great care ouer them Manie like examples we haue in al Orders and also in ours but they are generally knowne and nothing is more frequent in the Liues of Saints 12 The third commoditie arising of the protection of God is the conseruation and propagation of Religious Families wherin we may euidently discouer the great loue of God towards them and his special prouidence wherof we speake For who is there but must needs wonder if he consider wel that among so manie Religious Orders that froÌ„ time to time haue been erected and continued from Age to Age some very different among themselues some very neer alike al of them haue been stil sufficiently furnished with subiects none of them haue decayed with age none of them haue been reiected for noueltie And doubtles as there must needs be a secret vertue in fountains which breed such a continual streame of water and in citties where people dye there must be others borne and others againe to breed that the inhabitants doe not quite fayle So in these holie Congregations there is something that doth conserue and multiplie them and furnish others in time when others fayle which certaynly is no human thing but altogeather Diuine It is God alone as I sayd before that inspireth these good thoughts and inclineth men to what course of life he thinks good And moreouer wheras among so manie Religious Orders some haue degenerated from their ancient holines of life and discipline in them also as they are God doth shew his goodnes not suffering them to want men to vphold them and to keepe their rank in God Almightie's Church as if he did it of purpose to shew how constantly he sticks to those that he hath once taken into his charge and protection and how much he wil doe for the Orders that maintayne their first feruour and pietie seing he doth not cast-of those that are slack and almost falling off from him 13 It remaineth that we speake of the fourth Head which was proposed to wit of the continual care which God hath to defend euerie Religious Familie against those that maligne them and how he hath euer reuenged himself in a most rigorous manner vpon such wicked persons as haue banded against them We haue a memorable example of both in S. Columbanus his Life of which I related some passages before Theodoricus King of Burgundie by instigation of his grandmother Brunâ—childis among other mischiefs wrought against him banished him out of the place where he liued with some few of his Brethren First therefore in that iourney of his one of the Officers that had insolently strucken one of his Brethren with a cudgel was not long after drowned in the same place as S. Columbanus had foretold him Theodoricus King being at warres with his brother Theodobert was burnt in the cittie of Merz by a fire raysed God knowes how by chance or from heauen Clotharius King of France inuaded his Kingdome and seasing vpon his six sonnes put them al to death Brunechildis another Iesabel was set vpon a camels back and carried scornefully through the whole armie and afterward commanded to be tyed to three or foure wild colts tayles and torne in peeces in which torment she died most miserably and that whole Familie was quite rooted out the Kingdome being deuolued to Cloâ—harius 14 The death of Balatiuâ— President of Aegypt in S. Antonie the Great his time was not much vnlike He did persecute the Catholicks manie wayes but chiefly bent his rage against the Monks and would sometimes cause them publickly to be beaten with rods S. Antonie wrote vnto him a short letter declaring the wrath which hang ouer his head from heauen He tooke the letter in scorne and cast it away threatning besides that seing S. Antonie tooke vpon him to defend the Monks he would haue shortly to doe with him also But he quickly repented himself of his proud demeanour for some foure dayes after returning from his pleasure abroad in companie of one of his bosome-friends his friend's horse who til that day was the gentlest that could be leapt suddainly vpon him in a mad humour and taking him in
knew him by that which he had seen the night before and embraced him with much affection as his brother and companion in so great a work and related vnto him what he had seen And they often found by the effects her special fauour towards them and particularly in Pope Innocentius the Fourth his time This Pope was I know not vpon what ground auerted from them and had by his Breues restrayned them of their Faculties and priuiledges The Friars had no other means of redresse but by recourse to heauen and among other deuotions they had appointed to say the Litanies One day therefore while those of S. Dominickâ— Order were saying them in their church at Rome one of the Friars saw our B. Ladie standing vpon the altar with her Sonne as it were pittying the case of the Friars and their grief and teares which they shed bitterly and turning to her Sonne repeated these words diuers times as it is in the Litanieâ— Sonnâ— hearken vnto them Not long after Pope Innocenâ— lying vpon his death-bed at Naples shewed himself very penitent and speaking those words of the Psalme For iniquitie thou hast rebuked man and made his soule waste away like a spider he gaue vp the ghost 8 The B. Virgin shewed the like fauour to the Monks of Mount-Oliuer a place in Italie vpon their beginning For the three gentlemen of Sâ—ena who were the first Founders of that Order agreing vpon a course and manie resorting to them by reason of the hoâ—ie â—ife they lead there wanted not those that informed the Pope against them who liued then at Aâ—igmon as new-fanglers Wherupon he cited them before him but dealt fauourably with them and remitted them to Guido Archbishop of 〈◊〉 While they were vpon their returne into Italie our B. Ladie Mother of God appeared to the Archbishop attended with a great number of Angels commending those men vnto him and shewed him moreouer a white Habit and the Rule of S. Benedict which she would haue them vse In the Church of the B. Trinitie of Areâ—â—um they say there is a picture vpon the wal which testifyeth this which I haue related in which Church the Bishop gaue them the Habit and the Rule vnder the protection of our B. Ladie 9 In like manner she promised her assistance to the Order of S. Hierome and shewed fauour towards them This Order began in Spaine and when at first there were but two or three little Monasteries of them some of the Brethren offended with so little a number resolued among themselues to put themselues into some other Order and while they were going out B. Ladie met them visibly vpon the way and bad them returne and perseuer in their former course of life for shortly they should see it spread farre and neere and that al that were of that Order should be her particular seruants Were with they were fully strengthned in their purpose and the â—â—ole Order of them vseth besides their other garments a while coate to this day to testifie that they belong to this Virgin 10 Finally we may reckon our Societie of IESVS in this number For first S. Ignatius ouâ— Founder was certainly a creature of this B. Virgin For we reade of him that while he was yet a secular man in his father's house she appeared vnto him very glorious and stood some time before him at which sight and some speech which he had with her he was quite changed into another man and not long after he vowed chastitie in her honour Afterwards when he was resolued to put himself vpon a spiritual warfare he began it in her Church at Mount-serrate standing as it were Sentinel al night before her altar after the manner of some ancient Knights when they were first installed to giue and dedicate himself wholy vnto her Wherefore as he that sets the kernel sets the tree so when the B. Virgin brought forth Ignatius she brought vs al forth and our whole Order as being contayned in him as the posteritie of Abraham in his loynes Which once was shewed vnto a Priest of our Order a man of great sanctitie by name Martin Guttieres a Spaniard who had manie things reuealed vnto him and among the rest as he was trauelling through France he rid by a chapple of our Ladie and it was giuen him to vnderstand that he was to die within eight dayes and it fel out so for being taken by the Hereticks and very hardly vsed he died in their hands To this man I say the B. Virgin related manie things and among others this which concernes vs al. On a time she appeared before him in verie comelie fashion and statute and her garment or huke was spread out into a great compasse and vnder it was our whole Societie which she cherished as a mother and did protect it as it were with that garment of her grace and loue 11. Wherefore seing al Religious Orders doe liue vnder the protection of this B. Virgin as appeareth most manifestly by the examples and reasons heeâ— set downe we hâ—ue great cause to reioyce and congratulate one another that we haue the selfsame Protectrice and Queen on earth which the Blessed haue in heauen For what can we want liuing vnder her protection seing there is no mischief which she is not strong enough to preserue vs fronâ— nor anie good thing which her prayers and merits are not able to obtaine For wheras two things are required in a man that wil doe good to another power and wil to doe it both are so great and certain in this B. Qâ—eene that nothing can be desired more her power to say in one word al that can be sayd is al one with her Sonne 's only he hath it by nature she hath it by grace and communication And as for her good wil and inclination to doe good who can think worthily enough of it seing it is so neerly vnited with the Diuine infinite goodnes and wholy absorpt and drowned in it Insomuch that S. Bernard sayth thus of her She is the Queene of heauen she is merciful finally she is the mother of the only-begotten Sonne of God And nothing can so much commend the greatnes of her power and goodnes vnlesse we beleeue that the Sonne of God doth not respect his mother or make doubt least the bowels of the B. Virgin Marie are not transformed into al charitable affection Charitie itself which is of God hauing corporally rested in them for nine moneths Which saying of S. Bernard extâ—ndeth to al Christians but let vs see how she doth exercise both power and good wil particularly towards Religious people Of her power we reade a rare example in the Chronicle of S. Francis his Order Leo one of the special companions of S. Francis saw one day as it were vpon a great playne Christ coming to iudge the world Multitudes of men and women were gathered thither the Angels sounded their trompets and there
to stay S. Benedict who was her brother al one night with her And S. Thomas of Aquin longing for some heâ—â—ings when he was sick he sent him some though at that time they were not in season And S. Francis in his sicknes desiring â—o heare some Musick an Angel came in the night and played to him in his chamber vpon the lute These lâ—ttle things I say of which there be infinit in the Saints Liues do shew both how easie God is in hearkning to the prayers of his friends and that he is farre more inclinable in great matters specially such as concerne our owne soules and others good as more beseeming his greatnes In which respect S. Iohn Chrysostom sayth that Religious people are not only beneficial to themselues but to whole Citties and Common-wealths and giueth this admonition When thou seest a man outwardly but meanly clad yet inwardly adorned with vertue contemne not that which thou seest outwardly but fixe thy eyes vpon the riches of his soule and inward glorie Blessed Helias was such when he had his goat-skin only about him and yet Achab in al his robes stood in need of his goat-skin Behold therefore Achab's miâ—etie and Helias his riches A comparison between the state of a Religious man and a Secular Lay-man CHAP. XXXVI BY the discouerie which we haue made of the fruits and manifold treasures of a Religious life we may wâ—thout much labour easily vnderstand how farre it excelleth al other courses of life which be in the world for as much as concerneth the profiâ—ablenes of it and the easines of a tayning to saluation by it The courses which may stand in comparison with it are these The state of a Lay man of a Clergie man of a Bishop and of a Solitarie life and of euerie one of thâ—m we wil discourse a-part And to begin with the lowest which is the state of a Lay-man the dâ—fference certainly betwixt it and a Religious course is very great and plaine and in my opinion euidently expressed by our Sauiour in the Parable of the great supper from which and from the seruice of God signifyed by it three things did with hold the guests that were inuited to wit I haue bought a farme I haue bought fiue yoake â—â—â—en I hâ—ue wâ—dded a wife Vnder which three heads the Diuine wisedome doth briefly coÌ„prehend al the seueral trades and occupationâ— and fashions of liuing which are so diuers in a Secular life And so S. Ambrose doth vnderstand it adding that our Sauiour in this Parable doth teach vs that we must forsake al earthlie things because neither he that trading in inferiour things purchaseth earthlie possessions for himself can come to the Kingdome of heauen since our Sauiour sayd Sel what thou hast and follow me nor he that buyeth oxen seing Elizaeus killed those which he had and diuided them among the people and he that hath wedded a wife thinks of the things of this world and not of anie thing belonging to God not that Marriage is condemned but because it is greater honour to be intire for the vnmarried woman and the widdow thinketh of that which is of God how she may be holie in bodie and in spirit Thus farre S. Ambrose And let vs consider a little more particularly these bonds hindrances in which al Secular people are intangled some in one kind some in another 2. The dangers and dommages of the first of these impediments are fitly expressed by S. Augustin in these words By buying a farme we vnderstand the desire of command for it is naturally pleasing to haue a farme to be maister of something to haue other men vnder vs and to be Lord. A naughtie vice and the first of al vices for the first man would needs be Lord because he would haue no Lord. What is to be Lord but to be in one's owne power But there is a greater power Let vs submit our selues vnto it that we may be safe By which speech of S. Aug. we vnderstaÌ„d both the mischief which is in ambitions seeking to beare rule sway amoÌ„g men the happines of Religious people that are according to his aduise so perfectly subiect to God bound to his seruice by the indissoluble bond of their Vowes S. Gregorie doth ofteÌ„ discourse of the same daÌ„gerous state in which they liue that are possessed with an ambitious spirit and indeed there is no vice which he doth more earnestly inueigh against then this and particularly vpon those words of holie Iob Who sayth to the king Renegate and calleth the leaders wicked he giueth vs to vnderstand three things for which honour and preferment is iustly to be feared First because when honour and ambition hath once taken a man in the head he breaketh with al iustice and honestie and trampleth it vnder foot The sinnes sayth S. Gregorie which are coÌ„mitted out of desire of coÌ„mand are without number Secondâ—y the verie desire of precedencie is of it self a great fault though there be no other sinne mingled with it in this sense S. Gregorie taketh those words Who sayth to the king Renegate because euerie gouernour sayth he doth fal into the sinne of Apostacie as often as delighted with the command he hath ouer other men he pleaseth himself in that he is singularly honourable The third danger is by reason of the great charge which liâ—â—h vpon him that is in honour if either he help not his subiects to liue orderly and wel or which is worse they be peruerted by il example which is the cause as S. Gregorie interpreted why God calleth the leaders wicked because sayth he the leader is wicked who strayeth from the path of truth running headlong himself inuiteth his followers to a downe-fal Are not therefore they most miserable that neglecting a supper so plentifully furnished with al that can be desired cast themselues wittingly vpon so manie mischiefs In my opinion they are not only most wretchedly miserable but errant fooles that being so louingly and freely inuited to this Royal banket prepared for them without anie labour or cost of theirs wil rather buy such a farme at so deare a rate And what must it cost them but a continual slauerie an infinit care solicitude and manie sorrowes which is dearer then gold or siluer these being external the other internal which goe to our very hart 3. Now let vs consider on the other side the quiet and peaceablenes of a Religious life free from ambition fitly expressed in the Parable of a great supper or bancket For in a great bancket three things doe concurre Rest in sitting downe at board delight in plentiful feeding and pleasure in conuersation with good companie What greater quiet of mind can anie bodie haue then a Religious man that hath forsaken al and desireth nothing in the world but contents himself in God from whom he is certain as the Apostle speaketh that neither
