was tolde me by à noble man who setled à great Abbay vpon one of his Children who scarce seauen yeares olde was called lord Abbot as if one should say my Lord the fathers childe now the father of this infant father tolde me in excuse that for à great number of yeares this Abbay was belonging to his howse and it concerned him not to suffer it to fall into the haÌ„ds of straungers in regard his predicessours had bene partly founders therof and heretofore bare so much deuotioÌ„ ther vnto as they were willing â—heir land which was neere should releiue it become voluntary feoditories and vassalls of our lady to whom this Abbaye was dedicated Therupon I replied vnto him that the case was much altered since in times past his howse raised the Abbay and now the Abbay depending of his howse of mistres was become seruant tributary and as à wofull farme Beholde how by these changes the face of the world is tourned The Directour truly dis-interessed will discourse soberly of Almes where he shall thinke it fit to be spoken of when his aduise is required he will shun as à rocke his particular profit setling à true order in the charitie of the soule which he conducts And what is the true order but that with the deuoute Cardinall Bellarmine in the last chapter of his booke of Monks drawes from the Doctrine of S. Thomas which is to distribute his goods where one knoweth there is most necessity For it is not enough to giue ones goods but he ought to bestowe them welâ— almes is so much the more accompanied with iudgment in respect that God is then serued not onely with his substance but also with the spirit by the discretion of the applicatioÌ„ I will shutt vp this passage with à notable consideration of my blessed father the great Francis of Sales Bishop of Geneua He was vpon à time called into one of the principall cities of this state to distribute there the word of God As being the AdamaÌ„t of harts touched with deuotion he was instantly accoasted by diuers mysticall and spirituall bees which swarmed aboute the sacred flowers of the documents of his mouth to drawe from thence à honie of pietie Of them he sawe diuers sortes and guided by different handes Now this man who was all iudgement himselfe hauing cast his eyes vpon the workmen who laboured in the vinyeard of this citie as well by their publique sermons as by their priuate directioÌ„s tooke principall notice of two who by two wayes quite contrary yet holie aimed at the same butt which was to eleuate the soules vnder their conduct to à solide pietie The one was Cenobite of an Order very renowned and examplar the other Ecclesiasticke of the Clergie liuing of à patrimony much more ample then the reuennue which he had of his benifice The first gouerned the soules which put themselues vnder his conduct by the way of feare of rigour and of exterior austerity and helde them too subiect and tied to their exercises as nothing could happen though neuer so litle to put them out of their course without causing them to enter into troubles into scruples into remorces into bitternes of spirit which were strange Besides they were so strongly tied vnto this Confessour and by themselues for this truly pious person was for his owne particular very dis-interessed that they would haue thought it à great crime to regard or consult which an other These persons vsed much prayer mortification but visited very few hospitalls prisons poore and necessitous alwayes in the Churches at diuine offices at Sermons at Indulgences insatiable therein Not that almes came not out of their purses but the greatest part went to the holy community of the Directour who therof had no greater share then the rest though he were next vnto God the principall motiue of this aboundance He was an enemy of propriety and of presents which were addressed vnto him remitting all to the Superiour of the howse who caused this precept exactly to be kept by the communitie not to refuse any thing and to demaund nothing For the communitie neuer demaunds yet well may the particular for the community as à member labouring for the whole body Moreouer these soules did iudgement and Iustice by the feare which they had of the iudgements and justices of God not certes by that feare which excludes loue but by the same which being put in the ballance with this turnes the scales Now as the thunder tearing the clowds causeth them to dissolue into rayne and prepareth the hindes to disburthen themselues of of their calues as sayeth the Psalmist according to the interpretation of S. Hierome and as he who is pursued by à bull by à mastife or by some furious beast casts him his cloake to saue himselfe by flight So there is nothing which doth so much perswade to redeeme sinns by the workes of mercy as feare For when the terror of hell seiseth on à soule and causeth her to conceaue what it is to lodge in the deuouring fires and in the eternall flames is there any thing which she will not giue for her deliuery as saieth Iob O God saieth Dauid thou hast moued the earth and thou hast troubled it heale the contritions therof for it is greatly moued He speakes of à soule fastned to the earth And if the fire which causeth the meate to roste looseneth the flesh from the bones how much more will the apprehension of that of hell seperate à soule from earthly affections O God no I doe not say that this holie person had in these terrible remonstrances