riches or to be bound to leaue them is an exceeding great benefit and in it consisteth the Vow of Religious Pouerty 3. But it is not inough Sonne to make Vowes if they be not performed for that the end of a Vow is to obserue it by deeds actions Remember therfore that thou art bound of thyne owne accord to perpetuall Pouerty which amongst the morall and religious vertues is the principall and that the obligation was made in my sight But by contrary works to exempt thy selfe from thy Vow is nothing els then to denounce war against the chiefest vertue of al which thou hast chosen for thy Lady and Patronesse and therby so to incurre the punishment of violating thy obligation that is euerlasting damnation to offend me thy Creatour and Benefactour who accepted thy Vow And now iudge thou how necessary it is for thee to stand to thy promises once made to me which as they profit to saluation when they be well kept so being broken they damne eternally 4. Lord seeing riches be so troublesome and dangerous and yet a man needeth meate drinke and cloathing necessary to the sustentation of life it should be inough for thee if we should at least be in the number of those poore whome holy writ commendeth in these words Blessed is the man who hath not gone after gold nor hath put his hope in the treasures of money For so we might be possessed of some necessary things the affection being remoued from the money without preiudice or breach of the Vow of Pouerty It is true Sonne that Blessed is he who is not gone after gold but the Scripture addeth by and by after VVho is he and we will prayse him Who is he that desireth not gold Who is he that desireth not to keep it after he hath got it and also to increase it If thou go not after gold gold will come after thee and will like vnto thorns cleaue fast to thy cloathing though it pricke thee not yet will it hinder thy going Wherefore the Vow of Pouerty quite debarreth all possession of ones owne whether it be much or little Neither must thou be sollicitous about thy meate drinke and cloathing leaue that care to me let thine endeauour only be to satisfy thy Vow of Pouerty and I will prouide other necessaries Who putteth his hope in any other then God he doth God an iniury and shall find himselfe deceiued 5. Remember that Pouerty is called the wall of Religion and the mother of the Religious As long as a Citties wall is sound and whole it is easily defended and kept from the incursion of theeues and enemies but if it be broken downe or be decayed the enemy easily breaketh in and spoyleth it Euen so Pouerty which is the wall of Religious discipline if it be either contemned or neglected so as some propriety be admitted becometh obnoxious and subiect to the enemyes spoyle And therfore need there is thou keep and defend the wall if thou desire to keep and gard thy selfe 6. Who in time of warre watcheth vpon the walls must haue two conditions One that he watch the other that he suffer not himself to be wonne with bribes These two conditions be in a Religious man that voluntarily imbraceth Pouerty who liuing sparingly is not molested or ouerpressed with troubles in his sleep and because he is not a proprietary his enemys do not easily corrupt him with brybes Wherfore there is not a more vigilant keeper nor a more stout defender of the wall of Religion then a truely Religious poore man Besides necessary it is that the Citty walls be often looked vpon that where and when need is they may be repaired and strengthned For if they shall begin once either to decay or to bend and incline to one part a remedy will hardly be found So the Pouerty of Religiō must often be examined and looked into that it be not in any part loosened and if it happen to be that it be repayred againe For so Religion will be more strongly fortified and the state therof the more secured For as the first drift of the enemy is to vndermine and ouerthrow the walls of some bulwarke so the greatest care of them who defend it must be that the walls be conserued and kept 7. It is also called the mother of the Religious because Pouerty is that which first communicateth to a Religious man his very essence and nature and nourisheth and bringeth him vp True it is that she is somwhat seuere in the educatiō of her children not for that she withdraweth frō them some commodityes necessary but rather superfluous yet she doth it for a good end namely that her children may become valiant souldiers and fight manfully against all kind of vices For she well knoweth that a man brought vp in delicacy and nothing accustomed to the enduring of labours cannot be a good souldier Amongst the conditions of this mother one is that to her children that loue her she is deare and gratefull and to them that loue her not seuere and sterne and whosoeuer is bound to be vnder the gouernment of such a Mother if he shall refuse to accommodate himselfe vnto her he shall not be without a continuall affliction all his life long 8. If it displease thee Sonne to haue such a Mother remember that Pouerty hath not chosen thee for her Sonne but contrarywise that thou hast chosen her for thy Mother she accepted thee for her Sonne Thou also in regard of thy Vow ar◠bound perpetually to lead thy life with such a Mother and therfore it is not any longer in thy power to leaue her off thou being bound to loue honour and defend her Tell me should not that Sonne sinne grieuously who should handle his Mother ill rudely or should thrust her out of her house And what other thing is it for thee to enioy and vse some little thinges for the satisfying of thyne owne desire but wickedly to handle thy Mother Pouerty And nothing to regard her what is it els then to driue her out of thy hart which is her habitation and house to dwell in Take heed my Sonne what thou dost because all the hurt returneth vpon thine owne head sith it is certaine that she needeth not thy seruice but thou needest her help neither canst thou lead a Religious life without her she is not bound to thee but thou to her The Kingdome of heauen belongeth to the poore but he that will not know Pouerty for his Mother shall neither haue part in that inheritance which is the kingdom of heauen 9. Lord I know and vnderstand wel that to make the Vow of Pouerty is nothing els then to promise to thy maiesty that I neither will haue nor haue a will to haue any thing proper and will lead my life in Pouerty But I long to know whether I can satisfy my Vow of Pouerty if I possesse nothing of myne owne and yet all things are pleasing
