is caused a feare of loosing it of feare a sollicitude diligence in keeping it solicitude againe causeth him to find and search out meanes and wayes necessary profitable for attayning to the end 4. Whosoeuer hath a care to keep his corporall health asketh aduise of expert learned Phisitians eateth good and wholesome meats keepeth his set times of eating neglecteth not requisite exercises of body chooseth an habitation in a healthfull place and ayre approued of the Phisitians keepeth himselfe out of the rayne winds and from other outward incommodities and in few words is very carefull not to exceed in any thing that may peraduenture any way hurt him The same causeth sollicitude in a Religious man if he haue a desire to conserue Perfection and seeke his soules health For first his care is not to order his owne life according to his owne will or by the counsaile of more loose and free companions but rather by the direction of Superiours and spirituall Fathers Secondly to eate of good meats namely those that I vsed my selfe when I liued on earth that is to do the will of my Father who is in heauen whose will is our soules sanctification And therfore whatsoeuer God giueth vs for the sanctifying of the soule is the best meat as contrariwise whatsoeuer maketh to the defiling therof such as be sinnes is the worst poyson of all Thirdly he neglecteth not the vse and exercise of vertues For sith perfection is founded in Charity which is like vnto fire whereunto if wood be cast it increaseth if it be remoued and taken away it goeth out Euen so the more Religious men who haue their part in Charity do exercise themselues in vertue the more they profit in perfection and the lesse they be exercised in them the lesse they get of perfection And therfore all exercise of vertue ceasing perfection ceaseth also 5. And as touching an healthful place where the soule is to dwell I know none comparable to Religion where I haue placed the religious man but if we consider particular places the best is that that his spirituall Phisitians or Fathers assigne him And if he would fly all occasions of falling into any imperfections he shal so very well arme and defend himselfe against all outward difficulties Finally he committeth no excesse because in all doubtfull matters he repaireth to his spirituall Father seasoneth all pennances and mortifications with the salt of moderation and discretion 6. The other way that conserueth perfection is by humility He that is become possessed of a rich and pretious iewell is very wary three ways that he loose it not at any tyme. First he layeth it vp in a secret place that it may not easily be seene discouered or found of others Secondly he letteth not euery owne see it neither doth he openly brag that he hath such a Iewell Thirdly he taketh it not from the thing whereat it hangeth For example the heat of water dependeth of the fire and if you remoue it from the fire it looseth the heate Humility in a Religious man whose precious stone is the study of perfection remedyeth all these three daungers First it causeth him to conceale and hide his vertues and perfections from the sight or knowledg of others Secondly not only not to vaunt and brag of his spirituall riches but also to thinke himselfe vnworthy of them and withall to acknowledge and confesse himselfe poore a beggar and an vnprofitable seruant Thirdly to acknowledge that the Iewel of perfection dependeth of my grace knowing that it is lost if it be separated frō it For as I resist the proud so giue I grace to the humble And therfore if thou hast a desire to haue thy perfection not only conserued but to increase also attend thou diligently to the exercise of true humility The end of the first Booke THE SECOND BOOKE of Religious Perfection Wherein is treated of the three Vowes of Religion and the perfect obseruation thereof And first of the three Vowes in generall Of the dignity and excellency of the three Vowes that be made by Religious persons CHAP. I. SON when any thing though otherwise of great worth is not knowne it is not much esteemed because the excellency worth therof is obscured by the darknes of ignorance and therby the due estimation is taken away And this is the cause wherefore the three Vowes that be made in Religion be not so esteemed of some euen Religious men themselues because they vnderstand not the worth excellency profit therof He cannot be free frō fault who vnderstandeth not what in regard of his state he both may and ought to know Wherfore know thou my Son that the excellency of these vows is greater then many conceiue neither are they of litle consequence And vnder the name of Vow is vnderstood an obligation of a Religious man made to God his Creatour of performing and doing some better good And sith this obligation is very noble spirituall and diuine euery religious man ought not without cause diligently to ponder reuerently to esteeme and exactly to obserue the same 2. That it is most noble it cleerly appeareth by this for that the will bindeth it selfe which amongst the faculties of the soule holdeth the principality first place and hath a commaund ouer all the rest of the powers Againe it is most noble because it is made to God whose maiesty is infinite who is the authour of all true excellency Moreouer because it is made for a most noble end namely the glory of Gods Name which is the more amplified the more exactly that obligation is kept There is added further that the vertue of Religion among all morall vertues excelleth for noblenes dignity Seeing therfore a Vow is an action of that most noble vertue that giueth light to all other vertues it manifestly followeth that a Vow is a most noble vertue For what the tree is the same be the fruits therof 3. And that this obligation is spiritual and holy is out of controuersy both because it is directed to a spirituall good namely to holines of life and because it is the very entrance and beginning of the spirituall life of Religious men Whereupon as the life of the body dependeth on the hart as the beginning so the religious life and to be a religious man hath the dependance of this holy obligation And as by the least hurt of the hart the life of body receiueth great hurt also and the hart being taken away the life is taken away togeather euen so by the very least default in the obseruatiō of this obligation the Religious life is much preiudiced and that againe ceasing or taken away a man ceaseth to be Religious The nearer the euill cometh to the hart the more dangerous it is 4. That this obligation is diuine is also certaine because it is of the holy Ghost who by his diuine inspiration moueth a mans mind to the making of such an obligation
choose rather to dye a thousand deaths then to offend his Creatour in the very least thing or in any thing to go against the prescript of his diuine will Finally whatsoeuer he doth he doth it for the amplifying of my glory and honour 7. A perfect Religious man satisfieth his Superiours who at the very least signe of their will doth promptly and cheerfully obey them as if it were the voyce of God not as men but as Gods Vicegerents Them he â—euerenceth and loueth as the fathers and pastors of his soule by me appointed ouer him interpreteth all their ordinations actions in good part and modestly defendeth and purgeth them if he heare any murmurations against them 8. He also satisfieth his religion if he do what a good sonne performeth towards a most deare Mother who doth not only honour and loue her but also as often as he perceiueth her to require his paines and seruice is ready at hand willingly offereth himselfe to beare the burden whatsoeuer it shall please her to lay vpon him He is glad if men report and speake well of her if they report ill he laboureth with modesty to defend her good name Finally he hartily wisheth and beseecheth the diuine Maiesty that she may euer proceed and hold on in the spirit of Humility and Deuotion 9. Againe he declareth himselfe to be well affected towards his brethren and religious persons whome he loueth from his hart and reputeth their good or euill to bâ— his owne He thinketh and speaketh well oâ— all he pittyeth the defects of euery one hâ— seeketh to edifie them also euen in the very least things and in what he is able helpetâ— them especially in matters appertayning tâ— spirit 10. The obligation of a perfect religiouâ— man extendeth it selfe also to the men of the world whome he satisfieth when he truly wisheth vnto them as to his neighbours eternall felicity and loueth them as himselfe And if he see the bad example of religious men hurtfull vnto them he vseth all meanes that no occasion or example of scandal be giuen vnto them by himselfe and in all his conuersation laboureth to be exemplar and ouerslippeth not any occasion of doing them good for their soules health 11. A good religious man is bound to performe something towards himselfe also â—s he is Religious and this debt he satisfieth â—f he diligently beat downe his owne desirs â—ontradicting reason if he mortify the wanâ—onnes of his flesh if he contemne the world â—ogeather withall the vanities therof if beâ—ng moued out of a loue to me he mortify â—imself in al things seek not after his own â—lory but myne For if he haue no regard â—f his owne estimation he is then come to perfect and absolute victory ouer himselfe â—gaine if he keep his body in subiection to â—e vnderstanding and yeald it nothing but â—hat is necessary for so doing he shall leaue â—e soule a free passage of mounting vp to â—eauen To be short being dead to himselfe â—d to the world he shall liue to me his Creatour alone 12. Lastly a perfect religious man satisfieth other created things also if he conuert them to his owne vse so much only as is requisite and no more And because he cannot be ignorant that God hath committed them vnto vs as far as they may be an help vnto vs for the attayning of our end let him only loue those for his owne vse that may further him to his said end and reiect the rest that may hinder him For by so doing 〈◊〉 true religious person may of the creatureâ— make himselfe a ladder to clymbe vp into heauen 13. The other word appertayning to a religious mans poesy was to suffer Al men aâ— their first entrance into a religious state dâ— promise willingly to suffer but few there bâ— that discharge the same truly and for thaâ— cause come not to any perfectioÌ„ And by thiâ— word of suffering is meant that a religiouâ— man is by suffering purged and perfected and that none can be perfect in religion buâ— by suffering much Therfore in holy Wriâ— perfection is compared to an Hill to the toâ— wherof none can come but by labour anâ— difficulty 14. A perfect religious man murmureâ— not against God if he send him sicknes peâ—secutions or other calamities but giueth the â—ather of mercies thanks for them as for gifts comming from heauen Neither complayneth he against creatures saying This man hath done me a great iniury that other hath sued me against all equity right or reason another man exerciseth his malice and hatred towards me but as one desirous to suffer when any aduersity hapneth he accepteth it for a singular fauour of Gods benignity towards him And this is the way of drawing â—orth and getting good out of euery euill Whiles a religious man taketh any thing in â—ll part for me it is a signe that he caryeth 〈◊〉 greater respect of loue towards himselfe â—hen to me Of the inward defects that be impediments to Religious Perfection CHAP. IX SONNE after the wound giuen to thy first parent Adam long since in the terrestriall â—aradise by Sathan all the powers and faâ—ulties of the soule became so languishing â—aint weake and decayed in his posterity as â—hat euer since they haue disposed man â—ather to lapses and vices then to the loue of â—ertue Hence haue proceeded all the diffiâ—ulties imperfections and impediments which we dayly find in the spirituall life which doth so molest and trouble vs in the way of perfection as they either disturbe hinder it quite or at least lay a barre against it that it succeed not so well 2. Wherfore that we proceed more slowly to mount vp to the perfection of vertues wheron is placed the seate of Religious Perfection in the first place this is the cause that we do not seriously resolue with our selues to haue a will to vse all our forces to get vp to the top of this mountaine and this proceedeth of nothing els then that we do not effectually labour to get perfection He that effectually desireth health careth not what medicine be giuen vnto him This defect is such as it cutteth off cleane all hope of arryuing to perfection For he that hath not made a firme purpose to hold on in the way to perfection will hardly begin to pace towards it and he who beginneth not how is it possible for him to come to his prefixed end And he that is so affected in mind when he neglecteth the occasion of doing well will either do no good at all or will fall to what is worse 3. O how great a losse of spirituall gaine sustayneth that religious man who prolongeth his iourney in the way of perfection He will no doubt at the houre of death better vnderstand this errour then now he doth for in that exact and last examen of his conscience he shall more clearely see that he had no iust cause of differring the exercise of vertues but that it was
