particular care and protection of those that are deuoted vnto them perpetually procuring for them fauours and assistances from Alm. God this verity is Orthodox confirmed and approued by many Councels and holy Doctours Now for the Saints Founders of Religious Orders which by excellence are called Patriarcks because as Abraham for exāple was stiled by that name for that so many people descended from him so from them so many Religious are propagated in the Church Of this sort is S. Benet S. Augustine S. Francis and S. Dominick and of later-yeares S. Ignatius c. Al which are to be had in highest veneration by those of their holy Orders not only on the particular dayes when their feasts are honoured but euery day of the yeare besides and that Religious man who desires to augment in him the deuotion he hath to the Founder of his Order should do wel to assigne a particular day of the week for honouring him that Wednesday in particular as the most conuenient for this effect when with some extraordinary deuotion of fasting praying reuerēcing him and the like he is to procure to honour him more particularly referr vnto that end al which he doth that day which finally hath reference al vnto the honour of our Sauiour Christ and to imploy some houres of the day in the meditation of the particular vertues of that Blessed Saint It is the general doctrine of the learned that the Founder of each Religious Order hath a particular care not only of the Order in general but also of each Religious in particular more or lesse according as their merits are and that they assidually defend them strengthening their forces and weakening the enemies who oppugne and fight against them Of which great priuiledge and prerogatiue Brother Leo in particular had an excellent reuelation vision of holy S. Francis which I wil heer recount S. Francis being happily departed vnto rest hauing rendred his body to the earth and his soule to heauen Brother Leo one of his most affectionat disciples bearing impatiently the absence of one whom he loued so dearely wel prayed instantly vnto Alm. God to make him so happy that once more in this life he might enioy the happy aspect againe of his beloued Maister and iterating his petition both earnestly often it pleased Alm. God that one day he being retired into a solitary place he beheld S. Francis appearing vnto him in a strāge mysterious shape al shining with glorious light but for the rest winged with golden wings and tallonted both hands and feete with Eagles clawes The Brother transported with ioy al sight of him was running to embrace and kisse his hands and feete but espying in what strange equipage they were he al amazed demanded of the Saint the reason why he appeared in that sort the Saint answered againe vnderstād these are no other then markes of the affection I beare my Order and the Religious thereof and these do signifie that amongst al the other riche prerogatiues his diuine Maiesty hath honoured me withal since my arriuing into heauen one is the authority power to vindicat my Religious from their necessities and defend them from any aduersity that presses them as often as with confidence they invoke my aide and these wings and tallons now I haue assumed to signify my readines and promptitud in succouring mine and the force and violence with which I oppugne al those who iniure them Good reason then haue the Children of this great Pattiarcke to reioice on earth for hauing so powerful a protector of him in heauen so louing a father and so careful an Aduocate I would aduise them to be assidual in honouring him with those reuerences of which we haue spoken and particulary to salute him euery day with fiue times bowing their knees vnto the ground in honour of the fiue woūds so miraculously imprest vpon him while he liued reioycing and congratulating with him for so highe and so sublime a dignity It being no doubt one of the most acceptable deuotions we can exhibit vnto him now he is in heauen Of the Adoration of the Angels CHAP. XI AND if we be obliged to honour the B. Saints with that due reuerēce appropriated their worship as we haue amply proued in the precedent Chapters with farr more reason are we to honour the holy Angels as the noblest in substance of al created things and representing most liuely their Creatours vnlimited power and magnificence And although it be true that both men and Angels are both Creatures of Alm. God and workes of that soueraigne Artificer that they are either framed according to his Image and by the faculties of their memory vnderstanding their wil capable of his grace and of being participant of his glory and eternal felicity and that many circumstances there are which equal Man with Angels yea and in consideration of the Hypostatical vnion and the Mother of our Sauiour Christ it may pretend some pre-eminence aboue them also Yet if we weigh their natures and ballance them equally one against the other no doubt but we shal