somewhat more Euerie one runneth to Holie Orders and men take vpon them without respect or consideration the functions which are venerable to the verie Angelical Spirits â—hey in whom auarice doth raigne ambition beareth sway pride doth rule yea iniquitie and luxurie doth coÌ„mand feare not to lay hands vpon the Ensigne of the the heauenlie Kingdome and put that Imperial crowne vpon their heads Religious men are farre from this fault for though most of them be Priests because the State should not want so great a dignitie and benefit yet they come vnto it with an other spirit and preparation not moued thervnâ—o by auarice or ambition which the State itself exludeth nor so much as by their owne wil and choice for as in things of lesser moment so in this chief busines of al they are ruled by others whom they haue in place of God and consequently seeing they take not this honour to themselues as the Apostle speaketh but are called by God as Aaron no doubt but his infinit goodnes wil furnish them as he is wont with abundant grace to go through with it 4. We haue a memorable and pleasant example therof in Rupertus who was afterwards Abbot of Tuy and a great Writer He relateth of himself and we need no better witnes that being vrged by his Superiours to take Holie Orders and earnestly refusing it knowing his owne vnworthines in the night he saw a vision by which he plainly vnderstood that it was God's wil it should be so He saw vpon an Altar an Image of our Sauiour crucifyed as if he had been aliue and looked ful vpon him at which sight he was much inflamed and desired very much to embrace the Crucifix but the table of the Altar being great and large hindred him yet he found himself by inward instinct inuited by our Sauâ—our and coming neer the Altar diuided itself and made him way to the Crucifix then he confidently layd hold of it embraced and kissed it and our Sauiour to receaue his kisse as it were into his hart opened his diuine mouth and receaued him gaping wher with amidst those louing embracings his hart was greatly influmed with the loue of God he found within himself a desire to be Priest which before he so earnestly auoyded In the morning he related the whole passage to his Abbot and was not long after made Priest to the great ioy and contentment of euerie bodie 5. The same Rupertus relateth another passage by which after he was made Priest he was much confirmed and comforted While he lay in his bed he saw the likenes of a man coming downe from heauen with his head muffled as if he would not be knowne and entring wholy into him fitâ—ed head to head and feet to feet and at the rest of his bodie to tâ—e 〈◊〉 or parts hâ—â—of and more 〈◊〉 made such an impression of himself into the substance of his soule as cannot be declared by words more quick and more deep then anie seale can be printed vpon the sufrâ—st wax And he sayth further a thing which may be easily beleeued that he found therupon such a wonderful sweetnes and delightâ— that had it not been presently stinted by the hand of God without doubt the torrent of pleasure had taken away his soule from his bodie Al this was a signe of the holie Eucharist wherein the Sonne of God doth hide his face but yet truly infuse himself into our whole soule and transforme it into his owne likenes and fil it with heauenlie ioy into the soules I say of them that come vnto him as Rupertus did not rashly nor lead by anie earthlie desire but inuited yea coÌ„pelled by God by means of their Superiours And certainly if a bodie truly consider the weightines of the busines and the importance of the function he can neuer perswade himself that he can safely vndertake it vnlesse he be secured by some such Oracle 5. Seing therefore no man can doubt of that which hath been sayd let vs passe to the other point of the care of soules at the heauie charge wherof we may giue a guesse by that which the Wise-man sayth in these words Sonne if that haue answered for thy friend thou hast nayled thy hand to a stranger thou art ensnared in the words of thy mouth and taken with thy owne speeches Do therefore that which I say my Sonne and free thy self because thou art fallen into the hands of thy neighbour Runne make haste rowse thy friend giue not sleep to thy eyes and let not thy eye-lids winke These are the cares and snares as he calles them in which he intangleth himself that answereth for another and not for one man only but for manie not in a monie-matter but in a busines concerning the safetie of a thing immortal and eternal such as our soules are and they that haue taken this charge vpon them do not only offend if by sinful life and euil example they hurt others for this is the worst that can be but by meere cessation if they do not help others if as the Prophet Ezechiel complayneth they do not strengthen that which is infirme nor heale that which is sick nor bind that which is broken nor bring back that which is strayed nor seeke that which is lost Wherevpon S. Gregorie hath certain words which are very true and greatly to be considered in one of his Homilies speaking thus I am of opinion sayth he that God doth not suffer more preiudice by anie bodie then by Priests when he beholdeth those whom he hath placed for the correction of others themselues to giue others il example when we ourselues do sinne who ought to keepe others from sinne we seeke not to gaine soules we daily attend our owne ends we couet earthlie things and earnesâ—ly hunt after the prayse of men And because in regard we are set ouer others we haue greater freedome to do what we list we turne the ministerie of the Benediction which we haue receiued to be a ground of ambition we leaue God's cause and attend to worldlie businesses we hold the place of sanctitie and are intangled in earthlie works Religious men are free from these dangers as hauing no charge of soulesâ— which they should haue little cause to brag of if they did not otherwise attend to the help of soules for as they should be free from these incommodities so they should want the great reward which God doth promise to these that labour in his vineyard But in my opinion they enioy al the good that can be in so great a work and yet are free from the dangers therof for they employ themselues in the helpe of their Neighbour so carefully and diligently and paynefully as nothing more can be expected and yet because they do it of their owne accord without anie tye or obligation they are free from those sinnes which follow vpon the obligation which others haue And so we find it plainly
betooke himselfe to Religion and al the rest soone after tooke in at the same port of saluation 7. And certaynly if we cast vp the particulars of al the great commodities wherof I haue at large discoursed we shal find that in this one benefit of Religion al in a manner is contayned that we can possibly desire a consideration which we should alwayes haue before our eyes haue deeply imprinted in our harts For heere we haue perfect remission of al our former offences as in a second Baptisme our flesh is tamed by holy sobrietie we are at leasure to think of heauenly things and seuered from al that may any way hurt our soule The wil of God is the rule of our actions and al kind of vertue in continual and vigorous practise Heere we receaue direction from Superiours light from particular Rules abundance of inward grace increase of meriâ— comfort in fraternal charitie mutual assistance and part of al the good works that are done among vs. Al which are in themselues wonderful beneficial but withal greatly innobled and imbellished by the golden linke of our vowes and crowned at last at the howre of our death with that securitie which a state so remote from the world and so neere bordering vpon heauen and heauenly things doth vsually bring vnto vs. To the accomplishment and preseruation wherof do concurre the particular loue fauour and protection of God and our B. Ladie a thing wonderfully to be esteemed both for the profit and pleasure which accompanie it 8. Seeing therefore we find so much wealth and riches in a Religious State what can we reckon it to be other then the Treasure hidden in the field which when the man had found for ioye he went and sold al that he had and bought that field For certainly Religion may most truly be called a Treasure or rather it contayneth an infinite Treasure seeing it hath within it so infinite riches and such abundance of wealth not of one kind only but al manner of wealth heaped in a masse togeather Now he that findeth a Treasure hath great aduantage ouer another man that is rich by trading or otherwise for he that trades for exaÌ„ple cometh to his wealth by much paynes and labour and runneth many hazards in the purchasing therof and it is long before he get it togeaâ—her but he that finds a treasure lights vpon al togeather without labour or danger and in a moment is raysed to excessiue wealth and happines But it is not euery body that sighâ—s vpon it but rather very fewe So secular people increase their stock of vertue by much and long striuing for it and oftimes they suffer shipwrack and in one houre leese al that they had laied vp togeather in many yeares by falling but into one mortal synne which alas how easy yea how daâ—ly a thing is it in a sea so ful of shelues and tempests A Religious man findeth a Treasure and consequently is farre more happie because al at once is heaped and thronged vpon him The state it selfe and vocation breatheth as it were into his hart the spirit of Pouertie and a particular affection to Chastitie and Obedience as things contayned in the very spirit of Religion and withal it giueth him al other vertues as necessarie attendants partly flowing from those three and partly needful for the vpholding of them A treasure where not golden Iaspars or orient Pearles but more pretious and truer Gemmes of great esteeme and vse not only in earth but in heauen are heaped togeather But yet a hidden treasure because few do know the value of it few do find it for that which our Sauiour sayd of Eunuches is very true not al take this word but to whom it is giuen and where is it hidden In the field a place voyd of companie free from the noyse of Ambition from toylesome trafick from the Courts of Princes and yet not in a wood or vpon a hil but in a field wher people vse to plough and sowe and bestow labour in manuring the ground al which agreeth fitly to Religion for it is seuered from the turmoyles of the world and cultiuateth the mind with al spiritual industrie sparing no labour precaution mortification and it can no sooner be layd fayre open before our eyes by the light which God doth giue vs but presently our mind is so violently taken and inflamed with desire of it that no strength no bonds can withhold vs from running to possesse ourselues of it and that with ioye as out Sauiour speaketh not weeping and lamenting as if a man were to vndergo some great trouble or crosse but as to a ioyful and gladsome and fortunate busines in fine as to a Treasure But the more pretious the thing is the more ought we to consider by what meanes we may come to the possession of this happie field wherin so great a treasure is hidden for we cannot haue it for nothing but must buy it and buy it at the rate at which our Sauiour who hath it to sel hath set it that is by selling al that we haue and buying it therwith To purchase this field we must forgo al possessions Moneyes preferments friends parents kinsfolke ourselues which is boâ—h most exactly performed by entring into Religion and is not easy to say how it can be done otherwise Where by the way we may consider the goodnes of God in noâ— determining any certaine summe of money or wealth least he that could not make so much might be excluded from the purchase of so worthy a thing and haâ—h withal out of his infinit wisdome ordayned that the price should be not so much to giue what we had as to forsake it to the end that whether we haue much or whether we haue little or nothing at al we may be al admitted to the purchase so we leaue al and retayne nothing to ourselues not so much as the hope or possibilitie of hauing any thing By which means in very deed we do not wholy relinquish that which we leaue but we make an exchange therof for that which is farre better and better worth purchasing so incomparable a treasure at so easie a rate a treasure wherin we shal haue the price we gaue returned vpon vs agayne and infinitly more added vnto it Which S. Hierome telleth vs in these words We receaue more them we gaâ—â— we forsooke a smal thing and haue entred vpon great possessions the promises of Christ are performed with returne of hundred fold which being wel considered and prouing so true and certaine as doubtlesse it is what hart can be so cold as not to burne with desire and loue of so pretious a Margariâ—e so inestimable a Iewel and Treasure or who is there that hath already bought it but wil esteeme so highly of it as certainly to preferre it before kingdomes and seates of honour and make account of al gold and syluer as a little sand or durt in