of my life That I vsed the help of it in the worlds conuersion not by sending the rich mighty and wise but the poore ignorant rude for the ouercoming of the wise mighty of the world That I wrought so great miracles by men poore and abiect for the good of soules Do not these seeme vnto thee any commendations and renowne of Religious pouerty And if they be great prayses haue not I my Sonne most iust cause to complaine of thē who do not only not loue Pouerty but do also without cause contemne it That it is contemned of the world is no meruayle because the profession scope therof night and day is to attend to the heaping vp of riches and increasing of honours but that there should be any religious found who by deeds refuse the same and vnder hand practise it is a thing that highly displeaseth me whiles I behold that Lady and Queen promised me by Religious and solemne Vow which should haue a commaunding hand with them so impudently and shamefully thrust out Spiritual things cannot be loued without a spirit Of the vtility and profit that voluntary Pouerty bringeth to the Religious CHAP. IX LORD what good and profit can Religious Pouerty bring sith it hath nothing wherby it may ease mans necessities And more then that in regard of the incōmodityes that be adioyned therto it seemeth preiudicial not to the body alone but to the soule also For the body being ill handled therby easily falleth into sicknes and being ill disposed cannot serue and attend to the spirituall actions of the soule neither can the mind it self vse the ordinary exercise of prayer and meditation Besides it is no little impediment to the Religious who towards the helping of their neighbours do professe an actiue life For if they want things necessary they are not able to go through with their labours in helping their neighbours Therfore it seemeth to me that Pouerty is an impediment to much good and contrariwise promoteth what is ill as is sicknes and other infirmities yea hasteneth death it selfe 2. Sonne thou art far wide of thy marke for thou thinkest that Religious Pouerty is a seuere and cruell Mistresse that withdraweth from the Religious thinges necessary towards their meate drinke and cloathing according to a requisite proportion required in their institute It is not so Pouerty by frugality is good both for the soule body profiteth a man more then do the riches and pleasures of the world For in the first place the desire of transitory honours doth so torment a mans mind as it depriueth him of all quiet pricketh him forward to sucke vp the bloud of the poore and bringeth him to so great a blindnes as it bereaueth him of all feare of God men without any regard had of his owne soules good Neither do men desirous of getting more make a stand heere 3. He that is once become rich eftsoons raiseth vp his head becometh arrogant and proud vndertaketh to patronize the wicked and out of a madnes runneth headlong into all naughtines From these euills and many more voluntary Pouerty freeth the mind whiles it doth take from him not only the riches that he hath but also the hope desire of hauing which is the beginning of ruine both of body and soule and procureth such tranquility and peace as it maketh the mind fit and disposed to the contemplation of heauenly things and to all manner of spirituall actions Whence it is that a Religious man so soone as he is become poore consequently becometh humble modest meeke a friend of the good and of vertue and an enemy of the bad and a contemner of vices 4. That Pouerty also profiteth the body is out of question We do not desire any thing more earnestly for the body then good health and we haue an horrour of nothing more then of sicknes for there is not any who would not be rather poore and whole then rich and sicke And dayly experience manifestly teacheth that the frugality of pouerty conserueth the good health of body prolongeth and continueth mans life more yeares then doth all the store of riches and pleasures Who seeth not that the poore be more healthfull go through with more labours then do the rich A poore man is as well content with a simple ordinary meane dyet as be the rich with dainty and delicate fare The poore man cōmeth euer hungry to his meate the little that he hath he eateth with a good appetite whē he is a thirst he refuseth not a draught of watter after labour he seeketh not for a soft bed but he sleepeth lyeth downe taketh his rest where it hapneth at aduentures and in the morning he riseth early with meate disgested sound and healthfull and without loathing 5. On the contrary the rich man seruing the time ordinarily sitteth downe to the table with a full stomake taketh very little tast or pleasure in his meate scarce sleepeth by night but turneth himselfe euer and anone now to one side of the bed now to another therefore the Phisitian must euer be at hand and drugs prepared in his chamber ready to take vpon euery occasion Loe thus be they turmoiled who liue in delicacies they liue badly and dye soone My seruants did not in times past liue so in the wildernesse who professed so great Pouerty as some when they besprinckled their herbs with a little salt or oyle thought they had made a feast and yet these men neuer vsing the benefit of Phisitian or of phisicke liued to very old age and therfore Religious Pouerty is not as thou thinkest the cause either of infirmities or of hastning thy death Nothing hurteth ones health so much as the variety and abundance of the meate 6. Religious Pouerty bringeth another commodity with it and that is security voyd of all suspition and sinister thoughts He that aboundeth in wealth is afraid of theeues not only from abroad but of his own house also And not without cause for many whiles they see they cannot come to the riches they desire do first spoyle them of life and then of their riches How many sonnes haue killed or poysoned their Parents that they might the sooner come to enioy their inheritance How many treasons treacheries haue there beene wrought against most deare friends for the spoiling them of their treasures But the poore sleep in security they trauayle night and day out of all feare they are troubled with no suspitions because they haue nothing to loose Adde to this also that Pouerty hindreth none in his trauayle nor bringeth in or causeth any forgetfulnes of the Kingdome of heauen which is occasioned by riches but rather vrgeth and forceth vs to thinke more often vpon the beauty of our heauenly country and vpon the great treasures there prepared for vs. 7. Lord at the day of iudgment thou wilt make them only partaker of the Kingdome of heauen who for loue of thee shall haue
out of malice they beare vnto thee therfore thou needest to be very vigilant and well armed against their assaults Neither must thou be ouer confident though thy flesh be tyed by Vow sith it is so crafty insolent that though it caÌ„not breake out by breaking the bands which it euer laboureth to do yet after her old manner though she be neuer so fast bound she maketh stirres tumults hoping therby either to worke her owne liberty or to giue some deadly wound to Chastity her enemy Neither be thou so confident that Chastity because it hath for a tyme seated it selfe within the castle of thy hart is therfore secure out of danger for most strong fortifications many times are surprised taken on a suddane ouermuch security it coÌ„monly hurtfull because it is the mother of slouth carelesnes 2. The first danger imminent is of treason for seeing Chastity is round beset with enemyes born domesticall and forayne it may easily be betrayed and therefore the religious must stand vpoÌ„ his guard that his domesticall enemy namely his flesh be not seconded and backed by enemyes from abroad Sonne if thou wilt be intertayned delicately with meate and drinke and sleep at thy pleasure and yet thinke thou mayst preserue thy Chastity vnstayned against the assaults of the flesh thou art greatly deceyued because by that thou effectest nothing but this that thou giuest weapons armes vnto the flesh And what meruaile if it after rise against the spirit What meruaile if it go about to breake the bands of Vow and to thrust Chastity out of her possession though she hath long stayed therein Wilt thou haue thy flesh not to be wanton Chastize it then with hard dyet Wilt thou not haue Chastity betrayed nor to be thrust out of her house Put a guard vpon her fasting and watching be two good keepers who do not only keep and defend her but do also spoyle the enemyes of their weapons that they may not rise against her The more thou flatter and fauour thy flesh the more strongly it fortifieth it selfe against Chastity 3. Lord for the sustayning of life and for the seruing of thy diuine maiesty a man needeth meate drinke and sleep and if the flesh waxe thereby proud and rise against the spirit or Chastity it is not our fault because it is not the end proposed by vs. Sonne I find no fault with those things that be necessary for the intertayning of life and the sustayning of trauayles and labours for my sake for whatsoeuer is directed to my seruice and glory is blessed good and laudable but I only improue what is superfluous Meate and drinke not necessary but immoderate setteth the fleshes concupiscence on fire and bringeth the Chastity in daunger Who eateth ouer much serueth not me but his owne appetite and desire Those please me who eate that they may liue and serue me and contrarywise they discontent me much who seem to liue thâ—â— they may eate Many of my most deare seruants did not so to whome it was a payne to eate and a loathing to sleep and in thesâ— men Chastity raigned as in her owne kingdome Moderate diet profiteth body and soule contrarywise excesse hurteth them both 4. Another danger groweth from thâ— senses which because they be the gates oâ— the hart where Chastity resideth need a strong guard because both good and euill make their entrance thereby into the hart He that bath not a diligent and carefull eye to the keeping of the gate of his house shall oftentymes find something missing taken away or within it shall find something that â—he would not and would wish away For doores are made that they may be shut and opened they are shut against men vnknown and that may do hurt they are opened to men knowne to friends who may help A Religious man must not permit any one to enter into his house of Chastity without examining him first 5. So do they in Frontiere places and townes of kingdomes and there most of all where there is feare or suspition of treason from enemyes where not only be examined those that desire to enter but their packes also letters and weapons are viewed and searched that nothing hurtfull be brought into the Citty And this vigilancy is not discommended but commended And yet this care and diligence oftentymes doth not remedy all inconueniences sith experience â—eacheth that notwithstanding the watching and warding at the gates there be many treasons committed Wherefore then should not a Religious man stand vpon his guard in keeping the gates of his hart wherin he hath all his good and whereon dependeth both his saluation and his eternall damnation Who will say that the vigilancy and diligence is ouermuch where there be so many enemyes Who keepeth the gates of his senses negligently shall find death entred into his house 6. Moreouer to conuerse and keep company with lasciuious persons or such as be not chast is to cast ones selfe into a manifest daunger of loosing his Chastity For as experience hath taught more chast persons haue been by the lasciuious drawn to intemperance then haue lasciuious been by the chast induced to Chastity For such is the nature of the condition of man as after the losse of his integrity of life he is more prone to euill then to good and as the sick rather desiteth those things that delight the tast then profit the health But if the conuersation with such kind of men arise peraduenture of an inordinate affection there is greater danger imminent For if the only company with vnchast persons be daungerous of how great daunger will it be to keep company with carnall affection He that is prouoked by the obiect from without and put forwards by an affection from within soon falleth though he be spiritual And therefore my seruants who were in loue with Chastity so soone as they perceaued themselues to be by any inordinate affection drawn to daungerous company forthwith left it as an enemy to Chastity For he easily learneth to halt who often conuerseth and keepeth company with the halting 7. The same is the daunger of reading of wanton bookes which be repugnant to Chastity I know not how that Religious man can be excused who keepeth such an infectioÌ„ within his chamber Poyson though it be put into good and wholesome meats ceaseth not to be poyson or to kill them who take it euen so vnchast matters whether expressed in pictures or interlaced in the bookes of sound doctrine do neither forgoe the name of dishonesty nor cease to hurt the beholders readers or hearers And if vnto secular men the reading of such bookes cannot in good conscience be permitted how should it be permitted to the Religious that professe Chastity What is read in books is reflected vpon in hart what is ruminated in mind is easily retayned in the affection 8. There is another enemy of Chastity the more to be feared the more hardly he is
