taken our Humanity And therfore as Dauid saith giue praise to God because he is benigne and good and sing praises to his name because he is sweet Christ our Lord did also discouer to vs his Benignity after a most soueraigne māner in the Mistery of his most holy Natiuity For what loue can be imagined more dear what communication of ones felfe more a morous what dew of heauen more abundant and more sweet then to see that hidden God that God of vengeance that God of those Celestiall Hostes that Iudge of the quicke and dead that Omnipotent in his workes and that Terrible in his iudgments to see him I say become a tender and delicate little Infant hanging close vpon the brests of a Virgin all burning in loue all expiring the sweetnes and dearnes of the same loue towards vs And that he comes to vs not as anciently he came to the children of Israell in Mount Horeb with thunder and lightning and with the terrible sound of the trumpet and with huge flames of materiall fier and with prohibition that no man should approach to the foot of the moūtaine vpon paine of death but that he should come to be borne an Infant and appeare on earth with a most clear and sweet light from heauen to discouer him and with most delightful songes and exultation of Angells who being full of ioy sing Glory to God and peace to men And that instātly then he should recreate and honour those poore shepheards with an Embassage performed by Angells and should inuite them to come visit him and to receiue the comfort of his presence and to be enriched with the gifts of grace through his goodnes And that by his loue and humility and meeknes and sweetnes he should encourage all men to approach towards him and to come to him by faith and obedience and so to take their part of all the riches and benedictions of heauē for being the sonne of the eternall Father be came full of grace and truth He also discouered his Benignity to vs in the vocation of the Magi that first flower of the Gētiles whom he meant to call in after times He calls them instantly as soon as he was borne and he sent no Prophet for them nor any Angell for they had no knowledge of Prophets they were not wont to see Angells and so they might haue rather been estranged by such vnusuall inuitations but condescending to their condition and custome he sent them a starre which by the nouelty thereof might moue thē to a kinde of admiration and to a search of what it might meane and by the secret vertue thereof might be teaching them withall that if signified the birth of the new Kinge and he admonished and inuited them to seeke him by following that starre he gaue them courage not to feare the tyrant Herod and he gaue thē faith and deuotion to know that the Infāt whom they saw new borne was the eternall God that so they might dedicate themselues to do him eternall seruice as to the Kinge and Lord of heauen and earth whom they saw in so great pouerty and contempt for as much as concerned the world All this is the supreme Benignity and most sweet dear loue of God towards man and it inuites vs to seeke him and if wee haue offended him to confide that lamenting our sinnes we shall obtaine pardon of him and that he will receiue vs to his grace and loue For now when he hath already discouered his great Benignity to vs by his sacred Humanity with more reason doth he say that to vs which anciētly he said by the Prophet Ioel be you conuerted to your Lord God for he is Benigne and mercifull and as he is Benigne he taketh gust in dealing gratiously and most liberally with you and in pardoning your offences past and as he is merciful he wil deliuer you from your miseries and from the greatest of them of all which are your sinnes THE II. CHAPTER Of the Benignity which Christ our Lord vsed towards sinners and other very weake and imperfect men supporting and instructing them AFter our Lord had begun to manifest himselfe in Israell and to conuerse with men he discouered and exercised his Benignity many seuerall waies One of them was that such persons as were ignorant tude and very imperfect who came to demaund succour of him he receiued with much sweetnes and condescended to their great weakenes and tolerated their rudenes and after a mild and gentle manner dispossessed them of their ignorance Nicodemus the Pharisee Io. 3. came to Christ to be taught by him and though our Lord saw his great weaknes in that he had not the heart to publish himselfe for the disciple of Christ our Lord nor to confesse his faith for the feare he had to be persecuted by other Pharisees and was ashamed that they should know of him that being an Ancient and Master in the lawe he should goe to Christ to learne the Mysteries of the same Lawe for which reason he went by night that in very secret manner And though our Lord did well discerne his great ignorance and rudenes and that he had no vnderstanding or apprehension of spirituall