the institution so much commended by S. Hierome in the Monks of his time in these words No man can say I want a coate or a frock or a mattresse He that gouernes them doth so distribute al things that no man shal neede to aske Euery one hath what is fitting for him If any one of them begin to be il he is remoued into a larger roome and cherished by the seruice of so many elder Monks that he shal not haue euasion to long for the delicacies that be in Citties nor want the careful affection of a mother OF THE EXCELLENCY of Religious Chastity CHAP. IIII. POVERTY of which I haue discoursed at large in the precedent Chapter is exceedingly graced by the profession of Religious Chastity And Chastity is so much the more to be admired by how much our body is dearer vnto vs then our worldly wealth and in itself more noble Holy Scripture commendeth Chastity with a kinde of admiration O how beautifull is a chast generation with clarity It calleth thē that leade a chast life beautifull and glorious because there is a kind of grateful comelines belonging particularly to that state eleuated aboue the strayne of Nature and in a manner Diuine 2. To the end we may discouer it the better it wil not be amisse to consider how our Nature was ordered from the beginning wherof S. Basil hath a learned discourse in his booke of true Virginity and layeth this for his first ground that God when he purposed to furnish the earth with liuing creatures would not himself create them al immediately of nothing but making first a few of euery kind ordered that the rest should descend of them and be taken of them as out of a kind of nursery or seed-plot And least in so necessary a work his creatures should be slack whereas he had distinguished them into two sexes he gaue either sexe a strong inclination to come togeather to the end to breed of one another which inclination is ful as strong in men as in beasts and for as much as concerneth generation there is litle difference betwixt them but that to man there is a further ground to enforce it For the woman being taken out of the side of the man God ordayned she should be subiect and obedient to man as part to the whole and on the other side that he should beare particular affection vnto her and desire her companie and as it were clayme her as partie of himself with desire to be againe ioyned with her and make two in one and one in two and so be two in one flesh And to the end the loue betwixt them should be the greater he made woman of a soft and tender mould and disposition apt to allure man's affection by sight speech touching euery motion both to prouoke man the more to the desire of generation and prouide for the woman's infirmity for she not being able to defend herself without the help of man God tempered both their natures so that the woman's frayltie might be supported by the strength of the man and man though by nature stronger should be deliuered as it were captiue into the woman's hands by a secret violence as a loadstone drawes iron to it This is Saint Basil his discourse of the nature of man as it was first created by God and ordered by his al-prouident Counsel 3. To which if we adde the wound of Original sinne and the general informitie and corruption of our whole nature by it what shal we be able to say or think For that which Saint Bernard writeth is very true that though al parts of our body haue tasted of the Additiō of Leuiathan as he tearmeth it that is of the poison of Concupiscence and the sting of intemperate lust this part hath most of al been taynted with it and rageth more violently and is more perniciously malignant by reason of it in so much that it often bandeth in rebellion against al deliberation and whatsoeuer purpose of our wil which the Saint thinks was the cause why Circumcision which was the remedie of original sinne among the Iewes was rather ordayned in that part of the body then in any other Wherefore seing the malignancie of this disease and our weaknes also is so great the assaults of the diuel on that side as vpon the weakest part of our walls so hot and fierie so many difficulties and skirmishes arising otherwise what extraordinarie vertue what solide constancie of minde must it needs be which in al these things is both able to abide the brunt and goe away with victorie This strength this abilitie doth not certainly proceed from any ground of nature nor by our sole endeauour are we able to attayne vnto it but it descendeth from aboue as the Wise-man professeth when he sayth I know that otherwise I could not be chaste vnlesse God did giue it And S. Basil in the booke aboue-mentioned doth acknowledge it saying It is natural to marrye but to be chaste is a thing more excellent aboue nature aboue the law no wher commanded by God neither in the old Testamēt nor in the new because God would not subiect the merit of so great a vertue to the necessity of a command but leaue it to be a special token of a noble spirit willingly of our owne accord not compelled by precept or iniunction to embrace that which soareth so high aboue nature 4. Climacus calleth this vertue of Chastity an odoriferous vertue and sayth excellently wel that it is supernatural and a glorious kind of abnegation of nature whereby this our mortal corruptible body draweth neere the nature of the heauenlie Spirits which haue no bodies That he that liueth chaste cānot attribute it to any desert or endeauour of his owne because to ouercom nature is no easy busines but whensoeuer we haue the vpper hand of it we must acknowledge that it cometh frō a higher power because nothing is ouercom but by that which is stronger greater then it Which if we ponder duly we shal easily discouer the dignity excellency of this vertue of Continencie and how it transformeth our minde and body into a neere resemblance of the state of life which the Blessed shal possesse in heauen after the general resurrection when we shal againe be inuested with that which was truly out body truly our flesh but then incorruptible and spiritual free from the base and ignoble qualities which heer hang vpon vs which the Apostle calleth natural the function therof being the same with beasts and particularly this power of generation which alteration in this kind our Blessed Sauiour expressed in two words They shal neither marrie nor be married 5. Wherefore they that performe this now vpon earth endeauour heer to mayntaine their flesh holy and impolluted liue after a heauenly manner as Saint Cyprian writing to certaine Religious women telleth vs in these
wordes That which we shal be hereafter you haue now begunne to be Now in this world you haue attained the glory of the resurrection you passe through the world without thought of the world and perseuering chast in virginity are equal with the Angels of God Which wordes of S. Cyprian concerning the equality of virgins with the Angels giue vs occasion to reflect vpon a farther dignity of this vertue to wit that it teacheth vs to liue in mortal flesh as if we were as Angels not in flesh For to be in flesh is of it self no vn worthy thing but to do the commaunds of the flesh and obey the lust thereof that is vnworthy Wherefore they that liue spiritually and performe not the desires of the flesh but constantly mortify the workes thereof they liue as the blessed Spirits that haue no flesh Whereupon S. Ambrose discoursing of a single life speaketh thus It is not contained within the boundes of nature who then is able to comprehend it or who can expresse with wordes of nature that which is aboue the straine of nature It brought from heauen that which it imitateth vpon earth neither without reason doth it seeke in heauen a forme of liuing hauing found itself a spouse in heauen surmounting the cloudes the aire the starres the Angels it found the Word of God in the bosome of his Father and entertained it with open breast And who would haue let passe so great a Good hauing once found it Finally it is not my saying only they that do not mâ—rry nor are giuen in marriage shal be like the Angels of God in heauen Let no man therefore wonder if they be compared to Angels seing they are coupled to the Lord of Angels Cassian hath the like discourse in no lesse eloquent tearmes To dwel in flesh saith he to be compassed round a bout with brickle flesh and not to feele the motions of flesh is as it were to go out of flesh and passe the boundes of nature And therefore it is impossible for a man to raise himself with his owne wings as I may say to so lofty and so heauenly a reward vnlesse the grace of God by the guift of Chastity pul him out of thâ— earthly slough For by no vertue are men of flesh so properly equalized with the spiritual Angels by imitation of their conuersation as by the grace and merit of Chastiâ—y by which liuing as yet vpon earth they are according to the Apostle Denizens of heauen possessing heere now in mortal flesh that which hereafter is promised that the Saints shal haue when they haue shaken off this fleshly corruption Let vs heare S. Gregory Nazâ—anzen also so great a Diuine speaking to the same purpose He saith thus You see the excellency and sublimenesse of this vertue is such as can hardly be conceaued or apprehended For is it not a thing surpassing the frayltie of flesh that that which is borne of flesh should not breed of flesh Is it not euidently an Angelical kind of life to be confined in flesh and not to liue according to flesh but to crow ouer nature Flesh blindes vs to the world reason rayseth vs to God Flesh holdes vs downe Reason lifts vs and in a manner giues vs wings Flesh imprisoneth vs but Loue settes vs free 5. Wherefore vnlesse we wil wilfully shut our eyes and not giue way to Reason we must needes admire the great splendour of Chastity which ranketh vs not with Kings and Princes an honour so much hunted after by men but with the celestiâ—al Powers and Principalities And yet S. Bernard steppeth a degree further beâ—ng bold to say that he that liueth chast is to be commended aboue the Angels And his reason is cleare What is more beautifull sayth he then Chastity which cleanseth him that is conceaued by vncleane generation and maketh a familiar friend of an enemie a man an Angleâ— A man that is chaste dissereth somewhat from an Angel but in happinesse not in veâ—tue â—f the Angel's chastity be more happy man's is more heroical Chastity is the onlie vertue which representeth vâ—to vs the state of immortal glory in this time and place of mortality Chastity alone amidst the solemnities of marriage challengeth as a glorious thing the life of that happy countrey where they sâ—al neither marry nor be marryed giuing vs in earth a taste of that heauenly conuersation Chastity preserueth the frayle vessel which we beare about vs which of en is in hazard of breaking and preserueth it as the Apostle speaâ—eth to sanctification and serues vs as a most odoriferous balsame to keepe our bodies incorrupted It refraineth our senses it bindeth our members from loosse idlenesse from corrupt desires from the rotten pleasures of flesh that it be not with vs as we read of some that they were as rotten as beastes in their dung Saint Chrysostome iumpeth with S. Bernard in the commendation of this vertue and expresseth himself in these words In what did Elias Elizeus Iohn true louers of integrity differ from the Angels Truly in nothing but that they were by nature mortal as for the rest if a man looke narrowly into it he shal find them no otherwise affected then those blessed Spirits and that their nature was of an inferiour mould turnes rather to their greater commendation For to the end that earth-dwelling and mortal men should by the strength of their endeauour arriue to so great a vertue with what fortitude must they be endewed What rare course of life must they necessarily hold We may adde S. Basil who in the booke aboue moÌ„tioned of Virginity discourseth after this manner They that preserue themselues continent are certainly Angels in corruptible flesh and do excessiuely honour the mortal life which they leade They are Angels of no meane ranke but most glorious and most noble they that are in heauen free from the encumbers of flesh preserue their integrity because both by nature and by their place they are impregnable seated neare to the soueraigne King of al our God But the others vpon earth striue many yeares with the pleasures and allurements of flesh and by their continual endeauours ouercoming the temptations of the Diuel with rare courage and constancy liue in the sight of their Creatour in incorruption equal in purity with the Angels 7. Thus you see how these holy Fathers extol Continency and Chastity to the dignity of Angels Others lift it yet higher and place it in the next degree to the Diuine purity Climacus amongst the rest aduentureth to say that Chastity is the nearest similitude which man can possibly haue with God who as he is neyther corporal nor corruptible delighteth much in integrity and incorruption Contrary-wise the Diuels delight in dishonesty and there want not wise men that say they reioyce in no vice so much as in that But S. Basil goeth more profoundly to work Virginity sayth he is a rare and excellent thing
they enioy from vice and multiplicitie of affections and in the constancie and permanencie of their wil in good whereof I haue discoursed at large before and also by the sublime disposition of their minde soaring aboue al things created and domineering ouer them by contemning them finally not to repeate euerie thing againe by the integritie of their chast and continent life whereof the Wise-man sayth Incorruption maketh a man neare to God and doubtles the nearer we come to the likenes with God the truer and more perfect is our friendship with him and the effects of his friendship more signal and more abundant in vs. For wheras the first thing in friendship is to make things common among friends what is there that Religions people doe not giue vnto God or what hath God which he doth not impart to them againe The Religious giue themselues and that they haue God on the other side bestowes vpon them his graces and his glorie that is himself As therefore in this state of life there is a real communication of al things betwixt God and them and consequently true perfect friendship so they that haue not yet arriued to this degree of communication may vnderstand thereby that as farre as they are short of it so farre they are short of the perfection of the friendship with God 4. Moreouer in this friendship there wanteth not Conuersation without which as Aristotle affirmeth no friendship can hold I doe not meane such external conuersation as depends of nearnes of bodie and sense which can not reach the presence of God and things Diuine but the communication which we may haue by our minde and spirit wherewith we traffick with God and his holie Angels and performe that which the Apostle sayth Our conuersation is in heauen For where is this more perfectly more frequently more at ease performed then in Religion which of purpose barreth al other conuersation wholy to attend to this And God who sayth His delight is to be with the sonnes of men cannot but conuerse much more willingly with them that so ardently desire his blessed companie absolutly preferre it before al things created 5. What honour therefore what pleasure what commoditie must necessarily follow of this Conuersation For if we desire to conuerse with wise men to the end we may learne by their wisdome and with rich men that we may partake of their riches vpon farre more solid grounds we may hope for al kind of good by conuersing with God and in particular manie heauenlie illustrations manie sweet communications and present tokens of his loue towards vs which cannot but bring wonderful contentment to our soules and make vs feele within ourselues that which in the Book of Wisdome is spoken of the wisdome which we are speaking of His conuersation hath no betternes and his commerce no irksomnes but ioy and gladnes Wherefore S. Bernard haâ— great reason to make the comparison which he doth betwixt the Religious and Secular people saying that Religious people be of the house-hold of God Secular people and they that are good among them belong indeede to his Armie but further off and addeth Happie are you that haue been thought worthie to be of his â—ouse-hold to whome the Apostle speaketh when he sayth Now you are not strangers and forreners but you are Citizens with the Saints and domesticks of God It is therefore a matter of great consequence to be the friend of God and to conuerse familiarly with him and a place of great honour and dignitie and also of exceeding great commoditie 6. But yet this league which is betwixt a Religious man and God is 〈◊〉 my conceit of a higher straine then friendship and deserues a more honourable name claiming a kinde of kindred and neare propinquitie with him which if I did fayne of mine owne head it would sauour of pride and presumption for me to say it but seing our Sauiour hath so expresly cast it vpon vs it were both foolish not to entertaine it and wicked not to belieue it No man can be ignorant of the answer which he made to the man that brought him word that his mother and his brethren were standing without He that doth the wil of my Father that is in heauen he is my brother and my sister and my mother To what state of life doth this saying more properly agree then to a Religious course where people fulfil the wil of God not in one or two things but in al alwayes and are bound to the wil of God as strictly as they are bound to the Obedience which they vow to keepe perpetually al their life-time Wherefore the promise also which S. Paul cites out of the ancient Prophets doth belong vnto them Goe out of the midst of them and be separated from them saith our Lord and I wil be a father to you you shal be my sonnes and daughters saith our Lord Almightie Religious people therfore hauing performed the first and departed out of the midst of the world and worldlings it remaineth that God entertaine them as his children and though it were honour enough to be seruants to so infinit a Maiestie yet they may iustly claime this other title and expect he should haue a fatherlie care ouer them and cherish them with fatherlie loue 7. Finally that no degree of loue and friendship nor benefit also might be wanting in this one benefit of God he deales so liberally with these his children that as al Diuines deliuer and particularly S. Thomas he makes them his Spouses which I know not whether I may say it is a nearer but certainly it is wont to be a more sweet kind of tye then that of children And to say no more then that which is true the marriage of a Religious soule with God is in a manner as truly a marriage as any can be between man and wife S. Augustin attributeth this effect to voluntarie Chastitie They that vow virginitie to God saith he though they haue a higher place of honour and dignitie in the Church yet they are not without marriage for they pertaine to the marriage with the whole Church in which mariage the Bridegrome is CHRIST Which doubtles agreeth particularly to al Religious people in regard of their Continencie For God wil neuer suffer himself to be ouercome with liberalitie but whatsoeuer we doe for his loue he rewardes it euen in things of like nature with great encrease For as he returneth a hundred-fold in possessions to them that leaue their possessions for his sake to them that leaue father and mother he giueth himself in lieu of them with a hundred times as much loue and charitie as father and mother could beare towards them so he repayeth in like kind them that forsake carnal marriage for his loue and vouchsafeth them a more happie marriage with himself Though besides Chastitie there is another thing in
