only willeth that which the Superiour willeth but also iudgeth that to be done which the Superiour shall commaūd obeyeth far more perfectly then doth he who in will alone imbraceth the Superiours commaundment He that needeth spurrs is more holpen with two then with one and two cords do more strongly bind then one 2. Lord I do not well conceiue how the subiect may conforme his iudgment to his Superiours iudgment in all things as he may conforme his will For sith the will is free it may be bowed both wayes but the vnderstanding that is drawne from the knowne truth and is not free cannot bend it se f but that way wher the truth is and therfore if the subiects vnderstanding conuinced by some reason that representeth a thing as true consent vnto it and the Superiours vnderstanding conuinced by another different reason inclyne another way in the same thing how can the subiect in this matter conforme his owne iudgment to the iudgment of his Superiour when it is not in his power to reuoke his vnderstanding from the truth formerly knowne 3. Sonne what thou sayst is true when the truth is knowne for then it so conuinceth the vnderstanding as it cannot be induced or inclined to the contrary But when euidency and certainty is wanting the vnderstanding holpen by the will may rather be inclined to one part then to the other and then the Obedient that he erre not ought to submit his iudgment to the iudgment of his Superiour so as that he may not erre in will he submitteth it also to the Superiours will Neither yet because many subiects be of more sharp witt and of a more mature iudgment then the Superiour is be they therefore exempted from this subiection for so long as they be members they must be subiect to the head But suppose that those subiects be more intelligent for knowledge of learning yet in matter and manner of gouernement God euer giueth greater light to the Superiour then to the subiects and therfore his iudgment must be preferred take place before the iudgments of others and greatly to be reckoned of sith I vse him in the gouerning and conseruing of Religious 4. But admit that the Superiour hath not commaūded something aright which yet is not accompanyed with sinne whether doth the subiect therefore erre therein if he obey In no case Is he depriued of the merit of Obedience Neither Why thē should he not submit his iudgment in all thinges to the Superiour When I was in subiection to my Mother and to my foster-father Ioseph I obeyed them both readily euen in those things which I knew would fall out better if they had beene done otherwise It is not for the subiect to procure that that may be best which is commaunded by the Superiour but only to attend to this that he execute in the best manner whatsoeuer shall be commaunded suffer the Superiour to appoint that which he himselfe shall iudge and thinke to be best Neither must the subiect forbeare the executing of the Superiours commaundment though he be certaine that he should do better if he did not For the subiect is not iudge but only the putter of that in practise which is commaunded so there be no sin in doing it This indeed is a defect of them who would that the Superiour should ordayne what were best but yet they wil not do it though thēselues be otherwise bound thereto 5. That the Obedience of the Vnderstanding is most pleasing vnto me is a matter out of all question sith it giueth the last perfection to the sacrifice that the Religious offereth whiles togeather with the will he offereth both his Vnderstanding and his owne iudgment which is the noblest faculty of man Moreouer it is knowne to all how vehement a propension nature it selfe hath put into man to the following of his owne iudgment and yet a Religious man restrayneth this propension so far as for loue of me he voluntarily subiecteth his own iudgment to another which I esteem highly of and is very profitable to himselfe for so he leadeth a quiet life and most agreeable to a true Religious man on the contrary he that relyeth vpon his owne iudgment is neuer at repose in any thing and liueth vnquietly 6. This third degree of Obedience hath three propertyes The first is called Simplicity which considering me in the Superiour causeth the Religious man to put his Ordinations in execution without any examination whether he should allow them or not O how displeasing vnto me is the disputing Obedience which in whatsoeuer thing that is ordayned by the Superiour euer asketh wherfore for what intent for what end this or that is appointed I haue not called thee out of the world to dispute or to examine those things that be by the Superiour determined and commaunded but to do them And that they be done it is nothing necessary to know for what cause how for what end they be done Wherefore let it be thy care to do so much of Obedience as thou art bound vnto and know thou that it appertayneth not to the subiect to enquire what end the Superiours haue proposed vnto themselues in their offices If the Patriarke Abraham had demaunded of God for what cause he would haue him sacrifice his Sonne Isaac vpon whome relyed the benedictions of Nations many other promises formerly made his Obedience had not beene so cōmendable neither had he merited so much as he did by simply obeying 7. The truly Obedient seeketh nothing but to do the commaundment O how greatly did I fauour those Religious who in the commaund of Superiours would not discusse and examine whether they were profitable or otherwise conuenient or not or the contrary Whence it hapned that cōmaūded by their Superiour they laid hand vpon most cruell fierce beasts as Lyons leapt into riuers watred dry stocks for a long space togeather and did many the like thinges as strang as these And these left behind them on earth noble examples of Obedience and for them they haue for their simplicity in obeying obtayned most glorious Crownes in Heauen Sonne desirest thou tha◠God should haue a particular care of protecting thee as he had of those holy Fathers Obey then with simplicity 8. The other property is Humility without which neither Obedience nor Chastity nor Pouerty please me For Humility is Obediences mother and the one may not consist and stand without the other The Proud will not subiect himselfe to any and therefore cannot be Obedient Pride because it calleth the subiect backe from the execution of the Superiours commaund both depriueth of all merit and increaseth the trouble The conclusion of Religious obedience CHAP. XXVIII SONNE perfect Obedience requireth an abnegation of the owne iudgment an entier resignation of the will and an exact execution and performance of what is commaunded The true obedient regardeth not the person of him who commaundeth and whome he obeyeth but in him he casteth
become more fierce and raging then the very wild beasts whils for reuenge of the very least iniury they come to kill one another and ouerthrow both families and cittyes 6. VVhosoeuer is cruell towards his owne soule is also cruell to others for none hurteth his neighbour who first hurteth not himself Others sore oppressed with the yoke of wedlocke are so sore afflicted as they wish rather to dye then to lead a life among so many and dayly molestations troubles cares of children and family An vnfortunate choice hath an vnfortunate conclusion Others walke vp and down in a labyrinth but yet fettered in a golden chaine that is with riches wealth of this world which torments them as poore bond-slaues both night and day without giuing them any true rest at all To be fast bound with a cord is a very sore punishment whether it be of silke or gold He is a foole who casteth all his affection vpon things that in his life time cause trouble and care and at his death sorrow and griefe Riches that are possessed with loue be forgone and left with grief 7. Vnderstand further my Sonne that the world out of which I haue called thee is a Schoole wherin humane lawes made by men giuen to passions are more regarded then be the laws diuine For in it is taught that the transitory and brittle goods that passe away and perish vnto vs with death are more to be esteemed them be those that accompany vs to the other life and do neuer dye In it the more fouly a man is deceaued and offendeth the more prone is he to sinne still and the lesse acknowledgeth he the greeuousnes therof In this schoole the good and vertuous are laughed at the wicked and reprobate be commended and therfore it is worse then hell it selfe where al the wicked are reproued and tormented 8. Now if thou consider in what place I haue put thee thou shalt find many causes of yealding me thanks for the benefit of thy vocation I haue placed thee in a religious state that is in myne owne house the fōndations wherof sith they be laid in Humility all those that dwell in it for the knowledge they haue of their owne weaknes and vtility do reioyce in the contempt of themselues and had rather liue in obscurity then be knowne rather to be reprehended then commended They reueng not themselues of iniuries done to them but they willingly forgiue them There they liue in a most pleasing tranquillity and peace there Myne and Thyne that is the origen and fountaine of all dissentions hath no place at all All there do labour for the common good al help one another he that can do more doth more and all serue one another all againe serue God There be many togeather without confusion great variety of nations and of manners without difference of opinions iudgments functions and offices so distributed as one troubleth not another and yet all ordayned for the glory of God to the good of soules 9. The keepers of this house be three sisters most inwardly conioyned by fayth fidelity and the fast band of loue whose office is to defend and keep all those who dwell therin from all calamityes of this present life and to secure them from the incursions of enemies both visible and inuisible For voluntary pouerty exempteth a religious man from all trouble of procuring conseruing increasing worldly riches which are wont so to molest and paine the rich mens minds and harts as they leaue not vnto them a moment of quiet and repose Againe Chastity deliuereth them from infinit desires of the flesh whose tyranny oftentims groweth so great and outragious through the contentments of carnall pleasures as it maketh the soule Reason being brought in subiection to the lust of the flesh a meere bond-slaue 10. Finally Obedience exempteth a Religious man from daungers whereinto they do cast themselues who out of a certaine secret pride desire to do all things by their owne will and iudgment refusing to be aduised or counsailed by others and by so doing cast themselues into the Diuels snares who is the authour of all pride He that hath vertue to guard him hath security on earth and is not without his reward in heauen 11. Therfore vnderstand my Sonne that the Schoole of religion is directly repugnant to the schoole of the world For in that is deliuered the manner and way of seruing God by the obseruation of his precepts and counsailes in it is shewed vnto thee a most compendious and secure way of comming to the end whereunto thou art created In it are discouered and laid open the frauds and snares of Sathan set by him for the intangling of soules and thrusting them downe into hell Of this schoole I am the chiefe maister and gouernour who do by inward inspirations shew vnto all men the way of perfectiō In the instruction of the schollers of this Schoole I obserue no difference of persons for I haue no more regard of a Gentleman then of a Clowne of a rich man then of a poore though I loue and affect those more who do practically by their works manifest how well they haue learned their lessons of humility meeknes obedience and the rest of the vertues which I both declared by example of my life when I liued amongst you and also dictated after my departure to my Euangelists who did faithfully write them for the vse of posterity He is no good scholler who endeauoureth not to imitate his maister How greatly a Religious man offendeth God who maketh light reckoning of his Vocation and Religion CHAP. IIII. VVHITHER soeuer Lord I turne my selfe I find causes of feare For if I examine the benefit of my vocation to Religion I conceyue it to be so noble and excellent as I must confesse my selfe far vnable to render thanks for it If I looke into my selfe I find so great an imbecillity and dastardy as I am afraid least I should be deemed most vngratefull Againe the greatnes of thy maiesty confoundeth me being such and so great as no satisfaction can possibly be made vnto thee but by a certaine infinit loue and seruing of thee which is more then I can or am able to do Who then would not be afraid 2. Out of question my Sonne I bestowed a great benefit vpon thee when I tooke thee out of the stormy Ocean of the world and placed thee in the quiet harbour of Religion It is also certaine that of this benefit there ariseth an obligation and that by so much the greater by how much the benefit was great But for this thou hast not any iust cause to feare sith I am he who do communicate to all competent grace and forces towards the satisfying of their obligation so they be not slacke and negligent of themselus but do put to their owne helping hand as much as they are able And it is my māner of old to be rather more franke and liberall in
secure in his vocation This presumption ariseth of nothing but this that he doth not sufficiently examine and consider his owne imbecility and who he is For the more exactly a man looketh into himselfe the more he feareth and the lesse confident is he in his owne ability And this is an excellent remedy for the procuring of strength and courage against all tentations But he that is more confident in his owne industry then is meete easily turneth his backe in the very beginning of the encounter and abandoneth the Colours of his Religion The more a Religious man presumeth of himselfe the lesse he doth because presumption is the daughter of pride But he who feareth doth the more because holy feare is the daughter of Humility which euer moueth vs to worke well 9. Moreouer a Religious man is deceiued and is not far from daunger of leauing his vocation who thinketh that he may be able to do more good in the world then in Religion For who is not good amongst the good amongst so many examples of good persons and in an holy place how will he do good in a bad world amongst the bad where so many bad examples will be presented euery day vnto his eyes and where so many occasions be of liuing naughtily With these fraudes the diuell vseth to draw the vnwary Religious man into his net For when he shall once haue perswaded him that he may do more and more excellent works in the world he forth with suggesteth that no great reckoning is to be made of the state of Religion and so in conclusion dryueth him from his vocation It is the Diuels property to deceyue vnder pretence of good who neuer casteth out his hooke but that it is euer bayted to catch Religious persons 10. Neither be they in lesse daunger who by a certaine careles drowsines waxe by little and little cold in spirit and in my seruice and though they well find and perceiue this in themselues yet they neglect to put it away When a sick mans feet or hands become so cold that they cannot recouer heate it is a signe that he is in extremity and neere vnto his death So a cold Religious man if he take not paynes to recouer his heate and warmth of spirit is not far from dying spritually from daunger of loosing his religious life Who will not be holpen when he may and can how can he be secure of obtayning help at all times That it is not inough for a Religious man to be called of God to Religion but he muct earnestly labour to the perfection of his Vocation CHAP. VI. LORD I giue thee most harty thanks for this precious stone that thou hast vouchsafed to send me downe from heauen when as pittying me thou calledst me to holy Religion and I ascribe all the ioy and spirituall comfort which I receiue heerby in consecrating my selfe to a Religious state to thy goodnes and clemency 2. My Sonne if thou dost this and no more besids thou commest too short of thy duty For vnles besids these things thou endeauour by good and holy actions to arriue to the perfection of thy vocation insteed of being rewarded thou shalt be punished To be called to religiō to weare the habit increaseth the punishmēt vnles not by words but by works thou answere so many and so great benefits of myne bestowed vpon thee He that after benefits receiued of me neglecteth to profit in vertue doth not only incurre the note of ingratitude but doth further as it were bind my hands fast that I giue or bestow no more vpon him Men do ordinarily make a coniecture by the outward habit and cloathing whether one be Religious or not but I iudge by the inward 3. O how many do dwell in Monasteries and weare a religious habit and be not indeed religious as be al those who haue not wholy giuen themselues to the exercise of a religious life and of solid vertues but do partly serue God partly the world Contrariwise there be many in the world who weare a secular habit indeed but yet in affection be truly Religious and do exercise vertue in so much as it is not the habit nor the place that make a true Religious man but the inward hart and mind and the externall works which do manifest the same 4. What doth it profit a man to be notably well armed if at the time when by commaundement of his Captaine Generall he were to fight with his enemie he should not vse them The tree that yealdeth no fruit is to no purpose suffred to stand in an orchard sith it is for no other end planted there then for the bearing of fruite I haue taken vp all religious persons to serue me in my warre haue giuen them weapons and armes that they may vse them as I would haue them And therefore whosoeuer glorieth in the name of a Religious man and sheweth not by deed his loue towards me nor doth conformably to the spirit of his vocation yeald me spirituall fruite he doth not the office part of a Religious man 5. O how far are they deceiued who thinke themselues to haue discharged their duty well for that they haue entred into the state of religion and continued therin often reckoning the number of the yeares which they haue liued in it not examining how negligent they haue beene in the exercise of pious works and how little fruit and profit they haue reaped by their labours paynes The number of yeares maketh not a Religious man happy but his good works and the exercise of vertues To glory of the great continuance in religion and to be deuoid of vertue and the perfection therof is no commendation at all but a reproach and condemnation 6. The scholler that hath frequented the Schoole for many years is not to be therfore praised but he that hath profited in the schoole and is become excellent for his learning If thou wouldst consider that thou art to giue an accompt of all the tyme thou hast mispent in religion before my Tribunal thou wouldest not brag of thy selfe but lament rather for hauing like a fruitles tree occupied the place of another who might with greater profit haue yealded me much fruit 7. In like manner he also deceyueth himselfe who being entred into the gate of religion thinketh it inough if he transgresse not Gods commaundmends and is not offensiue or scandalous to any But he is wholy deceyued neither am I content therwith alone for he who thinketh he may make a stand heere doth not a little offend me He ceaseth to be a true religious man when he beginneth to haue a will not to be better 8. A good religious person neuer thinketh himselfe to haue ariued to perfection nor euer sayth Now it is inough For he knoweth that in the spirituall life not to go forwards is to go backwards It is my will that a religious man mortifie himselfe conformably to his Institute and
