carefull as were sitt which is a daungerous course and hath bene the fundation roote of of many fearefull and great ruines O how many men whoe were very spirituall and whoe seemed to be sublimed as high as heauen in the exercise of prayer and contemplation haue cast them selues downe headlonge by this precipice O how many who really were Saints and great Saints haue come by this meanes to haue most wretched falls Because they forgott them selues because they made them selues too sure through the fauours which they had receiued from God They grew to be full of confidence as if there had already bene noe more danger for them and soe they came miserably to distruction Wee haue bookes which are full of such accidents S. Basill saith that the cause of that miserable falle of king Dauid both into adultery and Murther Was the presumption which once he had when he was visited by the hand of God with abondance of consolation soe farr as that he presumed to say Ego dixi in abundantia mea non mouebor in aeternum I shall neuer be altered from this state Well stay a while God will a little take of his hand those extraordinary fauours and â—egalos shall cease and you shall see what will happen Auertisti faciem tuam a me factus sum conturbatus God leaues you in your pouerty and then you will be like your sel e and you shall know to your cost when you are once fallen that which you would not know whilst you were visited and sauoured by Almightie God And S. Basill alsoe saith that the cause oâ— the fall denyall of the Apostle S. Peeter was the confiding and presuming vaynly in himselfe Etiam si oportuerit me mori tecum non te negabo si omnes scandalizati fuerint in te ego nunquam scandalizabor Because he said with arrogancy and presumption that thouhg all men should be scandalized yet would not he be scandalized but would rather dye with Christ For this did God permitt that he should fall that soe he might be humbled and know himselfe Wee must neuer giue way that our eyes may waÌ„der from our selues nor euer be secure in this life but considering what we are we must goe euer on with great care of our selues and with great doubt and seare least the enemy whome we carry still about vs put some tricke vpon vs and prouide some snare into which he may procure vs to fall So that as we must not stay vpon the knowledge of our owne miserye weakenes but passe instantly on to the knowledge of the goodnes of God soe neither must we stay vpon the knowledge of God and his mercies fauours but returne with speede againe to cast our eyes downe vpon our selues This is that Iacobs ladder whereof one end is fastned to the earth in our knowledge of our selues and the other reaches vp to the very hight of heauen By this ladder must you ascend and descend as the Angels ascended and descended by that other Rise vp by the knowledge of the goodnes of God but stay not there least you grow into presumption but descend to the knowledge of your selues yet stay not also there least you fall into despaire but still returne againe to the knowledge of God that so you may haue confidence in him In fine the businesse consists in that you be still ascending and descending by this ladder Thus did S. Katherine of Siena vse this exercise to free her selfe from seuerall temptations which the diuell brought against her as she herselfe relates in her Dialogues when the diuell would tempt her by way of confusion desiring to make her beleeue that her whole life was nothing but errour and abuse For then she woud raise her selfe vp but yet still with humilitie by the coÌ„sideration of the mercies of God and she would be saying to this effect I confesse o my Creator that my whole life hath bene led in darkenes but yet I will hide my selfe in the wounds of Christ Iesus Crucified and I will bath my selfe in his blood and soe my wickednes shal be consumed and I will reioyce in my Creator and my lord Lauabis me super niuem dealbabor And soe also when the Diuell would offer to putt her vp to pride by tentations of a contrary kinde seekeing to make her thinke that she was perfect and pleasing to God and that there was noe cause why she should any longer afflict her selfe and lament her sinnes then would she humble her selfe and make the diuell this answere O wretched creature that I am S. Iohn Baptist neuer committed sinne was sanctified in his mothers wombe and yet notwithstanding all that was contynually doeing penance And I haue comitted for many defects and haue neuer lamented them no nor euen considered them aâ— they deserued With this the diuell not likeing to endure soe great humilitie or the one side nor soe great confidence on the other said thus to her Be thou accursed and he alsoe vhoe hath taught thee this for I know not how to make entrance heere since if I abase thee by coÌ„fusioÌ„ thou raisest thy selfe vp as high as heauen by the consideration of the mercy of God and if I raise thee vp towards presomption thou abasest thy selfe by the consideration of thy sinnes as low as hell by way of humilitie yea and thou persecutest me euen in hell it selfe Now after this very manner are we to vse this exercise and soe shall wee on the one side be full of circumspection and feare and on the other full of courage and ioy Fearfull in reguard of our selues and ioyfull through our hope in God Theis are those two lessons which as we are taught by that other Saint God giues dayly to his elect the one to make them see their defects and the other to make them see the goodnes of God who takes them from vs with soe much loue Of the great benefitt and profitt which growes by this exercise of a mans knowing himselfe CHAPTER IX TO the end that we may yet be more animated to this exercise of the knowledge of our selues we will goe on declaring some great benefitts and aduantages which are conteyned therein One of the cheife thereof hath bene shewed already namely that this is the foundatioÌ„ and roote of Humilitie and the necessary meanes both for the purchase and preseruation thereof One of those antient Fathers being asked how a man might doe to obtaine true Humilitie made this answere Si sua tantummodo non alterius mala consideret If he consider onely his owne sinnes sounding and digging deepe into the knowledge of himselfe this man shall obtaine true Humilitie This alone were sufficient to make vs attend much to this exercise since it imports vs soe very much towards the obteyning of this vertue But yet the Saincts passe further on and say that the humble knowledge of our selues is a more certaine way towards the knowledge of