only vphold it but made it wonderfully famous For he put himself into that Monasterie with thirtie others wherof three were his owne brethren and not long after the fame of his vertuous liuing breaking-forth of that obscuritie he drew so manie to follow his footsteps that sending his brethren and disciples abroad into the whole world he founded one hundred and threescore Monasteries in his owne life-time 15. Al these Families sprung out of the Rule of S. Benedict which in those dayes did beare al the sway insomuch that in al the Western parts it is holden that there were no other Monks but they that professed that Rule til the Charterhouse-monks began which was some sixteen yeares before the beginning of the Cistercian Order and the origin of them is wel knowne and famous For a Doctour of the Law in Paris dying with great opinion both of learning and sanctitie as he lay vpon the hearse while the Diâ—ige was singing for his funeral and manie assembled at it three seueral dayes togeather spake alowde one day that he was accused an other day that he was iudged and the third day that he was condemned Wherupon Bruno a famous Doctour also of the same Vniuersitie afrighted turning to his Schollars sayd And who then can be saued vnlesse he forsake the world And presently betooke himself with six companioÌ„ to a solitarie place about Grenoble esteeming it the fittest seate to retire himself vnto from the world And it was reuealed to Hugo Bishop of that Diocese that their resolution was from God for as he lay in his bed he saw as he thought the Maiestie of God descending vpon that desert place and that himself was building a palace for him there anone he saw as it were seauen starres of great brightnes to rise by litle litle from the earth in forme of a Coronet farre vnlike to anie other starres both in fashion and situation and motion 16. The Institute of the Carmelits though it were brought into Italie about a thousand two hundred yeares after Christ yet learned men doe deliuer that it is much more ancient for we find that Iohn Patriarch of Hierusalem in the yeare Foure hundred and twelue being of this Order and the head of it wrote a Rule for it wherby it appeareth that it should be yet more ancient then â—his time And there want not those and among them Waldensis an approued Authour that are of opinion that it began in the Apostles time in Mount Carmelus and the name sheweth no lesse in a Church which was the first that euer was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin our Ladie in this world and encreasing in number of subiects and houses through-out al Palestine was dispersed by the Saracens that ouerranne the couÌ„trey they being rooted-out againe it flourished as before much about the yeare One thousand one hundred This is most certain that about foure-score yeares after this restoring of it Albert also Patriarch of Hierusalem a man learned wise restored the Rule which Iohn had instituted augmented it very profitably and about the time I sayd before Pope Honorius the Third bringing diuers of the Religious of that Order into diuers Prouinces of Europe approued and confirmed their Rule being wished therunto by our B. Ladie appearing vnto him inâ—â—a Vision as it is reported and not long after Pope Innocent the Fourth made diuers Decrees in fauour of it and tooke it into the protection and safegard of the Sea Apostolick A happie Age not only for the propagation of this Order but for the instituting of foure other Orders to wit the Franciscans the Dominicans the Celestines and the Seruites 17. The Franciscans began in the yeare One thousand two hundred and twelue For we find that this yeare S. Francis brought his Rule to Pope Innocent the Third and that it was confirmed by him they being as yet but few of the Order but it was half a miracle to see how quickly it encreased insomuch that not long after there met of them at a General Congregation at Assisi fiue thousand and at the self-same time there were fiue hundred more that entred among them so that in a short time they filled the whole world and are now so manie of them that being diuided into three branches euerie branch of them is so populous that they may seeme euerie one of them to be a great Order of itself 18. The Dominicans haue their name and beginning from S. Dominick who being first a Canon-Regular vnder the Bishop of Huesca laboured hard for ten yeares against the Hereticks of Tolouse and then making some few partakers of his determination he framed a new Rule and Institute the end wherof should be to preach the Ghospel which is the reason they are called Friarâ—-Preachers And they write that it was first coÌ„firmed by word of mouth by Innocent the Third in the time of the Councel of Lateran and afterwards in writing by Honorius the Third in the yeare One thousand two hundred and sixteen 19. Some sixteen yeares after the Seruites began at Florence at the time when the Emperour Frederick the Second being at variance with Pope Gregorie the Ninth and with the Church wasted the Pope's territorie by al the meanes he could For it is recorded that seauen Gentlemen of worth and wel able to liue called by a voyce from heauen retired themselues to a hil that was not farre of and liuing priuate there for some time were discouered and made knowne to the world by their vertuous life wherupon many adioyned themselues vnto them and being afterwards dispersed into seueral Prouinces are growne to that encrease which we see They are called Seruites because they particularly professe themselues Seruants and slaues of the Blessed Virgin 20. Not long after the Celestines were instituted by Peter Morone This man as it is recorded of him liued manie yeares in the Wildernes but the austeritie of his life togeather with the manie miracles which he wrought made him so famous in Italie and throughout al Europe that manie putting themselues vnder his conduct they were distributed afterwards into seueral houses and countryes And there being at that time a General Councel at Lions and Pope Gregorie the Tenth present at it in person he went thither and procured his Rule and Institute to be approued by him in the yeare One thousand two hundred seauentie three But the reason why they are called Celestines is because this very man some twentie yeares after being made Pope called himself Celestin the Fifth and euer after that name of his remayned to his Order 21. We must not let passe the Croches-Frâ—ars the beginnings of which Order two Popes Alexander the Third and the Sixt in their seueral Breues dâ—â— deriue from Cletus S. Peter his successour not that they liued in the manner them which now we see but that there was in those times a Companie instituted for the entertayning of Pilgrims that
violence what thou wouldst doe seing of necessitie thou must then abstaine from that pleasure and haue no reward for abstayning Giue thanks therefore to God because thou shalt haue a great reward and a glorious Crowne if thou liue as they doe without anie reward nay farre more easily more safely more pleasantly both because the hope of restibution doth strengthen thee and the knowledge that it is an act of vertue doth comfort thee And truly considered what effect may we iustly think the hope of a reward in heauen which S. Iohn Chrysostome speaketh of wil worke in a Religious soule seing the greedines of an earthlie recompence or the serious application to studie or to anie other worldlie busines is forcible enough easily to diuert a man's thoughts from al obscenitie Insomuch that Plato himself which a man may with reason wonder at exhorting yong men to liue chaste bringeth an example of a certaine man of â—arentum and diuers others besides whome there he names that abstayned from al pleasure of that nature to the end to preserue their bodilie strength intire and in the ful vigour which it ouâ—ht to be for the Olympical Exercises They therefore sayth he abstayned from that pleasure which vulgarly is esteemed happie that they might ouercome others in Wrastling in the Race such other exercises and shal not our youth be able to doe the like for a farre more noble victorie what victorie to wit that subduing pleasure they may liue happily moreouer shal not feare of coÌ„mitting a grieuous offence be able to make theÌ„ ouercome that which others that are farre worse then they are reported to haue ouercome What would Plato haue sayd if he could haue had experience of the force of the loue of God seing he thought the loue of earthlie things to be so effectual wheras the loue of God doth so wholy possesse a soule that it taketh no delight but in things Diuine and Celestial and abhorreth more then death itself anie thing that sauours of vncleannes Which S. Macarius proueth in this manner If the loue of carnal marriage separate a man so farre from father and mother and brethren that esteeming them al strangers he loues his wife only and cleaues to her and hers as to his owne if I say the loue of flesh doth so breake with al other loue how much more shal they contemne al loue and delight in other things that haue so neerly linked themselues to God and drunk so plentifully of his loue 3. These are the reasons why the abstayning from al pleasure in this kind is so easie and pleasant and the ground whervpon S. Hierome deliuereth these words in commendation of this vertue How great happines is it not to be a slaue to a wife but to Christ not to serue the flesh but the spirit For he that cleaueth to God is one spirit And S. Bernard accordingly speaking both of Chastitie and other vertues accompanying it applyeth to this purpose that saying of the Prophet short in words but large in sense Delight in our Lord auerring that al Religious people are so plentifully made partakers of this delight in our Lord that none of them al can denye but that they feele it My Brethren sayth he Secular people may say so you cannot say so For who is there of you that hath not often experienced the delight of a good Conscience tasted the sweetnes of Chastitie Humilitie and Charitie This is not like the delight in meate or drink or such like yet it is a delight and a greater delight then al these For it is not carnal delight but Diuine 4. S. Ephrem also as it were astonished with the pleasures of Chastitie discourseth in this manner O Chastitie mother of loue resemblance of an Angelical life O Chastitie cleane of hart sweet in tast chearful in countenance O Chastitie which maketh men like to Angels O Chastitie reioycing the hart of him that possesseth thee and giuing wings to a Soule to fly vp to heauen O Chastitie which bringest a spiritual ioy and takest away sorrow O Chastitie which dost diminish the passions of the mind and free it from perturbation O Chastitie a spiritual Chariot lifting him on high that possesseth thee O Chastitite that buddest like a rose in the midst betwixt the soule and bodie and fillest the whole house with a fragrant smel This and much more sayth this holie ancient Father And certainly if we grant that filthie obscenesse hath naturally so much force to allure vs and to set vs so much on fire notwithstanding the vnseemelines of it we cannot think but that honestie and puritie and the beautie of so rare a vertue must needs be much more forcible For what comparison is there betwixt light and darknes or betwixt dirt and mire where hogs doe tumble and those lillies among which the Spouse doth so willingly feed that he refuseth al food without them And thus much of Chastitie 5 The delights of Obedience are somewhat more apparent because Obedience hath none of the incommodities of Pouertie nor yet so fel an enemie as Chastitie our owne bodie making warre against Chastitie and being both vncapable of feeling anie delight in puritie of life and carrying vs rather headlong to al kind of sensualitie Obedience dependeth of the mind only which being capable to conceaue the beautie of so great a vertue may easily also perswade itself to loue it and being so perswaded there remayneth litle or no contradiction from abroad Besides other things which encrease the sweetnes of it first that if freeth vs from the troubles and anxieties which are wont often to occurre in setling or gouerning our estate in vndertaking or leauing this or that busines indeed in al occasions and howres of our life secondly because it putteth vs into the hands of God and placeth vs in his armes to be carried and ruled and cherished by him then which what can be more delightful or more to be desired For if we ayme at honour which doubtles in itself is pleasing nothing can be more honourable then to be so tenderly loued and so louingly dealt-with by so great a Maiestie if it be profit that taketh vs which also is ful of pleasure nothing can be more profitable then to relye our whole life and al that we doe vpon such a guide Finally al manner of comforts delights are contayned in this one to see ourselues so inwardly linked to him who is the onlie Father of mercies as the Apostle stileth him and the God of al comfort which as al other spiritual things no man can rightly value but he that hath tryed it and they that haue tryed it doe so louingly and so passionatly affect Obedience that libertie is a crosse vnto them as we reade of B. Aegidius a Franciscan-Friar For when S. Francis by reason of his eminent sanctitie had giuen him freedome to go whither he would and dwel where