thinges or diuine Mysteries but that whatsoeuer he said and taught the other did measure and iudge of it by the rule of corporall and sensibles thinges without raising his heart from earth to the consideration of things inuisible diuine notwithstāding all this our benigue Lord did not reproue these so notorious defects with seuerity nor did he exaggerate his ignorance nor reproach him for his rudenes nor condemne him for his inordinate feare nor did he driue him away for his weakenes nor shewed he any wearisomnes or disgust in respect of his crosse answeres but he entertained himselfe at large with him alone and held long discourse with him whereby he did after a sweet manner giue him to vnderstand his ignorance rudenes and he discouered to him the Mysteries which were necessary for his saluation namely the spirituall regeneratiō which is made by Baptisme and the Mystery of the Incarnation which he declared to him by saying that he was in heauen whereby he signified that he was God and in all places at once And by saying also that he was descēded frō heauē he signified that he was true mā He declared also the Mystery of his Passiō by saying that he was to be raised vp to the Crosse as the Brasen Serpēt was lifted vp vpon a pole to the end that as al they who beheld the serpent were cured of their torporall diseases so might all they be healed of their sinnes who would behould and beleeue in him with a liuely faith It was a great Benignity to dissemble or passe by so many defects of a timorous imperfect man and to discourse with him after so louing and sweet a manner to discouer so great Mysteries to a person so rude and weake
that light sweet labour in performing that work of piety with her owne hands she pleased Almighty God so much and merited so greatly in his sight obtained so much honour throughout the world that as long as it lasts she shall be praised had in veneration for this worke by all faithfull Christians and for all eternity shall be made happy amongst the Angells in heauen with a most high crown of glory And so will that be fulfilled which was said by the wise man The memory of iust persons wil remaine amōgst men after their death and they shall relate their heroicall deedes and exhibite praise and veneration to them whereas the memory and fame of wicked persons shall be full of reproach and it shall perish Secondly we are to draw from this example of Christ our Lord that when wee see vertuous people suffer hurt in their reputatiō or good name whereby their neighbours were to be edified whereof they are depriued by the slaunders and lies of wicked people wee must defend them by giuing testimony to the truth and by praising their good life And when men murmur against them in our presence wee must excuse their innocency declare their vertue And if it so fall out that we haue any credit with the murmurers we must procure to mend them and stop the discourse and if our aduice by way of speech will not serue we must shew both by our silence and by our countenance that such murmuring is displeasing to vs. This is that which the holy Ghost doth admonish saying that as the sharpe cold winde coming from the North hindreth raine and permits not through the coldnes thereof that the cloudes should easily dissolue thēselues into water so doth the reserued and sad countenāce of him who heareth ty vp the tongue of the murmurer This saith the Wise man in the Prouerbs who was instructed by the Holy Ghost And the reason is because when the murmurer sees that they who heare him looke cheerfully vpon the matter he thinkes he pleaseth them that they giue him a glad eare and he taketh so much the more heart and liberty to murmur but whē he findeth that they shew him an ill countenance he vnderstāds by that that the discourse pleaseth not but that they are vnwilling to heare it this he markes and so he begines to giue ouer murmuring THE XXII CHAPTER How wee ought to praise wise men when they are vertuous to the end that others may profit by their example and doctrine BEsides those reasons before expressed there is yet an other of great force why wee ought to praise the seruants of God and it is to the end that our neighbours hauing notice of their vertue and parts may profit more both by their doctrine and by the example of their life This praise belongeth chiefly to persons who are much knowne and haue authority or publicke office as Prelates Iudges Preachers Cōfessors Religious men Priests and rich and noble persons for vpon the vertue prudence and wisdome of such as these who are as the heads and hearts dependeth the vertue of the people and so the good life and incorrupt doctrine of these seruants of God being generally knowne and commended the rest of men doth profit by it so much the more and are more edified by their good speeches and vertuous examples and therfore to praise such persons with that