A TREATISE OF HVMILITIE COMPOSED BY THE REVEREND Father F. ALFONSO RODRIGVEZ of the Societie of IESVS Translated into English PRINTED AT ROVEN 1631. THE PREFACE OF the Treatise of Humilitie THe fathers of the Primitiue Church are frequent in obseruing vpon the ancientes both of Greece and Rome that many of them did excell in most of the morall vertues for which they were much rewarded with temporall blessings by the open hand of almightie God but that the vertue of humilitie was soe farre from being possessed and practised by any of them as that they had not soe much as any apprehention nor did they frame any conceite at all thereof and therefore hath not this vertue any name at all in either of those ancient and learned tongues That which the fathers said of those Gentiles we their Children may in some sorte affirme of theis Protestants for as much as may concerne the vertue of humilitie For how soeuer they are acquainted with the name yea and with the nature of it too by speculation of what is said by vs touching that subiect yet in order to practise and life the two Poles are not more distant from one another then they are from this vertue For noe man either euer had or can euer haue humility of will till first he haue humilitie of the vnderstandinge and no creature can euer deuide himselfe from the Communiō of the holy Catholicke Church vpon presumption that he knowes more of God almighties minde then it but that this man must be hugely proud So that the very intrinsique forme of heresy is directly pride as on the other side a man cannot possibly be a Catholicke but with all he must infallibly be humble for as much at least as may concerne the vnderstanding part of his minde Because the very condition of being à Catholicke implyes thus much that whatsoeuer naturall repugnances he may chance to finde in beleeuing this or that he yet giues himselfe wholly into the hands of the Church and is ready rather to loose a thousand liues then to credit his owne reason against her rules But yet Good Catholickes stay not heere as if they were content to doe God homage by their vnderstanding alone but they seeke alsoe to range and reduce their will to the loue and practise of this vertue And especially this is endeauoured by such amongst vs as enioy both the name and nature of Religious men Who as they haue receiued the great honour of being drawne neerer to his diuine Majestie then the rest so God forbid but they should make it their busines to correspond with that infinite Goodnes and greatenes which can neuer be better done then by acknowledging their owne basenes weakenes Of this I present you heere with a most liuely example For this Treatise of humilitie is not soe properly a booke composed vpon that vertue as the Meditations and aspirations and instructiōs of a Religious man who was breaking and breeding the Nouices committed to his charge towards the contēpt of the world and the mortification of them selues by the imitation of our lord Iesus in that diuine vertue which him selfe in person came to plant Now this you shall finde not to haue bene done after a kinde of Protestant cutt whoe when they take vpon them to speake to men of God and good things consume their howers in generallities scratching onely such eares as itch and not passing as a man may say beyond the very first skinne of the soule And if any man esteeme me to doe them wronge heerin lett them affront me by shewing such a Protestant booke as this I meane not that they should shew me such a booke of humilitie for ought I euer heard they haue neuer written booke of that vertue but let them shew me any such booke of any vertue where the difinitiō of the thing in question is so cleere where the diuision is soe exact where the degrees are soe distinct where the authorities are soe choice where the examples are so proper where the considerations motiues are so conuincing and aboue all where the addresse exercise and practise and examination and reflection is so particular so sweete and so stronge and where the way is made soe easy and smooth for the arriuing to the most laborious iourneys end for flesh and blood which is to be found in the whole world It is highly glorious to Almightie God and it helpes more and more to Canonise the holy Catholicke Church when men see that shee hath Children who are so serious so studious and soe vigorous as that when they are shutt vp hand to hand with God and without any other witnesses then bare walls they are acquiring the highest humane perfection for themselues and imparting it alsoe to one another vpon the price of whatsoeuer flesh and blood holdes deere And for my part I shall be of the Duke of Arcos minde whoe wondring in those first beginnings of the Societie how it was able to produce such rare men whilst yet he vsed to meete them without those exteriour mortifications and austerities either of habit or dyet wherein other holy orders excell grew able afterward to make a good answere to his owne questiō when he once came to see and weigh both theis works of F. Alfonso Rodriguez and many others and by meanes thereof to consider how they are wont to breede themselues within doores and by the vse of continuall prayer and the solid and sincere practise of the most heroicall vertues to make themselues by the fauour of heauen to become as soe many vnshakē towers or rocks against the proud waues of the whole world whensoeuer there growes to be question of the greatest glory of God and the Good of man And this is most true but yet it is not all that truth which we must fetch from thence But it imports vs alsoe to consider that as Religious men are most obliged to procure Christian perfectiō in the highest degree and particularly this vertue of humilitie in regard of their expresse vocation and of the extraordinary helpes and meanes which they haue beyond secular people yet noe man who calls himselfe Christian must hold himselfe exempt from the necessitie of attending to that vertue which Christ our lord himselfe came to teach and the possession whereof will carry and conduct men vp to heauen as the want thereof did precipitate those rebellious Angells downe to hell But there is a world of other motiues besides this of punishments rewards which the discourse ensueing will declare A TREATISE OF THE VERTVE OF humilitie Of the excellencie of the vertue of Humilitie and of the neede wee haue thereof CHAPTER I. DIscite à me quia mitis sum humilis corde inuenietis requiem animabus vestris Learne of me saith Iesus Christ our Sauyour for I am milde and humble of hart and you shall finde rest for your soules Totae vita Christi in terris per hominem quem suscipere
dignatus est disciplina morum fuit sed praecipue humilitatem suam imitandam proposuit dicens Matt. 11. Discite à me quia mitis sum humilis corde The whole life of Christ our Lord on earth was ledd for our instruction and hee was the Master and teacher of all the vertues but especially of this of humilitie which hee desired cheifely that wee should learne And this consideration alone may well serue to make vs vnderstand both the greate excellencie of this vertue and the greate neede alsoe which wee haue thereof since the sonne of God himselfe came downe from heauen to earth to teach vs the practise and to make himselfe our instructour therein and that not onely by word of mouth but much more particularly by his actions For indeede his whole life was an example and liuely patterne of Humilitie The glorious S. Basill goes discoursing through the whole life of Christ our Lord euen from his birth and hee obserues and shewes how all his actions serued to teach vs this vertue in most particular manner Hee would needes saith the saynt be borne of a mother whoe was poore in a poore open stable and be laid in a manger and be wrapped in miserable cloâ—ts hee would needes be Circumcised like a sinner and fly into Egipt like a poore weake creature and be baptised amongst Publicans and sinners like one of them And afterward in the course of his life when they had a minde to doe him honor and take him vp for their king hee hidd himselfe but when they put dishonor and afronts vpon him hee then presented himselfe to them When he was