Pouerty for that by their ouermuch liberty of manners and life they become the ruine and ouerthrow of Religion Of the dignity and commendation of Religious Pouerty CHAP. VIII SONNE I haue not without cause in my Ghospell amongst the Beatituds giuen the first place to Pouerty and bequeathed the Kingdome of heauen to the poore for without Euangelicall perfection it is impossible to come to blisse Seing then Pouerty is the first foundation of Euangelicall Perfection of good right it meriteth the preheminence of the first place For which cause I haue sent all those whome I haue inuited to follow me or haue been desirous of perfection if they did not of their owne accord renounce the riches of the world or did not voluntarily become poore to the first foundation that they should first forsake all and then follow me Perfection would not haue men bound but free and loose 2. Lord if the kingdome of heauen be for the poore very great will the number of the blessed be because there be more poore in the world then rich True it is my Sonne that the Kingdome of heauen is for the poore yet all the poore be not for heauen but only those who make an election to be poore and such be very few Some there be who indeed be not possessed of any thing in this life yet they haue it in desire and this pouerty is not only no vertue nor worthy of praise but also spoyleth many of their eternall felicity both for that it taketh not away the exceeding desire of hauing which is the roote of all euills and also for that it setteth it on fire so fare as it maketh a mans mind deuoyd of all manner of peace and quiet Whence it is that many become robbers theeues and do not admit any cogitation of heauen at all 3. Some be possessed of great store of riches but they tye not their affection vnto them yea they be ready when it shall please me and when I shall thinke good to leaue them and of such poore in spirit there be found very few in the world Finally some there be who that they may be the more free in the exercise of true vertue do contemne and forsake all earthly riches not only out of an affection of mind but by effect of workes also So did my Apostles many other Religious who be now in present possession of the riches of heauen And this is Religious Pouerty whereunto I haue promised the kingdome of heauen where all the Religious shall be crowned with the most noble crowne of glory but the number of these is very small 4. If the kingdome of heauen could be bought with money or exchanged with kingdomes and riches of the world great would be the excellency and dignity of the goods of fortune and euery one might loue them as his owne soule This excellency I haue imparted to Religious Pouerty which of terrene riches maketh a ladder whereby it may mount vp to heauen Contrariwise the rich of the world dig the earth for the getting of gold and siluer out of her bowels and therein they place and fixe their hart and bury it with the renouncing of heauen togeather with the true felicity therof But the poore Religious man because he directeth his hart to heauen maketh himselfe worthy of an heauenly reward What manner of way a man shall enter into such shall he find the end of it 5. Besides a Religious man by the Vow of Pouerty becometh superiour to the whol world and aboue it For whereas he desireth not to possesse any thing in this life as his owne he hath no dependance on the world or the things therof but as one aboue it he contemneth all that is within the compasse or power of it The contrary hapneth to such as be addicted to the world who be at the commaund of so many maisters as be the things that they desire to haue and possesse 6. Moreouer Religious Pouerty manifesteth a certaine power and might against the nature of man it selfe For nature desireth and inclineth a man to desire riches and the commodities of the body as the delicacies of meats nicenesse of apparel sports pastimes and recreations but Religious Pouerty withdraweth all these from it selfe for my sake and therfore ouercometh Nature And how then should not I highly esteeme them who wittingly and willingly moued out of loue of me alone do depriue themselues of al these lawfull commodities and whereunto Nature of it selfe inuiteth them 7. Heare also my Sonne another excellency of Religious Pouerty If any needy or poore man become rich by his owne industry or by any other occasion the world meruayleth not but it wondreth much if a rich man become voluntarily poore and such a one indeed as doeth not only make away his riches but also depriueth himself of the power and ability of possessing them fore euer after And at this the world is astonished the more for that it selfe hath nothing in more esteeme then riches of the world shunneth nothing with a greater care then Pouerty All this proceedeth of nothing els then that it vnderstandeth not the dignity and excellency of Religious Pouerty Let the world tell me Can it with all it owne riches and pleasures satiate and fill a mans hart so as it may be at quiet Nothing lesse for that as many as be louers of the world the more they haue the more desire they to haue and whiles they cannot be satisfied with what they haue got they neuer arriue to any true peace and quiet of mind But the Religious who neither haue any thing proper of their own nor desire to haue liue content with very little Is not this a certaine participation of euerlasting felicity that a man as he shall one day liue content in heauen with the glory therof so liueth now on earth content quiet with his Religious Pouerty 8. Neither is it the least commendation of Religious Pouerty that it not only conserueth and keepeth the Religious but hath further beene the foundresse of all Religions as many as haue beene and still be in Gods Church The monasteries indeed and the Cloisters be erected and built with money and the goods of fortune but the Religious be not founded by them For the first founders who had store of riches for the consecrating of themselues to my seruice did giue away their riches as impediments to a better course of life And after a good foundation layd of the spirit of Pouerty and of mortification I vsed them as directors and guids for the drawing of others and by this means Religions were founded Stones and tymber be laid and raysed by riches but vertues are built raised by Pouerty of spirit 9. But suppose that there were not any thing worthy of cōmendation or excellent in Pouerty is it not a great dignity that it is loued of me and esteemed of me That it was to me an inseparable fast companion during the whole course
Moreouer true Humility causeth a Religious man to endure with patience and ioy to be contemned of others causeth further that he be not only not troubled thereby or murmure but also that he most hartily giue his Creatour thankes therefore for as much as he knoweth that by so doing he is the more likned to me his Lord maister True Humility also inclineth to the shunning of humane prayses and to the attributing of all that is good vnto God Moreouer the Religious who laboureth to the height of perfect Humility must needs desire that he be contemned of all and further wish that all may be througly perswaded that himselfe is truly worthy to be coÌ„temned of all 6. Sonne if in Religion thou art ashamed of an old or patcht garment or doest not with any willingnes exercise thy selfe in abiect offices it is a signe that thou doest not serue vnder Humilityes Colours but art addicted to thy owne iudgment and wishest to be much esteemed of others If thou hold on this way thou wilt soone repent thy selfe He that deuoyd of vertue seeketh to be reckoned off for that alone sheweth himselfe blame worthy The religious man who hunteth after credit and reputation with the world liueth in miserable state Moreouer thou louest Humility or louest it not If thou louest it not thou shalt neuer be a cittizen of H aueÌ„ the gate whereof because it is narrow and strait receyueth not men proud minded And if thou louest Humility truly wherefore contemnest thou an old garment and to be contemned of others What other thing is it to be contemned then for a man to exercise himself in Humility to coÌ„uerse with it by the benefit therof to make a spirituall gaine If thou louest it as thou bearest me in hand to do thou shouldst be glad when any such occasion presenteth it selfe No merchant is discontented when any occasion offereth it selfe of traffique to his gayne 7. Who art thou which wouldest not be contemned Art thou greater then I who am the sonne of God Thou art not yet I was contemned of a most vile and base people and most iniuriously handled by them Art thou not borne in sinne Art thou not a sacke of earth full of infinit miseryes Wherefore then art thou moued and angry if any one lay thy basenesse before thyne eyes and who thou art which thou shouldest confesse thy selfe What doth it wretch auayle thee to haue left the world if in Religion thou continuest to be proud O blindnes when thou wert in the darcknes of the world thou thoughst pride of life to be meer and damnable vanity and thou conceyuedst honour and estimation with men to be a childish thing and now in the light of Religion thou apprehendest the same for thinges of great worth and of singâ—lar regard Is it not a signe of a good sight when a man seeth better in darcknes then in the cleare light 8. Know thou for certaine that he cannot be a good Religious man who hunteth after commendations from men Neyther is any Religious man humble who acknowledgeth not himselfe contemptible and wisheth not to be so held and reputed of others And this is so certayne as if any thinke otherwise he beguileth himselfe yea I say more if it should be for the good of peace and for Gods glory whether a religious man were contemned or praysed and esteemed he should conformably to the law of perfect Humility wish conteÌ„pt rather then honour to be deemed rather a foole then wise because by that meanes he is made more like to me And this Humility greatly pleaseth me 9. All do not rightly examine the momeÌ„ts of thinges or make an vpright esteem of them and therfore my Prophet sayd to good purpose The children of men are liars in ballances Many there be who for their Humility be of no weight at all or very little in the ballances of the world because they be held for base and counterfait mettall and those very men be of iust and perfect weight in my ballance For men measure all thinges by the outward shew but I cast myne eyes vpon the inward and vpoÌ„ that which lieth hid in the mind And therfore many are of men coÌ„temned as vile and reiected as little profitable who notwithstanding be for many respects in my sight to be preferred before others and so their Humility do as precious stones shine beautifull in myne eyes 10. The world onely esteemeth the rich mighty who hauing receiued their stipend of pride are eftsoones puffed vp beyond themselues and do fill all things with their insolencies and loftynes of mind And these though disturbers of peace do meruailously please the world But the humble and peaceable please me whome I so much esteem that I haue a particuler care of them And worthily because there is not a vertue of more regard with me then is that of Humility and more then that no vertue is pleasing to me that is not founded in Humility Heauen gates had not beene opened to my Mother who was euer most deare vnto me if notwithstanding her virginity and excellent purity she had appeared without Humility One may get into heaueÌ„ without virginity but without Humility none at all And because when she lyued vpon earth she most of all practised Humility and though she were the Mother of God and the Queene of heauen yet she called and reputed her selfe an handmayd she merited not only to haue a place in heauen but also to be exalted aboue all the quires of Angells 11. There be some Religious who complaine that they find not that tranquility and peace of mind which they had in their first entring into Religion but if they search out the cause they will impute the fault to themselues The cause of their disquiet is the defect and want of Humility The humble hath peace with God he hath peace with men he hath peace with himselfe and which is more commendable he hath peace with his aduersary For none may without breach of peace deale with a proud person but the humble Yea the proud himselfe esteemeth highly of Humility because least he may otherwhiles be contemned or ill dealt withall he couereth his pride and loftynes of mind with the cloke of Humility Sonne hast thou a wiâ— to liue a quiet life Shake off pride for if iâ— troubled the peace of Angells in Heauen how much more will it disquiet men oâ— earth 12. Lord seeing thou hast created man for the obtayning the glory of heaueÌ„ which thou art thy selfe and hast bound him to seeke so noble an end whither nature also inclineth him it seemeth nothing conuenient that he should not humble himselfe yea and abase himselfe so far as he should contemne himselfe and repute himselfe for nothing True it is Sonne that man was created to a most excellent end but we are to see consider by what meanes we must come therto and therfore they who haue raised vp their throne too neere heauen
thou mighst serue and please me If thou hast left it to please me what skilleth it though thou be nothing regarded of others Thinkest thou that by this conceit and opinion either the good of thy soule is hindred or the seruice diuine which thou hadst a desire to yeald vnto me Truly no such matter If any thing were to be feared it should be this least humane estimation might worke thy ruine when as the Apostle sayth If he should still please men he should not be Gods seruant Sonne if thou examine the matter well he that esteemeth thee not profiteth thee much because he helpeth and furthereth thy separation from the world and to the making of thy recourse to me who am to giue life euerlasting He that maketh much of thee and recommendeth thee stoppeth vp the way of saluation against thee and therfore my seruants of old who florished in former tymes in their Religion reioyced if they were at any tyme contemned of others were on the other side sory and grieued if any excesse were vsed in their commendations and no lesse do all those Religious men at this day who haue their part in the true spirit of God He who liueth in banishment must little regard others so he be in the grace and fauour of him of whom he may be holpen 2. The first rudiments to be learned of a Religious man be these to contemne himselfe to wish not to be esteemed of others to abnegate and deny himselfe to deeme and hold himselfe vnworthy of any prayse whatsoeuer to do well and to be ill entreated and handled Without the practise of these rudiments and principles no Religious man can profit in the spirituall discipline Wherefore if after some yeares spent in Religion thou still hunt after honours and the estimation of a great name it is a signe that thou hast not yet learned the first principles that be deliuered in Religious Schoole and how then wilt thou proceed and go forwards in spirit What marueile though thou be troubled when honour is not done thee If thou desirest to put all griefe out of thy mind begin in earnest to make a little esteeme of thy selfe for that he who shall once contemne himselfe shall not find any disgust by others contemning of him Thâ— greater opinion thou hast of thy selfe the more shalt thou be grieued when others yeald thee not the honour that is due vnto thee and thou expectest 3. Tell me is it not worse to be contemned then not to be esteemed of and is not he more confounded who is shamefully handled then is he who is spoiled of the honour due vnto him It is so indeed Admit thou art not perhaps much esteemed but I was of others despised and laughed to scorne Let the honour due vnto thee be taken from thee but I thy head was most ignominiously handled Thou peraduenture art not courteously dealt with by thyne enemyes but I was ill vsed euen by them to whome I had beene most beneficiall And if I thy Lord Head and Maister did with patience suffer so great iniuryes vniustly done me wherefore art thou dismayd if at any tyme so much honour be not yealded vnto thee as thou wouldst wish Wilt thou be preferred before thy Lord and Maister Doth it seem vnto thee fitting that vnder a thorny head and ignominiously treated there should ly members hid both delicate and honorably regarded The more a man resisteth â—o be contemned the more vnlike is he to â—is Lord and he that taketh not paynes to â—esemble him on earth shall not haue any part with him in heauen 4. Honour is the reward of vertue If â—hou desire to be honoured thou must of necessity be vertuous els thou wouldst wish â—o haue that giuen thee that is not thy due he that should yeald it vnto thee should â—ather flatter thee then prayse thee And what vertue is there in thee for which â—hou deemest thy selfe worthy of commenâ—ation and veneration True vertue euer gâ—eth in company with Humility that is â—he foundation of all Religious vertues If â—herefore there be not Humility in thee â—rue vertue must needs be absent also But â—f there be Humility in thee and thou be â—ruly humble how can it be thou shouldst desire honour sith it is the property of Humility to fly from honours and commendations of men He that practiseth Humiâ—ity desireth to be despised of all and is glad that he is nothing reckoned of Moreouer what memorable or noble act hast â—hou done wherefore shouldst thou desire or seeke after such applause of men Or what hast thou suffered for the loue of me â—hat thou shouldest receiue a reward at my hands in this life Certainly thou hast noâ— yet shead thy bloud for me neither haâ— beene in bands nor most ignominiouslâ— haled and drawne through the streets noâ— nayled to the crosse as I was for thy sake And though thou hadst suffered all this anâ— more for me yet thou shouldest haue neeâ— the help of my grace without which nâ— good can be done and so all the praise haâ— rather redounded vnto me and not vntâ— thee Admitte it were true that thou haâ— done many workes worth the rewarding thinkest thou it best to do such thinges that they may be rewarded with an humane honour in this life that is with â— most contemptible price if it be compareâ— with the diuine honour prepared in heauen He that seeketh for praise of the good workes that he doeth in this life musâ— not expect any other reward in the nexâ— life 5. Sonne thou shalt neuer be remedied or cured of this euill if thou find nâ— out the cause therof The chief cause is the magnificall and great opinion thou hast of thy selfe whereby thou persuadest thy selfe that thou art worthy of honour and that he doth thee a great iniury who shalâ— not haue the same conceit of thee And â—er hence is the griefe thou feelest when â—â—hers make no great esteeme of thee But â—â—t vs examine I pray thee what there is in â—â—ee whereby thou shouldest deserue hoâ—ours and dignityes For first whatsoâ—â—er thou hast receiued of me I do conâ—â—rue the same and if I should withdraw â—â—y hand but a little from thee thou â—ouldest be brought to nothing If all the â—â—od in thee be myne certainsy al honour â—â—so is due to me and not to thee The miâ—â—ries imperfections and sinnes be thyne â—or which whether thou be worthy of â—ommendation or rather of confusion â—onsider well O how many Religious men â—e deceiued with the estimation that â—hey haue of themselues and will be the â—udges and arbiters therof themselues For whiles they deeme themselues worthy of honour and yet see that they haue not got the opinion of any good name either with their Superiours or any other they are greatly troubled and afflicted in mind He that layeth a bad foundation maketh a worse building vpon it 6. Sonne thou dost not yet know thy selfe well and therefore thou canst