find the one farr exceeding the other and as lead can neuer arriue to the excellency of siluer nor siluer of gold no more can a body any way equal in excellency a soule nor the soule of man naturally speaking the most inferiour Angel that is in heauen Vnto which our B. Sauiour infallibly alluded when he sayd Verily I say vnto you amongst the sonnes of men hath not been borne a greater then Iohn Baptist neuerthelesse the least in the Kingdome of heauen is farr greater then he But now before we wade any further into this matter we are to vnderstand that the word Adoration is a notion general to good Angels and men In conformity to which we find it in holy Scripture indifferently vsed for either as where it is sayd that the Israelits adored both their king God they bowed downe sayes he and adored God and afterwards their King So the Children of Israel adored their brother Ioseph then Gouernour of AEgypt after his brothers had adored him c. For which reason the Doctours both ancient moderne haue distinguished it into three seueral species of Adoration Latria Dulia and Hyperdulia the first being exhibited only vnto God himselfe as a souueraine kinde of adoration only fitted to the soueraine power he hath with the second we honour Saints and Angels And as for the third it appertaines to the B. Virgin alone and vnto her who surpasseth in excellence both Angels and al rest of Saints besides and of this in the precedent Chapters we haue discours't at large In breefe then we establish this conclusion we are to adore Angels and men deseruing it and this is an Article of faith according to Suares defined by Pope Felix the first of that name in the Councel at Rome the 7. th Synod And S. Augustine speaking of the B. Apostle S. Peter sayes An infinit number of the
she brother you shal pardon me I wil not sell soe pretious a Iewel for so slight a thing After him the Painter came vnto her with the same request offering one of his best peeces in exchange but she refused him as she had don the former Then the Cooke the Perfumer came next this profering for it one of the delicatest perfums he had the other the most sauory dishe he could inuent but they as the former fayling of their pretenses the fift lewd Companion addressing himselfe vnto her who knew wel the arts of perswasion and how to instil his words into the mind offred her for it after a world of smooth and soothing word her choice of a hundred Paramours But being as the rest reiected it hapned not long after that a mighty King moued by the fame of this riche Iewel came to demand it of her off ring to marry her on the condition that he might haue it giue her for dowry his Immortal Kingdome when she ouercome by the greatnes of his offers but much more by the goodnes of the Offerer thus answered him My Lord it were Impudence in me to refuse you wherefore behold I freely giue it you without any reserue at al and desire no other recompense for it but that you would vouchsafe to accept it and excuse the smalnes of her merit that giues it you This similitud the holy man would explicat in this manner The Virgin is the soule the Iewel the Free wil she hath her fiue brothers her fiue Corporal senses the King Alm. God as for the rest is obuious enough And heere I could take occasion to inveigh against those who would beheld deuout forsooth to the B. Virgin and haue no Care the while of bridling their senses but let them run on to al licentiousnes nay which is worse they continue so til the end of their liues without any remorse out of a vaine presumption they shal be saued because of some odd deuotions they exercise then which what greater folly can there be what greater blindnes not to see how the diuel drawes them as it were bound hand and foote to hel For example you shal see many I speake it with greefe and shame enough so addicted to the devotion of the Annunciat as they would not omitt it for a world and 't is commendable in them but marke how they abuse it the miraculous effects which they so spread of it makes them presume the like for what wil they say neuer tel me of Hel nor of the paines thereof though I sinne neuer so much I serue a Mistres who hath both wil and ability to helpe me out of it and let me but Confesse my sinnes at the houre of my death and I am sure of heauen see how these miserable wretches talke drawing a wrong consequeuce from an Antecedent most true that the B. Virgin both can and wil succour her seruants but they must be such as make due vse of her fauours and employ thē in working their saluation such indeed shee sometitimes helpes so efficaciously as in shipwrack she keepes then from perishing in the sea and frees them from al dangers on land of enimyes theeues and Murtherers and al this to bring them to amendment of their liues But those who rather grow worse by it or out of presumption of it seeke not to amend at al for my part I hold their safeties desperat Then there is a difference of sinners for some