telles vs that they signifie foure Vertues wherewith while our hart is watered the heate of al carnal desires is alayed 4. Let vs see how that agreeth to Religion which God sayd of Man It is not good for man to be alone let vs make him a help like to himself What doth this signify but the help which euerie one findes in the companie of his Brethren for the benefit of his owne soule and for the more profitable assistance of his Neighbour Certainly it is not good for a man that desiâ—eth vertue to be alone rather it is dangerous and hurtful both because it is more easie for the Diuel to supplant him and himself is more apt to be wearied with the labour 〈◊〉 vertuous course of life a man cannot but want sometimes good counsel and good example Great therefore is the help which Conuersation with our Brethren doth yeald vs and is more like ourselues then the help which was made for Adam because that was only like in nature heer the Sexe is the same and our habit and orders and al things els are alâ—ke 5. If we looke also into the inward disposition of mind in which our first Father was at the time of his creation we shal find no smal resemblance of it in Religion S. Ioâ—n Chrysostome discoursing of the happines of Monks and comparing them with Adam while he liued in Paradise expresseth it in these words Wâ—y should these be in worse case then he when before his disobedience he was busied in working in Paradise He was troubled with no worldlie care no more are these He conuersed with God with an vpright conscience and so doe these and so much the more freely by how much they haue greater grace bestowed vpon them by the guift of the Holie-Ghost 6. Finally S. Bernard discoursing of the delights of this Paradise sheweth withal the way and meanes which we must take to come vnto it and it is reason we should learne of him Do not think sayth he that this Paradise of inward pleasure is anie corporal place We must not walk with our feete into this garden but with our affections It is not commended for store of earthlie trees but for the pleasant and comelie plants of spiritual vertues It is a Garden enclosed where a sealed fountaine is deriued into foure branches and one veyne of wisdome spreads itself into foure seueral vertues There beautiful lillies spring forth and when the flowers appeare the voice of the Turtle-doue is heard There the Spikenard yealdeth the Spouse a most fragrant smel and al other spices abound while the South-wind bloweth the North-wind is shut out In the midst is the Tree of Life the Apple-tree mentioned in the Canticles more precious then al the trees of the woods the shade wherof cooleth the Spouse and the fruit is sweet in her throat There the brightnes of Continencie and the knowledge of sincere truth enlightneth the eyes of our hart the melodious voice of the inward CoÌ„forter giueth ioy and gladnes to our hearing There the pleasant Sent of a fruitful field which God hath blessed doth as it were beate into the nostrels of our Hâ—pe There we haue a tast of the incomparable daynties of Charitie and eate greedily of them and the thornes and brambles wherewith it was pricked before being now cut downe and our soule annoynted with the oyle of Mercie it reposeth happily in a good Conscience And al these things are not reckoned among the rewards of the life to come but are part of our hire in this temporal warfare and belâ—ng not to the future but rather to the promise of the Church which now is For this is the Hundred-fold which euen in this world is bestowed vpon those that contemne the world These are the words of S. Bernard the bare rehearsal wherof whom should is not in reason moue to labour for so great blessings and to resolue for euer to liue where there is such plentie of happines 7. And yet we haue no great cause to wonder that Religion should be so like the terrestrial Paradise seing it is like to Heauen itself which is in farre greater honour For indeed if we looke wel into the nature of a Religious life it is a liuelie patterne of that happie and blisseful habitation and resembleth it in al points as neer as possibly the liuing in this world can come neere vnto it And because I wil not haue anie man think that I speake this of my owne head S. LaureÌ„ce Iustinian shal speake for me who hath a long eloquent discourse to this purpose in the booke which he wrote of Monastical perfection and among other things he sayth thus in expresse words In al human things and in this pilgrimage of ours there is no such liuelie picture of our heauenlie Countrey as is Monastical conuersation and a Congregation dedicated to the seruice of God And then confirmeth this his 〈◊〉 with manie solid euident proofes which whosoeuer wil may reade in him And â— Basil was directly of the same opinion for hauing made a long discâ—â—â—se of the excellencie of a Religious life in the end he concludes that vpon earth there is not anie thing so great or so beautiful as to deserue to be compared with it and that therefore we must seeke to heauen to haue a likenes of it because as in heauen al things are incorruptible so also among Religious people and as the Cittizens of heauen loue intirely togeather so doe Religious people 8. The first reason therefore of similitude between Heauen and Religion if we follow S. Basil is Incorruption that is Chastitie because as in heauen they neither marrie nor are giuen in marriage according to the saying of our Sauiour so neither in Religion The second reason is Charitie and that perfect loue and vnion which is betwixt those happie Saints of heauen grounded not in nature or anie natural inclination or motiue but in God alone and his onlie loue And what is there vpon earth that doth more perfectly resemble this loue then Religion where people do so absolutely concurre in the self-same mind and opinions and haue al manner of things so common among them and loue so entirely togeather that as I haue often sayd must often repeate it they seeme not to be manie soules but one soule in manie bodies knit and vnited togeather not for natural reasons or human respects and ends as marchants soldiers and the like but meerely vpon Charitie meerely for the loue of God This Charitie as the Apostle speaketh neuer sayling shal last with vs in heauen and be the self-same there which is heer vpon earth and consequently while we are on earth it liuely representeth the state which we shal inioy in heauen S. Iohn Chrysostom speaking in commendation of Religious people doth not stick to say that they haue made choyce of a heauenlie kind of life and are not
sayd not only of the dignitie of it but of the immensitie and abundance of the ioyes and comforts which are in it For it were not only impudencie but scarce the conceit of a man but of a beast to value the pleasures of the bodie and the itching delight which growes from these base inferiour things aboue true and solide contentment of mind grounded in God who is the only true good and the good of al goodnes this contentment and delight of mind being that sauourie Manna which the goodnes of God rayneth downe from heauen vpon those that he leades out of Aegypt into the Desert 2. But because as we sayd before both in our passage out of the land of Aegypt and afterwards there want not them that stand in our way and oppose vs Pharao with his horse and his whole armie on the one side and the Philistians Iebusaeans oÌ„ the other it remayneth that we now endeauour to discouer their plots which is half the victorie and breake their weapons in peeces which they arme against vs. And first we wil gâ—e in hand with that obiection which is vsual That al cannot be partakers of the pleasures delights which we haue discoursed of a few rare men only attaine vnto them by the special fauour of Almightie God by long fasting and continual punishing of their bodie the rest that are of the ordinarie sort of people and but of a meane strayne in Vertue are farre from feeling anie such kind of sweetnes neuer indeed tast of the delights we speake of For confutâ—tion of this errour for I can cal it no other we must first suppose that whatsoeuer hath been sayd in al this Treatise either of the benefit or excellencie or pleasantnes of a Religious life is to be vnderstood of the State itself and not of particular men For what is it to the purpose if men be lazie and carelesse and suffer themselues to want in the midst of al plentie and abundance to starue for hunger at a sul board of daynties Of which kind of people the Holie-Ghost speaketh in the Prouerbs thus 〈◊〉 sâ—â—athful man hideâ—â— his Land vnder his arm-pit and doth not put 〈◊〉 to his mouth For in like manner Religious people are not farre to seeke for the goods which abound in Religion but haue them readie carued to their hand it is their part to make vse of them and to put them as meat to their mouthes if they wil not take so litle paynes as is required to make vse of them the fault is their owne if they be in want not the State 's the State itself is fol fraught with excellent coÌ„modities if they remaine emptie and naked they must blame themselues When Natural Philosophers discourse of the constitution of a man's bodie they discourse of it as it is by nature intire and perfect with hands armes and legs and feet and al the rest of the limmes belonging to a perfect bodie if anie particular man want a hand or an eye or a foot or anie other part they take no notice of it nor make anie reckoning of it because their ayme is to teach that which is natural to the thing they treate of So treating of Religion we shew what profit pleasure the State is apt wont naturally to produce and afford if there be anie particular man in whom it worketh not this wonted effect the fault is in the man not in the State And yet I dare vndertake that the number of these sloathful and lazie people is farre lesse then the number of them that take comfort in Religion because it is one of the happinesses and benefits of a Religious life to rowse-vp the spirits of them that are drowsie and negligent to put life into them that are slow and dul and set them on fire that are cold and lumpish 3. But perhaps they that make this obiection intend only to say that the rapts or trances and extasies and miracles which they heare of or reade in the liues of a S. Antonie or S. Dominick or S. Francis or some other great Saints of special note be peculiar to such rare men as they were and happen not to al Religious people 4. And this I willingly grant neither was it euer my meaning to say otherwise nor if we consider the matter right is it anie disparagement to Religion that al haue not these extraordinarie guifts For as the fertilnes of a peece of ground appeares if it naturally yeald a hudred for one and if anie particular man reape not so much the goodnes of the soyle is not the cause of it but the negligence or want of skil of him that ploughes it or tilles it not as it ought to be tilled The same of Religion of itself it is a fat soyle and the goodnes of it appeares chiefly and to the admiration of al the world in such eminent Saints as they are whom we mentioned if we doe not find the like profit by it we cannot lay anie blame vpon Religion but the fault is in vs. And yet this verie consideration ought in reason to animate encourage vs to be the more diligent knowing what plentie of fruit we may reape of our labours and what abundance others haue reaped And no doubt but though we neuer arriue to tast of those extraordinarie and vnwonted ioyes pleasures which those admirable Saints did seele we may notwithstanding find no smal comfort in Religion and indeed abundantly enough to fil vs. For though we haue not the markes of the siue wounds of our Sauiour printed in our bodie as some of them haue had or be not rapt to the third heauen or suffer not excesse of mind in prayer and the like Yet it is ordinarie and easie also to take so much pleasure in reading of spiritual books in prayer in contemplation of the Mysteries of our Faith and such holie Exercises that we would not exchange the delight which we find in them for al the delights which are in the world though they were ten thousand times more then they are For these Diuine guists comforts of God are like the Oyle which was multiplyed by the Prophet Elizaeus they runne so long as there are emptie vessels to receaue them though the vessels which are presented are some of them but smal and not so manie as might be filled yet so long as anie are offered this heauenlie oyle doth not cease to runne that which is deriued by this meanes into our soules be it neuer so little according to the proportion and capacitie of the vessel which we presente is notwiâ—standing wonderful sweet and pleasant 5. We may adde that they that are so ful of these feares and doubts least God should sel his spiritual delights at too deare a rate haue a meane and vnworthie conceit of his infinit goodnes and bountie taking him to be close-fisted as I may say of a
couetous disposition which is farre from the bountifulnes of his nature They should rather reflect how freely and liberally and profusedly he powreth forth the rest of his benefits for the sustenance of this natural life of ours He maketh the Sunne to rise day by day and giueth rayne to the earth in due season he furnisheth the world with plentie of corne and wine oyle and al other fruits not only sufficiently to supply our necessities but abundantly for pleasure and pastime And vpon whom doth he bestow these things Vpon men that blaspheme his holie name vpon men that are wicked and vngodlie or at least for the most part vngrateful vpon them that receauing so manie inestimable benefits at his hands think not once of him and oftimes abuse his guifts to his dishonour and reproach Seing therefore God is so large and bountiful in the goods which serue but for this natural life why should he not be in like manner liberal and profuse in the goods which serue for our spiritual life a life farre more noble and excellent and for which he voluntarily descended from the throne of heauen and dyed willingly vpon the Crosse to the end we might be partakers of it We see what kind of people were inuited to that sumptuous Bancket so royally magnificently set forth in the Ghospel Did he cal the rich and noble only or people clad in cloth of gold and siluer Goe forth sayth he quickly into the streets and lanes of the Cittâ—e the poore and â—eeble and blind and lame bring in hither Who be these seeble and blind poore people to interpret the Parable spiritually as we ought but such as are imperfect and but Nouices for matter of spirit too weake-sighted to fixe their eyes attentiuely vpon heauenlie things and too feebly vnderlayd to runne the wayes of Religious discipline and finally but slenderly prouided of vertue and poore in al spiritual graces And yet these are not only not excluded from the sweetnes of this bancket but vnexpectedly inuited and entreated and as the Ghospel speaketh compelled to goe in Let no man therefore feare when he is called to Religion that he shal be kept fasting from those plentiful fruits which we haue mentioned or forced to labour too long in digging for this current of liuing water 6. For a Religious life hath manie helps and furtherances towards these comforts First it hath an aduantage ouer a Secular life which is of no smal importance that in a Secular life euerie one must get what he can by his owne labour industrie but in Religion the State itself furnisheth vs with manie graces and putteth them as I may say into our bosome when we think not of them And besides the good which we doe ourselues we haue the help of the good deserts of our Brethren which participation how beneficial it is we haue spoken at large elswhere The dignitie of the State the fauour in which it is with God doth highly also endeere vs vnto him and that heroical act when we resigned ourselues and al that belonged vnto vs into the hands of our Creatour for this act alone is of more value esteeme weighes more with God then manie vertuous actions of a Secular bodie And finally the promise of Christ is of great weight very coÌ„siderable for he hath promised a hundred-fold not only to such as liue like an other S. Arsenius or S. Hilarion but absolutely to al that forsake al without addition or restriction as we see Which argument S. Bernard doth handle excellently wel confuting this selfsame errour the vaine feares which they obiect who say He doth so indeed I perhaps doe not so I am of a tender complexion I am a sinner cannot go through with so much hardnes without a great deale of grace and haue it not in me to deserue this grace As if grace were not grace but a reward of our work as if al had not sinned and stood in need of the grace of God Dâ—st thou think ô man that there is exception of persons with God and that he doth not so plentifully comfort al those that haue left al Be not incredulous yeald at least to Truth of whose testimonie no faithful man can doubt He sayth And euerie one that shal leaue father or mother or house or land for my name shal receaue a hundred-fold Christ excepteth no man They therefore are miserable that say Beside vs. It seemes they think themselues vnworthie of life euerlasting seing they do not hope for so much as a hundred-fold But because God who promiseth it is true the man is a lyar that mistrusteth it Thus sayth S. Bernard 7. But because beginners are they that are most of al subiect to these feares in regard their mind is yet dul in conceauing spiritual things and feeble in resisting the encounters which may occurre and clogd with the dregs of a secular life we wilshew that they haue least cause of anie bodie to feare because the beginnings of a Religious life are alwayes most ful of comfort For if we beleeue as we ought that the Diuine goodnes hath so much care ouer those that are his that he carrieth them as it were in his armes and in his bosome we must needs grant that it belongeth much more to the self-same fatherlie care and prouidence to giue this spiritual Infancie milk to drink as the Apostle speaketh For if as Authour of nature he prouided so carefully for our bodie that as long as a child wants teeth and strength to feed itself it should be fed with milk which is so pleasing a sustenance and so easie to be had without anie labour of the child shal we think that in the order of Grace of which he is in like manner Authour he hath not had the like care of our soule while it is weake and feeble For this is that which he promiseth of his owne accord by the Prophet Esay You shal be carried at the breasts and they shal make much of you vpon their knees as if a mother should make much of one so wil I comfort you How could God expresse himself in more louing or more tender tearmes then that as infinit as he is he disdayneth not to stoope to the tender affections and seruices and assiduitie of a Nurse Though in these words he doth not only expresse his loue towards vs in that he compareth himself to a Mother but comparing vs to little infants he giueth vs moreouer to vnderstand that we shal enioy these heauenlie comforts before we be able to deserue them For what did a little infant or what can it doe to deserue the loue and good wil of a mother but only that it is her child for which there is no thanks due to the child but to the mother And if we talk of merit what did the Prodigal Child doe that could deserue so much cherishing at his father's hands or