therein I haue created thee and made thee to myne owne image And if as meet it is thou wouldst consider weigh this it would be inough to bind thee infinitly vnto me For by creating thee of nothing I gaue thee not whatsoeuer nature being but a nature very noble indewed with reason free and a commaunder of al creatures vnder heauen yea I haue made thee chief and Lord on earth and haue subiected to thy commaund the fowles of the ayre the beasts of the earth and all other things created And though all this be a very great benefit yet if it be compared with the end wheruÌ„to I haue created thee it is none at all Wherefore know thou that I haue created thee to a most noble and a most excellent end then which there is not any greater nor can be in the world which is for all eternity to enioy the sight of the diuine maiesty in heauen 2. Dost thou desire to see my Sonne how exceeding great the benefit of Creation is which is the foundation of all the other Go to tell me if thou wert destitute of both hands and feet what wouldst thou not giue to haue them and if thou wert dumbe or blind what wouldest thou not bestow for the recouering of both those facultyes againe Thou wouldest questionles giue the whole world if it were thyne thou wouldest rather lead a most poore life with the vse of those members and senses then to be a king on earth without them And heere hence thou mayst conceyue the greatnes of the benefit of thy creation by which thou hast receyued a body together with all the members and senses thereof a soule also togeather with all the facultyes and life with all things necessary therunto Thou canst not be ignorant that by the greatnes of the benefit an estimate or gesse must be made of the greatnes of the obligation 3. Consider thou now how much thou art bound vnto thy Creatour for this benefit alone imparted vnto thee without any deseruing on thy part at all Consider how thou shouldest shew thy selfe very vngratefull if thou shouldest not imploy thy life thy health the forces of thy body and whatsoeuer thou hast towards the seruice of thy benefactour Consider how grieuous a sinne it is to abuse the senses and other the facultyes of the mind to the offence and contempt of him who hath gratiously bestowed all those thinges vpon thee And if the cryme of ingratitude be so odiouâ— and great in secular men how great wâ— it be in Religious persons who haue receaued greater light from me and are obliged vnto me for many more respects O how exact an accompt be the vnthankfull Religious to make who not reflecting vpon the greatnes of this benefit do either quite forget or little regard it And what meruaile that the vngratefull do not in this life receaue new benefits but be sometymes bereaued of those they haue already receaued Ingratitude driueth away the Benefactour euen as gratitude inuiteth him to bestow greater benefits 4. What I did after this for the conseruing of thee is not inferiour to the aforsayd neither bind thee lesse vnto me I ordayned that all creatures should serue thee some wherof serue for necessity some for recreation some also for exercising both of body and mind The heauens go their circle for thee whatsoeuer the sea and earth bring forth it is for thy vse I haue ordained the Angells so excellent creatures to guard thee Neither doth any cogitation seeme to presse me more then of doing thee good in all thinges in so much as it may be truly sayd that thou art the end scope of all this vniuerse sith all is created for â—hee and prepared for thy vse and seruice If thou aske me now for what cause I haue prolonged thy life till this very houre when as I haue dealt otherwise with many both yonger and stronger then thou art certaine it is that I haue not delayed it â—hat thou shouldest hold on to offend me by persisting in thyne owne ingratitude but â—hat thou shouldest rather amend thy manners and indeed shew thy selfe gratefull to me thy Benefactour 5. And all this I did for thee without â—ny thy labour paynes or trouble But for the redeeming of thee for the deliuering of thee out of the miserable captiuity of sinne what did I not When I was the sonne of God and in supreme veneration of all the court of heauen for the sauing of thy soule I came downe from heauen into earth became man and subiecting my selfe to the infirmityes of man I began to endure exceeding great paynes and trauayles for thy sake How many miseryes did I sustaine how many calumniations did I suffer what abundance of teares and bloud did I shed for thee And more then that I dyed that I might deliuer thee from death euerlasting and free thee from the cruell tyranny of the Diuell See Sonne how deare a price I payed for thee See how by all right thou art not thyne owne but myne And know thou that the benefit of thy redemption though it be common to al men is not yet communicated to all neither do all enioy the fruites thereof because all haue not receiued the light of faith by help wherof they may acknowledg know the way how to come vnto me And because thou art one of those who haue receaued very great benefits at my hands as hauing beene borne within the bosome of holy Church and illuminated with my grace and light from heauen see thou be not ingate but vse thy receyued gifts least thou be depriued of thy felicity He that seeth snares and when he may auoyd them putteth himselfe rashely into them meriteth to be punished euen as he who seeth not the snare is worthy of compassion if he be vpon the sodaine caught therein 6. I haue againe gone further with others in bestowing benefits vpon them as with those whome I haue called to a more high and more perfect state and receyued into the number of my most deare friends with whome I conuerse far more familiarly then with others these be the Religious whose obligation is greater then thou conceyuest sith there is not a moment of their life that receyueth not a new increase of one benefit or other And if thou wilt consider the matter well they began to enioy a benefit before they were borne into the world Doth it not seeme a benefit vnto thee that I from all eternity haue without any their merit out of my fatherly loue cast myne eyes vpon them to enrich them with my heauenly gifts And haue not I since the tyme they were borne had againe a peculiar sollicitude and care of them With how much patience haue I borne with their imperfections What meanes wayes haue I vsed to draw them out of this deceiuing world and to bring them into the best way From how many sinnes haue I preserued them one while by taking away the
ouerthrow Religious houses 5. When thou becamest Religious didst thou it not with a mind of suffering much for the sauing of thy soule and for the loue o me Didst thou not purpose to liue a poore life and to beare with all incommodityes that be incident to poore persons Whence then is it that now when thou shouldst haue greater light of mind and more charity thou dost not put those thy first cogitatiōs in effect by works O extreme bad iugling and deceite Religion is instituted for the mortifying of the body and for the enriching of the soule with spirituall riches and thou thinkest that a great care is to be vsed and had about the cherishing of the body with the neglect of the soules health Tell me I pray thee In the world hadst thou thy commodityes of body at will or not If not wherefore desirest thou them in Religion wherinto thou didst enter to suffer incommodityes for Christs sake And if thou hadst thy commodityes and didst therof voluntarily depriue thy selfe for the loue of me that thou mightst please me the more wherfore dost thou now in Religion seeke them by thee abandoned before with an offence to me and bad example to others Moreouer if thou hast renounced the cōmodityes of thy body for the loue of me and now returnest vnto them againe thou manifestly declarest that thou wilt not haue any thing to do with the loue of me And what an esteeme should I make of him who is so fickle and inconstant in louing me And if peraduenture thou thinke that thou mayst both loue me and seeke thy temporal commodityes withall and that against my wil thou art greatly deceiued for as much as he cannot loue truly who doth not conforme himselfe to the will of the beloued 6. Sonne if thou desirest to vnderstand how I handled myne owne body runne ouer my life from the day of my natiuity til my death and thou shalt easily see how few commodityes I vsed For so soone as I came into the world a stable was my bed-chamber and the manger my bed Within a while after Herod persecuting me I was forced to flye into Aegipt Consider thou heere what commodityes I found both in my way thither in a countrey so far off and barbarous when as I had a poore Mother who also was to take her iourney and to packe in all hast away in the night tyme so soone as she had newes of the matter After that being returned from Aegipt I passed ouer the remainder of my life in pouerty In the thirtith yeare of my age I retired my selfe into the desert where I punished my poore body with hungar thirst watching lying vpon the ground and the fast of fourty dayes and nights After my leauing the desert I trauailed on foote from one towne castle to another and preached the kingdome of heauen in all places where I came and liued continually by almes that others gaue me In time of my passion I did not only want all commodityes but also one affliction succeeded in place of another Finally when I came to dy a crosse was my bed to lye on and a crowne of thornes my pillow 7. Now iudge thou who art Religious whether it be conuenient for thee my seruant who hast made profession of imitating me to handle thy body so nicely delicately since I thy Lord haue dealt with myne owne so roughly and hardly And though my body were euer subiect to the soule and most obedient to reason yet I did neuer entreate it delicately nor euer yealded vnto it any commodityes or recreations at al. And wilt thou now affoard vnto thy body that hath so often in a most insolent manner insulted against the spirit and reason all kinds of contentements and pleasures I the Lord of maiesty euer contented my selfe with a poore and meane diet and as meane cloathing and other intertaynement and wilt thou in Religion not contented with the common affect desire superfluityes This is not to be or to lead the lyfe of a Religious person but rather to couer and conceale a secular life by the habit of Religion 8. An ouer great sollicitude of temporall commodityes is a thorne that pricketh ouer sore and greatly hurteth a Religious man For first it maketh him a procuratour for the body yea and a bondslaue vnto it And who seeth not how great an indignity it is for a Religious man of a punisher of his body to become a Purueyour for it and insteed of whipping it to yeald it all manner of contentements Againe it holdeth and keepeth him so distracted in mind as he taketh no gust or pleasure at all in matters of spirit And what other thing is this then to make him sensuall that he may neither tast nor mind those thinges that be of God Moreouer it maketh him churlish and harsh to those with whome he liueth for as much as he euer will in all things haue what is best and most commodious for himselfe neglecting the commodityes of others yea he preferreth his priuate commodityes before the common not regarding what hurt may redound to the Religion thereby so he may haue what he desireth himselfe And what is this but to spoile a Religious man of charity discretion and all 9. Neither is there heer an end of this importune preposterous care of the body but it further maketh the Religious querulous idle froward surly a murmurer and of a peruerse and bad example He would haue all moued to commiserate and pitty his case all to shew beneuolence good will vnto him and therfore he attributeth euery least distemper of body and indisposition of his health to the sore trauailes and paynes he hath taken in Religion And how can it be possible that there should be either spirit or Religious discipline in such mē O vnhappy subiects and as vnhappy Superiours who permit such things in Religion wherein they are pastours and haue a charge seeing this is nothing els then to bring a certaine infection into it to shew a way vnto yong men for the quite ruining and ouerthrowing therof That it is not inough for a Religious man to mortify his body vnles the mind be restrained also CHAP. III. SONNE that the Religious mā so mortify his body the senses thereof as it become not proud rise against the soule it is good and healthful but yet Religious perfection consisteth not therein but rather in the inward vertues of the mind of which followeth the reformation of the passions and senses Neither can the body be directed by the soule vnles the soule it selfe togeather with all it own facultyes and powers be first of all drawn out and fashioned to the right and straight rule A croked rule is not for the making of a thing straight The soule is then ruled straight when it is conformed to the diuine will which is the first and an infallible rule Let a man mortify his flesh as much as he will and