sinne of deliberat wil and make not due vse of their deuotion to the B. Virgin nay as I haue sayd before euen abuse it to greater licentiousnes of life and such are in a most dangerous estate Others only sinne out of humane frailty and by giuing too much liberty to their senses doing it with a remorse of Conscience and greeuous desire to amend their faults though they be neigligent to put their good desires in excution and for such it is easier for them to dispose them selues for grace and preuayle themselues of those Inspirations the B. Virgin procures them for the amendment of their liues themselues both the one and the other are to honour the B. Virgin and reuerence her with al becoming reuerence that she may obtayne for them of her B. sonne condigne penance for their sinns amendment of their life Let them like wise endeauour to make themselues partakers of that laudable deuotion of the Annunciat since those who haue been of it haue been in fine recompenced for it and I exhort as wel the Iust and those of better life to this as also sinners and euil liuers sithence if these find such benefit of it how much more must they who are intimate freinds as it were to God and his B. Mother as those who are in deadly sinne are capital enimies as this story taken out of the Cronicles of the Friers Minors doth manifest A certaine Frier Minor of holy life vsing to recommend himselfe vnto the prayers of euery one he mett it happned he entring once into a towne mett a woman there of euil fame and indeed of as euil life and desired her likewise to remenber him in her prayers to Alm God and his B. Mother At which quite astonished she answered him Alas father what good wil my prayers do you who am the wickedest sinner in the world bee what you wil sayd he your prayers wil do me no hurt I am confident When behold a miraculous accident the woman entring into the Church and Kneeling before an Image of the B. Virgin to say an Aue Maria for him was rauish't in extasy and behold the mother of God humbly supplicating her sonne for him and he demanding of her why she would harken to the prayers of an Enemeys although it was for a freind she prayed Be therefore merciful to her sayd she agayne and for your freinds sake receiue her to freind ship also The poore woman returning from her extasy hastned to find out the Religious man to whom with great wonder she recounted what had past and hauing made a general Confession of al her sins she liued there after a most exemplar life in the seruice of that great Patronesse of sinners the Queene of heauen Let al who serue her then if they desire to please her carefully avoid al mortal sinne and preserue their hearts pure and innocent so shal they likewise obteyne the fauour of Alm God since as the holy scripture sayes they who loue purity of heart infallibly shal haue the king for freind The fourth Condition requisit in the seruants of the B. Virgin for the conseruation of this purity of hart which is the frequentation of the Sacraments especially of that of Confession ALTHOVGH the profession of being seruants to the B. Virgin be a great stay vnto vs from falling into sinne neuerthiesse standing on such slippery ground with this waight of flesh on vs inclining vs to fal we canot but sometimes do it and contract some blemish by it
the hand of your holy Angel to your sublime Altar in the fight of your diuine Maiestie c. And as they are assistant to vs during our liues so at our deaths are they much more powerfully defending vs from al the assaults of the Infernal Enemy as testifies B. Aloysius Gonzaga of the Societie of Iesus in that his deuout meditation of our Angel Guardian where hee sayes that our Angel Custos at the time of our death is most diligent in assisting vs against the Enemy preseruing vs cheifly from those two sinnes which are most incident to men in that article of time Infidelity and despaire to the end that making heer a happy end they may repaire with them to heauen vnto their euerlasting habitation And in prosecuting his discourse he sayes that as soone as the soule once is free from the captiuity of the body its Angel presently conducts it to the Tribunal of Alm. God animating and encouraging it on the way to put its cheifest confidence in the merits of the sacred bloud of our Sauiour Christ and if it chance the better to be purified from its sinnes to be adiudged vnto the purging flames he visits it often there comforts it brings it the suffrage and succour of those prayers and merits which are offred for it in the other world and encourages in middest of its suffrances with the hope it can not be long in suffering and in fine when the time is expired he conducts it out and al bright and purified leades it vnto heauen and in the twinkling of an eye presents it vnto Alm God to receaue from him the Crowne of eternal beatitud prepared from al eternitie for those who heer sighe after it in this vale of teares O happy and a thousand