worketh not well whiles he is able shall not escape vnpunished when he would Of the tentations and daungers of leauing ones Vocation CHAP. V. SONNE the gift of thy vocation to a religious life is a precious iewell which hath no place on Earth nor is it procured by friends or obtayned with money but commeth downe from Heauen from the Father of lights and is of so great a price worth as nothing in this life may be compared to it The property of this precious â—iewell is most worthy of admiration For by it owne bright shining light it sheweth vnto religious persons all the down-falles and daungers that be in this present life which because secular men who are destitute of the light of this diuine gemme cannot see or discouer they otherwhils stumble and fall very sore It further layeth open al impostures tentations and trecheryes that the enemy of mans saluation vseth for the intrapping and vndermying of soules 2. Againe this light is so cleare as it maketh entrance euen into Gods hart and vnto Religious men layeth open Gods will touching their owne state and in the execution of this will of God Religious Perfection consisteth Who vseth not the benefit of this light in his way to saluation walketh not in security and though he fall not yet he must needs many tymes tryp stumble The vertue also of this noble Gemme is of no lesse reckoning theÌ„ is the brightnes For it giueth great courage force to those who labour towards heauen whence it also commeth against the enemy both visible inuisible who seketh to stop vp the way thitherward For it animateth the Religious to ouercome al difficultyes that occur in the spiritual way 3. This gemme hath yet another condition that the longer it is worne vsed the fayrer and perfecter it becommeth It can neuer be taken from a Religious man to whome it is once giuen It cannot be lost vnles he hath a meaning of himselfe wilfully to cast it away If then a Religious man should make light esteeme of this iewell should he not be worthy seuerely to be punished And should he not deale iniuriously with his benefactour if he should forbeare to vse the vertue and efficacy of it For he is accompted no lesse vngratefull who vseth not the benefit bestowed vpon him then he who acknowledgeth it not or disteemeth it This gemme as it is defended with three vowes that guard and keep it so is it beseeged by three cruell enemies who seeke continually to steale and take it away The first â—s the World who putteth man forwards to â—eeke after riches and vanities The second â—s the Flesh togeather with the desires and â—he whole route of sensuall pleasures The â—hird is the Diuell with his proud suggestioÌ„s proceeding of selfe loue 4. My Sonne that thou mayst not loose so great a Treasure thou must needs haue â—hree things The first is Vigilancy or Circumspection for that whiles a man sleepeth â—n the field cockle is easily sowne amidst the good corne and he that is not considerate and wary easily falleth into the enemies â—nares The second is a singular affection towards the iewell of this thy Vocation that â—hou mayst loue it more hartily then thyne owne life for the better it is loued the more carefully is it kept And because it is so excellent as it bringeth thee to God and to eâ—ernall felicity nothing ought to be more deare vnto thee then the same as there is not any thing found in heauen or in earth that â—s more excellent then God or euerlasting â—aluation The third thing necessary is that â—hou place this Iewell so fast in thy hart that â—hou suffer it not to be taken from thee by â—ny aduersity or pleasure or for the respect of any creature whatsoeuer if any should go about to spoile thee of it that togeather with it he must take away thy hart also 5. Besids these there be some other thingâ— that hurt a Religious man and dispose and prepare him to the ouerthrowing of Gods calling in him In the first place thou must earnestly endeauour to mortify and roote out the bad habits thou hast brought out of the world before they thrust thee from the state of religion For like vnto bad plants in the ground they sticke fast in the most inward parts of the mind and become to be so strong in time and so great as they in conclusion choake vp the good seed of thy vocation that they may obscure and take away the bright shining of this heauenly margarite Whosoeuer in religion retayneth his peruerse habits of the world sufficiently manifesteth that he hath not wholy abandoned the world The horse running out of the stable and carrying his halter with him wherewith he was tyed by often stumbling is easily taken and brought back againe into the stable euen so a Religious man running out of the stable of this world if he draw his old manners customs with him by often stumbling easily yealdeth to tentations and is brought backe againe into the stable of the world out of which he had runne He profiteth nothing by his running away who runneth away halâ—â—ad or tyed 6. It also much hurteth a Religious man and in tyme throweth him downe from the state wherein I haue placed him to make little reckoning of lighter faults defects which do by little and little quite ouerthrow him and bring him into a certaine loose hurtfull liberty of life wherewith the true spirit of Vocation cannot haue coherence which in all things both little great requireth obseruation He can neuer be secure who whiles he may freeth not himselfe from his enemies though they be neuer so little An house before it falleth giueth some little signes of the future ruyne which if the owner preuent not in time it soone after quite falleth to the ground So a religious man if he do not in the very beginning prouide a remedy against little faults defects that are found and obserued in him will in time shake and weaken all his vocation and bound fast in such kind of bands wil leade a miserable life out of Gods house Who healeth not vp his wounds in good tyme when need is repenteth himselfe with his owne greater hurt afterwards 7. Those also suffer great detriment in â—heir vocation who discouer not their tentations nor defects to their Superiour The theef flyeth away as soon as he is discouered but whiles he is not knowne he neuer giueth ouer till he hath stollen some thing Euen so a Religious man as long as he concealeth from his Superiour what it were fitting for him to know giueth an occasion to the infernall theef of robbing him of the precious Iewell of his vocation He that discouereth not vnto the Phisitian the quality of his disease or sicknes either vnderstandeth not the greiuousnes therof or maketh light reckoning of any cure 8. O how much deceyueth he himselfe who ouer confidently thinketh himselfe
of glory in heauen and how glorious is he in heauen who hath deserued it The Religious who now triumph in heauen do make so great an esteeme euen of the least increase of glory which they had merited whiles they laboured to perfection heer on earth as they do not only yield their Creatour immortall thankes but had rather also if there were need spend their bloud a thousand times then not to haue obtained that glory Wil◠thou therfore who mayst without spilling of thy blood or losse of life increase thy glory and crowne in heauen from day to day by profiting towards perfection stand still in the dore contented with a very small measure of perfection 6. Take heed my Sonne least that befall vnto thee which I told my disciple of That to him who hath shall be giuen and from him who hath not shall also be taken away that he hath Neither is that wont to be done only for a punishment of ingratitude but ordinarily also it hapneth to all things more or lesse affected with some quality For example Wood not much kindled easily forgoeth the little hear that it hath not so if it had been well kindled So a Religious man who hath gotten but little perfection doth very easily loose it but he who hath got many degrees of it doth not easily forsake it but is like a tree that hath taken deep roote and strongly resisteth both winds and tempests 7. There be also some who affected to a more free life do for purging of themselus say that the study of perfection is only proper to Nouices But they be miserably deceiued for as much as all religious persons be bound to labour to perfection and the more ancient a man is in religion the more diligent should he be in furnishing himselfe with vertues as he who ought to haue both a greater vnderstanding and knowledge of his owne obligation and hath a longer triall and experience of the sweetnes of perfection He that is not hungry is soone filled and it is an ill signe in a religious man if he receiue no pleasure in the study of vertues 8. Others contrariwise haue an ouer hasty desire to get vp to the highest degree of perfection and if they happen peraduenture to fall into some defect they be eftsoons discouraged and loose their courage But this is not my will neither is it the way of labouring to perfection For the greatest perfection is in the victory ouercoming of all vices and in the purchasing of all vertues for the effecting of this there must be some continuance of tyme. Wherfore to seeke eueryday more perfection then other which we speake of heere is nothing els but to ouercome the passions or to restraine the perturbations of the mind the inordinate desires therof And to be absolutly perfect is nothing els then after the victory ouer our selues to be dead to the world and to liue to god alone 9. He that hath enemies and aduersaries can neuer be secure vnles he cut them off cleane and destroy them but necessary it is not that he take them a way at one time all togeather So a Religious mans enemyes be the passions which dayly rebell against him and though he cannot ouercome thē all at once at one the same time yet let him labour to extirpate one after anther and so doing he shall hold on to greater perfection In like manner an whole Kingdome is not set vpon all at once but now one castle is taken from the enemy and then another or some Citty brought in subiection and so one after another vntill he be come possessed of the whole Kingdome Euen so doth a religious man who hath a desire to inuade set vpon the kingdome of perfection whiles he must now gaine one vertue and then another this is euery day to labour to greater perfection And therefore he must not in any sort be discouraged though he become not very perfect by one or two actions He goeth well onward in his iourney who stayeth no where vpon his way That a Religious man must conserue and keep the perfection he hath gotten and of the manner of keeping it CHAP. XVII SONNE little profiteth the good health of body to be recouered if it be after hurt againe by any intemperance of eating or other carelesnes since the relapse into sicknes is more dangerous then the sicknes it selfe The same is the consideration of spirituall Perfection which once being had profiteth little if we forgo it againe through default of our owne vigilancy and wary keeping of the same And if the relapse into corporall sicknes be a matter of so great consideration for the daunger towards the body much more is to be feared a relapse into the old imperfections that indanger the spirituall life 2. Sonne desirest thou to be freed from the daunger of dying spiritually Then shunne those things that be dispositions to that death For we learne by dayly experience that they who once languish in the study of perfection do fall into a thousand defects and into so great leuity and inconstancy of manners liberty of conuersation and imprudency of mind as not only all shame laid aside they do nothing worthy of prayse but do furthermore glory reioyce in their owne errours and defects And in this they be not vnlike to those Angells who fell from heauen and togeather with their most greiuous ruine lost also all their spirituall gifts and procured to themselues most extreme euills For looke how much more excellent they were in dignity then all creatures so much more by their fall from heauen they became worse and more contemptible then them all My Apostle also who betrayed me from his dignity of Apostleship fell into the downfall of desperation The same hapneth to the Religious men who from the higher degree of perfection they fal be the more sorely bruized and crushed by their fal and become worse And as he is called happy who declineth from euill and imbraceth good so contrariwise miserable and vnhappy is that man who forsaking the way of perfection traceth holdeth on the way of licenciousnes and liberty 3. But to conserue the degree of perfection thou hast gotten there be two vertues that may help thee and those be Loue and Humility Loue will make thee vigilant to auoid the daungers growing from theeues and robbers Humility will conceale and hide thee that thou come not within their view or sight And how profitable auailable Loue is for this purpose it is no hard matter to demonstrate A rich and wealthy man who is not in loue with his riches soone looseth them For he that loueth not any thing esteemeth it not and he that esteemeth it not hath no care of keeping it and euery one knoweth that a thing negligētly kept is easily lost Euen so as necessary it is for a Religious man to be greatly affected to the perfection he hath once got for of loue there
is caused a feare of loosing it of feare a sollicitude diligence in keeping it solicitude againe causeth him to find and search out meanes and wayes necessary profitable for attayning to the end 4. Whosoeuer hath a care to keep his corporall health asketh aduise of expert learned Phisitians eateth good and wholesome meats keepeth his set times of eating neglecteth not requisite exercises of body chooseth an habitation in a healthfull place and ayre approued of the Phisitians keepeth himselfe out of the rayne winds and from other outward incommodities and in few words is very carefull not to exceed in any thing that may peraduenture any way hurt him The same causeth sollicitude in a Religious man if he haue a desire to conserue Perfection and seeke his soules health For first his care is not to order his owne life according to his owne will or by the counsaile of more loose and free companions but rather by the direction of Superiours and spirituall Fathers Secondly to eate of good meats namely those that I vsed my selfe when I liued on earth that is to do the will of my Father who is in heauen whose will is our soules sanctification And therfore whatsoeuer God giueth vs for the sanctifying of the soule is the best meat as contrariwise whatsoeuer maketh to the defiling therof such as be sinnes is the worst poyson of all Thirdly he neglecteth not the vse and exercise of vertues For sith perfection is founded in Charity which is like vnto fire whereunto if wood be cast it increaseth if it be remoued and taken away it goeth out Euen so the more Religious men who haue their part in Charity do exercise themselues in vertue the more they profit in perfection and the lesse they be exercised in them the lesse they get of perfection And therfore all exercise of vertue ceasing perfection ceaseth also 5. And as touching an healthful place where the soule is to dwell I know none comparable to Religion where I haue placed the religious man but if we consider particular places the best is that that his spirituall Phisitians or Fathers assigne him And if he would fly all occasions of falling into any imperfections he shal so very well arme and defend himselfe against all outward difficulties Finally he committeth no excesse because in all doubtfull matters he repaireth to his spirituall Father seasoneth all pennances and mortifications with the salt of moderation and discretion 6. The other way that conserueth perfection is by humility He that is become possessed of a rich and pretious iewell is very wary three ways that he loose it not at any tyme. First he layeth it vp in a secret place that it may not easily be seene discouered or found of others Secondly he letteth not euery owne see it neither doth he openly brag that he hath such a Iewell Thirdly he taketh it not from the thing whereat it hangeth For example the heat of water dependeth of the fire and if you remoue it from the fire it looseth the heate Humility in a Religious man whose precious stone is the study of perfection remedyeth all these three daungers First it causeth him to conceale and hide his vertues and perfections from the sight or knowledg of others Secondly not only not to vaunt and brag of his spirituall riches but also to thinke himselfe vnworthy of them and withall to acknowledge and confesse himselfe poore a beggar and an vnprofitable seruant Thirdly to acknowledge that the Iewel of perfection dependeth of my grace knowing that it is lost if it be separated frō it For as I resist the proud so giue I grace to the humble And therfore if thou hast a desire to haue thy perfection not only conserued but to increase also attend thou diligently to the exercise of true humility The end of the first Booke THE SECOND BOOKE of Religious Perfection Wherein is treated of the three Vowes of Religion and the perfect obseruation thereof And first of the three Vowes in generall Of the dignity and excellency of the three Vowes that be made by Religious persons CHAP. I. SON when any thing though otherwise of great worth is not knowne it is not much esteemed because the excellency worth therof is obscured by the darknes of ignorance and therby the due estimation is taken away And this is the cause wherefore the three Vowes that be made in Religion be not so esteemed of some euen Religious men themselues because they vnderstand not the worth excellency profit therof He cannot be free frō fault who vnderstandeth not what in regard of his state he both may and ought to know Wherfore know thou my Son that the excellency of these vows is greater then many conceiue neither are they of litle consequence And vnder the name of Vow is vnderstood an obligation of a Religious man made to God his Creatour of performing and doing some better good And sith this obligation is very noble spirituall and diuine euery religious man ought not without cause diligently to ponder reuerently to esteeme and exactly to obserue the same 2. That it is most noble it cleerly appeareth by this for that the will bindeth it selfe which amongst the faculties of the soule holdeth the principality first place and hath a commaund ouer all the rest of the powers Againe it is most noble because it is made to God whose maiesty is infinite who is the authour of all true excellency Moreouer because it is made for a most noble end namely the glory of Gods Name which is the more amplified the more exactly that obligation is kept There is added further that the vertue of Religion among all morall vertues excelleth for noblenes dignity Seeing therfore a Vow is an action of that most noble vertue that giueth light to all other vertues it manifestly followeth that a Vow is a most noble vertue For what the tree is the same be the fruits therof 3. And that this obligation is spiritual and holy is out of controuersy both because it is directed to a spirituall good namely to holines of life and because it is the very entrance and beginning of the spirituall life of Religious men Whereupon as the life of the body dependeth on the hart as the beginning so the religious life and to be a religious man hath the dependance of this holy obligation And as by the least hurt of the hart the life of body receiueth great hurt also and the hart being taken away the life is taken away togeather euen so by the very least default in the obseruatiō of this obligation the Religious life is much preiudiced and that againe ceasing or taken away a man ceaseth to be Religious The nearer the euill cometh to the hart the more dangerous it is 4. That this obligation is diuine is also certaine because it is of the holy Ghost who by his diuine inspiration moueth a mans mind to the making of such an obligation