discretion which is fit is a thing very acceptable to God and very profitable for the gaining of soules Let vs relate an example which Christ our Lord gaue vs hereof The disciples of Saint Iohn Baptist came to Christ our Lord in their Masters name Mat. 11. Luc. 7. to know if he were that Christ who was to come that is to say if he were the Messias who had been promised by Almighty God for the saluation of the world And our Lord hauing answered this question by the workes he did which was by working the miracles which were prophecied of the Messias and by preaching that doctrine which belonged to him to teach and publish he dispatched them away saying Tell Iohn what you haue and heard When the disciples of Saint Iohn were gone our Lord began to celebrate the diuine praises of the same Saint Iohn and to proclame his admirable vertues saying What went you out to see in the desert Went you perhaps to see some reed or cane which is shaken with euery winde or some man set forth in soft and delicate apparell He meāt as followeth you went not out to see a light or vnconstant person who is mooued by euery passion or interest but a most constant man and who perseuereth with admirable resolution in the truth which he preacheth and in that holy life which he began to lead And you shall euidently see that inconstant and light persons who are mooued with passions or by the interests of this world be allwaies in loue with regaloes and delicacies in their food their cloathing and their habitation and are desirous of wealth and haue recourse to the houses of great men where these things are foūd in abundance But in Iohn you shall see nothing of this but a life of great penance and austerity very abstinent estranged from all manner of regalo and wholly depriued destitute of all earthly goods For his habitation is in the dry and horrid desert his bed is the hard ground his garment is a sharpe hairecloth made of camells haire his food is dry locusts his drinke running water and his continuall exercise is to pray and contemplate in that desert and to baptise and preach penance in the riuer of Iordan He saith moreouer of him And what went you out to see in the desert Was it perhaps some Prophet Verely I say to you that he is more then a Prophet For this is he of whom the eternall Father said whilest he was speaking to his sonne as is recorded in Malachias Behould I send my Angell before thy presence to prepare the way for thee I tell you for a most certaine truth that there was not borne of woemen a greater then Iohn the Baptist but yet he who is the least in the kingdome of heauen is greater then hee Which signifieth according to the best exposition He who for his age the office of humility which he exerciseth and in opinion of the people is the poorest member of the Church which was our Lord himselfe the true Messias is both in dignity and sanctity greater then he Saint Iohn had preached penance to the people and exhorted men to the exercise of all vertue and had giuen expresse testimony mony of Christ our Lord affirming that he was the Messias And now to the end that by sending this message whereby they asked of Christ our Lord if he were the Messias the people might not suspect that he made any doubt as some inconstant might doe of that which formerly he had testified and of that which now
externall gifts if withall wee haue not goodnes and vertue and doe not lead a spirituall life For this is that which maketh men to be of value worthy of praise in the sight of God It is also an errour and fault of flattery to praise our neighbour for any vertue which he may haue and thereby to delight and comfort him principally for the temporall gaine and profit which he hopeth to receiue of him For the praise of true vertue which principally is to be ordeined to some spirituall good and to the seruice of God is ordeined by him to his owne priuate interest which is a sinnefull thing so much the more grieuous it will be as there is more inordinatenes in the thing And when it is very great that will be fulfilled in their persons which is spoken of by the Psalmist Psal 2. God will defeare and destroy the strength and authority of them who desire and procure to please and giue gust to men and haue that for their end not looking vp towards God but downe vpon their owne priuate interest and humour Especially they who procure to please worldly men forbearing to doe those thinges which they owe to God in respect of them these indeed shall be confounded and put to shame by Almighty God For both in this life euen all their temporall hopes shall prooue vaine and besides in the other life they shall be fulfilled with shame and deliuered ouer to eternall torments Besides it is a defect and the fault of soothing to praise a man either for his wit or learning or for the talents and parts which he hath yea or euen for his true vertue when it is likely