tymes happy is that soule which hauing been faithful to its Creator and pliant to his hand to be ledd whither soeuer his least motion carried it in following his good Angel for guide leauing the world ful of the vertue of his example arriues at last vnto that Kingdome of eternal felicity where with God and his Saints it shal for euer raigne But now touching the practise of this particular deuotion to our Angel Guardian first being assured that we are committed to his Regencie and that so noble and excellent a creature as al the eloquence of the world rather diminishes then add to its cōmendations vouchsafes to keep vs perpetuall company and defends vs from al euil with his careful watchings his comfortable aduise we are on our parts to endeauour a requital First by comporting our selues with al deuotion and due respect vnto his presence and next honouring him with al competent honour Let vs then consider if we stood perpetually in the sight of some earthly Prince or Monarke how careful we should be so to compose our outward behauiour as might render vs most grateful in his sight with how much more care and diligence ought we in the presence of our Angel Guardian to comport our selues Heare what S. Bernard sayes in explication of these words For he hath giuen his Angels charge ouer thee to guard thee in al thy wayes c. O mortal man sayes he what reuerence what deuotion and confidence art thou to conceiue in thy breast from these comfortable words of the Royal Prophet reuerence in standing in presence of thy Angel deuotion for his loue of thee confidence for his care Be therefore vigilant neuer to exceed the bonds of thy respect while these holy spirits are alwayes in thy sight by the appointment of Alm. God himselfe attending them thy preseruation in al thy wayes and wheresoeuer thou art either in priuat or publique be alwayes careful neuer to commit that indecency before him which before me thou wouldest not doe Thus S. Bernard in his deuout and pious manner Secondly we are to honour them with these reuerences we haue formerly treated of which may be best performed when into priuat we haue retir'd our selues especially before we retire our selues to rest with a profound inclination we are to say Angele Dei qni Custos es mei c. beseeching him to keep vs in our sleepe from the assalts of the Enemy that euer watches to harme and mischiefe vs so when we awake we are to commend our selues vnto them that day following whatsoeuer busines we are to vndertake that it may sort a wished conclusion and we should do wel often to commend vnto them in some vocal manner a deuout conception of our hart in our occurrant necessityes beseeching them to assist vs in the mannage of this or that particular affaire This deuout custome had one Alexander Luzaqua an Italian Gentleman of a most holy and vertuous life that as often as he saluted any man he mentally intended that reuerence vnto his Angel Guardian whom he saluted and an excellent consideration it was to thinke a celestial spirit more worthy the salutation then an earthly worme Let vs imitate this deuotion and in saluting any say thus in our minds I offer this reuerence to the Angel Guardian that attends vpon him or he whom I salute And most happy it wil be for vs if we do so for by this meanes we shal indeare our selues in the loue and care of those B. spirits who can do more for our real aduancement and good then al the world besides Jn What manner We are to proceed in the exercise of these Adorations Worthily to honour the Mother of Alm. God CHAP. XIII VVE being composed of two parts the superiour inferiour of body and soule by the singular prouidence and goodnes of Alm. God that we might honour him with both both heer and in the world to come a great part of our corporal honour Consists in these fore sayd Adorations which not only the Saints haue practised but euen our B. Sauiour himself we oftē reade how he bowed of whom his knees vnto his eternal father and prostrated on the ground as namely the night preceding his Passion when according to the Euangelist S. Luke He kneeled and fel prostrated on his face And. SS Matthew Marke he prostrated on the ground by which words we may gather how our Sauiour reuerenced his eternal Father in spiritu veritate in spirit and verity with each part both of body and soule Let the deuout Christian then desirous to render honour to the B. Virgin accompany his interiour deuotion of the soule with the exterior of the body first when thou art retired in secret for so when thou wouldst Pray enter into thy chamber sayes the holy Scripture thou art to begin with this Consideration how excellent she is whom thou art to reuerence and the excellency of the reuerence thou exhibit'st to her which the whole Court of heauen take for highest honour to be imployed in And touching the exllency of her thou art to consider her large portion of glorie aboue al the other Saints and represent her to the eies of thy