so base à thought but as the effects doe not alwayes followe the intentions paraduenture these soules as the scholers of an ancieÌ„t Philosopher tooke that by the left haÌ„de which he presented by the right wherfore I present the effect of this cause of what designe soeuer it was animated The soules contrary wise which God had inspired to range themselues vnder the conduct of à simple Preist the which I saye to serue my selfe of the tearmes of coÌ„mon vse not conceiuing à Cenobite to be à double Preist were incited by an other spirit which was that of simplicity which excludeth not wisdome and of that charitie which as the Apostle sayeth chaseth away all seruile and scupelous feare onely hauing in their harts that which in the scripture is called chaste and holie and which ought to continue euen in eternitie it selfe Charity was their predominant starr and as the roofe of their misticall edifice and humilitie their foundation Sweetnes and candor shined in their deportments and docility which the Apostle calls diuine was in their spirits and they being disingaged of exteriour thiÌ„gs enioyed that interiour freedome of which it is saied where the spirit of God is there is true liberty They loued God with all respect and with à high and incoÌ„parable esteeme and their neighbour in God tenderly cordially They visited the poore the widdowes the
yeares since in my returne from the first voyage I made to Rome by one of the greatest Prelates of Italy in eminencie of dignitie learning and pietie and in his Pastorall function successour of à great Saint for being fallen into discourse of Cenobiticall priuiledges and exemptions which hinder the Prelates they receiue not from Cenobites the help which they might expect from them in the exercise of their charges Beleeue me saied he as à man knowing them the space of thirtie fiue yeares whilest I held the Pastorall staffe in one of the greatest Diocesses of Italy that those persons haue more attention to their owne affayers then to Cures are more sollicitous in adâ—ancing of their howses Orders and institutes then to assist Pastours or to procure the glory of God in the seruice of soules A speech which he repeated more then fifteene yeares after to an excellent person who after great and illustrious imploymeÌ„t in the world hauing contemned it to choose his retraite in à holie Assemblie liuing vnder the Hierarchie and power of Ordinaries did me the honour to accompany me in an other voyage which I made into Italie for some publicke and waightie affaires I euer since noted the feeling of this holie man whose lipps are guardiaÌ„s of science of verity and froÌ„ whose mouth issue Oracles which may serue to my iudgement for à law It is not that I pretend to applie this speeche to any Order or any particular Cenobite contenting my self onely in comparing the Pastorall state with the Cenobiticall touching the profitable Interest in the conduct of soules and liuely to demonstrate on which side it leanes most speaking of these two sortes of conditions in generall For I am not ignoraÌ„t that in vocations there are alwayes some good aÌ„d some bad and that there may be therin some Pastour more Interessed then some Cenobite as also some Cenobite more Interessed then some Pastour My inteÌ„tion is onely to ouerthrow this false obiection which pretends to cast all the profitable Interest on the part of Pastours CHAP. X. The principall designe of this Treatise HAuing now painted out the diuers markes were by one may discerne the profitable and honourable Interest of Directours and therby to know who shall be the Interessed or Dis-Interessed what doth there remaine but that one should choose the last as an assured guide in the way of saluatioÌ„ and that the first be auoided as à rocke and à shelfe from whence nothing but shipwracke can be expected For if the Bl Francis of Sales whose precepts I haue followed in this treatise and whose doctrine hath serued me as the threade of Ariadne in this labyrinth declares that if the Directour be defectiue in one of these three qualities of Science Prudence and Charitie there is daunger in trusting to his conduct how much more will it be perilous to commit ones self thervnto if his Charitie be false And it cannot be true if it be Interessed since the great Apostle teacheth vs that the proper marke of true Charitie is to be without Interest Without doubte the perill will be so much the greater as the more hidden and like vnto those rocks whose points appeare not aboue the superficies of the sea for being couered with water they are the lesse euitable to the most expert Pilotts If the Interest be delightfull it is so much the more pestilent as it pretends to force honour If it be honourable it seekes to reduce libertie into seruitude which is no lesse pretious then life If it aime at profitt it tends to the diminution of the goods which are like that cloake of the Spouse which she complaines to haue beene taken from her by the guards of the walls goods the aboundance wherof is not necessary nor desirable but their want redoubtable according to the iudgement of the wisest amongst men who did not demaund of God ether pouertiâ— or plentie of riches least that the one or other of these extreames might draw him into some vitious irâ—egularity CHAP. XI What it is to ayde the simple in the choise of à Directour IT is then principally to assist