Secondly because the person to whome it is made is diuine that is God himselfe Now let a Religious man consider and see how much he ought to loue it with what regard to keep it and with what deuotion and care to obserue it in all things that he is able because it is made to him who penetrateth and entreth into the most inward secret of the hart and well knoweth who hath iust cause to obserue it and who not 5. But now I would desire to know of those to whome it causeth some trouble and difficulty that they be tyed in so noble and holy a band what the cause is that secular men haue them in so great regard and veneration They will say perhaps because they be religious and my seruants And what made them religious and my seruants but these three Vowes Many secular persons liue at this day in the world far more learned more holy and more perfect then many Religious and yet be they nothing so much honored as religious men be and the cause is because they be not tyed to me by these holy bands of Vowes Secular men when they behold Religious persons doe consider them as wholy mine by three Vowes consecrated to me what honour they do them they thinke they giue to me But this they do not to men of the world though otherwise eminent for their vertue and therfore to be tyed in these bands is no contemptible matter but most honorable and most noble euen to the world sith the Religious be in so great veneration with the great men of the world 6. These three Vowes againe be of very great regard for that they cause the Religious to triumph victoriously and to go away with victory ouer their three deadly enemies For whils they exercise Pouerty against the vanity of the world Chastity against the tentation of the flesh and Obedience against the frauds of the crafty diuell they go easily away with victory But those Religious who vse not these kind of armes are oftentimes shamefully ouercome Let not him be a souldier who will not take a weapon in hand neither let him go to the battaile who refuseth to fight 7. And now tell me my Sonne what those Religious men deserue who make but light esteeme of so holy and godly an obligation and what they also deserue who keep it not when they may ought to keep it What punishment attendeth them who do not only breake it but further contemne it also O how straite an accompt are they to make not only of their owne transgressions but also of those of others that is of those who by their bad example were induced to violate and breake their Vowes they had before made vnto me For promise by Vowe is not made to men but to the diuine maiesty it is not made vnwillingly but voluntarily Neither is the obligation therof concerning any light or temporall matter but touching a great and spirituall matter that is the saluation of the Soule He that lightly regardeth what he hath once promised to God shall againe be as little regarded of God Of the vtility and profit that Vowes bring and cause to Religious persons CHAP. II. LORD our Nature is so sore depressed surcharged with the weight of our owne miseries as I know not whether it were good and profitable for a man to bind himselfe by Vowes sith to me it seemeth nothing els but to adde one burden to another and consequently much to be feared least in conclusion seeing it is very weake it fall vnder the burden And more then this there be so many obligations and bands of precepts imposed partly by thee partly by thy Church layd vpon vs as it is almost impossible for vs to satisfy them therefore it seemeth not good to surcharge our selues with new bands of Vowes Neither doth there appeare so great vtility likely to redound vnto vs by the benefit of Vowes but that there is presented a greater daunger by transgressing and breaking them I add further Lord that fre and voluntary offices of deuotion are more accepted off by thee then be the forced But whosoeuer shall make a Vow is forced to stand to his promise and therfore I see not how great a vtility there is of Vowes 2. Thou art deceiued my Sonne For Vowes be burdens that load not but rather ease help nature it selfe to the exercising of all more noble works The feathers and wings of byrdes carry a shevv of a burden and yet they help to raise them aloft and without which they cannot fly Besids experience teacheth that they be religious who do most promptly most exactly obserue the commaundments of God whence it appeareth that by the benefit of Vowes they are holpen to obserue the precepts of God and of the Church after a more exact and perfect manner 3. Thou art wide if thou thinkest that any profit returneth to me by thy Vowes It is not so There is no sowing nor mowing for me heere Promises made to men redound to the profit of them to whome they be made but the merit of the Vowes that are made to me remaineth to the vtility of him who voweth yea the honour glory that of Vowes arise to me and my seruice appertaineth also to the good of them that vow For I do abundantly reward them as I do seuerely chastise the bad workes that be dishonorable to piety and to the seruice of God 4. And where thou sayst that by Vows all liberty is taken away in so much as the Religious do all things of necessity therfore haue no merit of their works at all thou art deceiued For there be two necessities one naturall and this taketh away all liberty merit commendation of all good works such as is the falling of a stone downwards The other is voluntary or proceeding of the will or of a promise voluntarily made and this doth not only not take away the merit of the good worke but also much increaseth it for that both the worke and the promise be voluntary and free And this is the necessity so highly commended of the blessed in heauen because it did driue them to the exercising of the more noble and more excellent workes Happy is that necessity which compelleth to what is better 5. Moreouer thou must know my Son that the grief difficulty which we otherwhiles find and feele in executing our promise of Vowes doth not take away nor diminish in the Religious their merit but rather increase it for in fullfilling our Vows there is not only done a good worke but that heauines repugnance and difficulty is further ouercome which indeed is a matter of no little consequence Howbeit to fullfill a good worke promised by Vow though there occurre no difficulty in doing it is more meritorious then to fulfill it without any precedent Vow For as I will declare after the Vow it selfe is meritorious which merit he hath not who doth a good worke
not without cause offered 12. The state of Virgins is perfect in it selfe and very acceptable to me but the Religious state is much more perfect and more pleasing to me because the Virgins do for loue of me only depriue themselues of the pleasures of the flesh but Religious further spoile themselues of their owne will and giue me what soeuer they haue He giueth not little who giueth all he hath neither shall he receaue little in heauen who shall for his remuneration and reward receaue me myselfe 13. Now I would haue all to be themselues iudges in this matter of how great reckoning the Vowes of Religious ought to be sith they be the foundations and ground-worke of Religious life the conseruers of the minds tranquillity and quiet so much desired and sought for of men and the most effectuall meanes towards the attayning of perfection the offering of a perfect sacrifice to the Creatour A souldier maketh a great reckoning of his horse and armes by the benefit wherof he may be able to maintaine his temporall life and triumph ouer his enemyes And shall not a Religious man esteeme of his Vowes by help whereof he conserueth his spirituall life and goeth away with victory not only ouer his enemyes but ouer himselfe also 14. O how great will the splendour of these three Vowes be in Heauen when like vnto three most precious stones they shal be set in a crowne of glory For if the same now couered concealed and hidden as it were do neuertheles giue out so great a light on earth as the very great and mighty ones of this world admire them how great wil the brightnes therof be in heauen where all things shall be seen and appeare doubtles their ioy and peace of mind will be exceeding great who shall transport these iewells with them into heauen as contrariwise great will be their grief and confusion who whiles they liue had them not in the esteeme that they ought to haue had If thou contemnest those precious stones which haue a vertue to raise thee vp to greatest honour what is it that thou makest any great reckoning of Of the perfect obseruation of Religious Vowes CHAP. VI. SONNE in the world a great regard is had by euery man of his own honour and renowne of his family and therefore there raigne so many hatreds and enimities so many slaughters committed families brought to extreme pouerty ouerthrown and which is worst of all many soules run to vtter perdition And all this euill and mischief ariseth of this that they labour only to fulfill the worlds foolish lawes and yet to the performance therof Christians be neither bound nor tyed by any Vow but be rather by my contrary lawes forbidden to do them vnder paine of eternall damnation And if the men of this world do with so great an hazard of their fortunes life soule and all so diligently obserue so pernicious Lawes certes a Religious man hath much more reason to be very studious diligent and exact in obseruing the lawes of his vows which be the statutes laws of the Holy Ghost that concerne the good of soules and my glory And in truth he who preferreth the decrees of the world his enemy before the lawes of God his Creatour fighteth against himselfe 2. Sonne it is true that a man is by the world reputed vile dastardly who vseth not the law of reuenging an iniury but if for loue of me he remit forgiue an iniury he is with me withall vertuous persons censured for magnanimous wise because he ouercometh himselfe and regardeth more the lawes of God then of the world But he who in Religion transgresseth his Vowes is contemned of the world is held infamous to the Religious is of all other men condemned for ingrate for that by benefit of Vows he was raised vp vnto so high an estate namely of Religion and by the the same enriched with so many gifts and spirituall graces And who seeth not that to violate his Vowes is nothing els then not to stand to his promise nor satisfy his band Who perceiueth it not that it is as much as to contemne his benefactour and setter vp And therfore the saying of the Ghospel ought not to seem harsh vnto thee which I pronounced against them when I said That he is not apt for the kingdome of heauen who after putting his hand to the plough looketh back againe 3. The beginners are not crowned in heauen but the perseuerers in good euen till death It is also said in my Scripture That an vnfaythfull promise doth greatly displease God not without cause For he that dischargeth not his word in keeping promises made by Vow goeth on next to this that he cōtemne Religion consequently the same is contemned also if it keepeth in it such as discharge not their duty For it is no little scandall vnto men of the world if they see the Religious to be defectiue in euery principall point in which consisteth the essence of Religion it selfe And the least reproach doth not redound to me also for sith I haue accepted their promises made by Vow if they be not performed as is requisite I am vnworthily iniured by them whome I haue so tenderly loued and whome I so inwardly affected Besides the greatest hurt of all lighteth vpon the transgressors themselues because they cast themselues into manifest hazard of Apostasy and into the enemies snares neuer likely to get out againe And what meruaile it sometimes in this life also I bend the bow of my indignation against them He that can satisfy the debt that he oweth and vseth cousenage that he may not pay it is worthy neither of remissiō or pardon nor of commiseration It is a lesser euill to vow then to reuoke the vow a man hath once made 4. The Diuell the capitall enemy of Religious perfection is not ignorant how much good cōmeth to a Religious man by the exact obseruation of his Vowes For nothing bringeth him sooner and with more security to the height of perfection then the mortification of carnall desires And what is it els in a perfect manner to performe the Vowes then for a man to mortify himselfe The Vow of Pouerty mortifyeth the desire of heaping vp riches The Vow of Chastity the tentation and contentments of the flesh and the Vow of Obedience the facultyes of the mind the will and proper iudgment And this is the cause why the Diuell laboureth so much to perswade the Religious to make no conscience or scruple in transgression of their Vowes not only that he may so diuert them from the seeking of perfection but also for this that when the foundations be once shaken and weakned it is no hard matter for him to ouerthrow the whole house And an euill signe it is when the beginning of the euill is giuen and occasioned by the principall part 5. O how deare be those Religious to me who seeke out diuers meanes and helps
necessaryes do sorely weaken yea and ouerthrow their Vow of Pouerty For in the one there is meere superfluity in the other there be made expenses without necessity and both of them be repugnant to Pouerty whereof it is commonly sayd As much as is inough and no more To vse parsimony in the things of Religiō and to spend them but when necessity requireth is not misery as the haters of Pouerty will haue it but an act of vertue because Pouerty exacteth it 7. It is also a vice and fault repugnant to Religious Pouerty both to take thinges without the Superiours leaue and to giue them vnto others For whatsoeuer is giuen to a Religious man is the Religious not the mans who cannot haue any thing proper and therfore if he accepteth of gifts he sheweth himselfe a proprietary so if he giueth any thing to another he maketh a shew that himselfe is the owner therof and both the one and the other that is propriety dominion be repugnant to Religious Pouerty Neither is that Religious man altogeather free from fault who accepteth or giueth things of very little value sith in the Vow of Pouerty there is not any exception made of things little or great but he hath absolutly promised that he will not vsurpe any propriety in any thing either little or great nor take any dominion to himselfe therein An errour in little and light things doth not for go the name of an errour 8. Finally Pouerty is an hurt when the expenses be superfluous and the thinges that be bought be rather curious and faire then profitable and necessary He that is truely poore and imbraceth Pouerty with sincerity laboureth to do what it required and no more For what difference is it for a religious man to haue a faire guilded book or a garment sowed with silke when as a booke not guilded might serue him as well as guilded and a garment sown with common thrid would be as good for him as sowne with silke And if the one consorteth more with Pouerty then the other why will he not conforme himselfe to Pouerty In like manner tell me I pray thee what is the cause that a Religious man retayneth and keepeth other mens things in his chamber that do him no good and yet might profit others Is not that superfluous that hindreth anothers good 9. Sonne thou hast a desire to be receiued into the number of the poore either in earth or in heauen If in earth it is inough that thou hast made a Vow of Pouerty and be reckoned amongst the poore and if in heauen it is not inough but further there is required thou be poore in deed that is that thou cut off all superfluityes and exercise thy selfe continually euen till death in the acts of Pouerty and this is to be a true Religious man He is not to be numbred in the company of my poore who will aboūd in superfluityes neither shall he come to the reward of the poore who shall not haue made a tryall of the effects of Pouerty Of the Vow of Chastity and what Religious Chastity is the proper office therof CHAP. XIII SONNE if the vertue of Chastity were not it would be greatly amisse with man sith the concupiscence of the flesh is of that nature and condition that if it were not restrayned in time it would make a man otherwise indued with reason and vnderstanding in a short time like a brute beast For the pleasure and itching of the