celebrated and admired by men yea and euen by persons whoe were possessed with the deuill hee commaunded them to hould their peace but when they thought fitt to reproach and scorne him hee held his peace And neere the end of his life that hee might leaue vs this vertue by his last will and Testament hee confirmed it by that soe admirable example of washing his disciples feete as alsoe by vndergoeing that soe ignominious death of the Crosse S. Bernard saith Exinaniuit semetipsum vt prius praestaret exemplo quod erat docturus verbo The sonne of God abused and diminished himselfe by taking our nature vpon him and hee would haue his whole life be a patterne of humilitie soe to teach vs by actions that which hee would alsoe teach vs by words A strange manner of instruction But why Lord must soe high a maiestie be abased soe Low Vt non apponat vltra magnificare se homo super terram To the end that from henceforth there may not soe much as one man be founde whoe shall once aduenture to be proud and to exalt himselfe vpon the earth Intollerabilis enim impudentia est vt vbi sese exinaniuit maiestas vermiculus infletur intumescat It was euer astrainge bouldnes or rather a kinde of madnes for a man to be proud but nowe saith the saynt when the maiestie of God hath humbled and abased it selfe it is an intollerable shame and an vnspeakeable kinde of absurditie that this little wretched worme of man should haue a minde to be honored and esteemed That the sonne of God who is equall to the father should take the forme of a seruant vpon him and vouchsafe to be dishonored and abased and that I whoe am but dust and ashes should procure to be valued and admired With much reason did the Sauyour of the world declare that hee is the maister of this vertue of Humilitie and that wee were to learne it of him for neither Plato nor Socrates nor Aristotle did euer teach men this vertue For when those heathen Philosophers were treating of those other vertues of Fortitude of Temporance and of Iustice they vere soe farre of the while from being humble therein that they pretended euen by those very workes and by all their vertuous actions to be esteemed and recommended to posterity It is true that there was a Diogenes and some others like him whoe professed to contemne the world and to despise themselues by vsing meane cloathes and certaine other pouerties and abstinencies but euen in this they were extreamely proud and procured euen by that meanes to be obserued and esteemed whilst others were despised by them as was wisely noted by Plato in Diogenes For one day when Plato had inuited certaine Philosophers and amoÌ„gst them Diogenes to his house hee had his roomes well furnished and his carpetts laid such other preparations made as might be fitt for such gests But as soone as Diogenes entred in hee began to foule those faire carpetts with his durtie feete which Plato obseruinge askt him what he ment Calco Platonis fastum saith Diogenes I am trampling saith hee vpon Platoes pride But Plato made him then this good answere Calcas sed alio fastu insinuating thereby that the pride wherewith he trode vpon Platos carpetts was greater then Platos pride in possessing them The Philosophers did neuer reach to that contempt of themselues wherein Christian Humilitie consists nay they did not soe much as knowe Humilitie euen by name for this is that vertue which was properly and onely taught by Christ our Lord. And S. Augustine obserues how that diuine sermon made by our Sauiour in the Mount began with this vertue Beati pauperes spiritu quoniam ipsorum est regnum caelorum Blessed are the poore of Spiritt for theirs is the kingdome of heauen For both S. Augustine S. Hierome S. Gregorie and other Saints affirme that by poore in spirit such as be humble are vnderstood Soe that the redeemer of the world beginns his preaching with this he continues it with this and he ends it with this This was hee teaching vs all his life and this doth he desire that we should learne of him Discite à me non muÌ„dum fabricare non cuncta visibilia inuisibilia creare non in ipso mundo mirabilia facere mortuos suscitare sed quoniaÌ„ mius sum humitis corde Hee said not as S. Augustine obserues Learne of mee not to create heauen and earth learne of mee not to doe wonderfull things and to woorke miracles to cure the sicke to cast out diuells and to reuiue the dead but learne of mee to be meeke and humble of hart Potentior est enim tutior solidissima humilitas quam ventosissima celsitudo Better is the humble man whoe serues God then hee whoe works miracles That other way is plaine and safe but this is full of stumbling blocks and dangers The necessitie which wee haue of this vertue of Humilitie is soe greate that without it a man cannot make one stepp in spirituall life The glorious S. Augustine saith Nisi humilitas omnia quacunque bene facimus praecesserit comiâ—etur consecuta fuerit iam nobis de aliquo bono facta gaudentibus totum extorquet de manu superbia It is necessarie that all our actions be very well accompanyed
to procure the saluation of theyr neighbours sowles CHAPTER IIII. QVanto maiores humilia te in omnibus coram Deo inuenies gratiam How much thou art greater soe thou humble thy selfe saith the wise man soe much the more and thou shal finde grace in the sight of God We whoe make profession to gaine sowles to God haue the office of Grandes For wee may say for our confusion that God hath called vs to a very high state sinc our institute is to sewe the holy Church in certaine ministeries which are very eminent and high to which God chose the Apostles namely the preaching of the Ghospell the administratiō of the Sacraments and the dispensation of his most pretious blood soe that we may say vith Saint Paule dedit nobis ministerium reconciliationis Hee calls the preaching of the Ghospell the dispensation of the Sacraments by which grace is communicated the ministery of Reconciliation Et posuit in nobis verbum reconciliationis pro Christo ergo Legatione fungimur God hath made vs his seruants his Embassadors as his Apostles were Legats of that cheife Bishop Iesus Christ tongues and instruments of the holy Ghost Tanquam Deo exhortante per nos Our Lord is pleased to speake to soules by our tongues by theis tongues of flesh wil our lord moue the harts of men for this haue we there fore more neede then others of the vertue of Humilitie and that vpon twoe reasons first because by how much the more high our institute and vocation is so much more hazard shal we run and so much greater will be the combatte of vanitie and pride The highest hills as S. Ierome saith are assaulted by the stiffest windes Wee are imployed in very high ministeries and for this are we respected and esteemed ouer the world We are held to be Saints and euen for other Apostles vpō earth and that all our conuersation is sanctity and that our study is to make them alsoe Saincts Whith whome we cōuerse Here is neede of a greate foundation of Humilitie that soe high a building as this may not be driuen downe to the grounde Wee had neede haue greate strength of vertue that wee may be able to beare the weight of honor whith all the circumstances thereof A hard taske it is to walke in the midst of honors and that yet noe part thereof should fasten it selfe to the hart It is not euery bodyes case to haue a head that can be safe soe high O how many haue growne giddy