subiects counselled her vtterly to retrench and renounce all such freindships a thing which appeared some what rigorous in her eye when she reflected vpon the ingratitude if it But the Father vrged that she would haue recours to prayer enioyning her for some dayes the hymne of the holy Ghost for obtayning light in that particular which she seriously vndertocks and praying some what long for that intention vpon a certayne day she was surprised with a suddaine extasie which till that tyme was a thing vnvsuall with her and being welneare depriued of her senses she heard these words within the center of her soule It is my will that now thou hould freindship with Angels not with men VVhich words added so strong a resolution to her brest that in a moment she ouercame herselfe in that which for many yeares to geather by great industry and much importunity she could not conquer in herselfe From this tyme forward our mercifull God began to speake to her and often conuerse with her Thus he Of the glory deriued to S. Ignatius from S. Philip Nerius CHAPTER XX. BEfore we treat of the meanes by which S. Philip Nerius increased the glory of S. Ignatius we will breifely touch who and how eminent a man this S. Philip was He was therfore the Founder of the Congregation of the Oratory which as it hath begotten many famous meÌ„ so amoÌ„gst others it produced that renowned writer of Ecclesiasticall Annales Caesar Baronius and Thomas Bazius author of the two Tomes of the maker of the Church whose spirituall Master and Father B. S. Philp was amongst all other Christian vertues in which he was eminent he euer preserued his virginity vntouched besides which he had a miraculous guift bestowed vpon him of discerning in chast persons the perfume of chastity and in others the ranknes and stench of vnchastity He was famous for the guift of Prophecy he arriued to the knowledge of many things concealed farre from him and such as were the most intimate secrets of mens harts he foretould things to come he was vsually comforted with the apparitions of Christ and of his Angells and Saints He appeared to many in his life tyme releeuing them in their afflictions he cured sick persons without number and recouered men gasping at deaths dore he restored one dead man to life in his life tyme another after his owne decease to omit many other glorious miracles wrought by him he was seene raised from the ground in the tyme of his Masses and other deuotions he reclaimed many men from their sinefull to a vertuous and religious life he was euer held in great veneration of all men In conclusion he ended his dayes at Rome full of merites the 26. day of May the yeare of our Lord 1595. in the 80. yeare of his age This eminent man was a familiar acquaintance of S. Ignatius at whose hands he sought long before his institution of the Congregation of the Oratory to haue beene admitted into the Society as his familiar freinds the two Cardinalls Cusane and Bellarmine to whom he himselfe had often tould it bore witnesse of him after his decease but he receaued a deniall from S. Ignatius as a man designed by the prouidence of God for some other Institution beneficiall to the Church howbeit he was euer a tender louer of the Society as wel in the life tyme of S. Ignatius as after of whom as Gallonin amongst other sworne witnesses testifieth in the 15. page of his life published at Rome in Latin S. Philip was wont to say that S. Ignatius was a man of that sanctity that the interiour beauty of his soule shewed it selfe in him exteriourly professing to haue often seene rayes of brightnes to proceed from his eyes and countenancd which thing as well the Auditours of the holy Rote as Cardinalls of the holy Rites vnderstood to be an euideÌ„t token of his sanctity No merueile then if S. Philip being an eyewitnes of the sanctity of S Ignatius was wont to haue recourse to him for counsell in his doubts and was comforted with the only sight of him when he was afflicted in mind and that after the death of S. Ignatius he euer cherished that freindship begun with the Society Besides when he changed his place of habitation froÌ„ S. Hierom. to a place neare the Church of S. Maria in Valicella for many yeares after as long as he continued Gernerall of the Congregation of the Oratory he vsed for his Ghostly Father F. Iohn Baptista Perusco of the Society of Iesus a man of holy life and well versed in affaires of spirit And afterwards hauing resigned his Office of Generall to Cesar Baronius one of the same Congregation and begun to vse him for his Ghostly Father which was two yeares before his death beiÌ„g then worne out with yeares vnable to betake himselfe to F. Perusco dwelling farre from him he was often accustomed notwithstanding at certaine tymes of the yeare to addresse himselfe to him and by a Generall Confession to giue him an account of his conscience Of the glâ—ry accrewing to S. Ignatius by S. Charles Borromeus CHAP. XXI THat matchlesse example of Sanctity S. Charles Borromeus Cardinal and Arch-Bishop of Milan was not the least cause of S. Ignatius his glory