in the hart of this good man ought in reason to sway as much with euerie bodie els and of itself alone were indeed sufficient to encourage anie bodie were he neuer so infirme and weake But to returne to our former discourse by this we may see that the Grace of God doth so temper the hardnes which seemes to be in Religion that really it is not felt but is rather pleasant and to be desired And it is no such great wonder that it should be so For if there be an art to sweeten sowre fruits and to put a delicious tast into an vnsauourie gourd or such like green and â—arâ—h â—uvcie commodities tempering them with sugar or honie or the like preseruers shal we think that in Christian Religion there is no art to take away 〈◊〉 difficulties which flesh and bloud suggest Certainly there is and an art faâ—re easier to learne and put in practise then the other in regard it wholy depends of the minâ— which if it be once resolued nothing is hard vnto it but al things easie and obuious 8. And to make it so euident that no bodie shal be able to denye it let vs consider the meanes which Religion vseth to alay these difficulties to sweeten them for it is a matter which doth much import Among manie wayes therefore which it hath very effectual to this purpose first it sets before our eyes the immensitie of the rewards of heauen due to our labours the eâ—etnitie of them the infinit felicitie which there we shal enioy and by these considerations inflames vs with the loue of that heauenlie happines which once enkindled makes al labour no labour at al S. Augustin discoursing at large and rarely as he is wont of this subiect in one of his Sermons bringeth manie examples of men that for human ends haue suffered inhuman and cruel things as to be cut and lanced burned to prorâ—gue a few vncertain dayes of this life of souldiers that for a smal stipend runne vpon the pikes and into the verie mouth of death of huntsmen that for a short pleasure put themsâ—â—â—es to excessiue lâ—bour and toyle and concludeth thus How much more assuredâ—y and more easily shal Charitie in regard of true Beatitude effect that which worldlie pretences as much as they were able haue effected to our miserie How easily may whatsoeuer temporal aduersitie be endured to auoyd eternal punishment and to purchase eternal quiet Thus sayth S. Augustin and much more to the same effect which it seemeth that great S. Francis vnderstood very wel and in one word expressed it once very liuely Fâ—r his carnal brother and indeed truly carnal seing him once in the midst of winter half naked as he was shiuering for cold sent one vnto him with a bitter ieast moâ—e bitter indeed then was fit to come from a brother to aske him how he would sel him a dramme of that sweat of his But the Saint returned answer with a chearful countenance in these words Tel my brother that I haue sold it al already to my Lord God it a very deare price And after some yeares the same Saint being much tormented with excessiue payne in his bodie and grieuously assaulâ—ed withal by the Diuel with new strange deuises that it was not almost possible for flesh and bloud to beare it a voyce from heauen spake vnto him and baâ— him be of good cheare because by those afflictions he purchased to himself so much treasure that though al the earth should be turned into gold al the stones into diamonds and al the water into balsame it were not comparable vnto it At which voyce he was so reuiued that he felt no more payne but instantly calling his Brethren vnto him for ioy related what heauenlie comfort he had receaued What payne therefore or what trouble can there be in Religion which such a thought wil not easily blow ouer seing it was able so suddenly to alay and quite take away so vnsufferable so lasting a payne as S. Francis at that time endured 9. Let vs conclude therefore with S. Bernard that this feare which as he speaketh is wont to shake the beginnings of our conuersion which the horrour of so austere a life and the austerenes of so vnwonted exercises thrusts vpon vs at our entrance is that Night-feare which the Royal Prophet mentioneth in his ninetieth Psalme and is therefore called a Night-feare because if the day did shine vpon vs in that heauenlie light we did compare the labours of Religion with the rewards which we expect in heauen the feare of the labour would be nothing in regard of the desire of the rewards coÌ„sidered in a cleare light For the passions of this time are not condigne to the future glorie which shal be reuealed in vs. But now sayth S. Bernard because they are hidden from our eyes and the night is stil in our Hemisphere we are tempted by the Night-feare are afraide to suffer the present euils for the good which as yet we doe not see 10. This is the first salue remedie which God hath prouided for vs to alay the difficulties which occurre in Religion Another is the abundance of spiritual comforts wherof I haue spoken before And it is as if a bodie should seeke a drop of water in a great vessel of wine for the troubles which are incident to a Religious life are so wholy drowned absorpt in the abundance of the sweetnes of it that it tastes of nothing but sweetnes To which purpose S. Bernard alluding to a saying of the Apostle among diuers other commodities of Religion touching briefly vpon this particular sayth thus The passions of this time are not condigne to our sinnes past and forgiuen vs nor to the present comfort of grace which is giuen vs nor to the future glorie which is promised vs. Finally there is no bitternes so great in it which the slâ—wer cast-in by the Prophet doth not sweeten which Wisdome the tree of life doth not seazon And we shal the more easily belieue al this to be true not hard to compasse if we coÌ„sider that the difficulties which are in Religion are but smal in pettie matters if we weigh them right For al difficulties of greater consequence such as are so ordinarie and so distastful in the world hapning between man wife and vpon other occasions of marriage sinister accidents by losse of goods impeachment of our credit and good name the like are farre from a Religious life And moreouer the goodnes and mercie of God is such towards vs that the more miserie we suffer for his sake the more spiritual ioy and comfort he sends vs as when Daniel was in the Denne with the Lions without al meanes of relief he prouided him a dinner from a farre-of and sent it in vnto him For it is a general rule with God and a constant manner of proceeding which
highly commendeth the two brethren that vpon reading the Life of S. Anthonie were so hot vpon imitating him that at the self-same instant and in the self-same place when they had read it they consecrated themselues to the seruice of God And vpon the same groundsels-where he exhorteth al in this maÌ„ner Behold the Giuer of mercie openeth the gaâ—e vnto thee What dost thou stay for Thou shouldst be glad if he should open vnto thee at anie time vpon thy knocking Thou didst not knock he openeth dost thou remaine stil without O differre not The holie Scripture sayth in a certain place of the works of mercie Doe not say goe and come againe tomorrow I wâ—l giue when thou canst presently doe wel for thou knowest not what may happen the day following Thou hast heard the commandment of net differring to be merciful towards another art thou cruel towards thyself by delayes Giue almes to thy owne soule We doe not say thou shouldst giue it anie thing but doe not put aside the hand of him that giueth 11. S. Anselme also sayth excellently wel to the same purpose in one of his Epistles Make hast to so great a good because thou canst not by anie other good more effectually come to the Soueraigne Good I haue seen manie that haue promised then differred whom death so preuented that they could neither dispatch that in which they had engaged themselues nor begin that for which they had passed their promise And againe He that differreth til the time to come perhaps til the time that wil neuer come to reforme his life leaueth vndoubtedly a certain good and contemning that which he leeseth he sheweth that he loueth not that which he expecteth and deserueth not to haue it â—2 The Iudgement of S. Thomas in this point being so great a Diuine as he was is not a little to be regarded He therefore both in one of his Opuscles in his Summe of Diuinitie proposing this question whether long deâ—iberation vpon this counsel be commendable proueth that which we are saying by manie weightie reasons that we must obey God in it out of hand and diligently put in execution that which he speaketh vnto vs. Though what doe we stand picking reasons heer and there out of Authours seing we haue the authoritie of the Ghospel for vs We see Peter and Andrew so soone as they were called by our Lord presently obeyed his calling forsaking their nets and their boate The like we reade of Iames and Iohn and in a more difficult and weightie occasion of S. Matthew who besides the general obligations of brethren and kinsfolk set light as S. Chrysâ—stome obserueth by al the human dangers which might haue befallen him from the Princes of the land leauing their seruice before he had cast-vp and made euen his accounts 13. But nothing doth more euidently confirme that which we are saying then that wheras he that was inuited by our Lord to the Apostleship did not refuse it but craued respit for a pious end to burie his father the Diuine Wisedome notwithstanding answered him Follow me leaue the dead to burne their dead Which S. Iohn Chrysostom expoundeth in this manner This he sayd not bidding vs to neglect the loue of our parents but shewing that nothing must seeme more necessarie then the businesses of heauen though the rubs which are cast in our way seeme great necessarie and insuperable This therefore is that which al must think and doe that heare the voice of our Lord calling inuiting and perhaps drawing them And S. Thomas to this purpose doth iudiciously among other things applye and opinion of Aristotle's in his bookes of Morals where putting this questioÌ„ What it is in a soule that first and principally moueth it he answereth that Reason first moueth al other parts and powers of it and that which moueth reason is something better then reason not knowledge or learning for these are not better then it but God and a litle after he addeth that they whom God moueth need not take further aduise vpon the busines because they are led by a better principle then either Reason or Counsel And S. Bernard rarely and eloquently sayth thus How manie doth the accursed wisedome of the world supplant and extinguish the spirit conceaued in them which our Lord would haue vehemently enkindled Doe nothing saith it rashly take time enough to consider of it looke more diligently into the busines the thing which thou goest about is great and needeth much deliberatioÌ„ Try first what thou shalt be able to doe aduise with thy friends least after thou hast done thou happen to repent it This is the wisedome of the world earthlie sensual diabolical an enemie to saluation a choaker-vp of life mother of tepiditie which is wont to prouoke God to vomit It sayth looke to thy self And wherefore what needes there anie consultation seing thou makest no doubt but the word comes from God The Angel of Great Counsel calleth what dost thou wayte for the counsels of others who is more faithful who more wise then he Leade me ô Lord and I shal be led be thou more strong and ouercome I know what those things are which ought to be done quickly I am saued from the mouth of the pit of hel and shal I seeke respit and hold back and delay to be gone if perhaps something may be effected in the meane time I did hide fire in my bosome and hauing burnt my side and my verie bowels lying naked and the corruption running downe shal I stand deliberating whether I shal awake whether I shal shake it off whether I shal cast it from me A great matter in verie deed is offered me so much therefore the more willingly and the more speedily is it to be admitted of and embraced with open armes with feruour and ioy Let him proue himself that confideth in his owne strength for the strength of God is already sufficiently proued Let him aduise with his friends that hath not read The enemies of man are his domesticals Why doth he that obeyeth not the Ghospel vse the Ghospel so often For there certainly we reade that to one that promised to follow our Lord but desired first to burie his dead father it was answered by our Lord that he should suffer the dead to burie their dead and to another that asked only that he might bid them farewel that were at home he sayd No man putting his hand to the plough and looking back is apt for the kingdome of heauen Al this of S. Bernard 14. Moreouer the better to breake with the delayes which the Diuel puts in our head we shal doe wel to think first that as S. Thomas aduiseth seing al the treasures of wisdome and knowledge of God are hidden in Christ we offer him wrong when hauing had his counsel we goe afterwards to take the aduise of anie mortal man Secondly that