senses do so obscure and blind a mans mind as they draw it into all manner of filth and vncleanes whence it cometh to passe that when the will is abandoned of iudgment and aduise a man runneth in a miserable manner headlong into all wickednes Hence it is that a man giuen to the pleasures of the flesh is spoyled of all courage power of doing well speaketh thinketh not of any other thing then of lasciuiousnes and carnality nor wisheth any other thing then that he may al his life long haue his fill of such kind of delights and pleasures and for this cause he also hateth the other life Neither doth a carnall mans madnes stay heere but his hatred further extendeth it selfe to his Creatour who hath by his law prohibited those foule pleasures of the flesh and condemned them In a sensuall man the sense fayleth and the fault increaseth 2. Another condition of concupiscence is that there is no good which a sensual man contemneth not nor any euill that he committeth not so he may enioy and compasse what he vnlawfully desireth He hath no regard or consideration of riches which for the satisfying of his lust and sensuality he wasteth not he exposeth his life to a thousand daungers he hath no care of his health at all he respecteth not the doing against his conscience and to hurt his owne soule so he may enioy his desires Finally he preferreth his carnalityes before all that is both in earth and heauen He becometh sensuall and beastly who exerciseth beastly actions 3. A third condition of concupiscence is that it is neuer satisfyed but increaseth more and more by sensuall pleasures and setteth the body so on fire as no feuer though neuer so burning and hoate so sore tormenteth a man as doth the concupiscence nor any fury of hel is so turmoyled or in so great torments as is a luxurious man whose burning and raging heate is so great as it may seeme not possible to be extinguished but by death The flesh first tyeth a man fast next it blindeth him and lastly it tormenteth him Who hath no will to be thus handled let him not put himself into the fleshes tormenting hands 4. With this pestiferous and vnruly wild beast the vertue of Chastity is to make warre who being called on for her ayde willingly presenteth her selfe greatly represseth the fury of this beast and abateth the concupiscences heat Wherfore it is the generall office and charge of Chastity to moderate and direct all the desires of the senses according to the rule of reason by yealding vnto euery degree of Continency what is conuenient and no more And because there be diuers degrees of Continency there be also diuers permissions and prohibitions therof which she prescribeth In the first and lowest degree is the continency of the married who are only forbidden vnlawfull pleasures In the second is that of widowes in the third that of the single and vnmarried who do not only renounce vnlawfull pleasures of the flesh but also the lawfull which they might enioy without sinne if they had a will to marry In the fourth degree is Continency of Virgins which as it is more perfect then the aforesaid so deserueth it a greater reward the perfection wherof consisteth not only in a firme purpose of contayning from all manner of venereous pleasures but also in the perpetual conseruation of virginal Chastity In the fifth and highest degree is placed the cōtinency of religious which though it be
not sometymes Virginall is yet in perfectiō more excellent then the rest for that it is by Vow consecrated vnto me which because it is an act of excellent Charity and of the greatest of all the morall vertue namely of Religion causeth greatest perfection and excellency to Religious Continency 5. Now the law of Chastity commandeth Religious Continency to exercise three offices worthy of it selfe The first is to conserue the purity of the flesh whereunto is required a great courage For sith the flesh of it selfe is prone to incontinency and impurity a great alacrity and courage of mind is necessary towards the keeping of it vnder that a man who naturally loueth and fauourech his owne flesh nor easily suffereth it to be afflicted giue it not the bridle ouer much nor plunge himselfe into the myre puddle of carnall pleasures A second office is to keep a gard ouer the senses and therunto needeth vigilancy and diligence For seing the senses be wandring and slipery present a thousand occasions of such pleasures vnles a Religious man shal be very diligent in keeping them they will easily breake out beyond their bands The third office is to conserue the purity of the mind vnstayned wherein circumspection is very necessary for the considering examining of what is admitted thereunto And if there be any thing that may stayne or infect it must be kept out for that it is more easy to keep it from entring then to thrust it out after it be entred 6. Sonne this is the law of Religious Chastity and these be the offices thereof If thou desire to be holpen thereby seeing for that end thou requirest the ayde of it thou must also needs fauour it and not deny it thyne help that it may discharge it owne office If thou shouldst deny this thou shouldst do as if thou calledst a Phisitian home vnto thee but wouldst not haue him to touch the sicke mans wound for feare of the payne or loathing that would follow This is not the way of curing the sicke body but of increasing his sicknes rather The body inured to pleasure is wont to complaine that Chastity is euer exact and seuere in executiō of the precepts of her laws which forbids many things and permits few But these be the complaints of the nyce delicate and sensuall sicke who ordinarily desire long for the thinges that be most hurtfull vnto them which if they be yealded vnto do hurt them and therefore such things be more discretly denyed them Suffer the Phisitian my Sonne to put his hand to the yron for the loathsome sore of carnall concupiscence vnles it be launced in tyme will easily grow to a festred and pestiferous impostume He that will not with a very little payne be cured as he ought shall be els where eternally tormented as he deserueth Of the Excellency of Religious Chastity CHAP. XIIII SONNE man consisteth of two parts the owne called the inferiour and sensuall appertayning to the body the other the superiour and reasonable appertayning to the soule When he was created in the terrestriall Paradise as long as he continued in his state of innocency he enioyed great peace also because the inferiour part was in perfect subiection and obeyed the superiour part neither was it so hardy as to resist But after that man did by sinne make resistance against his Creatours will he fell from that happy and peacable state of innocency the inferiour part began to rebell against the superiour that is Reason and hauing also out of a pride a will to vsurpe her authority it fell also shamefully for that reiecting the counsaile of Reason it began to attend wholy to pleasures Hence arose the warre that is now made between the Sense and Reason By this man became spoyled of his former peace and tranquility for that cause he was driuen to gard himselfe with the help of vertues for the bringing of sensuality vnder the subiection of Reason And amongst these vertues Chastity hath a principall place which if it once find an entrance into Reasons kingdome and into the superiour part of the soule like a prudent and wise Lady she cōmandeth the sensuall part to hold it selfe within it owne bounds and to yeald soueraignity to reason Hence it is that the first excellency of Chastity is to restore man as much as may be into his former state and possession of innocency wherein he was created and to honour him with that ornament of purity which he did weare before in the terrestriall Paradise 2. Chastity is also called an Angelicall vertue because it maketh man like vnto an Angell while it causeth him to lead an Angels life For though man of his own nature be in the middest between Angels beasts for that the conditions of both haue place in him though he be superiour to these inferiour to those yet is he somtymes beast-like sometimes againe Angel-like Beast-like when the sensuality in the encounter with the superiour part goeth away with victory and hath a commaunding hand ouer Reason and causeth a man to plunge himself so deep in the boggs of terrene pleasures as he maketh himselfe vncapable of the heauenly as a brute beast reciueth no tast of spirituall matter at all But when Chastity is once got into the kingdome of the mind the warre commeth to a far different conclusion For Chastity in the first place layeth hand vpon sensuality imprisoneth her and setteth Reason in her owne place and authority of gouernment and commaund Next it prouideth that the spirit hold the flesh vnder and in subiection and this is to be Angell-like And though a man be agreably to his nature fast tyed to his flesh and whiles he is in this banishment trauayleth vp and downe in flesh yet because through benefit of Chastity he liueth not according to the flesh he is said to lead an Angells life And he that on earth liueth as an Angell shall in heauen shine also as the Angells do 3. Againe Chastity raiseth a man vp to the performing of great and wonderfull thinges contrariwise the intemperance of the flesh abuseth him to abiect most contemptible things Experience teacheth that such as pursue the fleshes pleasures do not aspire to the effecting of noble and heroicall matters and more then that whiles they see themselues fast tyed and caught in the fleshs snares they drowne themselues ouer head and cares in the puddle of lusts This vice also so dulleth mans wit as it doth not only lay a bar and impediment to his progresse and profiting in discipline and arts but also bringeth in a forgetfullnes of those thinges that were learned before On the contrary side Chastity as it is an Angelicall and celestiall vertue so doth it rayse a man to the execution of generous and most noble workes 4. The founders of Religions if they had not lead chast liues had neuer gone about so great and hard matters as the foundations of new Religions be neither
could the Apostles when they preached the Ghospell haue moued the world or haue done other great matters which they did if they had been cumbred with wiues children Those therfore who imbrace purity both of mind and body be more apt to receaue the cleare light of my grace to contemplate matters of heauen the mysteries of the Diuinity the blessed Spirits the greatnes and excellency of the eternall felicity and of the goods prepared for the vertuous in heauen Whence it is that man also though still liuing in a mortall body if he conserue his integrity of body and mind doth euen now in part begin to enioy the pleasures of Paradise 5. Neither is this the least of Chastities excellencyes that it so beautifieth and setteth forth a mans soule as it maketh it most gratefull to myne eyes For though all vertues adorne the soule and euery one giue it a particuler ornament yet Chastity because it conserueth it from all stayne of the flesh maketh it most pure and most beautifull as contrary wise the vice of the flesh maketh it so fowle and vgly as though it be prouided of all other moral vertues yet may it hardly be endured The externall beauty of times is an occasion of the soules perdition but Chastity which is the soules beauty besides that that it is most acceptable to God procureth both the soules and bodyes good togeather 6. Finally Religious Chastity though it be of it selfe noble excellent receyueth yet greater splendour and perfection from many other thinges For first it is greatly ennobled by Vow by vertue whereof a Religious man hath renounced all kind of pleasures whether the same appertayne to the body and senses or to the mind and internall facultyes therof Againe it boroweth no smal excellency from the very fountaine and origen thereof which is a sincere and perfect loue of me For a Religious man moued not of any necessity or hope of commodity nor for any other human respect is induced to forsake all pleasures of the flesh but only for the pleasing of me And therefore Religious Chastity is the more commendable for this because it is endued with most perfect Charity which is the nurse and mother thereof No little splendour and perfection also is added vnto it by the end and scope that Religious Chastity hath proposed and this end is nothing els then my honour and glory and therfore the Religious bind themselues to perpetuall Chastity for that by it Gods seruice is in a wonderfull sort amplified and so it is no meruayle though Religious Chastity challengeth the first place amongst all the degrees of Chastity The more excellent and perfect Chastity is the more it communicateth to them that loue it 7. Wherefore Sonne seeing Chastity is so noble excellēt I do not hold it inough if thou imbrace it after a meane manner or haue an earnest desire vnto it as to a most precious Iewell but I could rather wish thou wouldest also consecrate thy selfe therunto as to a thing that did most of al please me And know thou that I do aboue all things loue a pure and chast hart and loue it so affectuously as I not only with a singular ioy repose therin enrich it with sundry gifts but also nothing can be required of me that I do not gratiously impart vnto it And this alone should set euery Religious mans mind on fire to desire this heauenly gemme wonderfully shining not only in the company of vertues on earth but also in heauen amongst the company of the blessed The more tenderly thou shalt loue Chastity the more thou shalt be loued of God and if thou canst not loue it as much as it deserueth at least loue it in what thou art able How greatly conuenient it is for a Religious man to be chast CHAP. XV. LORD I well vnderstand that it is very conuenient that he be chast who attendeth to thy seruice considering by the benefit of his Vow he is consecrated and bound to thee the fountaine of all purity It is nothing agreable that vnder a cleane and pure head the members should be filthy and fowle But I know not how I may long defend my Chastity sith I haue at home a capitall enemy who trusting to both inward and outward helps becometh so stout hardy as I almost despaire of the victory Now thou knowest o Lord how sore this insolent and proud flesh persecuteth the purity of my soule Thou art not ignorant how many assaults it maketh night and day vpon it And yet this doth not make me afraid Another thing perplexeth and troubleth me much more that is that both the wantonesse and rebellion of the senses within and the most cruell enemy Sathan without do minister helps vnto it 2. Sonne what thou sayst is most true but thou must not be dismayd for it for the greater that the enemies boldnes poweris the more glorious wil the victory crown be that followeth after Neither shalt thou want my help only play thou the man and vse all thy forces for the maintayning of Chastity and no enemy from within or without shall get the victory from thee And seeing thou acknowledgest and confessest also that it is conuenient that my Religious seruants be chast as I their Lord am know thou that I was euer so harty a louer of purity as myne aduersaries who calumniated me in very many things durst not accuse or condemne me of the very least defect against Chastity And that the Religious ought to be such their state exacteth sith they make a profession to be my followers imitators of my life Wherfore seing I was exceedingly affected to this vertue of Chastity and regarded it as the guid of a spirituall life requisite it is that they also imbrace and take it for their Lady and Mistresse 3. And because I make so high an esteem of purity and am in the highest degree auerted from the vice of concupiscence why wouldst thou haue me to entertayne a dishonest seruant within my house or that I should endure him in the same How should I suffer that any seruice should be done me by him whom I know to haue an vncleane mind The seruant that accommodateth not himselfe to his Lord and Maister or neglecteth to procure his loue and good will either will not be long stable in his office or if he continue in it will make very little profit therby and will put himselfe in danger of being thrust out to his owne great hurt and no little shame and confusion Do I require at my seruants hands any thing vnfitting vnseemly or impossible I require purity which is a principall vertue I require of him that he suffer not himselfe to be supplāted or ouercome by his sensuality and this is honorable I exact of him that which he hath promised and that is to liue chastly which is a point of iustice 4. Further I long to know wherein consisteth to leaue and forsake the