of whom he euer bore a pious memory after his decease by the vse of his booke of Spirituall Exercises arriued to that emineÌ„t degree of sanctity notorious to the whole world and as much as he could conueniently perpetually made vse of his Society as appeareth by many conuinâ—ing arguments out of the memorable things done by S. Charles published by certaine domesticall Prelats of his Iohn Peter Guissano Grattarolio and others In the yeare 1562. S. Charles being to receyue holy Orders and desiring worthily to prepare himself to offer vp his first Sacrifice of the Masse to Almighty God he made choise for that purpose of the house of the professed Fathers of the Society at 〈◊〉 where he prepared himselfe with the Spirituall Exercise of S. Ignatius Founder of the said Society So writeth M. Aurelio Graitarolio in his Italian Booke of the successes of the veneration of S. Charles and in an Oration made vpon his anniuersary day before an other Cardinall Borromeus the Clergy and people of Millan the yeare 1601. The same S. Charles when he had with great pompe ceremony celebrated his first Masse in publike to satisfy the deuotion of the people that he might more freely comply with his owne priuate deuotion he would celebrate his second Masse the next day in the house of the professed Fathers of the Society and that in a priuate Chappell S. Ignatius was woÌ„t to vse where he watched that whole night Se Sachinus in his history of the Society part 2. lib. 7. n. 11. In the yeare 1562. In the first beginning of his Priest hood he began also with more then ordinary austerity and frequent prayers to dedicate himselfe to the exercises of vertue In
THE GLORY OF THE B. FATHER S. IGNATIVS OF LOYOLA FOVNDER OF THE SOCIETY OF IESVS PRINTED MDC.XXXII At Rouâ—n by John â—ouâ—tuâ—er 1â—33 THE LIFE OF THE B. FATHER S. IGNATIVS OF LOYOLA FOVNDER OF THE SOCIETY OF IESVS AND the glory he atchiued through Gods assistance partly by his owne admirable sanctity confirmed by his miracles and Canonization partly by the wonderfull holy life of S. Francis Xauerius his associate and spirituall child partly by the many commendations of the Society he instituted many wayes diuulged by S. Teresia partly by S. Philip â—â—â—erius his rare testimony of S. Ignatius togeather with the correspondency held betwixt him and the Society partly by the knowne sanctity of S. Charles Borromeus miraculously attained by the vse of S. Ignatius his spirituall Exercises with his affection and esteeme of the Society The heads from whence such things are deriued as this treatise maketh mention of in the selfe-same words and phrases of the Authours 1. The many processes for the Canonization of the SS Ignatius and Xauerius contayning the graue testimonies of six hundred threescore fifteene witnesses concerning the life and vertues of S. Ignatius alone 2. The relations of the Auditours of the holy Rote deliuered in writing to the Pope and gathered out of sundry processes made by autority of his Holines for the Canonization of the Ss. Ignatius Xauerius Teresia Phillip Nerius receaued and approued by the Lords Cardinalls of the holy Rites as they terme them 3. The relations made in the name of the Congregation of Cardinalls of the holy Rites before our holy Father Pope Gregory the fifteenth in a priuate Consistory by the right Honorable Lord Cardinall a Monte Francisco Maria Bishop of Portua printed at Rome this present yeare touching the life sanctity and miracles of the Sâ— Ignatius Xauerius Teresia and Phillip Nerius 4. The memorable things done by the SS Ignatius Xauerius Teresia Phillip Nerius Charles Borromaeus published at Rome Naples Salamanca Venice Madrid Antvverp Collen Ingolstade Dilinge Ausbourg other places by permission of superiours Out of all vvhich heads this treatise vvas compiled at Cracouia printed by Andrew Petriconius vvith licence of Superiours and intituled The glory of the B. Father Saint Ignatius of Loyola Founder of the Society of IESVS Which copy wo follow APPROBATIO Cracouiensis EGo Sebastianus Nucerinus Sanctae Theologiae Doctor Ecclesiae Cathedralis Cracouien Ordinarius Concionator librorum in dioecesi Craco In lucem prodeuÌ„tium Censor fideÌ„ presentibus facio quia opusculum hoc de Gloria S. Ignatii Loyola Fundatoris Societatis Iesu à Patribus eiusdem Societatis prius relectum vidi ac deuoto studio probaui atque vt lucerna haec in candelabro Ecclesiae typo poneretur potestateÌ„ feci Crac. 6. Iulij Anno 1622. Sebastianus Nucerinus THE GLORY OF St. IGNATIVS OF LOYOLA Founder of the Society of IESVS Of the Birth of S. Ignatius and of his Conuersion to a good life CHAPTER I. SAINT Ignatius was borne in that part of Spaine adioyning to the Pyrenan hills which beareth the name of Biscay in the yeare 1461. His Father was Bertrand Iannez Lord of Ognez and Loyola of an ancient noble Family His Mother no way inferiour to her Husband in worth and Nobility was Mary SaÌ„chez descended of noble PareÌ„ts Lords of Balda Both which families in Biscay are of the number of them to which the Spaniards giue the name and title of Great Ones