of my life That I vsed the help of it in the worlds conuersion not by sending the rich mighty and wise but the poore ignorant rude for the ouercoming of the wise mighty of the world That I wrought so great miracles by men poore and abiect for the good of soules Do not these seeme vnto thee any commendations and renowne of Religious pouerty And if they be great prayses haue not I my Sonne most iust cause to complaine of thē who do not only not loue Pouerty but do also without cause contemne it That it is contemned of the world is no meruayle because the profession scope therof night and day is to attend to the heaping vp of riches and increasing of honours but that there should be any religious found who by deeds refuse the same and vnder hand practise it is a thing that highly displeaseth me whiles I behold that Lady and Queen promised me by Religious and solemne Vow which should haue a commaunding hand with them so impudently and shamefully thrust out Spiritual things cannot be loued without a spirit Of the vtility and profit that voluntary Pouerty bringeth to the Religious CHAP. IX LORD what good and profit can Religious Pouerty bring sith it hath nothing wherby it may ease mans necessities And more then that in regard of the incōmodityes that be adioyned therto it seemeth preiudicial not to the body alone but to the soule also For the body being ill handled therby easily falleth into sicknes and being ill disposed cannot serue and attend to the spirituall actions of the soule neither can the mind it self vse the ordinary exercise of prayer and meditation Besides it is no little impediment to the Religious who towards the helping of their neighbours do professe an actiue life For if they want things necessary they are not able to go through with their labours in helping their neighbours Therfore it seemeth to me that Pouerty is an impediment to much good and contrariwise promoteth what is ill as is sicknes and other infirmities yea hasteneth death it selfe 2. Sonne thou art far wide of thy marke for thou thinkest that Religious Pouerty is a seuere and cruell Mistresse that withdraweth from the Religious thinges necessary towards their meate drinke and cloathing according to a requisite proportion required in their institute It is not so Pouerty by frugality is good both for the soule body profiteth a man more then do the riches and pleasures of the world For in the first place the desire of transitory honours doth so torment a mans mind as it depriueth him of all quiet pricketh him forward to sucke vp the bloud of the poore and bringeth him to so great a blindnes as it bereaueth him of all feare of God men without any regard had of his owne soules good Neither do men desirous of getting more make a stand heere 3. He that is once become rich eftsoons raiseth vp his head becometh arrogant and proud vndertaketh to patronize the wicked and out of a madnes runneth headlong into all naughtines From these euills and many more voluntary Pouerty freeth the mind whiles it doth take from him not only the riches that he hath but also the hope desire of hauing which is the beginning of ruine both of body and soule and procureth such tranquility and peace as it maketh the mind fit and disposed to the contemplation of heauenly things and to all manner of spirituall actions Whence it is that a Religious man so soone as he is become poore consequently becometh humble modest meeke a friend of the good and of vertue and an enemy of the bad and a contemner of vices 4. That Pouerty also profiteth the body is out of question We do not desire any thing more earnestly for the body then good health and we haue an horrour of nothing more then of sicknes for there is not any who would not be rather poore and whole then rich and sicke And dayly experience manifestly teacheth that the frugality of pouerty conserueth the good health of body prolongeth and continueth mans life more yeares then doth all the store of riches and pleasures Who seeth not that the poore be more healthfull go through with more labours then do the rich A poore man is as well content with a simple ordinary meane dyet as be the rich with dainty and delicate fare The poore man cōmeth euer hungry to his meate the little that he hath he eateth with a good appetite whē he is a thirst he refuseth not a draught of watter after labour he seeketh not for a soft bed but he sleepeth lyeth downe taketh his rest where it hapneth at aduentures and in the morning he riseth early with meate disgested sound and healthfull and without loathing 5. On the contrary the rich man seruing the time ordinarily sitteth downe to the table with a full stomake taketh very little tast or pleasure in his meate scarce sleepeth by night but turneth himselfe euer and anone now to one side of the bed now to another therefore the Phisitian must euer be at hand and drugs prepared in his chamber ready to take vpon euery occasion Loe thus be they turmoiled who liue in delicacies they liue badly and dye soone My seruants did not in times past liue so in the wildernesse who professed so great Pouerty as some when they besprinckled their herbs with a little salt or oyle thought they had made a feast and yet these men neuer vsing the benefit of Phisitian or of phisicke liued to very old age and therfore Religious Pouerty is not as thou thinkest the cause either of infirmities or of hastning thy death Nothing hurteth ones health so much as the variety and abundance of the meate 6. Religious Pouerty bringeth another commodity with it and that is security voyd of all suspition and sinister thoughts He that aboundeth in wealth is afraid of theeues not only from abroad but of his own house also And not without cause for many whiles they see they cannot come to the riches they desire do first spoyle them of life and then of their riches How many sonnes haue killed or poysoned their Parents that they might the sooner come to enioy their inheritance How many treasons treacheries haue there beene wrought against most deare friends for the spoiling them of their treasures But the poore sleep in security they trauayle night and day out of all feare they are troubled with no suspitions because they haue nothing to loose Adde to this also that Pouerty hindreth none in his trauayle nor bringeth in or causeth any forgetfulnes of the Kingdome of heauen which is occasioned by riches but rather vrgeth and forceth vs to thinke more often vpon the beauty of our heauenly country and vpon the great treasures there prepared for vs. 7. Lord at the day of iudgment thou wilt make them only partaker of the Kingdome of heauen who for loue of thee shall haue
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
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
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
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