Superiour whome thou seest not But how great humility would it be to be subiect to an Angell For whiles the Religious do for loue of me subiect theÌ„selus to a man as to my substitute and obey him as they do me it is an act not only of great Humility but also of Fortitude Magnanimity Fayth Hope and Charity so much the more pleasing vnto me the more vertues it goeth accompanyed with He that â—ubmitteth himselfe to a man for my sake will lesse submit himselfe to an Angell It is my will that a Religions man must do And it little skilleth whether it be declared by a man or an Angell A regard is not so much to be had of him who speaketh or commaundeth as of him in whose name he speaketh or commaundeth Necessary it is that water runne into the garden but â—it skilleth not whether it be brought in by conducts of lead or of siluer 4. Sonne dost thou now desire to vnderstand the vtilityes of Obedience Teâ—l me if one should ride through daungerous rockes and downefall places vpon a wild and vnruly horse and one should be ready to offer his help and paynes to lead his horse by hand through all those so many dangers would he not thinke that a speciall benefit were offered to him No doubt he would esteeme it a most great one And if he should refuse to vse so great a benefit should he not shew himself a very mad man Our body vntamed in regard of the disordred passions that raigne in it is this vnruly horse The errors that are wont in the spiritituall life to be committed be those downefalls and cragged ockes Our Superiour is he who is read â—o guide and lead our horses that we fall not 〈◊〉 â—â—ke then how great the madnes of that Religious man should be who should refuse in so great dangers to be gouerned by his Superiour For them that want the skill of swymming it is good to rest vpon others mens armes A Religious man who obeyeth and permitteth himselfe to be gouerned of another swimmeth in his Superiours armes and swimmeth securely in the waues of spirituall daungers 5. Another vtility is that Obedience freeth a religious man from an infinit number of molestations and troubles Nothing tormenteth a man so much as do the anxious cogitations of mind of which the miserable man who lyueth in the world is meruaylously rent and gnawne as is the viper by her yong ones which she carrieth in her belly And though he hath not care of family or of the administration of the goods of Fortune yet the very thinking vpon his owne affayres and actions is too combersome For he must not only consider what is to be done but also when how and by what meanes And this loathing and crosse is againe increased by the ouermuch sollicitude about the good ending and successe of the things that are to be done But all this is nothing nothing worth if it be compared with the cogitations of spirituall actions For those that they may be pleasing must be conforme to my will and if they be not done with Charity and discretion I make no reckoning of them And Obedience exempteth a Religious man from those and all other cares and cogitations commending this one thing alone that he obey and lay all the rest vpon his Superiours shoulders whose charg it is to see what when how and by what wayes euery thing is to be done It is in him to procure all things necessary both for the spirituall and temporall for he is the Father the mother maister prouider directour guide and all What other thing then is it to liue vnder obedience then to cast his burden vpon anothers backe If you were entred into a wide wood that almost had no way out and dangerous for the cruell wild beasts therein and were further very sore loaden should not he do you a singular pleasure who should not only bring you safe out of the wood but also ease you of your burden by taking it vpon his owne shoulders And what other thing is it to obey theÌ„ to trauayle the more securely with a guide in the way without any burden to beare He that acknowledgeth not a benefit neither regardeth nor maketh reckoning whence it commeth or who is the authour therof 7. There is added another vtility of ObedieÌ„ce that the things which be good of themselues it maketh more excellent and what is of very little worth it causeth to be had in greater esteeme He that moued by Gods grace doth of a free will exercise a good worke doth well and meriteth a reward according to the greatnes of the work and his pious affection withall but he that doth of Obedience exercise the same workes out of the same disposition of mind that the other did meriteth much more by occasion of the vertue efficacy which the vertue of Obedience addeth to that worke And more then that Obedience is so fruitfull and of such power as it maketh the works that are of necessity more noble also and those that of themselues are not praise worthy as be the actions of eating drinking sleeping walking c. if the Religious do them by obedience pleasing vnto me which I also reward according to the measure of the pious affection Charity they be done withall And it sometimes hapneth that the Obedient without doing any worke maketh more spirituall gaine then he who doth the worke 8. The Religious who hath a desire to fast for the punishing of his flesh for his sinnes and yet for Obedience sake forbeareth to fast meriteth more before God by not fasting then doth another fasting of deuotion For this man hath the only merit of his fasting but that man hath merited not only the good of fasting because he was of his part ready to do it but also the merit of Obedience Iudge thou now whether that be not a priuiledg both profitable healthfull which I haue conferred bestowed vpon the Religious by the benefit of Obedience And how am I affected thinkest thou vnto them who are so little deuoted to obedience O what a detriment and losse sustayneth that man in his spirituall goods who doth all of his owne will that he might do by obedience Euery good worke great or little if it be signed with the seale of Obedience is of great esteeme and price as well in heauen as in earth How it is conuenient that a Religious man be studious of Obedience CHAP. XXIIII SONNE if thou be resolued with thy else to imitate me necessary it is that thou haue an earnest desire to imbrace the vertue of Obedience and make thy selfe fit for the performing of perfect obedience Remember that I assumed tooke vpon me the forme of a seruant that I might subiect my selfe to men and obey them for thy soules good Neither did I propose alone and openly professe that I was come not to do myne owne will but the will of my Father who sent me
his eye vpon God for loue of whome he obeyth The truly Obedient ceaseth not to obey though he knoweth that an errour is committed in the manner of commaunding neither relenteth he in Obedience though the Superiour be imprudent or subiect to any other imperfection He is deceyued who obeyeth that his Superiour may esteeme much of him or that he may obtaine something at his hands because he is to obey for the loue of me 2. The truly Obedient at what tyme any thing is commaunded runneth not away nor withdraweth himselfe into corners but rather offereth himselfe readily to what is commaunded or to be commaunded The true Obedient regardeth not whether it be from his chief Superiour or from a subordinate but he doth with a like promptitude imbrace the commauÌ„dments of both He that had rather obey in one thing then in another deserueth not the name of a truly Obedient man He that more willingly obeyeth one Superiour then another is not perfectly Obedient He that procureth that to be commaunded him which he desireth looseth rather then gayneth 3. The truly Obedient searcheth not out wherefore or how this or that is inioyned him but it is inough to him to know that it is commaunded The truly Obedient to make Obedience perfect leaueth not his workes at halfes and imperfect He that obeyeth the Superiour for that he is wise louing kind spirituall dexterous or liberall is deceiued because he is to obey him only in that he is my Substitute and holdeth my place Reuerence is not exhibited to my Image and picture for the gold or siluer whereof it is made but because it representeth me whence it is that the like honour is done thereto if it be made of paper or wood as there is when it is of siluer or gold In like manner alâ—â—spect reuerence and Obedience ought to be giuen and vsed to the Superiour not for the vertues wherein he excelleth but because he supplyeth my place and representeth my person The end of the second Booke THE THIRD BOOKE of Religious Perfection Wherein is handled the principall Vertues of a Religious man and wherin perfection most of all consisteth Of Religious Humility CHAP. I. SONNE it is good to speake of Humility but better it is to exercise it by deeds What profiteth it by speaking to deliuer many notable sayings touching Humility if in all that discourse thou seeke after vayne glory and fondly brag of thy selfe The Humble who thinketh lowely of himselfe busieth not himselfe in his owne commendable matters but rather in remembring the praises of others He that seeketh to seeme Humble hunteth after the glory of men groweth in pride and the more humble he would seem the more doth his prid increase within An humble man as he acknowledgeth all his spirituall goods gifts to prooceed from God so doth he conceale them as much as he can and locketh them vp with the key of modesty in some secret place He doth not only repute himselfe in all his workes vnprofitable but the more he laboureth the more he thinketh himselfe bound vnto me For seeing he holdeth whatsoeuer good he doth to be nothing worth he attributeth all his good workes vnto me yea he is ashamed before me that I disdaine not to vse his seruice that is so vile and contemptible an instrument as he thinketh himselfe to be 2. O happy Religious men who do within their breasts intertaine so pious cogitations of Humility for by this they shew themselues the more precious in my sight the more deare vnto me the more abiect and contemptible they make themselues for the loue of me These be those who haue found a fixed seate in my hart whom I most tenderly loue and with whome I â—reate and conuerse familiarily These be â—hey whome I raise vp and honour in my court of heauen in the sight of my eternall Father and in the presence of my holy Angels In the Kingdome of heauen he hath not the more honorable place who was most honoured on earth but he who was â—he more humble and therefore my spirit doth not without cause repose vpon the humble because he is diffident of his owne forces relyeth altogeather vpoÌ„ my grace I haue reason to communicate my grace to the humble because they do for the loue of me renounce their owne honour and estimation so greatly esteemed of in the world I do vpon good cause bestow a most noble Crowne vpon the humble in heauen for that whiles they liued on earth they tooke the crowne from their owne head and layd it at my feet 3. Before I came downe from heauen into the earth I was most particularly affected to Humility therfore I chose an humble Mother I was no sooner borne then that I began to exercise Humility by deeds For when as I was the Lord of glory I became a seruant subiected my selfe to men and in processe of tyme I did set vp a schoole of Humility and such as resorted vnto it I informed by deeds by wordes to Humility vntill my dying day In like manner my Disciples made a profession of Humility And this is the cause wherfore I had a perpetuall warre with Pride for so much as I euer hated Pride the capitall sworne enemy to Humility which I so tenderly loued And sith the matter standeth thus let euery one that is wise iudge whether it be conuenient that there should in Religion that is in my Family any proud Religious man haue place or that it were fitting that a proud scholer should be admitted and receyued into the schoole of Humility Hence it is that some Religious do not go forwards in spirit because they be not exercised in the booke of Humility which is the foundation of spirituall life neither do study to imitate me who am their Maister It little profiteth the scholler to frequent the schooles if he follow not his booke nor exercise himselfe in those things that be taught in the schoole 4. There be many amongst the Religious who of theÌ„selues confesse that they be sinners carelesse dull slouthfull and nothing at al but if any other should say so much of them they are eftsoons troubled moued murmure for the matter seeke to defend their own estimation honour and these men are far from Humility For a man in words to confesse himselfe to be nothing and yet in hart to hold himselfe for somthing is false and counterfait Humility And to haue a desire to be esteemed of others is notable arrogancy But the greater gifts an humble man hath the more doth he abase himselfe before others 5. Desirest thou to know my Sonne what Humility worketh in a Religious man First it inclyneth his mind to thinke submissiuely of himselfe secondly when need is it moueth him to manifest his own vtility basenes euen by outward action He that is lowly in his talke going conuersation and other his actions declareth himselfe to be a contemner of himselfe
haue byn miserably thrown down into hel For as the Wiseman sayth Who maketh of another mans house his owne seeketh ruine Wherfore if thou desire to be raysed to glory whereunto thou art created thou shalt not vse any either more secure or more commodious way and meanes for the attayning therof then if thou practise Humility This way held I this way followed the Apostles in this walked all the blessed in heauen He that shall take another way shall surely misse of his marke 13. Sonne suffer not thy selfe to be beguiled attend now to the exercise of Humility which of huÌ„ble persons maketh Angells as contrarise Pride of men maketh Diuells Other vertues take away particuler vices that be the cause of some sinnes only but Humility taketh away Pride which is the roote and head of all sins Humility causeth that the humble are dearely beloued acceptable to all True it is that I make no great reckoning when the Religious man doth humble himselfe to those who yeald him honour respect for that is easy and done of all But I hold it for a great matter if he also submit himself to them who afflict persecute him It is not a thing worthy of great prayse if a man humble himself to others in his aduersityes or whiles he is in great necessity distresse but that he be humble whiles all matters succeed and prosper well with him 14. There was neuer any Religious man yet who hath not wished the vertue of humility but al do not possesse the same because all do not labour for it as it deserueth nor vse the best meanes for the compassing therof How is it possible for thee to get Humility if thou neuer or seldome vse the company of the Humble when thou well knowest that examples worke greater effects then do words How canst thou be humble if thou seldome humble thy selfe sith the habits of vertues cannot be had withou frequented acts Sonne hast thou a desire of true Humility Then lay before thyne eyes thy own defects and busy thy mind rather in examining those things that be wanting vnto thee then in those that be in thee for an humble person concealeth his own good to himselfe It helpeth also often to call to remembrance that thou art to dye O how many haue there been more noble and more honorable then thou art who be now nothing but dust ashes which thou shalt also be ere long It profiteth to contemne the dignity and honours of the world and to hold them for meere vanityes as they be indeed It is good for them who be in place of dignity not to glory or be puffed vp but to feare a fall for that it is not so great a pleasure to climb high as it is dolefull and hurtfull to fall downe againe 15. Sonne hast thou a desire to make an experiment of thyne owne Humility Thou shalt know it thus It is proper to the humble to shunne their owne prayses as it is a manifest signe of pride to seeke them The humble is sory to heare himselfe praysed and the proud reioyceth at it The more excellent gifts the humble hath the more carefully he concealeth them thinking himselfe vnworthy of them and he earnestly desireth that they should be attributed to God and that himselfe be reputed vile and contemptible The humble giueth place to all serueth all as well his inferiours and Superiours The humble conuerseth willingly with persons of the meanest condition 16. Sonne wishest thou for the tyme to come to know how much thou hast profited in Humility Consider the crowns that Humility presenteth her followers for she is wont to giue three crownes to the humble The first and that which is of the lowest price is when a man truly and in his hart thinketh himselfe worthy to be contemned The second is of greater price when he beareth the contemning of himselfe with patience The third and richest crowne is when he is glad he is contemned and loueth him who contemneth him And now consider which of these three crowns thou hast deserued Of a Religious mans Loue towards God CHAP. II. SONNE Charity is a fruit-bearing plant which the deeper roote it taketh in the Religious mans hart the sweeter fruite it bringeth forth Two branches do spring therout the one mounteth vpwards and imbraceth God the other boweth downewards imbraceth the neighbour it imbraceth thee with both for the sauing of thy soule For thou by louing God and thy neighbour louest and gaynest thy selfe euen as by hating God and thy neighbour thou hatest and vndoest thy self Of louing ones selfe much there is a special commaundment as there is of louing God and our neighbour for he who loueth God his neighbour loueth himselfe Of these two branches dependeth the whole Law yea they be a short summary of all that is written eyther by the Prophets or Euangelists Charity is sayd to be a celestial vertue and that not without cause because amongst the Theologicall vertues that only mounteth vp to heauen wheras other vertues only enioy the fruits but Charity enioyeth both the fruit and tree togeather Charity hath a different effect from Humiâ— For this being founded in the knowledge of mans basenes misery so far depresseth and humbleth a man as it causeth him to esteeme himselfe for nothing at all but charity relying vpon the maiesty of the increated goodnes raiseth a man vp to heauen and maketh him to enter into the very bosome of his Creatour the Ocean of infinit goodnes 2. My Scripture mentioneth many prayses of Charity thereby to induce all to loue it One while it is called the Band of Perfection because it so strongly bindeth mans will with me as we become as it were one for that is proper to loue to transforme him who loueth into the beloued this is the greatest perfection that a man can haue in this life Another while it calleth it the life of fayth the forme of all vertues the prime fruit of the holy Ghost and to comprehend all the praises of it togeather in a word it sayth that God himselfe is Charity and he that is in Charity is in God and God in him And what excellency is to be compared with God What more security is there then to be in God and what greater pleasure can a man haue then to haue God with him Charity worketh great matters in a man that is possessed of it as contrarywise when a man is without it he sustaineth great detriments and hurts and occasion is giuen him of many and sore falls When the soule is by death separated from the body life instantly leaueth a man and all the beauty of the body â—s gone euen so charity is no sooner dead in 〈◊〉 man then that the spirituall life ceaseth the actions of life euerlasting fayle and the spirituall seemelynes so pleasing vnto me perisheth cleane away Without Charity I acknowledge none for my friend neither be any vertues pleasing to me