and fallne downe from that high state wherein they were for want of the foundation of Humilitie how many whoe seemed Zagles sowringe vp in the exercise of seuerall vertues haue through pride become as blinde as batts That Moncke wrought Miracles of whome it is written in the life of S. Pachomius and Palemon that he walked vpon burning coales without hurting himselfe but he growe proud vpon that very occasion and he though a contemptuoustly of others and said meaning of himselfe that he was a Saint who could walke vpon coales without burning himselfe which of you said hee can doe so much Saint Palemon reproued him for this perceiuing that it grew in him from pride and at length he came to falle miserably and to end ill The holy Scripture the histories of Saints liues are full of such examples as this For this doe we therefore stand in particular neede to be very well grounded in this vertue for if we be not we shall runne greate hazard of being giddy and of falling into the sinne of pride yea and that the greatest of all others which is spirituall pride S. Bonauenture declaring this saith That there ar towe kindes of pride one which concernes temporall things and this is called carnall pride and another which concernes things spirituall and this is called spirituall pride and he saith that this second is a greater pride and a greater sinne then the former The reason hereof is cleere For as S. Bonauenture saith the proud man is a theefe and committs robbery for he runs away with the goods of another against the will of the owner by hauing stolne the honor and glory which is proper to God and which he will not giue away but reserue to himselfe Gloria meam alteri non dabo saith he by the Prophet Esay and this as I was saying Doth the proud man steale from God and he runs away with it and applyes it to himselfe Now when a man growes proud of any naturall aduantage as of nobility of agilitie and strength of body of quicknes of vnderstanding of learning or the like this man is a robber but yet the thest is not soe greate For though it be true that all theis blessings are of God they are yet but as the chaff of his howse but he who shall grow proud of his spirituall guifts as namely of sāctity or of the fruite which is gathered by gaynīg soules this is a great theefe a famous theefe a robber of the honor of God and who steales those iewells which he esteemes the most rith and of the greatest price and valew and which indeede were sett at soe high a rate that he thought his owne blood and life well imployed vpon the purchose thereof For this reason the B. S. Francis was full of care and feare least hee should fall into pride he was wont to say thus to God O Lord if thou giue me any thinge keepe it for me whoe dare not trust my selfe with it for I am noe better then a theefe and am still runing away with thy goods And now lett vs alsoe walke on with the same feare since we haue much more reason to be afraide are fare frō being so humble as S. Fracis was Lett vs not fall into his soe daungerous pride lett vs not run away with those goods of God which he hath put with soe much confidence into our hands Lett noe parte thereof sticke to vs lett vs attribute nothing to our selues but returne the whole backe to God It was not without greate mistery that Christ our Sauyour when he appeared to his Disciples vpon the day of his glorious Ascention reproou'd them first for their incredulity and hardnesse of hart cōmaunded them afterward to goe preach the Ghospell wee the whole world and gaue them power to worke many mightie miracles For he giues vs hereby to vnderstand that he who is to be exalted to the doenig of great things hath neede to be humbled first and to be abased in himselfe and to haue a true knowledge of his owne frailties miseries that soe though afterward he come to fly aboue the heauens and to woke miracles he may yet remaine still intyre in the knowledge of himselfe sticke fast to the vnderstanding of his owne basenes without attributing any other thing to him selfe then vnworthinesse Theodoret to his purpose notes that God resoluing to choose Moyses for the Kaptaine conductour of his people
beloued by Christ our lord to be despised by the world with him and for the loue of him This is the cause why Saints haue taken so much gust in the contumelies and affronts of the world and haue tryed soe many conclusions for the obteyning to be contemned thereby It is true saith Saint Iohn Climachus that many of theis things were done by particular instinct of the holy Ghost and soe are a more fitt obiect for our admiration then for our imitation to worke vpon But Though we arriue not to performe that holy kinde of simplicitie in act as those Saints did we must yet procure to imitate them in the loue and great desire which they had to be vndervalued and desprised Saint Diadocus goes on further and saith that there are two kindes of Humilitie Vna mediorum altera perfectorum The first is of the middle sort who are proficients but yet are still in the fight and are combated with the thoughts of pride and of ill motions though they procure with the grace of our Lord to resist them by humbling and confounding themselues Another Humilitie there is which belonges to such as are perfect and this is when our lord communicates soe great light to a man in the way of knowing himselfe that it seemes as if now he could not be proud yea and that euen the motions thereof could now come noe more Tunc anima veluâ— naturalem habet humilitatem Then haht the soule a kinde of Humilitie euen as if it were naturall For howsoeuer hee may performe greate things yet he exalts not himselfe one iott the higher for that nor doth he esteeme himselfe the more but rather houlds himselfe for inferiour to all And he saith there is this difference betwene theis two kindes of Humilitie that commonly the first is exercised with some trouble and paine as being in fine perfourmed by such a one as hath not yet obteyned a perfect conquest of himselfe but still feeles some contradiction for this is indeede that which giues sorrow and paine when the occasion of Humiliation and disestimation arriue for in this case they may take things with patience but they cannot doe it with ioy for still there is some what within which makes resistance because the passions are not ouercome But now the second kinde of Humilitie giues noe paine or greife at all but rather much ioy soe that the man be indeede in that confusion shame and haue that true disesteeme and contempt of himselfe before our lord for such a one hath nothing now which can make him any resistance in reguard that he hath conquered and subdued the contrary passions and vices and obteyned a perfect victory ouer himselfe And from hence it is sayth the Saint that they whoe haue but the first humilitie are troubled and altered by the aduersities and prosperities and variety of eueÌ„ts in this life But as for them whoe possesse the secoÌ„d Humilitie neither are they troubled by things aduerse nor doe prosperous things make them giddy or light nor doe they cause any vaine coÌ„tentment in them but they euer stand fast in one and the same kinde of State and they inioy greate tranquillity and peace as men whoe haue acquired perfection consequently are superiour to all euents Nothing can disquiet and giue paine to him who desires to be disesteemed and is glad thereof