a great detriment who when he may with his commodity by carelesnes neglecteth the abundant gaine of spirituall things And therfore no meruaile though some religious persons â—â—uer come to those inestimable treasures that I haue prepared for them in the Land of the liuing And more then this it is no wonder that some do leaue their vocation and returne to the flesh pots of Aegipt that is vnto the world sith I do most iustly permit it for their negligence carelesnes ingratitude vnto me For he is worthily spoiled of his goods who either knoweth them not or vseth them not according as he should do 5. If I had freed you but from the worlds calamities miseries and deceits I had done you a great good turne but I haue besids this called you to Religion haue admitted you as it were into myne owne family and bestowed all manner of commodities vpon you that you might the more perfectly serue me Go to tell me whosoeuer thou be that hast not a will to labour to come to that Perfection of louing and seruing me but thinkest it inough if thou offendest me not with a mortall sinne whose is the greater hurt myne or thine surely it is thine alone and that much greater then thou conceiuest Againe tell me if thou enioyedst al commodities in the world and wert freed from all daungers of life and wert further assured of thy saluation wouldst thou not hold it for a singular benefit to serue me thy Creatour Lord doubtlesse thou wouldst 6. Now then seeing I haue exempted thee from all miseries and troubles of the world and haue deliuered thee from the daungers both of body and soule that thou maist be able the more commodiously to serue me the King of Glory iudge thou thy self whether it be not fit requisite for thee to shake off al drowsines negligence Dost thou peraduenture thinke that I require of thee more pure and more perfect loue and seruice then of secular persons because any commodity may therby accrew vnto me It is not so for I need not thy seruice sith al the fruit therof redoundeth not to me but vnto thy selfe 7. Besids the state of thy profession requireth that thou serue me withall the perfection that possibly in thee lyeth sith Religion is nothing els but the Schoole of Perfection Neither is it any oâ—her thing to be religious then to enter into a course of life wherin a man may labour to the perfection of louing me and imbracing of vertues Wherfore vaine is the Religion of those who in the exercise of good works neglect this way of perfection For this is that which I require of all Religious Persons this is my will and for this very cause haue I drawn them out of the worlds snares and placed them in the paradise of religion The tree may not continue long standing in the orchard that shal not bring forth fruite for which it was there planted set or graffed Wherein consisteth the Perfection of the loue and seruing of God wherunto a Religious Person is bound and what God requireth at his hands CHAP. II. SOME religious persons do performe great matters If they do them not moued out of a pure loue to me they neither please me nor am I bound to any remuneration for them but if they do them for loue of me yet with a languishing and imperfect loue they do not satisfie their profession and vocation So when I called thee out of the world thou didest deliuer thy selfe wholy vnto me and didest promise to do all for my loue and I accepted this thy promise receiued thee into my house as one of myne gaue thee my Liuery prouided thee of all necessaries and intreated and vsed thee as one most deare vnto me And if thou now shalt haue a will to let some other enter into and possesse thy hart or to make this part common to another besides me thou shouldst not indeed discharge the office and part of a perfect louer sith thou must not giue that to another that thou hast giuen to me already For he who receyueth and taketh vnto himselfe the thing againe that he hath once giuen to another either for himselfe or to giue to another is a theefe and worthy to be punished 2. Hast thou a desire my Sonne to know what religious person loueth me perfectly Truly he doth it who in all things as well little as great seeketh to do what pleaseth me who delayeth no tyme of executing my will so soone as he shall vnderstand it who doeth not only willingly obey my commandmeÌ„ts but also manifesteth a promptitude and readines in himselfe at the very least signe or becke of my will A perfect louer hath one and the same hart and the same will with the beloued and therfore both hateth and loueth what the beloued hateth or loueth A perfect louer spareth no paynes nor trauaile all wearines is sweet vnto him that he may accomplish what is pleasing to the beloued The perfect louer is not only wary and vigilant not to displease the beloued in the very least thing but also is exceeding carefull to please him more and more He that laboureth not to affect and loue a thing as it deserueth either knoweth it not or is otherwise iniurious vnto it 3. That religious man is far from perfection who when he shall haue set his affection care ouer much vpon things of litle regard is much troubled and lamenteth if I at any time procure or cause the same to be remoued or taken away from him This is a signe of an imperfect louer who loueth me more in words then in deeds He doth indeed confesse in words that he hath giuen himselfe wholy vnto me but his hart intangled with dissembled loue holdeth him so fast tyed as if I would vse myne owne right in wholy enioying it thrust out of it the loue of the very least thing of all it would eftsoones bee in trouble and rise against me Many say and brag that they loue me but I only regard them who loue me in works verity The tongue maketh no true and sincere louers but the works that haue their sourse and spring from a pious and deuout mind 4. It remaineth now that I shew vnto thee what religious person serueth me perfectly He I say perfectly serueth me who serueth me of pure loue though he shew it not by so great works for what euer is done for loue of me I esteeme much and will abundantly requite it I make a greater reckoning of a good worke though very litle proceeding from a burning loue then of a great worke accompanied with a meane measure of loue Some weary themselues out with taking exceeding great paynes but with very little or no profit at all to themselues for that the actions though neuer so good which be not sealed vp with the seale of charity be not gratefull to me and therfore they receiue not their hire and if they be sealed vp
become more fierce and raging then the very wild beasts whils for reuenge of the very least iniury they come to kill one another and ouerthrow both families and cittyes 6. VVhosoeuer is cruell towards his owne soule is also cruell to others for none hurteth his neighbour who first hurteth not himself Others sore oppressed with the yoke of wedlocke are so sore afflicted as they wish rather to dye then to lead a life among so many and dayly molestations troubles cares of children and family An vnfortunate choice hath an vnfortunate conclusion Others walke vp and down in a labyrinth but yet fettered in a golden chaine that is with riches wealth of this world which torments them as poore bond-slaues both night and day without giuing them any true rest at all To be fast bound with a cord is a very sore punishment whether it be of silke or gold He is a foole who casteth all his affection vpon things that in his life time cause trouble and care and at his death sorrow and griefe Riches that are possessed with loue be forgone and left with grief 7. Vnderstand further my Sonne that the world out of which I haue called thee is a Schoole wherin humane lawes made by men giuen to passions are more regarded then be the laws diuine For in it is taught that the transitory and brittle goods that passe away and perish vnto vs with death are more to be esteemed them be those that accompany vs to the other life and do neuer dye In it the more fouly a man is deceaued and offendeth the more prone is he to sinne still and the lesse acknowledgeth he the greeuousnes therof In this schoole the good and vertuous are laughed at the wicked and reprobate be commended and therfore it is worse then hell it selfe where al the wicked are reproued and tormented 8. Now if thou consider in what place I haue put thee thou shalt find many causes of yealding me thanks for the benefit of thy vocation I haue placed thee in a religious state that is in myne owne house the fōndations wherof sith they be laid in Humility all those that dwell in it for the knowledge they haue of their owne weaknes and vtility do reioyce in the contempt of themselues and had rather liue in obscurity then be knowne rather to be reprehended then commended They reueng not themselues of iniuries done to them but they willingly forgiue them There they liue in a most pleasing tranquillity and peace there Myne and Thyne that is the origen and fountaine of all dissentions hath no place at all All there do labour for the common good al help one another he that can do more doth more and all serue one another all againe serue God There be many togeather without confusion great variety of nations and of manners without difference of opinions iudgments functions and offices so distributed as one troubleth not another and yet all ordayned for the glory of God to the good of soules 9. The keepers of this house be three sisters most inwardly conioyned by fayth fidelity and the fast band of loue whose office is to defend and keep all those who dwell therin from all calamityes of this present life and to secure them from the incursions of enemies both visible and inuisible For voluntary pouerty exempteth a religious man from all trouble of procuring conseruing increasing worldly riches which are wont so to molest and paine the rich mens minds and harts as they leaue not vnto them a moment of quiet and repose Againe Chastity deliuereth them from infinit desires of the flesh whose tyranny oftentims groweth so great and outragious through the contentments of carnall pleasures as it maketh the soule Reason being brought in subiection to the lust of the flesh a meere bond-slaue 10. Finally Obedience exempteth a Religious man from daungers whereinto they do cast themselues who out of a certaine secret pride desire to do all things by their owne will and iudgment refusing to be aduised or counsailed by others and by so doing cast themselues into the Diuels snares who is the authour of all pride He that hath vertue to guard him hath security on earth and is not without his reward in heauen 11. Therfore vnderstand my Sonne that the Schoole of religion is directly repugnant to the schoole of the world For in that is deliuered the manner and way of seruing God by the obseruation of his precepts and counsailes in it is shewed vnto thee a most compendious and secure way of comming to the end whereunto thou art created In it are discouered and laid open the frauds and snares of Sathan set by him for the intangling of soules and thrusting them downe into hell Of this schoole I am the chiefe maister and gouernour who do by inward inspirations shew vnto all men the way of perfectiō In the instruction of the schollers of this Schoole I obserue no difference of persons for I haue no more regard of a Gentleman then of a Clowne of a rich man then of a poore though I loue and affect those more who do practically by their works manifest how well they haue learned their lessons of humility meeknes obedience and the rest of the vertues which I both declared by example of my life when I liued amongst you and also dictated after my departure to my Euangelists who did faithfully write them for the vse of posterity He is no good scholler who endeauoureth not to imitate his maister How greatly a Religious man offendeth God who maketh light reckoning of his Vocation and Religion CHAP. IIII. VVHITHER soeuer Lord I turne my selfe I find causes of feare For if I examine the benefit of my vocation to Religion I conceyue it to be so noble and excellent as I must confesse my selfe far vnable to render thanks for it If I looke into my selfe I find so great an imbecillity and dastardy as I am afraid least I should be deemed most vngratefull Againe the greatnes of thy maiesty confoundeth me being such and so great as no satisfaction can possibly be made vnto thee but by a certaine infinit loue and seruing of thee which is more then I can or am able to do Who then would not be afraid 2. Out of question my Sonne I bestowed a great benefit vpon thee when I tooke thee out of the stormy Ocean of the world and placed thee in the quiet harbour of Religion It is also certaine that of this benefit there ariseth an obligation and that by so much the greater by how much the benefit was great But for this thou hast not any iust cause to feare sith I am he who do communicate to all competent grace and forces towards the satisfying of their obligation so they be not slacke and negligent of themselus but do put to their owne helping hand as much as they are able And it is my māner of old to be rather more franke and liberall in
rash who goeth his iourney without a guide which he knoweth by reason of the many turnings and by-wayes to be subiect to many daungers strayings out of the way I am the guid who to al religious men do shew the right way to perfectioÌ„ And I do it by Superiours spiritual Fathers whome I haue appointed in euery religion Wherefore it is no meruaile though they who will not suffer themselues to be gouerned and directed by their Superiours and ghostly fathers but follow their owne iudgment stray out of the way be spoiled by theeues or fall into misery and ruine So hapneth it vnto those who before they be schollers do professe themselues to be maisters and so by a secret pride wherby they contemne their superiour whome I haue designed for their directour and maister become schollers of the Diuell who is the captaine and chief leader of all the proud 4. A third defect there is arising of humane respect namely that some be ouer sollitous to gaine the good will and fauour of all Is the care of a religious person to please men and not to displease the world Vpon what true ground or reason can he seeke after the worlds fauour who hath once so earnestly abandoned and giuen ouer the world I called him therfore out of the world to religion that he might not â—â—eke any thing but to please me alone in that way to hold on towards perfection If by the help of this world a man might be brought to a perfect state a religious man might also vse the benefit and help therof but it is not so For the world followeth a far other profession and intertayneth other manner of cogitations then those of attayning spiritual perfection Who studyeth and hath a care to please men is no disciple of mine neither pleaseth he me nor do I intertaine him for my seruant 5. A man can serue but one maister with true loue And if he would deuide his hart into two parts let him not determine to offer me the one of them for I will in no sort accept it If thou hast so great a desire to please men wherfore didst thou leaue them O miserable religious man who when thou liuedst still in the world didst not only not hunt after the fauours of men but also didst not any thing that might obscure thy good name and estimatioÌ„ but after the time thou hast imbraced a religious estate thou burnst with a desire of pleasing men in so much as thou art not ashamed to do many things vnworthy thy vocation and condition and which is worst of all grieuously also to offend me least â—ou shouldst perhaps offend men Wherfore then my Sonne doest thou vaunt that thou hast â—rodden the world vnder foot if thou hast so earnest and longing a desire to please it Seest thou not that by the care of gayning the grace of other men thou loosest the peace and quiet of thy mind This is not I must tell