soule in so great a gulf and brought thyself to an exigent which driueth thee alwayes further and further into the deepe The woman in the Ghospel when she had found her groaâ—e called her neighbours togeaâ—her to be a partakers of her ioy saying Reioycce with me But I calling friends togeather for a quite contrarie cause wil say vnto them Lament with me mourne and crye-out pittifully with teares for a great losse is come vpon vs not of gold or siluer or pretious stones but of him that is more pretious to vs then al these of him that sayling togeather with vs this great and vast sea being cast ouer board I know not how is fallen â—â—â—o the depth of perdition 17. But S. Bernard speaketh heauiest of al the rest not to one that was fallen from Religion to the world but gone only out of one Religion to another more loosely gouerned had for it leaue froÌ„ the Pope yet he sayth thus vnto him O senselesse child who hath enueigled thee not to performe thy Vowes which thy lips haue vttered and what doth anie man flatter thee in vaine with the Absolution from the Pope seing the sentence of God doth bind thy conscience No man sayth he putting his hand to the plough and looking back is fit for the Kingdome of heauen Looke into thy hart examine thy intention aduise with truth Let thine owne conscience answer wherefore thou wentst away wherefore thou forsookest thy Order thy Brethren thy place if to liue more austerely more vprightly more perfectly thou art secure because thou hast not looked back if otherwise doe not mind high things but feare Thus writeth S. Bernard in that Epistle which is famous for the notable miracle which hapned in the writing of it And his words ought to make the greater impression in vs because as I say the man whom he blameth so much returned not to the world but went only to an inferiour state of perfectioÌ„ yet so great a man as S. Bernard and so ful of the light of heauen as he was doth not stick to condeÌ„ne him as one that had looked back And being asked the question at another time he answereth not in his owne but in S. Gregorie's words For so sayth he writeth the holie Pope Gregorie in his Pastoral Whosoeuer hath resolued to vndertake a greater good hath made the lesser good which he might haue done vnlawful vnto him And to proue it he bringeth the testimonie of the Ghospel saying No bodie putting his hand to the plough looking back is fit for the Kindome of heauen therevpon concludeth He therefore that purposed in stronger endeauor is conuinced to looke back if forgoing the greater he bend himself to the lesser And the same S. Gregorie in his third Homilie vpon Ezechiel There be some that performe indeed the works which they know and performing them purpose better things but vnsaying themselues againe they alter from the better which they had purposed They doe the good things which they had begunne but faint froÌ„ the better which they had thought to doe These men certainly seeme in the iudgment of men to stand but before the â—yes of Almightie God they are fallen from their purpose Al this S. Bernard brings out of S. Gregorie the authorities of two so great Saints meeting togeather make that which they sayd the stronger 18. And we may euidently conclude vpon it that if it be a wicked thing to goe from a Religion that is perfect to one that is lesse perfect and he that doth so shal not escape the iudgement of God how much more wicked is it to fal from Religion into the dirt and mire of the world Some labour to excuse their inconstancie pretending that they returne not â—o the world to returne to their sinnes but are resolued to liue vprightly and leade a vertuous life which by the grace of God which forsaketh no bodie they hope to doe that it importeth not where they liue so they liue wel Against which foolish and pernicious errour we might say manie things but one word of S. Basil is sufficient to stop their mouthes Whosoeuer sayth he forsaketh the Colours of Christ because he thinketh he may notwithstanding practise vertue and please God is wonderfully deceaued For he that in a course of life not cumbred with distractiue cares and therefore lesse subiect to sinne could not withstand his aduersarie how can it be thought that in a life in which there be so manie gates open to sinne and where it is in his owne power freely to vse his libertie he wil doe anie thing that is vertuous And yet though we grant he may he can neuer escape the infamie of hauing reuolted from Christ as those Disciples whom the holie Euangelist openly reproueth when he sayth And manie of the disciples went back and now did not walke with Iesus saying This word is hard And then alleadgeth manie arguments to shew how damnable this inconstancie is and particularly that they that suffer themselues to be thus put by their place and leese their footing become a laughing-stock and mockerie to al and togeather with the losse of their owne soules scandalize al kind of people giuing them occasion to think that the seruice of Christ is intollerable 19. But enough of this hideous offence and perhaps more then enough considering the matter is so fowle and detestable Wherefore let vs returne to our former discourse of the sweetnes happines which God hath so abundantly heaped vpon this estate for there can not be a greater incitement and encouragement to perseuer in it then if we know truly what it is and how great a guift of God Let euerie one make account that those heauenlie words of the Apocalyps were spoken to himself Hold that which thou hast that no man may take thy crowne For the seruice of God may be truly called a Crowne which signifyes honour and dignitie and a Princelie state This is the Crowne which we must hold that no bodie take it from vs that is endure whatsoeuer payne trouble labour austeritie yea parte with our verie liues rather then parte with it 20. But what can we alleadge more effectual to encourage al Religious people in that which they haue in hand then that discourse which as S. Athanasius recordeth S. Anthonie was wont to hold to his followers And because it is the discourse of so rare a man and so vniuersally agreeth to al Religious people and layeth liuely before vs the happines which we enioy in Religion I haue made choice of it as the fittest to conclude therewith this whole Treatise of a Religious State And this it is In this present life the prices are equal with the things which we exchange and he that selleth receaueth not things of greater value from him that buyeth But the promise of euerlasting life is purchased at a low rate For it is written The dayes
of our life three-score and ten yeares When therefore we shal haue liued foure-score or a hundred yeares labouring in the seruice of God in the life to come we shal not raigne iust so much time but for the yeares which I haue sayd the kingdome of al ages shal be giuen vs. We shal not inherit earth but heauen and leauing this corruptible bodie we shal receaue it with incorruption Therefore my Children let not tediousnes wearie you nor the ambition of vaine-glorie delight you The sufferings of this time are not condigne to the future glorie which shal be reuealed in vs. Let no man when he lookes vpon the world think he hath left great matters for the whole earth compared with the immensitie of the heauens is litle If therefore renouncing the whole world we cannot say we giue a iust value for those heauenlie habitations let euerie one reflect vpon himself and he wil presently vnderstand that hauing contemned a smal treasure or a litle house or a smal portion of gold he hath neither cause to glorie as if he had forsaken great things nor to repent himself as if he were to receaue but litle For as a man sets litle by one peece of brasse to gaine a hundred peeces of gold so he that hath forsaken the Empire of the whole world shal receaue a hundred-fold of better rewards in that sublime Throne Finally we must consider also that though we would keepe our wealth we shal be taken from it whether we wil or no by the course of death Why therefore do we not make a vertue of necessitie why doe we not voluntarily forsake that to gayne the kingdome of heauen which we must leese when our life is at an end Let vs consider that we are seruants of our Lord and owe seruice to him that hath created vs let no man by looking back imitate the wife of Loth especially seing our Lord hath sayd that no man that putteth his hand to the plough and looketh back is worthie of the kingdome of heauen To looke back is nothing els but to repent ourselues of that which we haue begun and to entangle ourselues againe in worldlie desires Be not I beseech you afrayd of the name of vertue as if it were impossible let not this exercise seeme strange vnto vs or hard to come by it dependeth the grace of God preceding of our free wil Man hath a natural inclination to this work and it is a thing which expecteth only our good wil whervpon our Lord in the Ghospel sayth The kingdome of God is within you This we haue culled out of a long discourse of S. Anthonie's which euerie one must take and ponder as spoken to himself that seing by the grace and goodnes of God we are entred into this holie race of Religion we may continue to runne so in it as we may one day happily obtayne The Conclusion of the whole Work to Secular people CHAP. XXXVIII WE must now at last addresse ourselues also to Secular people though not to al but to whom God hath vouchsafed from heauen some rayes of a Religious vocation Others that haue receaued no such light it is neither lawful for me to moue them in it nor am I willing to meddle with admonishing them but for that which belongeth to their dutie other discourses are more fitting for them 2. But they whom God hath vouchsafed so great a benefit as to cast his eye vpon them and behold them sitting as it were in the Custome-house and shining in their harts hath inuited them from earthlie thoughts worldlie fashions to this heauenlie manner of liuing stand in need of some bodie to admonish to exhort to help tâ—em forward in this happie course For manie encounters stand expecting them partly from the Diuel their forrain Enemie partly from their owne flesh an Enemie more dangerous because the warre is within the land And though euerie one by that which he findeth by experience within himself may easily vnderstand what kind of assaults these are yet it wil not be amisse to heare what S. Gregorie sayth of them in these words In the first beginning of our coÌ„uersion we haue great sorrow for when a man considering his owne offences desires to breake in sunder the fetters of worldlie cares walke the way of God by the path of a safe conuersation cast off the heauie burden of temporal desires to carrie the sweet yoak of our Lord in a free maÌ„ner of seruitude while he hath this in his thoughts the carnal delight which was familiar with him meeteth him in the way being froÌ„ a long time growne in custome the longer he hath vsed it the streighter it closeth with him and suffereth him to parte the slower from it And what sorrow is there what anxietie of hart when on the one side the spirit calleth and on the other side the flesh draweth back on the one side the loue of a new conuersation inuiteth on the other the custome of our ancient wickednes resisteth on the one side his hart burnes with desire of the heauenlie Countrey on the other side he endures in himself the payne of carnal concupiscence which also doth in some sort delight him against his wil. This is S. Gregorie's discourse of it and yet that fresh souldiers especially may not be dishartned let vs see further what succours and supplyes God sends them and how easily they may goe away with the victorie For this is that which followeth in him But because the Diuine grace doth not suffer vs long to be molested with these difficulties breaking the fetters of our sinnes he quickly bringeth vs to the libertie of this new conuersation by comforting vs and the ensuing ioy solaceth our precedent sorrowes insomuch that the soule of euerie one that is coÌ„uerted doth so much the more reioyce when it obtaineth what it desired by how much it remembreth the greef was greater in the labour to obtaine it His hart is excessiuely ioyful because now through hope of securitie he approacheth to whom he desired and rightly we may say of him He wil beseech God who wil be pleased with him and he shal see his face in inhilation or He hath deliuered his soule that it should not goe to destruction but liuing should see light 3. If therefore the case be thus as S. Gregorie telles vs who can be afrayd of such skirmishes as are as we see both short and seconded on our side with so manie helps towards the victorie But first of al for the better successe in it we must weane ourselues from a conceipt which is wont to be a great rub in this kind of deliberation as if they that forsake the goods of this world lost some great matter wheras in truth there is no great thing in them nothing that can be truly called good though there were they that doe forsake them doe not indeed loose them but exchange
world to which he was much engaged in affection by a thought of Eternitie For thus he discoursed with himself Betweene that which is limited that which is infinit there is no proportion consequently not only one life which a man hath but though he had manie liues if it were possible it were nothing in comparison of the eternal rewards 14. Another that while he liued in the world was a great Lawyer tooke much paynes in his Clients causes at last resolued thus with himself Seing a man must labour and take paines in this life it is much better to take paynes for God who rewardeth his seruants so bountifully then for the world where oftimes we haue no reward at al or a very smal and short recompence Vpon which consideration he presently entred into our Societie 15. But that which hapned to Father Claudius Aquauiua General of the Societie was more notable He was moued to forsake the world by those words of our Sauiour My sheep heare my voice for withal he was seazed with a holie feare least if he should not giue eare to the heauenlie counsel he should not be one of Christ's sheep and therefore came the same howre and almost at the same instant to our Fathers and gaue himself wholy vnto them No lesse remarkable was the motiue vpon which Francis Borgia another General of our Order came to the Societie For while he was Duke of Gandie and in great credit with euerie bodie it hapned that he was appointed by the Emperour Charles the Fift to accompanie the bodie of the Ladie Isabel lately deceased wife to the said Emperour In which iourney there falling out some occasion to haue the coffin opened to view the dead corps he seing it now turned to corruption and the wormes swarming about it and gnawing it presently began to reflect with himself to what al the power and glorie of that woman was come whose verie countenance while she liued kept the world in awe and how little difference death makes betwixt a Prince and the poorest creature that is And this consideration of the sicklenes of al flesh wrought so in his mind that he left his Dukedome embraced an humble Religious life 16. Al these and infinit more whom it were long to rehearse both of late yeares and ancienter times some for one cause and some for another haue been moued to Religious courses But al the motiues which they haue had may be reduced to two heads which it is fit we should know and haue alwayes before our eyes to wit the miserie of this world and the happines of a Religious life And what infinit miseries doth the miserie of this world inuolue On the other side this one happines of Religion what number of happinesses without number doth it comprehend The world al the hopes proffers of it passe away we from them What greater madnes therefore can there be then to resolue to perish with that which perisheth What greater wisedome then betimes to forsake that which sooner or later must be forsaken specially seing if we forsake it voluntarily of our owne accord we shal haue the honour of hauing forsaken it and inestimable rewards besides for doing so wheras if we attend til it be taken from vs we may wel looke oftimes for punishment but certainly shal haue no rewards Which blindnes of ours S. Gregorie taxeth in these words Our proud mind wil not yet willingly parte with that which daily it leeseth whether it wil or no. 17. For the time wil come and it wil not be long when thou that art now a yong man in the flower of thy yeares strong and able of bodie and as thou conceauest happie drunk as I may say notwitstanding with ambition with desire of honour preferments with the fauoâ—â— good wil of men with the sweetnes of earthlie pleasures shalt lye nayled to a couch scorched with a burning feauer consumed to the bone with greef payne in the midst of the teares of thy kindred of the sorrowes lamentations of thy wife children