it for our good 9. O my soule not to loue God as hâ— is to be loued is not to loue him at all Hâ— ought to be loued respectfully not for the good or euill he can or may do vs in this oâ— the other life but for himselfe and all other things are to be loued in him and for him He must be loued strongly for Charity putteth away all vayne feare and ministreth ability courage to ouercome all difficultyes and to beare all aduersityes patiently He is to be loued with all the hart with all the soule with all the mind and with all the forces And to loue with all the actions inward and outward is to loue wisely sweetly feruently and continually He is to be loued aboue all thinges and so we shall loue him if we prefer him before all creatures if we would choose rather to dye a thousand deaths then to offend him by one mortall sinne 10. Sonne not all that thinke they loue me do so neither all who thinke they intertaine Charity at home do it Charity being the queene of all vertues entreth into no mans house vnles be she intertayned as a Queene neither stayeth she therein vnles he receyue her as a Queene and honour her for such Moreouer I am to be loued not by words but in deeds and my will is that loue be manifested by workes and not by the tongue alone How dost thou loue me if thou seldome thinkest of me when thou thinkest of me thou dost it only by the way passing in a languishing manner This is not to loue with all thy hart not with all thy mind How doest thou loue me when whole dayes weeks and moneths passe that thou speakest neither of me nor of any thing appertayning to me nor doest not willingly heare them who treate of good matters 11. Loue shut vp within the breast can neither forbeare to speake of me nor stop the eares from hearing men talke of me and how canst thou with truth affirme that thou louest me if thou attend not to those thinges that I speake vnto thee in thy hart Or if thou be attentiue wherfore dost thou not regard them Who loueth truly suffereth not any word of the beloued to fal in vaine out of his mouth but layeth them vp within his hart in store and there diligently examineth them and reflecteth vpon them How dost thou loue me if when thou art able thou dost it not or giuest not with a ready mind when any thing is asked or demaunded of thee for the loue of me It is not hard for a true louer to repay lesse loue to the beloued who hath giuen him his hart before more then that himselfe also How louest thou me if thou wilt not suffer any incommodity for my sake not expose thy selfe to any danger Who loueth from the hart will not sticke to dye for his beloued 12. How canst thou say thou louest me if in obseruing my commaundements thou findest so great difficulty and art so negligent as thou mayst seeme not to keep them but forced and against thy will Loue may not endure delay neither is it disgusted at all but doth with great alacrity the will of the beloued How can it be that thou louest me with al thy soule when thou art so greatly deuoted to thyne owne estimation and to other tryfling thinges that agree very little with my will He that loueth another besids me and not for me either loueth me not at all or loueth me not as he should How canst thou affirme that thou louest me if thou neither â—oue nor respect thy Superiours as they deserue who supply my place when as I haue plainly declared that the honour or contempt that is done to them is done to me He loueth not truly who conformeth not himselfe to his beloued Of the Religious mans Charity to his Neighbour CHAP. III. SONNE thou shalt find some in the world who desire not that any honour â—e giuen them thou shalt find those who refuse dignityes and honours thou shalt find also those who receyue not the gifts fauours or presents that others giue vnto them but thou shalt not find him who dereth not to be loued of others especially with due and respectiue loue which for that it causeth vnto the beloued neither suspition nor disgust is wont naturally to please Many loue their neighbour but they know not how to loue and therefore their loue is otherwhiles fruiteles as also hurtfull I gaue a commandment of louing thy Neighbour and declared the manner of louing him If thou loue thy Neighbour because he is thy kinsman or friend or because he is thy Countryman thou dost nothing this is not Charity tending to Heauen but naturall loue creeping vpon the earth and common to Infidells and Barbarians If thou loue him for any commodity or gayne that thou receyuest of him or hopest from him thou louest thy selfe 〈◊〉 not thy Neighbour and this is calleâ— Loue of Concupiscence neither is it of anâ— longer continuance then is the profit hoped for thereby To loue our Neighbouâ— for our owne commodity is not Charity but rather merchandize 2. Charity truly effecteth that thâ— Neighbour be loued because he is created to my likenes and is capable of euerlasting blisse True Charity disposeth that our Neighbour be loued for God and in God and he that loueth after this manner loueth all the poore equally with the rich the nobly borne and the ignoble he imbraceth all and wisheth them life euerlasting He loueth them as well in tyme of aduersity as of prosperity for he who ceaseth to loue his Neighbour in tyme of necessity manifesteth plainly that he loueth him not for me All this I vnderstood when I commaunded a man to loue his Neighbour as himselfe that is that thou shouldst wish vnto him what thou wishest to thy selfe And as thou must loue thy selfe â—n God and for God by obeying his law on earth that thou mayst afterwards haue thy reward in heauen so oughtest thou to loue thy Neighbour as capable of the same beatitude with thee O if the Religious would obserue this manner of louing their Neighbour there would not be seene so many partialityes in Religions and Churches 3. Some be loued most of all because they are learned and kind others because they be rich and in grace others because they are gentlemen or of noble bloud and those that be not such they regard not O fraud deceit What hath Charity coÌ„mon with learning and riches as if a man that is not rich or learned or well apparelled were not to be loued Charity hath in the first place an eye to me and for that cause loueth all in me But there is another misery more to be pittied that some do therefore loue others because they haue the same complexion of nature and of bloud with them This is not Charity but a carnall affection an enemy to true Charity Charity dilateth it selfe far more wide for it extendeth
therein I haue created thee and made thee to myne owne image And if as meet it is thou wouldst consider weigh this it would be inough to bind thee infinitly vnto me For by creating thee of nothing I gaue thee not whatsoeuer nature being but a nature very noble indewed with reason free and a commaunder of al creatures vnder heauen yea I haue made thee chief and Lord on earth and haue subiected to thy commaund the fowles of the ayre the beasts of the earth and all other things created And though all this be a very great benefit yet if it be compared with the end wheruÌ„to I haue created thee it is none at all Wherefore know thou that I haue created thee to a most noble and a most excellent end then which there is not any greater nor can be in the world which is for all eternity to enioy the sight of the diuine maiesty in heauen 2. Dost thou desire to see my Sonne how exceeding great the benefit of Creation is which is the foundation of all the other Go to tell me if thou wert destitute of both hands and feet what wouldst thou not giue to haue them and if thou wert dumbe or blind what wouldest thou not bestow for the recouering of both those facultyes againe Thou wouldest questionles giue the whole world if it were thyne thou wouldest rather lead a most poore life with the vse of those members and senses then to be a king on earth without them And heere hence thou mayst conceyue the greatnes of the benefit of thy creation by which thou hast receyued a body together with all the members and senses thereof a soule also togeather with all the facultyes and life with all things necessary therunto Thou canst not be ignorant that by the greatnes of the benefit an estimate or gesse must be made of the greatnes of the obligation 3. Consider thou now how much thou art bound vnto thy Creatour for this benefit alone imparted vnto thee without any deseruing on thy part at all Consider how thou shouldest shew thy selfe very vngratefull if thou shouldest not imploy thy life thy health the forces of thy body and whatsoeuer thou hast towards the seruice of thy benefactour Consider how grieuous a sinne it is to abuse the senses and other the facultyes of the mind to the offence and contempt of him who hath gratiously bestowed all those thinges vpon thee And if the cryme of ingratitude be so odiouâ— and great in secular men how great wâ— it be in Religious persons who haue receaued greater light from me and are obliged vnto me for many more respects O how exact an accompt be the vnthankfull Religious to make who not reflecting vpon the greatnes of this benefit do either quite forget or little regard it And what meruaile that the vngratefull do not in this life receaue new benefits but be sometymes bereaued of those they haue already receaued Ingratitude driueth away the Benefactour euen as gratitude inuiteth him to bestow greater benefits 4. What I did after this for the conseruing of thee is not inferiour to the aforsayd neither bind thee lesse vnto me I ordayned that all creatures should serue thee some wherof serue for necessity some for recreation some also for exercising both of body and mind The heauens go their circle for thee whatsoeuer the sea and earth bring forth it is for thy vse I haue ordained the Angells so excellent creatures to guard thee Neither doth any cogitation seeme to presse me more then of doing thee good in all thinges in so much as it may be truly sayd that thou art the end scope of all this vniuerse sith all is created for â—hee and prepared for thy vse and seruice If thou aske me now for what cause I haue prolonged thy life till this very houre when as I haue dealt otherwise with many both yonger and stronger then thou art certaine it is that I haue not delayed it â—hat thou shouldest hold on to offend me by persisting in thyne owne ingratitude but â—hat thou shouldest rather amend thy manners and indeed shew thy selfe gratefull to me thy Benefactour 5. And all this I did for thee without â—ny thy labour paynes or trouble But for the redeeming of thee for the deliuering of thee out of the miserable captiuity of sinne what did I not When I was the sonne of God and in supreme veneration of all the court of heauen for the sauing of thy soule I came downe from heauen into earth became man and subiecting my selfe to the infirmityes of man I began to endure exceeding great paynes and trauayles for thy sake How many miseryes did I sustaine how many calumniations did I suffer what abundance of teares and bloud did I shed for thee And more then that I dyed that I might deliuer thee from death euerlasting and free thee from the cruell tyranny of the Diuell See Sonne how deare a price I payed for thee See how by all right thou art not thyne owne but myne And know thou that the benefit of thy redemption though it be common to al men is not yet communicated to all neither do all enioy the fruites thereof because all haue not receiued the light of faith by help wherof they may acknowledg know the way how to come vnto me And because thou art one of those who haue receaued very great benefits at my hands as hauing beene borne within the bosome of holy Church and illuminated with my grace and light from heauen see thou be not ingate but vse thy receyued gifts least thou be depriued of thy felicity He that seeth snares and when he may auoyd them putteth himselfe rashely into them meriteth to be punished euen as he who seeth not the snare is worthy of compassion if he be vpon the sodaine caught therein 6. I haue againe gone further with others in bestowing benefits vpon them as with those whome I haue called to a more high and more perfect state and receyued into the number of my most deare friends with whome I conuerse far more familiarly then with others these be the Religious whose obligation is greater then thou conceyuest sith there is not a moment of their life that receyueth not a new increase of one benefit or other And if thou wilt consider the matter well they began to enioy a benefit before they were borne into the world Doth it not seeme a benefit vnto thee that I from all eternity haue without any their merit out of my fatherly loue cast myne eyes vpon them to enrich them with my heauenly gifts And haue not I since the tyme they were borne had againe a peculiar sollicitude and care of them With how much patience haue I borne with their imperfections What meanes wayes haue I vsed to draw them out of this deceiuing world and to bring them into the best way From how many sinnes haue I preserued them one while by taking away the
fire with the desire of them when they are well coÌ„sidered and lookt into But anger when it troubleth the mind leaueth no place for reason but Meeknes when it hath quieted the mind thrusteth out darknes and bringeth light in place for the vnderstanding of spirituall things which being entred the vnderstanding presenteth vnto the wil the imbracing of that which it knoweth 9. Amongst the Euangelicall beatitudes I haue assigned the second place next after Pouerty of spirit to Meeknes and for the reward I added the Land of the liuing which is the heauenly countrey where the Meeke shall inioy my presence for all eternity and as I was heere in this life their Maister and an example of Meeknes so wil I be their hire and reward in heauen I shewed my selfe a meeke lambe for the loue of men and a lambe is a figure of me and therfore meet it is that all those who haue serued vnder this signe or banner namely of Meeknes and become lambes for my sake should reioyce with me in heauen for euer 10. How it beseemeth a Religious man to be Meeke and milde and how vnbeseeming it is for him to be angry is no hard thing to be vnderstood The Religious state is peaceable and quiet quite â—â—aâ—gâ— from the spirit of indignation and coâ—â—â—tion In all thinges it conformeth it selfe to the Diuine will it neuer complaineth nor murmureth for any thing it liueth eâ—â—ented with it owne and taketh all thâ—t happeneth in good part These and other conditions seeing they be the fruits of Meeknes cannot stand without it Contrariwise where the excesse of anger raigneth nothing is heard but threatnings iniuryes clamours and lowd outcryes reuenge and blasphemyes against God his Saints in heauen all his creatures which are not at the commaundment of the wrâ—thfull person whose actions because they haue their origen not of reason but of fury are neither good nor can possibly haue any good end How then is it possible that wrath can haue any community with religion which is a certaine quiet Schoole of perfection gouerned by the spirit of Meeknes How can a Religious man attend to prayer molested with the passion of anger How can he be an help and example to his Neighbour who because of his impotency of anger cannot haue any power ouer himselfe Sonne thy nature is not the nature of a serpent but of a man but if it accustome it selfe to anger it will become so furious as like a venomed serpent it will wound thee with the sting Of Mortification necessary for a Religious man CHAP. VII SONNE the kingdome of heauen suffereth violence and the violent only carry it away If thou thinke that heauen may be won by giuing thy selfe to idlenes and ease by pampering thy body and by yeilding vnto thy senses their pleasures in euery kind thou art greatly deceiued For this is not the ladder whereby thou must mount vp to heauen neither be these the armes and weapons wherwith thou must fight and ouercome but thou must offer violence to thy selfe by mortifâ—ing the desires of the senses and by resisting the flesh as often as it seeketh and desireth after those thinges that haue no coherence or correspondence with the constitutions of thy religious Institute This is the way that bringeth to heauen And though thou mightst come to heauen without any contention with thy flesh going before and without suffering of any tribulations yet thou must neither desire nor wish it For I the sonne of God did not ascend into heauen before I had suffered much neither would I go thither but by the way of tribulation 2. A Religious man therefore if he resolue to win the kingdome of heauen must needs take vpon him so much strength as he may seeme to fight for three for he that shall not fight for three shall not go away with the victory First he must fight as a man for seeing he ought to lead a life correspondent to his nature that is participant of reason he is also bound to liue according to reason which he cannot be able to do vnlesse he make warre against his senses which oftentymes resist their maisters reason seeke to free themselues from the gouernement therof And Mortification is that which subiecting the sense to reason causeth that a Religious man contayne himselfe and liue within the bounds of vpright reason 3. Secondly he must fight as a Christian by the sword of Mortification cutting off all that is forbidden by the Christian law And therefore he must not only abstaine from rapine from killing of men from fornication the like but also from a will of doing them because the one and the other is prohibited by my law And herein thou must needs exercise a certaine violence mortification For seeing man in regard of concupiscence and his depraued nature is prone to the euill by me forbidden if he take not into his hand the sword of my law and with it cut off or put to flight whatsoeuer is contrary or repugnant to the law it will neither be possible for him to triumph in heauen nor on earth defend and maintaine the honour of a true Christian Thirdly he must fight as a Religious man who as he is bound to many more thinges then a Christian secular man so hath he more and greater difficultyes and therfore must he the more bestir himselfe and fortify himselfe with the armes of Mortification fight more manfully with the enemy 4. That a Religious man may mortify his senses to liue conformably to reasoÌ„ it is good but for the auoyding of falling into sinne it is better to the accomplishing of the precepts of my law But if he further bindeth himselfe to follow perfection togeather with obseruation of the counsailes of pouerty chastity and obedience it is best of all for that so doing he doth not only abstaine from all thinges vnlawfull but for loue of me he also depriueth himselfe of many lawfull and good thinges as of the dominion of temporall goods of marriage of the gouernement of himselfe and all that is his and the like Herehence it followeth that a Religious man ought to be so mortified as he must be separated cleane from all creatures yea and from himselfe also and must haue his dependance on me alone And this is to beare away heauen by mayne force Sonne he that conuerteth his eyes vpon the labours and paynes that be in this combat will thinke them to be many and great but he that casteth his eyes vp to heaueÌ„ easily perceiueth that they are not worthy of the future glory that is there prepared for vs. 5. Mortification is nothing els then a spirituall death that depriueth a Religious man of all the life of his senses and effeminate defirs cutteth theÌ„ cleane off with all the bad acts arising of the sensual life euen as the death of body taketh away all the forces of the naturall life and the actions therof Wherefore that Religious