that through his weakenes or vnmortified ill inclination he may fall into pride and vaine complacēce in himself or into any other preiudice of his soule Saint Augustine obserued this in these wordes A hard thing it is that some little impurity of errour doe not stick to the hart of a man euē though it be cleane vpon the praises of another vnles indeed he should haue it so very cleane as that be should take no gust in them nor be touched by any vapour of thē and vnles the praise which they giue him should more content him for the good of them who praise him then for the comfort or honour or estimation which may growe thereby to himselfe And thē he may know that their praise of him is profitable to thē if in their life they honour not him but God not fastning their mindes vpon him by the praise honour which they giue him but rising vp by him towards Almighty God whose most sacred temple euery man is who liueth well So that it may be fulfilled in him which is spoken of by the Psalmist My soule shall be praised by such as are good not in it selfe but in our Lord that is to say for the gifts which it hath of our Lord and for the glory of the same Lord. This is the danger to which they are ordinarily subiect who are much praised by men vnles they be possessors of true and solid vertue whereby they may resist vaine complacence and refer the praise to the Author of all good thinges which is God For so saith the holy Scripture Better is it to be corrected by a discreet and wise man then to be praised by an imprudent man who with his smooth kinde of praising leaues vs in errour And declaring the danger wherin man is when he who praiseth doth not obserue the moderatiō and end which ought to be kept Saint Hierome said There is nothing which doth so easily infect and corrupt the hearts of men as flattery and the tongue of a flatterer doth more hurt then the sword of a persecutour Another fault is also committed in praising some when it is for the dispraise of others A man will not dare expressely to speake ill of his neighbour especially to one who hath auersion from hearing it and therefore to doe it the more couertly he doth it by meanes of praising another man for the same vertues and gifts of his and then the detracter would haue it thought that the man whom he meaneth to dispraise doth want those vertues or else is subiect to the contrary defects Saint Chrysostome noteth this vice in these wordes We doe many good thinges but not allwaies with a good minde Wee praise many but not to the end that we may speake well of them but to detract and speake ill of others Now that which wee say is good because we praise vertue in another but the minde wherwith with wee say it is infected with sinne and set on worke by Satan for wee pretend not to doe him good whom wee praise but hurt to him whom wee dispraise These are the defects and vices which growe by praisinge others when it is done without discretion and moderation and without that end to which it ought to be addressed and so it leaueth to be vertue as is turned into the vice of flattery And now wee will declare how praise is to be vsed to the end that it may be a fruite of the vertue of Charity Benignity And wee will produce some examples which Christ our Lord shewed vs concerning the manner and intention which we were to hould in praisinge our neighbours THE XVIII CHAPTER Of the intention and moderatiō wherwith we are to praise vertue in our neighbours and of the examples which Christ our Lord gaue vs thereof IT is a thing both lawfull and very pleasing to Almighty God for a man to praise his neighbours for the good he hath done to the end that being praised they may loue vertue so much the more and be animated to the exercise thereof and not be dismaied by the troubles and difficulties to which a vertuous life is subiect And this is principally to be done towards men who are but beginners in the way of vertue and who are weake and of little heart for such persons haue the greater need of helpe Yet euen this praise must be giuen with the moderation aforesaid in such sort as that it may profit and not hurt the party praised but may edify and induce him to a loue and estimation of vertue and not to a presumption in himselfe and a loue of vanity For the obtaining of this end the praise must be giuen in words which may not greatly exaggerate or amplify the vertue but plainly declare the truth and his approbation thereof Let vs see some exāples which Christ our Lord gaue of this Nathaniell came to Christ our Lord Iohn 1. being brought to him by Saint Philip. This Nathaniell was a man full of vertue very obseruant of the lawe and came in doubt whether or no Christ our Lord were the true Mestias as S. Philip had said he was And drawing neer our Lord looked vpon his disciples and said in the hearing of Nathaniell Behould here a true Israelite in whom there is no guile As