thee the way to the mount of perfection but to the downe-fall pitt of eternall damnation 6. There is yet another impediment in attayning to the perfection of vertues to wit when a religious man obserueth no order or good proceeding in his spirituall actions An army though neuer so great complete and prouided of all necessaryes if it be not well ordred either when it marcheth or when it ioyneth in battaile with the enemy shall neuer get the victory So a religious man who must contend and fight for the getting of Perfection that is seated vpon an high hill and compassed with all complete armour of vertues if he obserue no order in all his spirituall exercises and actions which be as it were so many souldiers shall neuer go away with the victory 7. There be some who before they haue layd the foundation of humility begin to raise their spirituall building Others againe before they be past the Purgatiue way think they may be most inwardly conioyned and vnited with me But this is not the way course of comming to perfection Humility must be procured in the first place and from it a passage must be made to pennance and by it the mind and conscience is throughly to be cleansed It is not inough for him who falleth into the myre to rise out of it vnles he also wash away all the durt euen so it is not inough that a religious man hath renouÌ„ced and forsaken the world and to haue gotten out of the sinke of sinne but he needeth further to extirpate his bad inclinatioÌ„s and hurtfull affections and propensions which remayne as staynes behind in the soule and in place of them by the help of my illuminating grace to plant most beautifull vertues so doing he may aduenture to become most in ward and most familiar with me 8. Lastly an Inconstancy in spirituall life stoppeth vp and debarreth the entrance not only to perfection but also the meanes of compassing any vertue at all For there be those who endeauour often to get vp to the mount of perfection but they still fall down againe into the valley that lyeth vnder it because they are more prone to abandon and giue ouer the thing they haue once begon then they be manfull to go through with it O how much shall they be afflicted for this their inconstancy when the houre of their death shall be at hand when the Diuell shall vpbraid them with this that they did indeed with great feruour wrest from their Superiours frequent exercise and vse of prayer fasting disciplines and other mortifications for their profit of spirit for their helps to perfection but afterwards they did none of them at all or very little 9. If a Religious man had as great loue to perfection as he should haue he would euer aspire and labour to it neither should there occur any difficulty that might terrify him from compassing it But because his loue languisheth in the thing it selfe whence that inconstancy groweth he easily relenteth and recoyleth A Religious man doth not only suffer the losse of time by tryfling thus but also becommeth worse euery day then other How Perfection is finally to be attained CHAP. XI LORD if it be so hard and painefull a matter to arriue to perfection by occasion of so many defects impediments that stop vp the way I see not how I that am most weake can come thither or ouercome so many difficultyes with my most slender forces Sonne he that resolueth seriously hartily to labour to perfection doth most certainly arriue vnto it So many Religious men in former times most perfect who now enioy their euerlasting felicity in heauen were meÌ„ like vnto thee had the same difficultyes that thou hast and much greater yet they manfully and constantly ouercame them and thou mayst do as much if thou wilt Neither shalt thou want my grace and help as they neither wanted so thou resolue vpon some thing as they did Neither must thou be discouraged
desire of labouring to perfection for this desire is not only the foundation of the aforesaid confidence but also helpeth to the furthering of thy progresse going forwards to the ouercoming of difficultyes that euer and anon occur vpon the way and to the mitigating and easing of all the paines Sonne experience sufficiently teacheth that he who hath not a desire seeketh not and that he who hath a great desire of a thing seeketh it earnestly Againe putting thy confidence in me begin thou with courage to exercise the actions now of this vertue now of that for by so doing thou shalt extirpate all thy bad inclinations and in place of them plant in thy mind all the most beautifull slyps of vertues And though I am accustomed to lend my helping hand in this busines yet know thou that I otherwhiles try a Religious man by the withdrawing of my help that so his constancy may appeare and how great a confidence he hath in me 4. O how much is a Religious man deceiued who if he peraduenture stumble in the middest of his course intended to the attaining of perfection by falling into some imperfectiō or finding himselfe not to profit so much in vertue as he desireth fainteth and is quite discouraged diffident of being able to arriue to perfection neglecteth to hold on or to proceed any further and of this it cometh to passe that after that he giueth himselfe far more free scope to runne a disordered course of life then euer before This is not the way to get the victory neither is it an argument signe of a valiant noble mind but of a faint cowardly hart 5. Certes that way-faring man should be deemed mad who would not hold on the iourney he had begon or should go backe againe because he trypped and stumbled once vpon a stone or had had a fall for that were nothing els then of a small euill to cause a greater But the wise wary trauayler doth not so but if peraduenture he slippe or haue a fall he presently riseth againe continueth his iourney forwards and of this fall he learneth to be more wary and heedfull for the time to come that he fall no more The very like hapneth amongst religious men For when one vnwary and vnprouident falleth into any imperfection he neither hath a care or desire to rise againe neither is he vigilant to preuent a fall against another time But when a prudent spirituall man falleth he sodainly getteth vp vpon his feet againe and if he should fall an hundred tims a day he would rise vp againe an hundred times and would be sorry for his falls Whence it is that he is not only not dismaid but he also doth with greater earnestnes care and endeauour by the exercise of vertues hold on his way to perfection And this is of euill to draw out good 6. Those Religious men be also deceiued who thinke the exercise of vertues to be laborious painefull and hard and therefore for feare of preiudicing and hurting their health of body they let courage fall become pusillanimous or like vnto skittish horses will not go forwards with spurring but do resist kicke These men would forsooth runne on to the reward of vertues without any their owne paines taking and with the enioying of their accustomed recreations but truly the nature of man is not so fruitfull a ground as to yeald forth fruit of it selfe without husbanding manuring neither is the condition of vertues so comtemptible as a religious man ought not worthily to renounce his owne commodityes and the pleasure of his senses that he may attayne to the perfection of them It is selfe loue that thrusteth a man into this deceitfull conceit that he haue a greater regard of the temporal commodities of his body then of the spiritual ornaments of his mind Who fauoureth his body ouer much thrusteth vertue headlong out of his owne soule 7. There be found other Religious persons who forbeare to profit in the study of perfection because they haue a conceit that I will not affoard them so much help and assistance as is to be required to this study and this opinion is worse then the former What is this els then for them to offend me and to deceiue themselues For not to put their confidence in me is to do me an apparant iniury as if I knew not how to help them or could not or would not It is nothing so I desire nothing more then to help neither do I euer withdraw my internall inspirations or other meanes for the stirring vp of them to perfection and for this end I haue taken drawn them out of the world How then can any be destitute of my help How can he be diffident of my grace sith I continually stand and knock at the doore that I may be let in and help euery ones necessity If they will with this cloke couer their cowardize and slouthfullnes they are deceiued because they lay it much the more open He that layeth his owne fault vpon others sinneth double 8. So it is Lord it is not thine but out fault that we go not on to perfection For sith thou art most wise thou knowest the ways of helping vs because thou art omnipotēt thou art able also to do it neither art thou vnwilling because thy wil is goodnes it selfe and therfore all the fault is entirely and absolutely ours That nothing in the world should diuert a Religious man from pursuing after Perfection and getting therof CHAP. XV. SONNE a faint harted and fearefull souldier will neuer set his flagge vpon the enemies walls for that ouer much feare causeth him either to keep himselfe aloof off or if he be neere to turne his backe and therfore he deserueth not any reward neither is held in any esteeme with his Generall and more then that is contemned for a coward one without hart of his fellow souldiers I would not haue my seruant ouer bold or temerarious and rash nor yet ouer fearefull I desire he should be magnanimous and constant and not be afraid where no cause of feare is Let a religious man who sayth that he will not hold on in the course of perfection tell me what it is that causeth him to make a stand and to giue ouer not for that his paines and endeauours be to no purpose sith we haue said already that many haue arriued to perfection I am ready at hand to help all with the assistāce of my grace Truly if Religious persons were as ready to imbrace and lay hold on the help that I offer them and by their owne industry to cooperate with my grace as there is desire in me to affoard it there would be a far greater number of perfect persons then now there be 2. Neither is the power of the enemy so great as it may hinder or draw a Religious man from the way of perfection For though the enemy be powerfull yet if the
to be an ornament to a religious man whereas contrariwise human respects and all temporall commodities are to be troden vnder his feet and contemned He then who leaueth those for these doth necessarily put vertue vnder a religious mans feet and raiseth humane respect vpon his head 9. Againe he that more regardeth the worlds estimation and riches therof then perfection whereunto I daily exhort all religious persons doth me an iniury and himselfe hurt For all know that he who shall be ashamed of me before men I will also be ashamed of him before the Angells of God But what absurdity and folly is this They when they liued in the world out of a desire of following perfection did forsake the world the temporall cōmodities therof and all humane things besids but now hauing imbraced religion they will giue ouer perfection to follow the world Is not this a manifest folly And sith humane respect is nothing els then a certaine vaine feare least a man be discōmended in some one or other of his actions how is it possible that a religious man desirous of perfection can be discommended Can there any greater glory befall him in this life then if this may be affirmed said of him And what new thing can happen to a religious man if he be contemned of the world Doth he expect any reward or recompence from it Or is he afraid least it would censure him by a condemnation It maketh no matter whether a religious man be loued or hated of the world but it auayleth much if he be deare to me 10. To conclude others forbeare to tread this way of perfection by reason of the repugnance that mans nature findeth in practising the meanes and for the difficulties that the body maketh trial of in tracing the same way But these men misse the marke for to be a true Religious man or to walke on to perfection is nothing els but to mortifie the desires of the flesh and the perturbations of the mind And therfore if thou forbeare the exercise of vertue least thou incommodate or hurt thy body thou louest thy selfe too sensually neither do I see what difference there is betweene thee and a delicate secular person Remember Sonne that these be not the promises thou madest at thy entrance to religion for then thou didst purpose with thy selfe to suffer many things for me to chastise thy body to serue me and for loue of religious perfection to depriue and spoyle thy selfe of all humane consolation That a good Religious man must not content himself◠with whatsoeuer degree of Perfection but must labour and aspire to a greater CHAP. XVI SONNE those religious men do not satisfy me that aspire to a mean degree of religious perfection vnles they also ayme at the highest For so I declared vnto my disciples when I exhorted them to be perfect not as the Patriarcks and Prophets were nor as the Seraphims and other the Angells but as my Father in heauen O how doth that Religious person please me who like the couetous man is desirous of true vertue and perfection The couetous man hath neuer his fil for the more he hath the more he desireth And I would haue religious men such followers of spirituall couetousnes For it is a signe of a base mind if a man when he hath meanes to attaine to greater perfection do propose vnto himselfe and thinke vpon lesser But I desire to haue my seruants valiant and generously minded who aspire to great and hard matters For if I haue created them to an end the most excellent in the world haue raised them vp to so high a state that is to be Religious why should they not with all their possible forces labour to perfection that would be most contenting to vs both Who cooperateth not