for if that which might trouble him and giue him paine namely the being forgotten and disesteemed be that in fine which he desires and that which giues him contentmeÌ„t and gust whoe can euer be able to disquiet him If in that whereby it seemes others sustaine soe much warre he can finde as much peace nothing can depriue him of that peace And soe saith S. Chrisostome Such a man as this hath found heauen and the state of happines heere on earth Anima auteÌ„ quae sic se habet quid potest esse beatius quicuÌ„que talis est is in portu continuo sedet ab omni tempestate liber oblectaÌ„tur in screnitate cogitationum Now to this perfection of Humilitie must we procure to arriue and lett vs not hould it to be impossible for by the grace of God saith S. Augustine not onely may we imitate the Saints but euen the lord of Saints alsoe if wee will For our Lord himselfe requires vs to learne of him Discite à me quia mitis fum humilis corde Learne of mee for I am meeke and humble of harte And the Apostle Saint Peeter sayth that he gaue vs am example to the end that we might imitate it Christus passus est pro nobis vobis relinquens exemplum vt sequamini vestigia eius And Saint Ierome vpon those words of Christ our Lord Si vis perfectus esse saith that it is cleerely gathered from theis words that it is put into our power to be perfect since Christ our lord saith If thou wilt be perfect Qâ—ia si dixeris vires non suppetunt qui inspector est cordis ispe intelligit For if you say I haue noe strength wherewith to doe it God knowes our weaknes very well and yet still he saith that you may if you will For he is euer ready to helpe vs if we will and with his helpe we may doe all things Iacob saith the Saint saw a ladder which reached from earth to the heauens and the Angells went vp and downe by it and at the vpper end thereof the omnipotent God himselfe satt to helpe them who were ascending vp and to animate them by his presence to vndertake that lâ—bour And now procure you alsoe to mount this ladder by theis steps whereof we haue spoken for himselfe will reach you forth his hand that soe you may be able to ascend euen the last stepp thereof When the trauailer sees some steepe hill whereby he is to passe it seemes from farre off to be a kinde of impossible thing for him to ascend there but when he comes neerer he findes the way ready made and that it is easily to be ouercomed Of some meanes for the obteyning of this second degree of Humilitie and perticularly of the example of Christ our Lord. CHAPTER XVIII THey ordinarily vse to assigne two seueral wayes or meanes for the obteyning of Morall vertues The one is of reasons and considerations which may conuince and animate vs thereunto and the other is exercise of the acts of that vertue whereby we may acquire the habitts thereof To begin with the first kinde of meanes one of the most principall and efficatious considerations whereof wee may helpe our selues towards being humble or rather the most principall and most efficatious of them all is the example of Christ our Lord our Mâ—ster and our Redeemer whereof though wee haue already said some what there will euer be enough to add The whole life of Christ our lord was a most perfect Original of Humilitie from the very tyme of his birth to that other of his expiring vpon the Crosse But
Conclusions but you rather thinke that you haue lost opinion and credit by it and therefore you are Melancholy and sadd yea and when you are to doe any of theis publicque things the very feare of the successe and whether you shall gaine or loose honorâ— by it makes you afflicted and greiued Theis are some of those things which make the proud man Melancholy and sadd But now the humble of hart who desire noe honour or estimation and contents himselfe with a meane place is free from all this restlesnes and disquiet and enioyes great peace according to the words of Christ our Lord from whome that saynt tooke this saying of his If there be peace in this world the humble of hart possesses it And therefore though there were noe way of spiritt or perfection to be looked after but onely our owne interest and the keeping our harts in peace and quietnes euen for this and this alone we were to procure Humilitie for thus wee should come to liue whereas the other is but to leade a kinde of dying life Saint Augustine to this purpose recountes a certaine thinge of himselfe whereby he saith that our Lord gaue him to vnderstand the blindnes and misery wherein hee was As I went one day sayth he full of affliction and care in thought of a certaine Oration which I was to recite before the Emperour in his praise whereof the greatest parte was to be false and my selfe procuring to be praysed for my paines euen by them who knew that it would be false that men may see how farr the vanitie and folly and madnes of the world extends it selfe as I went I say with much thought heereof and was full of trouble and care how the busines might succeede and hauing as it were euen a kinde of feauer vpon me of consuming thoughts it hapned that in one of the streetes of Milan there was a poore begger who after he had gotten well to eate and drinke was playing tricks and taking his pleasure and in fine was very merry and iolly But when I saw this I fell to sigh and represent to my freinds whoe were present there to what misery our madnes had made vs subiect Since in all our troubles and namely in those where in we found our selues at that tyme carrying a great burthen of infelicity vpon our backs and beinge wounded with the vexation of a thousand inordinate appetites and dayly adding one burthen to another we did not soe much as procure to seeke any other thing then onely some secure kinde of contentment and ioy wherein that poore begger had outstripped vs already whoe perhaps should neuer be able to ouertake him therein For that which hee had now obteyned by meanes of a little almes namely the ioy of temporall felicitie I still went seeking and hunting out with soe much sollicitude and care It is true saith Saint Augustine that the poore man had noe true ioy but it is alsoe true that the contentment which I sought was more false then his and in fine hee then was merry and I sad he was secure and I full of cares feares And if any man should aske me now whether I had rather be glad or greiued I should quickly make answere that I had rather be glad and if he should aske me yet againe whether I had rather be that begger or my selfe I should then rather choose to be my selfe though I were then full of afflictions but yet for ought I know I should haue noe reason to make this choise For I aske what cause I can alledge for my being more learned gaue me then noe contentment at all but onely desired to giue contentment to others by my knowledge and yet that not by way of instructing theÌ„ but But without doubt saith hee that poore man was more happye then I not onely because he was merry and iolly when I was full of cogitations and cares which drew euen my very bowells out of my body but because he had gotten his wine by lawfull meanes whereas I was hunting after vaine glory by the way of tellinge lyes Of another kinde of meanes more efficatious for the obteyning the vertue of Humilitie which is the exercise thereof CHAPTER XXIII WEe haue already spoken of the first kinde of meanes which are vsually assigned for the obteyning of virtue which is