vnto them that it is good for a Religious man if he bring his flesh in subiection by long watchings and other asperityes of body as did the holy Fathers in the wildernes who be now Saints in heauen and are honoured in this militant Church for lights of the world But the crafty enemy proposeth not that those actions should be profitable to the soule or pleasing to God or exercised by the rule of Discretion neither doth he also declare when the forces of men be not equall that it is not conuenient for all to vse the same seuerity towards themselues for what is mediocrity to one is ouermuch to another Neither doth he giue to vnderstand that there needeth the coūsell of spiritual Fathers without which none may with security walke on in the way of spirit Sonne seeing the Diuell deceyueth thee by himselfe if thou wilt not be deceiued by him in thy pennances and deuotions follow not thine owne head nor trust thy selfe 9. Finally that a Religious man may be discreet in all his actions it is therefore also conuenient because he is regular and reason requireth that he direct all his actions to a certaine square and rule this is to be discreet And more then all this a Religious mans actions must be addressed to my glory but what glory of myne can it be if the same be vicious and indiscreet What pleaseth me not procureth not either honour or glory Consider now Sonne if indiscretion in fasting disciplines and in other good workes of that kind displeaseth me so greatly how much thinkest thou will it discontent me if a Religious man be indiscreet in eating and drinking in sleeping and in the like actions which be not of themselues holy but indifferent How much shal he displease me if he exceed be indiscreet in actions that be bad in themselues If indiscretion be ill of it selfe cōioyned to a bad thing it wil doubtles be worse and will displease me more 10. Discretion is necessary as well for Superiours who gouerne others as for subiects who are gouerned Discretiō which is the child of beneuolence teacheth them to be louing and benigne Fathers to be compassionate to their subiects nor to impose heauyer burdens vpon them then they are able to beare And it teacheth the subiect to reuerence honour respect obey their Superiours O how displeasing a thing is it to me to see a subiect indiscreet towards his Superiour Indiscretion because it is crueltyes daughter and hardnes sister causeth the subiect to afflict his Superiour by shewing himselfe froward in obeying and dissolute in discipline I know very well how many sighes and deep groanes of the poore afflicted Superiours for their subiects hardnes of hart ascend vp to heauen But woe to them who shall haue giuen the occasion The contempt that is done to Superiours is done to me and it appertaineth to me to examine and punish it Of Indifferency necessary for a Religious man CHAP. IX SONNE thou hast many a tyme and often heard that Religion is the schoole of perfection so it is and therefore they that enter into Religion be not perfect but haue a desire to labour to the perfection of Religious discipline The scholler that hath begon to follow his booke hath no thing els proposed to him but to learne to speake write Latin first after to passe ouer to the higher Sciences As touching the meanes whereby he may come to his sayd end he sayth not I wil imprint these rules in my mind I must be conuersant in this booke and read it ouer ouer I must heare such a lesson but he is indifferent submitteth himselfe wholy to the iudgmēt of his maister to read or heare whatsoeuer shall to him seeme good If a Religious man doth not the same in the schoole of Religion he shall neuer write or read wel but shall cōmit many errours in Religious discipline His only care must now be to aspire to perfection but about the meanes proper to Religion let him be indifferent and leaue all to the iudgment of his Superiour whatsoeuer is in that kind to be don And that Religious man is truly indifferēt whose will put as it were in to a payre of scals weigh not more to one part or thing then to another but is ready to do what the Superiour commaundeth 2. Indifferency is Resignations daughter this cannot be without that Therfore the Religious man who is not touching his owne person and those things that appertaine vnto him resigned to my will to that of his Superiours who supply my place neither is nor can be sayd to be indifferent O how little is that Religious in grace and fauour with me who when any thing shall be by his Superiour commaunded him answereth that he is ready indeed to obey yet he had rather do this or that if that be not yealded vnto him he complaineth or murmureth and sometymes also neglecteth to do what is commaunded him This is no indifferency nor resignation but is a kind of contract He that in accepting of obedience vseth this But hath a meaning that his worke should be but very slenderly rewarded Who sayth I will do it but I would or will declareth that he is not yet dead to himselfe nor hath renounced his owne will In the world when thou wert thyne owne maister in dealing with me didst thou not say I wil or I would and therefore thou hast not yet either left the world or it hath not left thee This is no other thing then to put one foot into two stirrops and to haue a will to serue two maisters The world doth not leaue them who do not first forsake it 3. Lord if I be indifferent and ready to performe all thinges that shall be commaunded me who shall proue that to me to be better for my soule and my quiet Sonne if thou seeke to do that whereunto thyne owne affection swayeth thee who may secure thee that it is more expedient for thy soule and for thy quiet The good of soules proceedeth from me and that I communicate to them who are conioyned with the Superiour whom I haue assigned to gouerne from whome if thou because thou art not indifferent shalt separate thy selfe thou shalt depriue thy selfe of all the gifts and graces which I am accustomed to bestow vpon the subiectes by help of the Superiours Besides if thou be a true child of obedience thou oughtst to iudge and thinke that to be best that thy Superiour where no sinne is shall ordaine if thou be indifferent thou art bound promptly to put it in execution For if any errour hap to be committed it shal neither be thyne nor imputed vnto thee neither shalt thou loose any part of thy merit A good Religious man examineth not whether it be better or worse that is commanded but it is inough to him if it seeme better to the Superiour 4. Some there be who can hardly be induced to
opinion present or els stand vpon their honour and reputation the flame and hear of contention goeth sometymes on so far as no help may quench and put it out but with the ruyne of them both 7. The fruits of this tree be very pernicious to Religion in gathering wherof if there be no vigilancy and diligence vsed it is to be feared least within a while it become full of much infectious fruite as of hatred dissentions murmurations treacheryes vnderminings reuenges and other vices of that kind neither shall Religion be any longer the Schoole of vertue but the sinke of vice and a receptacle of Diuells yea and for the scandall giuen to men of the world more bad then hell it selfe And whereas hell is the place of torments and full of miseryes wherin sinners receiue their punishments it induceth no man to sinne but rather terrifyeth him from committing sinne but that ReligioÌ„ in the bowels wherof raigneth discord and hatred for the scandall giuen induceth secular men to sinne the more greeuously For if a secular man obserue the Religious to be at contention and iars amongst themselues he will thinke thaâ— it is much more lawfull for him to enteâ— into such kind of contentions to continue them But if it chance that seculaâ— men do intermeddle themselues and takâ— part in the contentions and debates oâ— Religious men then the Religion becommeth nothing els then a house and habitation of diabolicall confusion My Apostles had also contentions amongst them which of them should be greater though their errour were not great nor would haue done much hurt to the Colledge oâ— my Apostles yet I gaue them to vnderstaÌ„d that such contention did not a little displease me and by vsing correction I tookâ— away the seed of that discord and taught them to practise Humility which is Concords mother And I further added this feareful saying Vnles you become as little ones you shall neuer enter into the kingdome of heauen 8. Sonne if there be any found a louer of peace and of vnion among Religious men I am he and if the contentions and debates of them againe be displeasing vnto any I am he most of all And therfore that a quiet and peaceable life might be led in Religion besides that which I tooke from them Myne and Thyne the beginning of all discords I caused further that all their constitutiont and rules should be directed to the intertayning of peace and coÌ„cord But the Diuel hath sowen in them the cockle of selfe estimation which if it be not trodden vnder foote is the seminary of all contentions suits debates quarrells and warres How a Religious man ought to carry himselfe in his Tribulations CHAP. X. SONNE if thou couldst go to heauen without tribulation or without the suffering of aduersityes in this life according to the lawes of loue thou shouldst not with or desire it considering I thy Lord entred into it by the way of the crosse and of tribulation All the blessed also who do now enioy most perfect peace and rest and ioy in heauen held the same way Wherefore if thou hast a desire to go any other way then that of tribulation thou shalt neuer come to that place of quiet and ioy thou seekest but of paynes and miseryes sith assured it is that none can haue his ioy both in heauen and in earth togeather If thou wilt in this life be an imitatour of tâ—â— rich Glutton thou canst not liue in the â—ther in the company of Lazarus My selâ— proued by many tribulations carryed mâ— owne heauy Crosse vpon my shoulders therby gaue thee sufficiently to vnderstanâ— what way is to be kept to thy country Mâ— Apostle also declared it plainely inough that there is no getting into heauen but bâ— many tribulations And therefore to thâ— sonnes of Zebedaeus my most deare discipleâ— when they wished to sit one on the righâ— hand and the other on my left in my kingdome I sayd That they knew not whaâ— they asked for that they were first to thinkâ— of their suffering of tribulations and theâ— afterwards to speake of the reward theâ—of 2. Thou art therfore deceiued if thoâ— thinkest that there is accesse for thee to heâ—ueÌ„ without thy crosse tribulatioÌ„s Thoâ— art deceiued if thou thinkest thou maysâ— liue without the enduring of aduersityes thou art deceaued I say if thou thinkesâ— that thou canst be in Religion free and exempt from all affliction If outward tribulations be wanting the inward wil assayle thee for as much as the bad inclinationâ— passions and inordinate desires suffer not a man to be at quiet and free from his crosse â—nd though they were away yet I will â—pt omit my selfe to send thee for thy souls â—ood and profit some affliction or other â—herefore seeing it is certaine and vnâ—oubted that in this exile the life cannot â—ossibly be passed ouer without crosses and â—ribulations seeing the life it selfe is a conâ—â—nuall tribulation euery Religious man â—hould in earnest do very well and best â—or himselfe if he would make a vertue of â—ecessity accommodate himselfe to beare â—he crosse patiently and with a stout couâ—age All labour the more patiently it is â—ndured the better and the more lightly is â—t borne Whosoeuer refuseth to follow me with his crosse his crosse will follow him 3. Sonne what dost thou that thou â—omplaynest in thy afflictions and art discouraged Dost thou not see that thou makest them the more bitter vnto thee and that they torment thee the more Dost thou thinke that for the afflictions that thou bearest as thou art able thou art the lesse beloued of me I am not like vnto the men of the world who abandone their friends when it is their hap to fall into any calamity yea I send sometyms tribulations vnto some that I may be preseÌ„t with them when they are in their troubles I do iâ— truth reproue and chastise my seruants thâ— more the better I loue them that they may the more perfectly be purged from all thâ— filth of their sinnes their vertue may be the more strengthned and beeing so corroborated may be manifested and made known vnto others If thou didst but see in how great an esteeme a good and perfect Religious man is with me when he is in affliction and misery thou wouldst wonder that I do not multiply more and greater afflictioÌ„s vpon him For he in that state looseth nothing of his spiritual gayne more then that he profiteth himself exceedingly by his own exaÌ„ple inciteth others wonderfully with a willing mind to imbrace tribulations and to hold them as a most singular gift sent him from heauen And therefore it often happeneth that some pious Religious man exercised by such tribulations is able to effect more and do more good then many preachers Patience manifested by worke profiteth much more then when it is recommended and preached out of a pulpit 4. O how much is that Religious man in my fauour who when any
affliction befalleth him doth at the very first accept it as a particuler fauour of myne and yealdeth me most harty thankes therefore and secondly seeketh to reape some profit therby for his soule by crauing of my help â—hat he may for the loue of me beare it both manfully and willingly And can it be possible that I should not help such a Reâ—igious person Why should I not lend him my assisting hand in tribulation Why â—hould I not free him and glorify him Contrarywise how much doth it displease â—e to see a Religious man sighing deeply murmuring and discontented in the very â—east tribulation as though he had proclaimed warre against me Is not this a â—alpable arrogancy Is not this to take the â—words point in his owne hand True it is â—hat tribulation is a sword but it is to be â—â—ken by the hilt for he that shall lay hand â—pon the point woundeth himselfe A good religious man who taketh the sword by the hilt vseth and handleth it with proâ—it in cutting off the imperfections and superfluous desires and also in driuing all enemyes away from his soule 5. It is to be confessed that tribulation is bitter but it is such bitternes as is not il neither can it be properly ill because it coÌ„meth from my heauenly Father whose goodnes is infinite and leadeth to the supreme good as it hath already brought all the blessed that dwell now in heauen And seeing I the Sonne of God was neuer without tribulation it nothing beseemeth a Religious man to refuse it for the bitternes that is therein He that hath for the loue of me once spoyled himselfe of the pleasures of this world must in Religion seeke not the pleasure of the senses but to please the tast of his soule For if I had refused the bitter cup of my passion what a state would that haue beene of thyne and of mankind besides There are some who thinke the affliction that they suffer is ouermuch yea and to exceed all the tribulations and crosses of the world But it is nothing so and more then that by that conceit and opinion they greatly offend me because they imagine feigne me to be a cruel tyrant who layeth more heauy burdens vpon men then their forces may beare I am not ignorant how much euery one is able to beare I know also what may prâ—fit or hurt theÌ„ but it so hapneth that to him who hath not been exercised in bearing â—ffliction the very least misery becommeth great yea and intollerable also and he who hath not proued or knoweth not others calamityes or miseryes thinketh his owne greater then theirs 6. When a man hath not in this life his part in affliction and all things succeed vnto him as he would desire it is no good signe for that whether he be iust or be a sinner it is to be feared that he is reserued for some greater punishment and that the prosperity of this life is graunted him for a reward onely of the good he hath done heere When the sicke persons life is despaired of there is giuen him to taste whatsoeuer he shall desire But when a man hath his part in tribulations it is a good signe For if he be good by tribulations he is made better and as gold the more it is purged the more it shineth and the more perfect it becommeth If he be in the state of sinne by tribulations he is awaked out of it that he may remember himselfe and by sight of his owne misery looke about him and repent The Prodigall sonne when he was in his flourishing state and in his prosperity left his father when fortune after turned her whele and want and misery oppressed him seeing the calamitous state wherein himselfe liued he returned home to his father Tribulation oftentymes causeth vnderstanding when prosperity bereaueth a man of it How many be there who because they be not pressed with any thing aduerse haue either layd aside all remembrance of me or shew themselues like vnto those in whose affection and loue I haue very little interrest But when I shall but once send them the very least ague or any dangerous infirmity or sicknes they forthwith come running vnto me and cry aloud Saue vs we perish 7. The necessity that compelleth men to come vnto me is healthfull but yet desired of few because it is vnknowne Many be infirme but they acknowledge not their infirmity and though they know it yet they know not what medicine is to be vsed for the remedying thereof I am the domesticall Phisitian to Religious persons and know exactly the complexions of all as also the causes of their sicknes and make a medicine fitting for the remouing and taking of them all away Tribulation is a medicine which with the more patience it is receiued the more effectuall and soueraigne is it to cure This medicine by me prescribed and willingly taken noâ— only purgeth and taketh away the bad effects of the disease but also if it be proportionably receiued purgeth cleane the reliques of all the antedent indispositions and sicknes It is a property of this antid e to search to the root of the euill and to take it quite away which is pride in so much as by humblyng it cureth and maketh the froward angry and terrible as meeke as lambes This medicine teacheth euery Religious man how much he hath profited in Religion how solid he is in vertue and how conioyned he is with me his Creatour and Redeemer Finally tribulation worketh so as whatsoeuer lyeth hid in the soule whether it be vertue or vice it layeth it open to the eye 8. There is another property of tribulation that it preserueth a man from future mischiefs Many haue beene very neare to most grieuous falls but by occasion of some calamity or other sent them they haue beene preserued from them I like not of that Religious man who is grieued when any sicknes or crosse befalleth him For he should thinke that infirmity is no â—esse my gift then is health and how â—noweth he that he could serue me better â—n good health then in infirmity Whence â—noweth he whether it would profit him â—ore to keep his bed or to wander vp and downe How knoweth he whether by his sicknes he be to be deliuered from greater mischiefes and dangers or not And therefore euery one should permit himselfe to my will and gratefully to accept whatsoeur I shall prescribe vnto him and not to seeke for any other thing then to make some profit of his tribulations 9. Sonne resolue something sith so long as thy peregrination shall be of continuance in this mortall flesh thou shalt be subiect to tribulations Be thou affected to any place thou desirest and to whatsoeuer state of life that may most content thee thou shalt neuer want aduersity till thou come to thy country in heauen Thou musâ— further vnderstand that seeing tribulation is a medicine it worketh according to thâ— disposition it findeth and