conformably to the benefit receiued is iniurious to the Benefactour 2. Let him tell me whosoeuer hath no care to arriue to any great perfection but thinketh it inough to haue had a tast therof whether he would so deale with his body Is he contented it should enioy a mediocrity of health when he may haue it perfectly strong sound and lusty Would he wish but a poore meanes of lyuing and not the best If then of all earthly things which serue the body we choose the best most perfect and all in great quantity number and quality the most excellent why should we not also for the souls good which is the mistresse of the body wish and make choice of the most perfect and most absolute vertues That family is nothing well gouerned where the handmayd is better treated then the mistresse of the house 3. Who would deny that it is a fowle and shamefull thing for a Religious man to stay in the lowest degree of vertue when he seeth secular men neuer to make a stay in their degree of state of life which they haue once imbraced but euer to aspire to an higher vntill they come to the highest Hence it is that a vulgar person first seeketh to raise himselfe to be a Gentleman then a Baron next an Earle a Marques a Duke vntill in conclusion he lay hold on the Scepter and Crowne and when he is come to this he is not contented with an ordinary Crowne but he seeketh a more rich more potent a more noble Crown and consequently the greatest that can be had in this life And shall a Religious man be of so dastardly a mind as not to labour to obtaine a most noble spirituall Crowne Should he stand in the first degree of perfection when he may with his great commendation and no lesse profit mount vp to the highest Is not this a strang kind of sottishnes and folly Is not this to make a light esteeme of my will and to refuse the help of my grace by the benefit wherof he might compasse an higher degree of perfection 4. Vnderstand my Sonne that a Religious man is more deare vnto me who endeauoureth for my greater glory to arriue to the highest degree of perfection and this ought not without cause to be inough vnto him not to stay in his course but stil to hold on Go to tel me what seruant is so contēptible vile who is contented to be in litle grace and fauour with his Lord when he may be in very great Why then thou Religious man who art for so many respects bound vnto me as my seruant why I say when by labouring to perfectiō thou mayst deserue my extraordinary fauour thou delayest to do it What paynes doth the poore seruant take to gayne his maisters grace and how much is he afflicted whē he seeth notwithstanding all the diligence he vseth he cannot get into his maisters fauour wherefore then dost thou make a stand in the very entrance to perfection when thou mayst easily get into the innermost parts of it gayne thy Lord vnto thee To please me is not my gayne but thine 5. O of what worth is but one degree
which he before promised to do without making a Vow 6. There be other vtilityes which vowes do bring to the Religious For first vndoubted it is that the tree the deceper roote it shall take within the earth bringeth forth the better fruite Euen so mans will the more stable it shal be in good produceth the more noble works And among the effects of Vowes one is that it maketh the will more firme in good works Who knoweth not how various and mutable mans will is now it is willing within a while it is vnwilling and what pleaseth to day displeaseth to morrow And doubtles it would be better if the will were constant and stable in imbracing good and that it may be stable and immutable is effected by the benefit of Vowes For so soone as a man shall hâ—ue made a Vow he must performe it neither may he reuoke it without sinne that he may not go backe is both profitable and good and deriued from the very nature of a Vow And of this it followeth that a good worke proceeding from a will grounded in good is better then other good workes and deserueth a more ample reward As contrariwise a bad and hurtfull worke comming from a peruerse and obdurate will is more detestable then other ill works and meriteth a more sore punishment Would you haue a Lunatike person to do no hurt Then bind him fast vpon the first occasion 7. Another vtility nothing inferiour to the former is this Euery man will confesse that it most profiteth a man if he be most inwardly vnited to God Almighty And this is effected by Vowes for whiles a man by Vowes bindeth himselfe to me I am in like maner tyed againe fast vnto him and therfore if the Religious do by these sacred bands bind themselues fast vnto me so become mine how is it possible that I should not deliuer my selfe vnto them also That I should not help them not defend them not conserue keep them as a thing most deare vnto me I should not be what I am if my creature should go beyond me in liberality Wherfore it is very agreable to reason that seeing they haue most firmely conioyned themselues to me the fountaine of Grace I should also communicate vnto them the flowing streames of my grace and my heauenly gifts and take so great care of them as neither the Diuell nor any other creature may do them harme The Religious liue so much the more secure the more potent and powerfull is their Lord and Maister to whome they haue conioyned themselues 8. There is yet another vtility that al good workes done by Vow do merit more with God then those that are not done by Vow He that keepeth chastity for loue of me doth well and meriteth but he that for loue of me maketh a Vow of chastity keepeth it doth better and meriteth more For the former exerciseth but one vertue that is Continency but the later exerciseth two namely Continency and Religion the noblest of all morall vertues Moreouer to promise a good worke is a good thing and to performe a promise is also good and therfore for them both a man is held worthy of commendations and thanks Let him then be more deare vnto thee who bestoweth more spirituall good vpon thee 9. Seing so many benefits redound vnto vs by Vowes as the stability of the will the coniunction with God and the merit of workes I would be now glad to vnderstand why some when they should most of all reioice be sory that they haue tyed themselues by Vowes What cause of grief should they haue For if these sacred bands should depriue them of some great commodity they might haue iust cause of sorrowing But indeed they loose none by it For as a vine fastned to a tree or to a post and therefore lesse obnoxious and exposed to the iniury of the winds bringeth forth better and more abundant fruite then if it were loose and vntyed Euen so be Religious persons by the benefit of these Vowes are more strong and stable and more free from tentations and do yeld greater increase of good works therefore why should they afflict themselues with grief 10. Euill must needs please him who is sorry for good or complaineth therof When good meate is hurtfull to a man it is a signe that his stomake is infected and surcharged with bad humours and therfore it is to be purged with some antitode if he meane to preuent the hazard of his life In like manner if the making of Vowes which is good and holy be to some Religious person troublesome it is a signe that his mind is infected with some bad disposition which must be taken away and remoued by the spirituall Phisitian that the hazard of his spirituall death may be auoyded How acceptable and pleasing to God the three Vowes of Religious persons be CHAP. III. SONNE how should not the Vowes of the Religious be accepted by me when as they be made for my honour and glory How is it that they should not be deare to me when as they be the meanes of attaining perfection which I do so earnestly desire at their hands O how much should some earthly Lord glory if his seruants should make him any such promise he would no doubt exult for ioy though he should not be assured whether they had done it in earnest from their hart for the loue of him their Lord or in regard of their owne commodity And should not I who am assured that the Religious do from their hart make these Vowes and only for loue of me bind themselues to the performing of good and holy workes reioyce and be glad Should not I make a demonstration how much they please me 2. For there be three things that do in particular please me in Vowes First the deuotion wherewith the Vowes be made Secondly the diligence wherewith they are obserued Thirdly the ioy that the Religious conceiue by occasion of the making of their Vowes Deuotion groweth of the consideration of the excellency of the oblation that is made in the Vowes For the Religious man by a benefit of his three Vowes offereth himselfe wholy in sacrifice without reseruation of any part to himselfe And if the sacrifices of the old law which were of bulles and calues were so pleasing vnto me how much shall these content me which Religious men do voluntarily offer vnto me And if I made so high esteeme of Abrahams only will when he was ready to sacrifice his only Sonne vnto me what a reckoning should I make of the sacrifice that a Religious man maketh of himselfe by offering me his will soule body and all Againe Diligence ariseth of the loue they carry towards me He that loueth cannot expect or of slouth put of till another time or prolonge that which he knoweth to be very pleasing to the beloued And in Religious life nothing pleaseth me more then the obseruation of Vowes Finally ioy for the
not sometymes Virginall is yet in perfectiō more excellent then the rest for that it is by Vow consecrated vnto me which because it is an act of excellent Charity and of the greatest of all the morall vertue namely of Religion causeth greatest perfection and excellency to Religious Continency 5. Now the law of Chastity commandeth Religious Continency to exercise three offices worthy of it selfe The first is to conserue the purity of the flesh whereunto is required a great courage For sith the flesh of it selfe is prone to incontinency and impurity a great alacrity and courage of mind is necessary towards the keeping of it vnder that a man who naturally loueth and fauourech his owne flesh nor easily suffereth it to be afflicted giue it not the bridle ouer much nor plunge himselfe into the myre puddle of carnall pleasures A second office is to keep a gard ouer the senses and therunto needeth vigilancy and diligence For seing the senses be wandring and slipery present a thousand occasions of such pleasures vnles a Religious man shal be very diligent in keeping them they will easily breake out beyond their bands The third office is to conserue the purity of the mind vnstayned wherein circumspection is very necessary for the considering examining of what is admitted thereunto And if there be any thing that may stayne or infect it must be kept out for that it is more easy to keep it from entring then to thrust it out after it be entred 6. Sonne this is the law of Religious Chastity and these be the offices thereof If thou desire to be holpen thereby seeing for that end thou requirest the ayde of it thou must also needs fauour it and not deny it thyne help that it may discharge it owne office If thou shouldst deny this thou shouldst do as if thou calledst a Phisitian home vnto thee but wouldst not haue him to touch the sicke mans wound for feare of the payne or loathing that would follow This is not the way of curing the sicke body but of increasing his sicknes rather The body inured to pleasure is wont to complaine that Chastity is euer exact and seuere in executiō of the precepts of her laws which forbids many things and permits few But these be the complaints of the nyce delicate and sensuall sicke who ordinarily desire long for the thinges that be most hurtfull vnto them which if they be yealded vnto do hurt them and therefore such things be more discretly denyed them Suffer the Phisitian my Sonne to put his hand to the yron for the loathsome sore of carnall concupiscence vnles it be launced in tyme will easily grow to a festred and pestiferous impostume He that will not with a very little payne be cured as he ought shall be els where eternally tormented as he deserueth Of the Excellency of Religious Chastity CHAP. XIIII SONNE man consisteth of two parts the owne called the inferiour and sensuall appertayning to the body the other the superiour and reasonable appertayning to the soule When he was created in the terrestriall Paradise as long as he continued in his state of innocency he enioyed great peace also because the inferiour part was in perfect subiection and obeyed the superiour part neither was it so hardy as to resist But after that man did by sinne make resistance against his Creatours will he fell from that happy and peacable state of innocency the inferiour part began to rebell against the superiour that is Reason and hauing also out of a pride a will to vsurpe her authority it fell also shamefully for that reiecting the counsaile of Reason it began to attend wholy to pleasures Hence arose the warre that is now made between the Sense and Reason By this man became spoyled of his former peace and tranquility for that cause he was driuen to gard himselfe with the help of vertues for the bringing of sensuality vnder the subiection of Reason And amongst these vertues Chastity hath a principall place which if it once find an entrance into Reasons kingdome and into the superiour part of the soule like a prudent and wise Lady she cōmandeth the sensuall part to hold it selfe within it owne bounds and to yeald soueraignity to reason Hence it is that the first excellency of Chastity is to restore man as much as may be into his former state and possession of innocency wherein he was created and to honour him with that ornament of purity which he did weare before in the terrestriall Paradise 2. Chastity is also called an Angelicall vertue because it maketh man like vnto an Angell while it causeth him to