PeniteÌ„ts and simple and deuoute soules in making choise of à good Directour that I compiled this liâ—le worke to open their eyes for the discerning the true from the false alloy and to aduertise them to take heede of putting themselues vnder the conduct of an interessed person whatsoeuer prudence and science he may haue For where Charitie is wanting and it is instantly wanting when Interest takes place prudence is changed into crafte and science into subtiltie qualities more preiudiciall then profitable in the way of God where à man must walke in simplicitie to walke in assurance They say that the litle birds willingly assemble together about the Kestriel by reason of the hidden propertie which she hath to driue away by her note the birds of prey The documeÌ„ts of this booke being well considered will haue the same effect and serue simple and pious soules to beware of falling into interessed hands which the Psalmist compares to the clawes of the Lyon prepared for prey In vayne saith the wise-man are netts layed to take birds whose flight is vpward because they perceiue them à farr of and enter not The warie and well aduised spirits see well enoug the snares which I discouer and are carefull not to fall therin but it is the simple whose eyes I vnseele to cause them to see clearly in so nice and important à matter I thinke my selfe obliged to performe this good office to my neighbour by order of Charitie which inuites mee to set the blinde in his way and to Euangelize the poore and the ignorant An auntient Poet sayd very well who hindereth not being able some one from perishing sinns as much as he that should procure his death The which may be applied vnto him who doth not aduertise à traueller to auoyde à daungerous passage and where he goes to his distruction in perill of loosing his goods his honour or his life what then will it be when it concernes his eternall saluation whose losse is irreparable Principally since God hath bene pleased that I should be one of these sentinells in his Church the same signifies the name of Bishop which he hath placed vpon the walls thereof this misticall Hierusalem who cease not day and night to walke the rounde and to watch and cryout against the dis-orders which may be coÌ„mitted as well within as without her precincts So that I may saie with that Poet being not ignorant of euill I teach simple soules to withdrawe their feete from these subtile deuises The which I doe in furnishing them with this dish of butter and this honny combe which causeth one to choose the good and reiect the euill to wit in teaching them the counselle of counselles which is to make choise of à good Directour who may counselle them as is expedient and without other Interest then that of saluatioÌ„ No man as I thinke
their hope but it is after so ciuill so honest so generous à manner as it is easie to iudge that all its pretences are heauenly and that it makes vse of no earthly motiue CHAP. XII The artifice of Complainte FRom this sordide and Flatteringe language it is easie to slide vnto another no lesse remisse which shall serue for the second stroke of this Character It is that of Complainte The wordes of this aire are presseing though vnpleasant and importune It is like the proceedeing of woemeÌ„ who are neuer so stronge as when they complanie their weapons are their teares but teares soe powerfull as cause the armes to fall out of the handes of the most resolute Let one of them crie and weepe in à house she becomes mistrisse therof and there is nothing that à husband leaues vndone or graunteth not to make her hold her peace An excellent personage of our time verie iudiciously sayd that vertue is no more vertue when it complaines and that it is worthy of contempt when it demandeth anything since it ought not to haue any rewarde or prize out of it self What shall we saye then of those who make lucre of Pâ—etie as the Apostle sayth writeing vnto Timothy without considering that the greatest gaine which can be made is to haue piously that which sufficeth For we brought nothing into this world aÌ„d certaine it is that we shall carrie away nothing with vs but haueing our noriture and wherwith to clothe vs we ought to be content For they who would be rich fall into temptation and into the snare of the diuell and into many vnprofitable and hurtfull desires which plunge men into destructioÌ„ and ruine For the roote of all euill is couetousnes of goods Hitherto are the wordes of the vessell of Election to à Pastor and Director of Soules whon he exhorts some lines after to flie all auarice and all pretentions of the earth and not to place his hopes in the vncertaintie of riches but in the liueing God who giues vs all things abundantly for our vse And indeede ô Director of what condition soeuer thou art whether of the clergie or Cenobite what cause canst thou haue to sound forth this foolish Complaint and to speake more sweetely this manner of Complainte in the eares of thy Penitent CHAP. XIII Against the Complaintes of Pastors PErhaps ô Pastor you will say your Benefice is of too smalle à reueneue if that be it why did you receaue it Why put you vpon your shoulders à charge of which you should haue foreseene the incommoditie as well as the burthen Is it to haue Dâ—na that you were circuÌ„cised Is it for meate that you put your selfe in the state of single and clericall life If you haue taken