certaine reasons and considerations both diuine and humaine But yet the inclination which we haue to this vice of pride is soe very greate by reason that the desire of diuinitie Eritis sicut dij remaines soe rooted in our harts from our first parents that noe considerations at all are sufficient to make vs take our last leaue of the impulse and edge which wee haue to be honored and esteemed It seemes that that happens to vs heerein which occurrs to others whoe are full of feare For how many reasons soeuer you giue to perswade such persons that they haue no cause to feare such or such a thing they yet make this answere I see well that all you say is true and I would faine not feare but yet I cannot obteyne it of my selfe For iust soe some say in our case I well perceiue that all those reasons which you haue brought against the opinion and estimation of the world are good and true and they conuince that all is but meere vaniâ—ie and winde but yet with all this I cannot by any meanes Wynne soe much of my selfe as not to make some accounte thereof I would faine doe it if I could but me thinke I know not how this kinde of things transports and disquiets me strangely Well then as noe reasons and considerations are sufficient to free the fearefull man from feare but that besides this we must intreate him to put his hand to worke and bid him draw neere to feele and touch those things which seemed to him to be bugbeares and sprights and aduise him to goe sometyme by night and alone to the same places where he thought he saw them that soe he might finde by experience that there was nothing indeede but that all was his imagination and apprehension that soe by this meanes he may loose his feare soe alsoe for the makeing vs giue ouer the desire of opinioÌ„ and estimation of the world the Saints affirme that noe reasons or coÌ„siderations are sufficieÌ„t but that we must also vse the meanes of action and of the exercise of humilitie for this is the principall and most efficatious meanes which we for our parts ean imploy towards the obteyning of this vertue S. Basill saith that as sciences and arts are acquired by practise soe alsoe are the morall vertues That a man may be a good Musition a good Rethorition a good Philosopher and a good workemaÌ„ in any kinde let him exercise himselfe herein and he will grow perfect And soe alsoe for obteyning the habit of Humilitie and all the rest of the morall vertues wee must exercise our selues in the acts thereof and by
will alsoe appeare by another reason that towards the purchase of Humilitie of hart or any other interiour vertue the exteriour exercise of the same vertue doth profitt much because the will is much more moued thereby then by bare desires For it is cleere that the present obiect moues vs more then the absent as we see that wee are moued more by seeing things then by hearing of them and from hence the Prouerbe came That which the eyes see not the hart rues not Soe that the exteriour thing which is put in practise moues the will much more because the obiect is there present then meere apprehensioÌ„s and interiour desires do where the obiect is not present but onely in the coÌ„ceite and imagination One great affront well endured with a good will shall breede more of the vertue of patieÌ„ce in your soule then fower affronts will doe when you haue but the onely desire without the deede And the spending of one day in exercising some meane and lowe office and the wearing some poore and tottered coate some one day will helpe your soule more to the vertue of humilitie then many dayes of meere desires wil doe Wee haue experieÌ„ce euery day that a man hath repugnance to performe one of the ordinary mortifications which wee vse and within two or three dayes after He hath begun to doe theÌ„ he findes noe difficultie therein at all and yet before he did them he had conceiued many purposes and desires thereof and yet still they were not stroÌ„ge enough to ouercome the difficulty And for the same reason doth the society vse certaine publique mortifications as wee reade to haue bene done by many SS because when once a man hath performed one of theis he getts the mastery ouer himselfe for other things wherein he found difficultie before And to this we may add that which is said by the schole-diuines that wheÌ„ the interiour act is accompanied by the exteriour it is commonly more efficatious and intense So that it helpes much in all respects towards the obteyning of the vertue of Humilitie to imploy our selues exteriourly about obiects which are meane and base And because vertue is conserued and augmented by the same meanes whereby it is obteyned therefore as the exteriour exercise of Humilitie is necessary for the obteyning the vertue of Humilitie it will alsoe be necessary for the custody and increase thereof where vpon it will follow that this exercise is very important for all and not onely for beginners but for others alsoe who eare great proficients as we alsoe said when we were treating of Mortification And soe our Father in the Constitutions and Rules recommeÌ„ds it much to vs all in these words Magnopere conseri deuotè quo ad fieri poterit ea munera obire in quibus magis exercetur humilitas Charitas It will greately helpe that we performe those offices with all possible deuotion wherein Humilitie and Charitie are exercised most And in another place he saith Temptations are to be preuented by their contraries as when there is opinion that such a one is inclined to pride he must be exercised in such meane things as may be likely to helpe him â—owardâ— Humility and soe in other ill inclinations And yet in another place As for meane and base imployments men ought redily to accept of those wherein they finde most repugnance when soeuer they shal be soe ordeyned So that finally I say that theis two things Humilitie and Humiliation must helpe one another and from the interiour Humilitie which consists in despising himselfe and desiring to be held by others in small accounte exteriour humiliation is to growe that the man may exteriourly shew himselfe to be the same that interiourly he tooke himselfe to be Namely that as the humble man is interiourly contemptible in his owne eyes and houlds himselfe to be vnworthie of all honor soe must treate himselfe alsoe exteriourly that the exteriour Works which he performes may visibly declare the interiour Humilitie which is in his harte Choose you the lowest place as Christ our Lord aduised despise not to treate with persons whoe are poore and meane be gladd of the most inferiour imployments and this very exteriour humiliation which springs from the interiour will giue increase to that very fountaine alsoe from which it springs The Doctrine formerly deliuered is confirmed by diuers examples CHAPTER XXIV PEtrus Cluniacensus recounts that in the Order of the Carthusians there was a Religious man of holy and vnspotted life whome our lord had conserued so chast so pure so intyre that he had neuer suffered any illusion euen in his sleepe But being come to the hower of his death and all the Religious assisting at the bedd side of the sicke man the Prior whoe was alsoe there commaunded him to tell them what that thing in particular was whereby he might conceiue himselfe to haue pleased our lord most in the whole course of his life Hee made him this answeare Father you commaund me a hard thing I