lead an Angels life For though man of his own nature be in the middest between Angels beasts for that the conditions of both haue place in him though he be superiour to these inferiour to those yet is he somtymes beast-like sometimes againe Angel-like Beast-like when the sensuality in the encounter with the superiour part goeth away with victory and hath a commaunding hand ouer Reason and causeth a man to plunge himself so deep in the boggs of terrene pleasures as he maketh himselfe vncapable of the heauenly as a brute beast reciueth no tast of spirituall matter at all But when Chastity is once got into the kingdome of the mind the warre commeth to a far different conclusion For Chastity in the first place layeth hand vpon sensuality imprisoneth her and setteth Reason in her owne place and authority of gouernment and commaund Next it prouideth that the spirit hold the flesh vnder and in subiection and this is to be Angell-like And though a man be agreably to his nature fast tyed to his flesh and whiles he is in this banishment trauayleth vp and downe in flesh yet because through benefit of Chastity he liueth not according to the flesh he is said to lead an Angells life And he that on earth liueth as an Angell shall in heauen shine also as the Angells do 3. Againe Chastity raiseth a man vp to the performing of great and wonderfull thinges contrariwise the intemperance of the flesh abuseth him to abiect most contemptible things Experience teacheth that such as pursue the fleshes pleasures do not aspire to the effecting of noble and heroicall matters and more then that whiles they see themselues fast tyed and caught in the fleshs snares they drowne themselues ouer head and cares in the puddle of lusts This vice also so dulleth mans wit as it doth not only lay a bar and impediment to his progresse and profiting in discipline and arts but also bringeth in a forgetfullnes of those thinges that were learned before On the contrary side Chastity as it is an Angelicall and celestiall vertue so doth it rayse a man to the execution of generous and most noble workes 4. The founders of Religions if they had not lead chast liues had neuer gone about so great and hard matters as the foundations of new Religions be neither
could the Apostles when they preached the Ghospell haue moued the world or haue done other great matters which they did if they had been cumbred with wiues children Those therfore who imbrace purity both of mind and body be more apt to receaue the cleare light of my grace to contemplate matters of heauen the mysteries of the Diuinity the blessed Spirits the greatnes and excellency of the eternall felicity and of the goods prepared for the vertuous in heauen Whence it is that man also though still liuing in a mortall body if he conserue his integrity of body and mind doth euen now in part begin to enioy the pleasures of Paradise 5. Neither is this the least of Chastities excellencyes that it so beautifieth and setteth forth a mans soule as it maketh it most gratefull to myne eyes For though all vertues adorne the soule and euery one giue it a particuler ornament yet Chastity because it conserueth it from all stayne of the flesh maketh it most pure and most beautifull as contrary wise the vice of the flesh maketh it so fowle and vgly as though it be prouided of all other moral vertues yet may it hardly be endured The externall beauty of times is an occasion of the soules perdition but Chastity which is the soules beauty besides that that it is most acceptable to God procureth both the soules and bodyes good togeather 6. Finally Religious Chastity though it be of it selfe noble excellent receyueth yet greater splendour and perfection from many other thinges For first it is greatly ennobled by Vow by vertue whereof a Religious man hath renounced all kind of pleasures whether the same appertayne to the body and senses or to the mind and internall facultyes therof Againe it boroweth no smal excellency from the very fountaine and origen thereof which is a sincere and perfect loue of me For a Religious man moued not of any necessity or hope of commodity nor for any other human respect is induced to forsake all pleasures of the flesh but only for the pleasing of me And therefore Religious Chastity is the more commendable for this because it is endued with most perfect Charity which is the nurse and mother thereof No little splendour and perfection also is added vnto it by the end and scope that Religious Chastity hath proposed and this end is nothing els then my honour and glory and therfore the Religious bind themselues to perpetuall Chastity for that by it Gods seruice is in a wonderfull sort amplified and so it is no meruayle though Religious Chastity challengeth the first place amongst all the degrees of Chastity The more excellent and perfect Chastity is the more it communicateth to them that loue it 7. Wherefore Sonne seeing Chastity is so noble excellēt I do not hold it inough if thou imbrace it after a meane manner or haue an earnest desire vnto it as to a most precious Iewell but I could rather wish thou wouldest also consecrate thy selfe therunto as to a thing that did most of al please me And know thou that I do aboue all things loue a pure and chast hart and loue it so affectuously as I not only with a singular ioy repose therin enrich it with sundry gifts but also nothing can be required of me that I do not gratiously impart vnto it And this alone should set euery Religious mans mind on fire to desire this heauenly gemme wonderfully shining not only in the company of vertues on earth but also in heauen amongst the company of the blessed The more tenderly thou shalt loue Chastity the more thou shalt be loued of God and if thou canst not loue it as much as it deserueth at least loue it in what thou art able How greatly conuenient it is for a Religious man to be chast CHAP. XV. LORD I well vnderstand that it is very conuenient that he be chast who attendeth to thy seruice considering by the benefit of his Vow he is consecrated and bound to thee the fountaine of all purity It is nothing agreable that vnder a cleane and pure head the members should be filthy and fowle But I know not how I may long defend my Chastity sith I haue at home a capitall enemy who trusting to both inward and outward helps becometh so stout hardy as I almost despaire of the victory Now thou knowest o Lord how sore this insolent and proud flesh persecuteth the purity of my soule Thou art not ignorant how many assaults it maketh night and day vpon it And yet this doth not make me afraid Another thing perplexeth and troubleth me much more that is that both the wantonesse and rebellion of the senses within and the most cruell enemy Sathan without do minister helps vnto it 2. Sonne what thou sayst is most true but thou must not be dismayd for it for the greater that the enemies boldnes poweris the more glorious wil the victory crown be that followeth after Neither shalt thou want my help only play thou the man and vse all thy forces for the maintayning of Chastity and no enemy from within or without shall get the victory from thee And seeing thou acknowledgest and confessest also that it is conuenient that my Religious seruants be chast as I their Lord am know thou that I was euer so harty a louer of purity as myne aduersaries who calumniated me in very many things durst not accuse or condemne me of the very least defect against Chastity And that the Religious ought to be such their state exacteth sith they make a profession to be my followers imitators of my life Wherfore seing I was exceedingly affected to this vertue of Chastity and regarded it as the guid of a spirituall life requisite it is that they also imbrace and take it for their Lady and Mistresse 3. And because I make so high an esteem of purity and am in the highest degree auerted from the vice of concupiscence why wouldst thou haue me to entertayne a dishonest seruant within my house or that I should endure him in the same How should I suffer that any seruice should be done me by him whom I know to haue an vncleane mind The seruant that accommodateth not himselfe to his Lord and Maister or neglecteth to procure his loue and good will either will not be long stable in his office or if he continue in it will make very little profit therby and will put himselfe in danger of being thrust out to his owne great hurt and no little shame and confusion Do I require at my seruants hands any thing vnfitting vnseemly or impossible I require purity which is a principall vertue I require of him that he suffer not himselfe to be supplāted or ouercome by his sensuality and this is honorable I exact of him that which he hath promised and that is to liue chastly which is a point of iustice 4. Further I long to know wherein consisteth to leaue and forsake the
by him especially if it be hard and troublesome This is not the desire of a good and true Religious man labouring to perfection but only to be willing to seeme Religious in name and not indeed and to wish that the Superiour were a Statua or Image not a liuing man Others would haue a Superiour industrious and diligent in procuring necessaryes appertayning to meate drinke cloathing and like commodityes and in all euents to take a special care in patronizing defending and helping them but they wisâ— him not to be so vigilant in obseruation oâ— Religious discipline which dependeth oâ— Obedience And this desire is much worse then the former for to wish this is nothing els then to haue a will and desire thaâ— the Superiour make his subiects not good Religious but idle and slouthfull who may haue care of their bodyes and neglect to direct their soules in the way of spirit who may be a good companion and a bad Superiour The subiect who hath a desire that his Superiour should not performe the office of a good Superiour doth manifestly declare that he carryeth himselfe not for a good subiect vnder him Of the first degree of Obedience which consisteth in execution of any thing commaunded CHAP. XXV SONNE thou must not thinke thou hast done much if thou shalt at any tyme haue done what thy Superiour hath commaunded thee for this is the very lowest degree of Obedience and common to all kind of subiects whether seruants or bond-slaues yea it is found in the very brute beasts which go whither soeuer their keeper driueth them and do whatsoeuer he pleaseth who hath care of theÌ„ He is a poore miserable religious man who whiles he obeyeth not his Superiours will doth lesse then the brute beasts And though this first degree of Obedience which consisteth in the execution of that which is commaunded be of it selfe the lowest yet if it be kept as it should be it is very pleasing vnto me Foure conditions and qualityes made my Obedience that I performed to my Heauenly Father the more gratefull and these be Promptitude Entirenesse in all points Fortitude and Perseuerance These make a Religious mans Obedience acceptable and the more easy be they the greater the will is of imitating me 2. Not to obey with promptitude and speede is a defect and nothing pleaseth me If it grow of a cold languishing will it is the more displeasing vnto me because the effect is bad and the cause worse He that hath tyme to do what Obedience coÌ„maundeth and putteth it off suffereth the losse of tyme and putteth himselfe in danger of not doing what he should And if the Religious differeth to obey because he is busied in some particular matter of his owne he displeaseth me more because he preferreth himselfe and his owne busines before the busines of his Superiour The truly obedient that he may obey perfectly leaueth his busines begon and vnperfect O how much do those Religious please me who if but a signe be giuen to do any thing that the holy Rule or Superiour shall appoint do leaue off euen pious works they haue in hand and come running to what is commaunded And they gaine my singular fauour who to do any act of Obedience interrupt the talke they haue begon with me in prayer 3. Consider thou now how litle those are in my grace who blinded with selfe-loue least they should be depriued of any their least commodityes or recreations be dull and slow in accomplishing the worke that is appointed them by the Superiour And I am offended more if they vâ—e the same delay when t e bâ—ll gâ—â— tâ— a â—e to prayer or other spirituall exercises O now much do such manner of men 〈◊〉 themselues and the Commaun tâ— also especâ—â—lly seeing that when they are called to thinges commodious for their body as to meate drinke recreations c. they vse no delay at all but be diligent prompt and ready Certs it were better for them neuer to shew themselues abroad for where there occurreth not any iust cauâ—e of purging them there is a manifest offence scandal giuen Those that be condemned as slaues to the Gallyes for their crymes be so ready to obey as that a signe is no sooner giuen then the thing is done and dispatched and they are so quicke and speedy in execution therof as whiles the thing is yet in doing they cry alowd That it is dispatched And though they be so diligent and quicke for feare of blowes yet the loue of God should make the Religious more prompt in this kind sith loue is more strong and more effectuall then feare 4. Neither is this to be seene in the Gallyes alone where a man shall see the chaines and the marriners with whips in their hands but also in the Courts of great Lords For I aske of thee what is it that maketh the seruants so ready and quicke at the very voyce and call of their Lords Is it the hope of reward But that is more liberall with me Is it the loue they beare towards their Lord But much greater loue is due to me for goodnes and bounty which is the cause of loue is farre more excellent in me and the reward which is expected from me is without coÌ„parison greater Indeed the slownesse of the Religious proceedeth of the want of loue If the subiects were better affected to their Superiour they would also be more diligent in fullfilling of Obedience In which kind the children of this world be more wise and more ready then the children of light 5. Another condition is that Obedience be intiere for such was my owne Obedience It shall be inough for Religious men to loue this entiernesse if they throughly vnderstand that this is my will and such the Superiours intention that what is commaunded be entierly done There be those who be only ready to obey in matters of great moment but not in little To others it seemeth inough if they do part of the things by the Superiour commaunded and leaue the rest vndone I know not who hath made them Iudges or Interpreters of Obedience Neither do I know whence they haue learned that it is not necessary to obey to all that the Superiour decreeth or commaundeth 6. Let them say when they vowed ObedieÌ„ce whether they thought they were to obey in all things or but in some Whether they vnderstood that they were allwayes to obey or only for a tyme And if they vnderstood that they were to obey not in all thinges but for a certaine tyme only who will accept of such a vow Surely I accepted not the vow of half and mayned Obedience but of that which is entiere and whole If some seruant should do but part of those things that were commauÌ„ded him by his maister when he could haue done the whole he should not be kept long in the house and though he were still kept yet in giuing vp his accompts it would soon appeare whether one