orders on this title either you know its value or you are ignorant of it in both cases you haue offended the Bishop who imposed handes on you vnto whom you affirmed that it was sufficient for your maintenance otherwise he had neuer nor ought he to haue proceeded to your coÌ„secratioÌ„ If that you haue receaued the Caracter of Preisthood vnder the title of Patrimonie why doe you complaine of the poorenes of your benefice since vpon all occasions your Patrimoniall substance may supplie that defect and then you will serue God purely in your cure without Interest without stipend you will freely play the souldioer at your owne charge You will honour God with your substance if it be lawfull soe to call your Paternall reueneue as if you receaued it not of God as well as the reueneues of the church since all the earth and the fullnes therof is his who made heauen and earth You may be peraduenture ô Director à simple Preist setled in à Parish and serueing soules vnder the Pastor of that Church You haue onely say you that which comes from the temporall liberalities of those vnto whom you render spirituall duties Then most beloued brother you haue surprised the Bishope who hath conferred on you the Sacrament of Order For being not conuentuall you ought to haue à Patrimoniall title If that your testimonials were false see you not that this pouertie wherof you complaine is the punishement of your falsitie It is not man whom you haue deceaued but God as saied S. Peter to Ananias who by à iuste iudgement tourned your sorrowe vpon your owne head and made your iniquitie to descende vpon your crowne Who is it that compelled you to sacred Orders It is à voluntary Sacrament no man is forced thervnto If it were to serue God and the Soules in God purely behold à good intention but if it were to liue on the goods of of the Church and on the seruice of Altares such an intention is sinister for one ought not to Euangelize to eate but eate to Euangelize Why doe you approach vnto the Altare which is the mariage banquett of the lambe without the nuptiall garment of Charitie whose propertie is not to seeke its proper Interest What were you made Preist to liue or did you desire to liue to be made Preist Certes it is well done to be made Preist to liue marrie spiritually not temporally otherwise it were by à preposterous order to make the spirit serue the bodie and Eternitie time Noe we must not embarke our selues in so holy à vacation by the calling and will of the flesh and of man which is to say for earthly considerations but through the inspiration of God He that doth otherwise deceaues himself and abuseth others neither is the rule of Charitie established in his heart S. Paul being called from heauen to soe holy à state immediately saith the sacred text he gaue no place to flesh and blood Is it not à shame both for you ô Preistes and for the Church of God to see that after the takeing of holy Orders you preseÌ„tly huÌ„t after some condition either of Vicar Chapleine Attendant or Clerk to gaine your liueing after à manner almost mercenary as if you would make of your sacred Ministrie à profane trade I will not say to what indignities you abase your dignitie nor how you vilifie your Ministry in lieu of exalting it according to the counsell of the Apostle You had done better to remaine à laick and to liue of the labour of your hands without giueing scandall by your leuitie that is to say without bringing à reproach to the Leuiticall Order by casteing yourself into functions without lawfull title capable of mainteyning you decently without stoopeing vnto sordide conditions and which I dare not expresse for the reuerence due vnto you and which I beare you And which is worse without deuotion without inspiration without vocation from aboue so that you come vncalled and runn not being sent Whence you fall into the pitt of pouertie which you yourself haue made And then who would not laugh at him sayth the Scripture who is bitten of à Serpent going about to enchaunt him Vpon this ill foundation which you yourself haue layed
Orphans the sicke which were without succour in their miserable cottages or in the hospitalls and if they had any feare it was of their Confessour neuer approaching the tribunall but with trembling as if he had bene that Cherubin armed with à firye sword keeping the gate of the terrestrial Paradice And though he inspired into theÌ„ onely loue and charity and recommended vnto them nothing so much as à mutuall beneuolence in God according to the so frequent lesson of our Sauiour and of his well beloued disciple yet neuertheles their confidence in him was accompanied with so much reuerence as it was à wonder that this banished not the other Besides he was so farr from all Interest be it of dominion be it of profit as to auoid the same he commanded them oftentimes to take some other Confessour to the end his counselles might be the more assured if they were approued by others or that he might correct them in case they were in any sort doubtfull or defectiue And to shun what soeuer tends to profit his aduice extended it selfe to all except the distribution of their goods telling them that it was à case reserued to the vnction of the holie Ghost who teacheth his waies to the mercifull and meeke Yes for is it not he who infuseth charity into harts and who establisheth therin conuenient Order enemie of presents both great