should by no meanes tell you what you aske if I were not obliged to it by ObedieÌ„ce From my infancy I haue bene much afflicted and persecuted by the diuell but according to the multitude of the troubles and tribulations which I susteyned my soule was still refreshed by those many conforts which Christ our lord and the glorious virgin Mary his most Blessed mother imparted to me I therefore being one day much afflicted and euen ouer-wrought by greate temptations of the diuell this soueraigne virgin appeared to me and vpon her presence the deuills fledd and all their temptations were at an end And after she had comforted and incouraged me to perseuer and proceede in the way of vertuâ— and perfection she said thus to me To the end that thou maist the better doe that which I haue aduised I will fetch thee in particular out of the treasures of my sonne three wayes or exercises of Humilitie wherein if thou imploy thy selfe thou wilt highly please God and shalt ouercome thine enemies Namely that thou humble thy selfe in theis three things in thy foode in thy cloathing and in the offices or dutyes which thou art to discharge So that in thy foode thou must desire and procure the worst and in thy cloathing the most meane and course and as for thy imployments or offices indeauour thou euer to get the most base and meane esteeming it both for a great honour and profit for thee to exercise thy selfe in such as are most refused and despised and which other men disdaine and from which they fly and hauing said thus much she vanished For my part I imprinted the power and efficacie of those words of hers in my hart that soe from that tyme forward I might doe as I had bene taught by her and my soule hath found much good by it Cassianus relates of the Abbott Papâ—â—nisius that being a moncke in Egipt and Abbot of the Monastery he was much esteemed honored
though they be neuer soe sharpe sighted yet if they be not assisted by the light of the Sunne can discerne nothinge soe a man how much soeuer he may be iustified cannot soe much as contynue to liue well if he be not enabled by the light of God's grace If our lord keepe not the Cittie saith the Prophett Dauid in vaine doth he watch who keepes it O si cognoscant se homines qui gloriantur in Domino glorientur saith the Saint O that men would at length know them selues and now at length vnderstand them selues as to confesse that they haue nothing in them selues whereof to glory buâ— onely in Almightie God O that Goâ— would send vs some beame of light from heauen whereby we might apprehenâ— and vnderstand our owne darkenes anâ— that there is noe good nor beeing no strength in any thing which euer waâ— created but onely soe farre forth as our lord hath bene gratiously pleased to giue it and is still pleased to continue it Now in this doth the third degree of Humilitie consist saueing that no poore words of ours can arriue to expresse the profunditie and great perfection which is therein notwithstanding all that which we can say sometymes after one manner and some tymes after another and not onely is the practise heereof hard but euen the speculation alsoe This is that anihillation of a mans selfe which is soe often repeated and recommended by the Masters of spirituall life This is that houlding and confessing a mans selfe for vnworthie and vnprofitable to all purposes Which S. Benet and other Saints sett downe for the most perfect degree of Humility Ad omnia indignum in vtilem se confiteri credere This is that distrust of a mans selfe that being still depending vpon God which is soe recommended to vs in holy scripture This is that houlding himselfe in no accounte at all whereof we are euer talking and hearing but O that we might finde it once for all in our very harts That we might vndersâ—â—â—d and feele in very truth and practically as a man who sees things with his eyes and touches and feeles them with his hands that for as much as is on our part we neither haue any thing but misery nor can doe any thing but commit sinne and that all the good which wee effect or worke we neither exercise it nor haue it of our selues but onely of God and that the honour and glory of all is his And if with hauing said all this you yet vnderstand not fully the perfection of this degree of Humilitie do not wonder at it for this is a very high peece of Theologie and therefore it is not strange though it be not soe easily vnderstood A certaine doctour saith very well that it happens in all arts and sciences that euery body arriues to know such things as are common and plaine but as for such others as are curious and choise they are not to be reached by euery hand but by such onely as are eminent in that science or arte And iust soe it is in our case for the ordinary and vsuall things belonging to any vertue are vnderstood by all the world but such as are extraordinary and choise and nice and high can onely be comprehended by such as are eminent and fully possessed of that vertue And this is that which S. Laurentius Iustinianus saith namely That noe man knowes well what Humilitie is but he who hath receiued the guift of being humble from God And from hence it alsoe growes that in reguard the saynts were indued with such a most profound Humilitie that they thought and said such things of themselues that we who fall so farr short of them cannot vnderstand exactly what they say but their speeches seeme exaggerations as namely that they were the greatest sinners of the whole world and the like whereof I will speake eare longe But if we cannot say or thinke such things as they no nor euen vnderstand them it is because we haue not arriued to soe great Humilitie as theirs was and soe we vnderstand not the curious and subtill parts of this facultie Procure you to be humble and to grow vp in this science and to profitt therein more and more and then you will vnderstand how such things as those may be said with truth The third degree of Humilitie is further declared and how it growes from thence that the true humble man esteemes himselfe to be the least and worst of all CHAPTER XXXIII TO the end that we may yet better vnderstand this third degree of Humilitie and may ground our selues well therein it will be necessary for vs to goe backe and take vp the matter neerer the fountaine And as according to what we said before all our naturall being and all the naturall operations which we haue we haue from God because we were nothing and then we had no power either to moue our selues or to see or heare or tast or vnderstand or will but God who gaue vs our naturall being gaue vs theis facâ—lties and powers and we must ascribe our being as alsoe theis naturall operatioÌ„s to him so in the selfe same maÌ„ner and with much greater reason must we say in the case of a supernaturall being and of the works of grace and that soe much more as theis are greater and more excellent then those We haue not our supernaturall being of our selues but of God In fine it is a being of fauour and grace and therefore it is soe called because out of his meere goodnes hee added that to our naturall being Eramus natura filii irae We were borne in sinne were the Children of wrath the enemies of God whoe drâ—w vs out of that darknes In admirabile lumen suum Into his admirable light as the Apostle Saint Peter saith of enemies God made vs freinds of slaues sonnes from being nothing worth he brought vs to be acceptable in his owne eyes And the cause why God did all this was not for any respect either of our merits past or seruices to come but onely for his owne bounty and mercy and through the merits of Iesus Christ our onely Lord and Sauiour as Saint Paule saith Iustifificati gratis per gratiam ipsius per redemptionem quae est in Christo Iesu Now theÌ„ as we were not able to gett out of that nothing wherein we were into the naturall being which now we haue nor were able to performe the acts of life nor see nor heare nor feele but all this was the gracious guift of God and to him we must ascribe it all without takeing the glory of it to our selues soe could we neuer haue gone out of that darknes of sinne wherein we were and in which we were conceiued and borne if God of his infinite goodnes and mercy hat not drawne vs out from thence nor could we now performe the works of spirituall life if he gaue vs not his grace to that end For the merit and