which now thou takest so much pleasure in thinking to get euerie moment expecting the last howre when bodie and soule shal be separated one from the other Of what opinion dost thou imagin thou wilt then be what greef what anguish what torment wil pessesse thee when thou shalt see that heauen is vtterly lost because in this life thou didst neglect it and now must leese this world which thou didst so much affect Think therefore betimes of that howre set that day often before thine eyes and doe 〈◊〉 that which at that time which possibly cannot be auoyded thou wouldst wish thou had 〈…〉 What wilt thou sayth the Prophet in the way of Aegypt to drink muddie water and what hast thou with the way of Assyrians to drink the water of the riuer What is this way of Aegypt or of the Assyrians but the way of the world where pleasures slide away like the current of anie riuer and are moreouer dirtie muddie choaked with earth and grounded but in earthlie things How vnworthie a thing is it for the soule of man descended from heauen and borne to heauenlie things a soule bought and washed with the sacred bloud of the lining God made more white then snow in that heauenlie bath to plunge itself in such muddie streames hauing at hand such fountaines of liuing waâ—er springing to life euerlasting the pleasures delights I say of a Religious life pleasures that are chast vnspotted vndefiled pleasures which heer delight and spring-vp to life euerlasting because the delight which we haue in them doth not diminish but encrease our reward in the life to come in regard it makes vs more chearfully apply ourselues to the seruice of our God It hath at hand the Hundred-fold promised vs by our Sauiour as the prouision for our charges during this our pilgrimage the solace of our present labour the earnest-pennie and pledge of our future rewards And what hath the world comparable to this Hundred-fold seing certainly this is a hundred times beyond it be it neuer so great Wherefore if to liue contentedly to liue pleasantly to liue happily be our desire why doe we seeke it elswhere but where Christ our Sauiour where Truth itself doth tel vs it is to be had If a man should promise vs of worldlie gayne twentie or somewhat more for one it would not be long before we should put al the money we haue into his hand moreouer sel al to make money of it to the end to place it so profitably and yet the man in whom we repose our trust is a man and may deceaue vs he may alter his mind he may leese al become banck-rout But whom did God euer deceaue or how can he possibly deceaue anie man or grow lesse then his word sooner wil he leaue to be God then one iot or
Rock they are inrolled amoÌ„g those that lead a life hidden in Christ that when the brightnes of that life shall breake forth they may also send forth their light on euery sâ—de beholding the great glorie of the heauenly hoast not in darke resemblance or in a few traces of truth but cleere and manifest Truly and neatly spoken but specially where he tearmeth the wife which Religious people looke not after the Rib which coueteth the body of Man from whom it was taken pointing in a word at their happines who haue stolne themselues out of such allurements and combats But the same S. Gregorie doth speak yet more fully in another Oration of his 3. Doest thou behold these people bereft of reliefe and shelter these abiects these men of earth that ouertop all earthly things These who conuerse among men and haue out-growne all things which belong to man loaden with chaynes and yet are free in restraint and cannot be restrayned These who possesse nothing in this world and haue all things because they haue the world vnder their seete These men who by their mortification are become immortall by hanging-off from all things are vnited with God are cold in loue and burne with the loue of diuine things These to whom the fountaine of light doth belong who send forth their rayes and resplendent beames of lustre who sing psalmes like Angells stand Centinell by night whose soules departe vnto God before their death their minds being rauished into heauen These to whom it doth belong to purge others from imperfection and themselues are dayly purged because they do not stint themselues in their progresse towards heauen and in their endeauours to be like to God They are disdayned among men and troaden vnder foote and withall are seated vpon Celestiall thrones They are naked and clad with an incorruptible rayment in the wildernesse of this world they inioye the honorable Compagnies of the world to come they despise all pleasures and haue continuall and vnspeakable pleasure of the mind their tears are the deluge of synne the worlds satisfaction and purging the stretching forth of their armes doth quench flames of fire 3. Finally the same Saint in that most excellent Apologie in which he giueth account why he forsooke his Bishoprick fled into Pontus placeth this reason in the first ranke because of the goods without nomber which a Religious life doth coÌ„tayne styling it a quiet life voyde of trouble a Sanctuary And nothing sayth he moreouer could seeme vnto me more happie then a man that hath his corporall senses in custodie and at comaund who placed beyond the world and the flesh and retired within himself vndertaketh no humane affaire vnlesse he be driuen there vnto by extreame necessitie conuersing with himself and with God leadeth a life aboue all visible things his mind filled with diuine representations and with thoughts allwayes pure without mixture of terrene and wandering phancies A Seeing-glasse vnspotted representing God and things diuine dayly becometh more pure then other his trafficke is with the Angells and though he liue heere vpon earth he abandoneth the earth and in spirit is seated in heauen 4. S. Iohn Chrisostome doth handle this matter much more at large in many homelies in which he doth heap very many great prayses vpon this holy Institution but especially in three whole books which he wrot against the dispraysers of a Monasticall life in which bookes he maketh account that he hath made it a cleere case not only to a Christian Parent but which is more to be admired to any Heathen that if his sonne swimming in worldly wealth should leaue all and betake himself to the pouertie and abiectnes of a Religious life it were farre better for him And this he performed first by force of considerations drawne from the state of this present life not medling with the life to come of which the heathen hath little knowledge for he proueth that the riches of a Religious man are greater more reall and of a higher value his pleasures more solid himself better fortified both for defence of himself and offence of his enemies which is more hard to be beleeued that in this world he shall be more renowned This hee confirmeth by exaÌ„ple of heathen Philosophers sheweth that their pouertie want was is more famous after so many ages then the greate wealth and preeminence of kings Then turning his discourse to Christians and hauing so much the easier task in hand he doth reason so profoundly of the paynes to Hell of the ioyes of heauen of the latter day of iudgement of the snares and wiles of this world of the fowlenes of synne bringing proofe of all out of the ghospells and other books of Scripture that he giueth no man leaue to doubt of the matter 5. Climachus also an ancient substantiall writer hath many things to like purpose through his whole book but I haue made choyce of this one saying short in words but in substance pithy That a Monasterie is a kind of heauen vpon earth and therfore with what affection and reuerence we beleeue that the Angells wayt vpon God with the like we must minister vnto our Brethren 6. To which saying S. Ephrem hath another not vnlike who is an auctour of the same age and antiquitie When I consider sayth he this Angelicall kind of liuing I hold that all the wholesome orders of the same are very blessed for can we reckon him otherwise then blessed who liueth piously and vprightly in perpetuall chastitie in regard of the infinite riches without measure which are reserued for him wherfore let vs do our endeauour in this short stint of time to liue in the feare of God in this monasticall Religious Angelicall kind of life with all our strength cleaue to the holy Commaundements of our Lord and Sauiour with all Humilitie 7. S. Iohn Damascen also speaketh passing well in commendation of Religious people Assuredly sayth he they are happy thrice happy for being inflamed with the loue of God they did set all things at naught for his sake they powred forth teares and continued in sorrow night and day to purchasse eternall comfort they voluntarily debased themselues that in heauen they might be exalted they afflicted their bodies with hunger and thirst and watching that they might be intertayned with the delights of Paradise through cleannes of hart they were Temples of the holy Ghost that they might stand at the right hand of our Sauiour They girded their loynes with truth and had their lampes allwayes in a readynes attending the coming of the Immortall bridegroome for hauing their eyes open they did at all times foresee that terrible daye and had the contemplation of their future good of the punishments of the other life so ingrauen in a maÌ„ner in their very body that they could neuer be with-drawne from it They
receaue great pleasure in them Thus S. Iohn Chrysostome 8. The third branch of Diuinitie is the studie of the holie Fathers who as they were eminent for learning and holines of life eloquence haue left so manie monuments of learning behind them that a man may spend his whole life time with pleasure in turning them ouer find more then he can haue time to coÌ„passe God hauing moreouer prouided that as in a great bancket euerie dish hath his seueral reâ—â—h so among these great writers euerie one should haue his particular strayne of sweetnes to auoyd satietie For if we compare the Greek Fathers one with another we shal finde the style of S. Basil to sauour of learning abound in precepts of sanctitie S Gregorie Nazianzen more profound entring familiarly into the deepest mysteries declaring them in weightie tearmes sentences S. Athanasius is more facile yetful and with an equal style alwayes like himself teaching with a great deale of authoritie Epiphanius is eager against Hereticks Theodoret plaine careful in exposition of Scripture S. Iohn Damascen ful of learning expert in explaining the hardest points of Faith S. Iohn Chrysostome as his name giues vs to vnderstand eloquent popular easily insinuating himself into peoples minds with the copiousnes of his quaynt words as with a torrent of Eloquence carrying his Auditorie whither-soeuer he pleaseth 9. Among the Latin Fathers S. Cyprian hath a neate copious style yet nothing too much but graue weightie and as S. Hierom's censure is of him his speech runnes sweetly and quietly on as a cristal-fountaine and S. Augustin doth deseruedly stile him the sweetest Doctour S. Ambrose hath a peculiar manner of expressing himself very sententious with choyce words knit cleanely togeather that a bodie may iustly think when he reades him that he heares a Diuine making an Oration or an Oratour speaking like a Diuine in commendation of whose sweetnes we shal need to say no more then that God did seeme to foreshew it by that strange accident which we find recorded of him when a swarme of bees lighted vpon his mouth when he was a childe The style of S. Hierome is learned ful of wit and examples of Antiquitie expressing in natural colours whatsoeuer he vndertakes either for the litteral exposition of holie Scriptures or Moral precepts for al kinds of states or in commendation or disprayse of anie thing or in exhortations to vertue in al which he is so eminent that his eloquence seemeth more Diuine then humane S. Augustin is copious ful of varietie and withal facil expert at al hands both to dispute the profoundest questions and to speak plausibly to the people and in his Sermons both instructeth and moueth with a great deale of grace Who can place his words more weightiâ—y in better order and come off more roundly then S. Leo whose speaches are alwayes ful of maiestie and come as it were thundering out of his mouth S. Gregorie is altogeather Moral wonderful rare in that kind entertayning his reader with varietie of sweet examples and similitudes and instructing him in the course of vertue with profound learning and drawing him on to reade him by the pleasant and copious manner which he hath of declaring himself What shal I say of S. Bernard who is worthily called the Melliâ—luous Doctour and is ful of spiritual documeÌ„ts of highest perfection and enterlaceth the sentences of holie Scripture so naturally with his owne discourse that a man would think he speakes nothing but Scripture or that the holie Scripture makes vse of his tongue as an instrument to declare itself which is both graue and pleasant and wonderful effectual And not to hold the reader anie longer this doth sufficiently proue that which I sayd before that euerie Father hath his particular delightful manner of expressing himself and that so much varietie must needs make the pleasure in reading them the greater as it were walking out of one garden into another by the often change of so manie curiosities as be in them preuenting al wearisomnes which might creepe-in vpon vs. 10. And certainly if when they liued heer on earth it could not but be an excessiue comfort to deale with anie one of them and to conuerse with men of so great worth as they were can we think â—he pleasure is lesse now they are in heauen Me thinks it should be farre greater both because the discourses which are penned are alwayes more elaborate morâ—â—â—fined then that which is deliuered by word of mouth ex tempore and the glorie â—â—ich they now enioy doth adde weight and authoritie to their writings To coÌ„clude therefore this discourse of the three Branches of Diuinitie I desire only people wil reflect that wheras the vnderstanding of matters so sublime specially of the holie Scriptures doth come vnto vs more by being humble long acquainted with spiritual things then by strength of wit assiduitie it must needs be euident that Religious people are so much the better disposed for the comfort which may be had in that kind of studie by how much they haue more plentie of efficacious meanes to enrich themselues with the vertues which prepare the way vnto it Of the ioy which Religious people take in the good of their Neighbours soules CHAP. XII MOst Religious men haue yet another comfort which goeth beyond al carnal and earthlie comforts when hauing had occasion to labour in cultiuating of numbers of Soules they see them forsake their vicious courses and take to vertues or in sanctitie of life dayly to aduance themselues and encrease in the seruice of God Who can expresse the ioy which this doth breed or the teares which it oftimes draweth from our eyes For if as the Prophet sayth Conquerours exult when they haue taken a prey what greater exultation can there be then in such a conquest such a prey For in other victories the prosperous successe of one partie is losse to the other heer the benefit which comes to vs is beneficial also to our neighbour and the good of our neighbour the encrease of our ioy Witnes the labour the sollicitâ—â—e the care which most commonly this fruit doth cost vs wherof the Apostle writeth thus to certain Disciples of his My little children whom I trauail withal againe vntil CHRIST be formed in you comparing himself to a woman with child to expresse the time and labour and payne also which often accompanieth this charitable busines And consequently there can be no doubt but that which our Sauiour sayth in the Ghospel agreeth also to this child-birth A woman when she breedeth hath sorrow but when she hath brought forth now she remembreth not the pressure by reason of the ioy because a man is come into the world But heer the ioy is farre greater because man is not borne into the world but in verie deed into heauen For the life of the bodie is short but