These were the parents from whom S. Ignatius descended who being himself endowed with admirable parts of soule and body hauing been bred a Page some tyme in the Court of King Ferdinand the Catholike desirous now to gaine himselfe a reputation by the warres betooke himself to Don Antonio Manriquez Duke of Naiara and Vice-Roy of Nauarre one who had been anciently allied with the family of Loyolaes began to apply himselfe wholy to the warres But the Castle of Pâ—â—plona the principall Citty of Nauarre the defeÌ„ce of which was coÌ„mitted to the charge of Ignatius chancing to be besieged by the French Army a stone driuen out of the wall by the force of the Artillery wounded him in his left thigh as he was seruing brauely at the head of his troupes and so vtterly broke his right leg that with the blow he fell halfe dead vpon the place which hapned vpon whitson Munday the 26. of May in the yeare 1521. Ignatius being wounded the Fort was taken by the French by whom Ignatius was nobly treated cured of his hurts and sent home But whilst yet he kept his bed demaunding some prophane Bookes to passe his tyme two Bookes were brought vnto him one of the life of Christ the other of his Saints with the perusall of which he found himselfe so touched that to follow the stepps of Christ he resolued to leaue the world and take a iourney to Hierusalem there to confirme the Christians in matters of spirit and to conuert the Infidels to the Faith of Christ The memorable things done by S. Ignatius from the tyme of his conuersion till his death CHAPTER II. SAint Ignatius now cured of his hurts bids adieu to his PareÌ„ts all worldly distractions notwithstanding the strong opposition of his Brother and being to serue from thence-forth vnder the colours of Christ tooke his iourney to the Monastery of the Benedictin Monks of Mont-serrata where making a generall confession of his sinnes a thing in those dayes almost out of vse offering vp his sword and dagger with which he serued the world in the Church of that Monastery he watched that whole night being the Eue of the Saluation of our B. Lady before the Altar of that sacred Virgin bare-headed clad in a course long Cassacke girt with a Cord dedicating himselfe there to the seruice of God in the yeare 1522. from wheÌ„ce he departed continuing to yeild worthy fruits of pennance in the Hospital of Manresa and in a Caue neare the Riuer which washeth the feilds therabouts and arriued at last at Rome in the yeare 1523. where hauing had the blessing of Pope AdriaÌ„ the 4. he trauelled foreward towards Hierusalem But not being able for the imminent daunger and feare of the Turks to remayne there and employ his endeauours in the gaining of soules he returned into Spaine where that he might the better assist his neighbour in affayres of spirit being now thirty yeares of age he put himself to the Grammer-schole at Bercelona spending afterwards at Alcala a yeare and a halfe in the studies of Philosophy and Diuinity and lastly in the space of almost eight yeares made a repetition of these studies at Paris liuing vpon Almes in coÌ„tinuall works of Charity Humility and Pennance where by the example of his holy life by his prayers spirituall discourses he gained to himselfe Nine other Companions and amoÌ„ght them S. Francis Xauerius Men famous for their vertues discretion and learning And togeather with them made a vowe that their course of
affection interiourly being so enkindled that his face grew red with it and which his CoÌ„panions haue often stood amazed at seemed wholy to be enflamed No noise whatsoeuer if it hapned not by his owne fault was able to distract S. Ignatius whilst he prayed In matters belonging to Almighty God he carried himself as the writers of mysticall Diuinity terme it rather passiuely then actiuely which by theÌ„ is esteemed the supreme most perfect degree of contemplation Oftentymes in his prayers he was abstracted from his senses and once in particular the very first yeare after his conuersion he remained so in a perpetuall extasie like a dead man for the space of eight daies without taking any sustinance In which meane space certaine pious people iudging him to be dead had caused him to be buried but that feeling his body and curiously obseruing al things they discouered by some little motion of his hart that life lay hidden in him S. Ignatius his more then ordinary austerity in the mortification of his body CHAP. X. THe B. Father knowing wel that the entraÌ„ce into the seruice of Almighty God required some punishment or chastisement of the body as the first RudimeÌ„ts of a spirituall life and apprentiship of Christ began by all possible means as far forth as it was lawfull for him for his health to punish his body Not that he found it any wayes rebellious to his Spirit for froÌ„ the first beginnings of his better life he was by the special fauour of Almighty God freed from all sensuality as hath been said before but that by the sharpnes of pennance he might wash away the corruption of his life past and make the fauour of heauen more propitious to him He