worth of good works growes not from that parte thereof which they haue from vs but from what they haue from the grace of our Lord iust soe as the legall value which curraÌ„t money hath it hath not from it selfe but from the stampe or coyne And therefore we must not ascribe any glory at all to our selues but all to God from whome both our Naturall and supernaturall being is deriued carrying euer that of Sainct Paule both in our monthes and in our harts Gratiâ dei sum id quod sum I am whatsoeuer I am by the meere grace of God But now as according to what wee said God not onely drew vs out of our nothing and gaue vs that being which now we haue but after we are created and haue receiued our being wee doe not subsist in our selues but God is euer susteyning vphoulding and conserninge vs with his hand of prower that soe we may not falle into that former profound Abisse of Nothing from whence he tooke vs before in the same manner is it alsoe in the case of our supernaturall being for not onely did God shew vs the sauour to bring vs out of the darkenes of sinne wherein we were into the admirable light of his grace but he is â—uer conserning and houlding vs vp with his hand that soe we may not returne to fall And this to such a proportion as that if God should take of his hand of custody from vs but for one instant and should giue the diuell leaue to tempt vs then at his pleasure we should returne both to our former and to greater sinnes Quoniam à dextris est mihi ne commouear said the Prophett Dauid Thou O Lord art euer at my side houlding me vp that I may not be pluckt downe it is thy worke O Lord to haue raysed me vp from sinne thine to haue kept me froÌ„ returning to sinne againe If I rose vp it was because thou gauest me thy haÌ„d if now I be on foote it is because thou houldst me from dropping downe Since therefore as we shewed it before to be sufficieÌ„t to make vs hould our selues for nothing because on our parte wee are nothing we were nothing we should be nothing if God were not euer conserning vs soe this is alsoe sufficient to make vs euer keepe our selues in the accounte of being Wicked sinners because for as much as is on our part we are sinners we were sinners and we would be sinners if God were not still vphoulding vs with his holy hand Albertus Magnus saith that who soeuer would obtaine Humility must plant the roote thereof in his hart which consists in that he knew his owne weakenes and misery and vnderstand and weigh not onely how vile and wretched he is now but how vile and Wretched he may be yea and would be euen very now if God with his powerfull hand did not keepe him and sinne a sunder and did not remoue the occasions and assist and strengthen him in temptations Into how many sinnes had I fallne if thou O Lord through thy infinite mercy hadst not kept me vp how many occasions of my sinning hast thou preuented which were sufficient to haue pulled me downe as they pulled downe the Prophet Dauid if thou knowing my weakenes if thou I say hadst not hindred them How many tymes hast thou tyed the diuells hands to the end that he might not tempt me at his pleasure and if he would tempt me that yet he should not be able to ouer come me How often might I haue said those words of the Prophet with much truth Nisi quia Dominus adiuuit me paâ—lominus habitasset in inferno anima mea If thou O Lord hadst not holpen me this sowle of mine had already bene little lesse then in the very bottome of Hell How often haue I bene assaulted and euen almost tripped vp towards falling and thou O Lord didst hould me and didst apply thy swete and strong hand that I might take noe hurt Si dicebam motus est pes meus misericordia tua domine adiuuabat me If I said that my foote slippt thy mercy O Lord came to helpe me O how often should we haue bene lost if God through his infinite mercy and goodnes had not preserued vs This is theÌ„ the acounte wherein we are to hould our selues because this we are and this we possesse on our parts and this we were and this we should alsoe be againe if God tooke of his hand and custodie from vs. From hence it came that the SS despised humbled and confounded themselues soe farre that they were not content to esteeme little of themselues and to hould that they were wicked and sinfull men but they thought themselues the meanest of all others yea and the most vnworthie and sinfull men in the world We read of Saint Francis that God had soe highly exalted him and soe greately inriched him with spirituall graces that his fellow or companyon being in prayer saw a chaire richly wrought with enamel and pretious stones and this amongst the Seraphins which was prepared for him And yet afterward asking the Saint what opinion he had of himselfe his answere was that he thought there liued not in the world a greater sinner then hee And the same did the holy Apostle Saint Paule affirme alsoe touching himselfe Christus Iesus venit in hunc mundum peccatores saluos facere quorum primus ego sum Our lord Iesus Christ came into this world to saue sinners of whome I am the first or cheife And soe he aduises vs to procure to obtaine this Humilitie that we hould our selues for inferiour and lesse then all others that wee acknowledge them all for our Superiours and betters Saint Augustine saith Non fallit nos Apostolus nec adulatione vti iubet cum ad Philippenses 2. dicit In humilitate superiores sibi inuicem arbitrantes Et ad Romanos 12. Honore inuicem peruenientes The Apostle deceaues vt not when he saith that we must hould our selues for the least of all and that wee must esteeme all others to be our Superiours and betters and hee commaunds not heereby that we should vse any words of Flattery or court-shipp towards them The Saints did not say with counterfeite Humilitie or telling a lye that they were the greatest sinners of the world but meerly according to truth because they thought soe in their very harts and soe they alsoe giue vs in charge that wee thinke and say the same and this not by compliment or with fiction Saint Bernard ponders very well to this purpose that saying of our B. Sauiour Cum vocatus fueris ad nuptias recumbe in noâ—sâ—imo loco When you shall be inuited sitt you downe in the last and lowest place Hee said not that you should choose a middle place or that you should sitt amongst the lowest or in the last place but one but he will onely haue you sitt in the very lowest place of all Vt solus