and small hauing learned of the wiseman that they blinde the spirit of the most wise and estranged from all profit not onely sordid but also that which being permitted by the most seuere lawes cannot be esteemed dishonest without offending the Church it selfe who hath approued the vse and rule therof Also he was prouided of goods of fortune to enioy this beatitude which consists in giuing rather then receauing and content with foode and apparrell sutable to his condition he held nothing more aduantagious then sufficiency with pietie that which seemed profitable vnto others vnto him was à detriment for IESVS-CHRIST being certaine that they who receaue some recompence of their labours in this world abate so much of that which attends them in the other He forbade nothing so seuerely to those who serued him as to take gratification of such as came to obteine of him spâ—rituall assistances and if any one tooke libertie so farr forth as to receaue the least thing he wished him not the leprosie of Giezi but of the religation of Agar he was assured he gaue him his pasport not to haue any part in this Anathema which he had in no lesse horror then that of Acan. Breifly not to draw more in leÌ„ght the deffences of these Directours beholde the iudgment of the holie Prelate from whom I take this story These two men saied he were both of them prudent and faithfull seruaÌ„ts of God and who taught iustice vnto soules by diuers waies Such as were conducted by the first had much feare of God and much charitie towards their Directour or at least for his communitie and their charitie was in the Order They of the second had much loue of God and of their neighbour and the Order consisted in their charitie and they had much feare and respect of their Directour who besides the necessary conferences for their needs in the howse of God had no other priuate entertaynements nor any visites nor conuersations in howses which is the propertie of corrupted and vnsauory salt Both of them had God before their eyes and for the onely obiect of their intentions and preteÌ„tions both of theÌ„ not with standing singular in their conducts according to the diuision of heauenly graces whose varietie is compared to diuers colours which the sunne makes to appeare on the necke of à pigeon And different in this that the one though very Dis-interessed in his owne particular was neuertheles ingaged in the Interest of his communitie but the other had no regard vnto any Interest nether for himselfe nor for any other God being his prime onely moueable THE FIFT PART CHAP. I. Concerning particular interest and Community TO say the truth although the Cenobites haue à notable aduantage in à vowed remuneration of all which they doe or may possesse in the bosome of their Order yet neuertheles on the other side the dilection and election as also preference which they are obliged to haue for their Institut whose habit they beare causeth them to enter by another yet not à false gate into the interests of that body whereof they are members interest so much the more stinging and more pressing as they are more coloured with the beautifull Ennamell of the glory of God which often enough serues for à foile vnto selfloue But à man free from any other societie then that which is common to him or to all the faythfull or to the Ecclesiasticks of the Clergie which haue no other Order then that of the Hierarchie established by the sonne of God who is à Preist for euer according to the Order of Melchisedech is rather in the state of giuing then receauing and if plenty place him not in the first sufficiency which puts him vnder the lee of necessity exempts him from the last Peraduenture one will say vnto me with the wise man that he is truly blessed who dispiseth golde and puts not his trust in treasures But where is the man and we will praise him If it besome Cenobite who in nodding his head makes this obiection one will reply to him that when he shall haue shewen à man of his condition exempt from the interests of his Order and contemnig the profitt of the holy CoÌ„munitie many shall be presented to his viewe who without support of the Community vse goods of the world as if they vsed them not who doe no evill with theÌ„ although they haue the power and who being able to transgresse the lawe of God yet doe they incline and subiect theÌ„selues theruÌ„to The haÌ„d of God is not shortned his workes are great and exquisite in his wills he hath secret seruants and others in viewe as well in the world as in the Cloisters And there is nothing sayeth an auntient Poet more vniust then an impertinent man who approues of nothing but what be does himselfe à Pharisie who is not like other men his hands and tongue agaynst all and drawes agaynst himselfe the hands and tongues of others A great and most noble seruant of God who retiring himselfe out of the world wherin he had borne eminent offices brought with him great goods into à very holy Congregation on à tyme tolde me to the honour of him who had bene the Institutour thereof and whose holie memory in benediction before God and men that this deuoute personage neuer gaue vnto him nether during his life nor at his death one word of commendation congratulation nor so much as thanks for so many commodities which he had brought into the CoÌ„munitie iudging that he was vnwilling to put him in perill by some vanitie which this applause