fasted all the weeke excepting Sundayes with water and dry bread giuen him in almes He lodged amongst the refuse of Beggers vpon the grownd or bare boords without any couerture Of his meate and sleep he was most sparing He punished his body with a sharpe haire-cloth besides a chaine or Iron girdle He went at the beginning bare-footed and bare-headed vsing afterwards when he began to apply himselfe to studyes the soules of shooes boared through He trauelled in the dead of winter nakedly clad notwithstanding the thick falling of the snow or the freezing vp of all places with the sharpnes of the frosts Besides which he continually whipped his body thrice a day with cruel Iron whipps constantly auoiding all thiÌ„gs which might giue his afflicted body any ease or contentment So farforth that though he were a man of a comely aspect and admirable feature yet the forces of his body being by little and little decayed all that souldier-like vigour beauty of youth was vtterly faded in him And in his old age broken now with the austerity of pennance studies labours and other continuall troubles though his yeares required a competent diet he was yet so temperate in his meate and drinke that they of his houshould stood amazed at it that he seemed vtterly to haue lost his tast in all things sauing when now and then he fed vpon chestnuts which in Italy and Spaine is the food of poore people His diet out of fasting dayes was Lambe or some other flesh of no greater value Veale Chikins or any such things as are accounted daynetyes he would neuer tast not though he had inuited straungers to eate with him He neuer tooke gust in the tast of any meate how hungry soeuer he He neuer found fault with any dish of meate howsoeuer through the ignorance or carelesnes of seruants it were ill dressed or seasoned nor though he were serued with ill and sower wine And in fine he himselfe would haue nothing peculiar to himselfe he imposed once a pennance vpon one who serued him at table for bringing one bunch of grapes more to him then to the rest Which circumstances no vnpartiall man will esteeme triuiall if he consider either the yeares of the man to which much is to be graunted or the infirmities of health which in S. Ignatius were frequent and the almost continuall indisposition and weaknes of his stomacke or lastly the authority he had amongst them he gouerned and liberty as it were to liue as he listed He allotted himselfe but four howers sleepe or thereabouts He euer lodged in a little homely low darke chamber 29. palmes long 14. broad and 10. high The lone of his neighbour admirable in S. Ignatius CHAP. XI SAint Ignatius had no sooner plunged out of the filth of sinne but immediatly he employed all his endeauours to draw his neighbours out of the same mire and spent his whole life-tyme after in those endeauours to the good of infinite multitudes of soules and the notable benefit and profit of the Church To which only end he applied himselfe to his studyes for the spare of twelue yeares togeather beginning them after he was 30. yeares of age all which tyme he liued vpon almes with great labour and paynes At such tyme as he went to the Grammer-schole at Bercelona he laboured by all meanes possible to reduce a certayne Monastery of Religious women who led at that tyme a dissolute and debauched life to their ancient and wonted state of holy life and actually effected that many of them did pennance and amended their liues Which when some prophane Louers of theirs perceaued found the way to their desired bestialityes more and more dayly blocked they fel furiously at vnawarres vpon Ignatius beating him with cudgells in so inhuman a manner that he was forced for some dayes after to keepe his bed But he had scarce recouered strength when nothing at all dismaid with this ill vsage he returned cherefully to the same charitable office And being warned by his frends and desired for Gods sake not to bring himself againe within the compasse of the like danger What can there be quoth he more vvelcome to me then to giue my life for Christ my Lord and my neighbour At Paris hauing often laboured in vaine to reclaime a freind of his from the familiarity of a certaine dishonest woman knowing well the street through which he was to passe for the accomplishment of this his wicked desire howbeit in a wonderful cold season of the yeare he cast himself naked neckdeepe into a water neare vnto the place and when he perceaued his freind coÌ„ming neare Whethâ—r vvhether said he miserable wretch dost thou hasten dost thou not perceaue the svvord of diuine Iustice bent against thee go on go on and satisfy thy detestable lust I vvill here punish my self so long for thy sake till vvith my sufferance I haue diuerted the vengeaÌ„ce of heauen froÌ„ thee With which strange spectacle the party was so stroken and so taken with admiration of that great charity of S. Ignatius that he euer after refrained that dangerous familiarity He fasted three dayes from all meate or drink bestowing his prayers and teares to this only end that he might reclaime an other