haue byn miserably thrown down into hel For as the Wiseman sayth Who maketh of another mans house his owne seeketh ruine Wherfore if thou desire to be raysed to glory whereunto thou art created thou shalt not vse any either more secure or more commodious way and meanes for the attayning therof then if thou practise Humility This way held I this way followed the Apostles in this walked all the blessed in heauen He that shall take another way shall surely misse of his marke 13. Sonne suffer not thy selfe to be beguiled attend now to the exercise of Humility which of huÌ„ble persons maketh Angells as contrarise Pride of men maketh Diuells Other vertues take away particuler vices that be the cause of some sinnes only but Humility taketh away Pride which is the roote and head of all sins Humility causeth that the humble are dearely beloued acceptable to all True it is that I make no great reckoning when the Religious man doth humble himselfe to those who yeald him honour respect for that is easy and done of all But I hold it for a great matter if he also submit himself to them who afflict persecute him It is not a thing worthy of great prayse if a man humble himself to others in his aduersityes or whiles he is in great necessity distresse but that he be humble whiles all matters succeed and prosper well with him 14. There was neuer any Religious man yet who hath not wished the vertue of humility but al do not possesse the same because all do not labour for it as it deserueth nor vse the best meanes for the compassing therof How is it possible for thee to get Humility if thou neuer or seldome vse the company of the Humble when thou well knowest that examples worke greater effects then do words How canst thou be humble if thou seldome humble thy selfe sith the habits of vertues cannot be had withou frequented acts Sonne hast thou a desire of true Humility Then lay before thyne eyes thy own defects and busy thy mind rather in examining those things that be wanting vnto thee then in those that be in thee for an humble person concealeth his own good to himselfe It helpeth also often to call to remembrance that thou art to dye O how many haue there been more noble and more honorable then thou art who be now nothing but dust ashes which thou shalt also be ere long It profiteth to contemne the dignity and honours of the world and to hold them for meere vanityes as they be indeed It is good for them who be in place of dignity not to glory or be puffed vp but to feare a fall for that it is not so great a pleasure to climb high as it is dolefull and hurtfull to fall downe againe 15. Sonne hast thou a desire to make an experiment of thyne owne Humility Thou shalt know it thus It is proper to the humble to shunne their owne prayses as it is a manifest signe of pride to seeke them The humble is sory to heare himselfe praysed and the proud reioyceth at it The more excellent gifts the humble hath the more carefully he concealeth them thinking himselfe vnworthy of them and he earnestly desireth that they should be attributed to God and that himselfe be reputed vile and contemptible The humble giueth place to all serueth all as well his inferiours and Superiours The humble conuerseth willingly with persons of the meanest condition 16. Sonne wishest thou for the tyme to come to know how much thou hast profited in Humility Consider the crowns that Humility presenteth her followers for she is wont to giue three crownes to the humble The first and that which is of the lowest price is when a man truly and in his hart thinketh himselfe worthy to be contemned The second is of greater price when he beareth the contemning of himselfe with patience The third and richest crowne is when he is glad he is contemned and loueth him who contemneth him And now consider which of these three crowns thou hast deserued Of a Religious mans Loue towards God CHAP. II. SONNE Charity is a fruit-bearing plant which the deeper roote it taketh in the Religious mans hart the sweeter fruite it bringeth forth Two branches do spring therout the one mounteth vpwards and imbraceth God the other boweth downewards imbraceth the neighbour it imbraceth thee with both for the sauing of thy soule For thou by louing God and thy neighbour louest and gaynest thy selfe euen as by hating God and thy neighbour thou hatest and vndoest thy self Of louing ones selfe much there is a special commaundment as there is of louing God and our neighbour for he who loueth God his neighbour loueth himselfe Of these two branches dependeth the whole Law yea they be a short summary of all that is written eyther by the Prophets or Euangelists Charity is sayd to be a celestial vertue and that not without cause because amongst the Theologicall vertues that only mounteth vp to heauen wheras other vertues only enioy the fruits but Charity enioyeth both the fruit and tree togeather Charity hath a different effect from Humiâ— For this being founded in the knowledge of mans basenes misery so far depresseth and humbleth a man as it causeth him to esteeme himselfe for nothing at all but charity relying vpon the maiesty of the increated goodnes raiseth a man vp to heauen and maketh him to enter into the very bosome of his Creatour the Ocean of infinit goodnes 2. My Scripture mentioneth many prayses of Charity thereby to induce all to loue it One while it is called the Band of Perfection because it so strongly bindeth mans will with me as we become as it were one for that is proper to loue to transforme him who loueth into the beloued this is the greatest perfection that a man can haue in this life Another while it calleth it the life of fayth the forme of all vertues the prime fruit of the holy Ghost and to comprehend all the praises of it togeather in a word it sayth that God himselfe is Charity and he that is in Charity is in God and God in him And what excellency is to be compared with God What more security is there then to be in God and what greater pleasure can a man haue then to haue God with him Charity worketh great matters in a man that is possessed of it as contrarywise when a man is without it he sustaineth great detriments and hurts and occasion is giuen him of many and sore falls When the soule is by death separated from the body life instantly leaueth a man and all the beauty of the body â—s gone euen so charity is no sooner dead in 〈◊〉 man then that the spirituall life ceaseth the actions of life euerlasting fayle and the spirituall seemelynes so pleasing vnto me perisheth cleane away Without Charity I acknowledge none for my friend neither be any vertues pleasing to me
if Charity hath not ordered them If a man speake the language of all nations and should haue the knowledge of all sciences and yet be without Charity it doth him no good And though he should giue all that he hath to the poore and yet shall not haue Charity it profiteth nothing And if a man should deliuer his body so as it may burne if Charity be wanting it is nothing 3. Go to tell me thou who in Religion hast no regard or esteeme of Charity what will it profit thee to haue renounced the world and to haue left all that thou didst possesse therein to haue giuen ouer all pleasures of the flesh and to liue in subiection and command of another if thou be without Charity Dost thou peraduenture thinke that all this is said of secular persons and not of Religious Thou art deceyued yea thy payne and punishment shal be so much the greater sith for this end I haue called thee to religion that disrobed of the worlds cloathing thou mightst clad thy selfe all ouer with charity But if thou now hast so little regard to attend vpon my table in thy wedding garment know thou that to thine owne hurt thou art one day to be thrust down into vtter darknes for the same If the fire that I brought down with me from heauen be not conserued in Religion where will it be kept If Religious be not amongst the first who warme theÌ„selues with it who will be To stand nearest to the fire not to receyue the heate therof is a bad signe It doth not a little displease me to see a secular man set on fire with the loue of God and a Religious man to freeze for cold If a secular man exceed a Religious in store of merits because he shall haue exercised more acts of Charity it manifesteth that a Religious man is worthy of great reprehension 4. Sonne thou hast an obligation of louing me much not in regard I haue made and framed the world for thee or for that I haue giuen thee thy being and whatsoeuer thou hast in this life or els for that I haue deliuered thee from the seruitude of the Diuell and from the perills miseryes of the world but for that I haue tendred thee with so great loue vntill this present houre Loue is the first and greatest benefit of all that hath beene conferred vpon thee For that I made the world for thee thy sake proceeded from the fountaine of loue that I suffred and dyed to saue thee loue was the cause that I drew thee out of the stormes and miseryes of this world loue alone effected it And wilt thou not deeme it for a singular fauour that I the Lord of glory and King of maiesty haue preuented thee a poore worme of the earth with my loue without any one desert of thyne What necessity moued me or what vtility and profit drew me to cast my loue vpon thee And therefore needs must thou be more hard then the flint if by me preuented with so louing a gift thou louest me not againe 5. Lord if I were to repay thee any thing that by right ought first of all to be myne for it is impossible that I should render thee any thing correspondent to thy loue When thou createdst me thou gauest me to my selfe when thou redemedst me thou gauest thy selfe for me and gauest me to my selfe againe If then because thou createdst me I owe my selfe all vnto thee what shall I giue thee for repayring and restoring me lost and vndone What shall I giue for thee for hauing been offred vp for me and if I were able to giue my selfe euery moment a thousand tyms for thee what am I compared with thee And therfore I sincerely confesse and acknowledge that I am indebted vnto thee so much the mo e the more noble and more deseruing thou art then I. 6. Lord if it be true as it is most true that my soule body life works and whatsoeuer good I haue in this wold be al thyne and that I am for a thousand respects bound vnto thee I ought to coÌ„fesse that I acknowledge nothing in me to be myne owne but imperfections defects and sinnes But I should be most iniurious vnto thee if in requitall of my loue to thee for thy loue I should offer them vnto thee which be not only nothing pleasing vnto thee but thou also extremely hatest as contrary to thy holy will and desire 7. So it is Sonne but yet something there is in thee that is thyne to me most acceptable and that is thy loue which thou canst maist vse at thy pleasure sith thou art Lord and owner therof For this is not only pleasing vnto me but also maketh all thy actions acceptable to me and more then that nothing can content me â—hat goeth not accompanied with it And meet it is that sith I first haue loued thee â—hou againe loue me seeing loue cannot be â—equited but with loue againe And though 〈◊〉 had done no more for thee theÌ„ that I made â—hee worthy of my loue this one benefit â—lone should haue beene inough to haue set â—uen a frozen hart on fire with the loue of â—e 8. It is true Lord. O my soule if thou â—houldest not be set on fire with Charity in â—his glowing-hoate and diuine fornace of â—he loue of my Sauiour I know not who will deliuer thee from the euerlasting freeâ—ing cold What father or friend hath euer â—o loued me as hath my Redeemer He hath â—ot loued me with the loue of seeking his â—wne commodity but with a sincere loue â—ecause he had euer a regard to my saluatioÌ„ â—nd not to any profit of his owne For when he was blessed in himselfe and was â—dored of the Angells in heauen he came â—owne into the world for me and became my brother and friend and dranke vp the â—itter cup of his passion that he might deliâ—er me from death euerlasting wherefore â—et me loue him and though I cannot loue â—im with an infinit loue as he deserueth sith he is infinitly good yea and goodnes iâ— selfe yet let me at least loue him withalâ— my hart He is to be loued of me as my father and a most clement father as a moâ— munificent giuer of all that I haue as my most compassionate comforter in all my distresses as a most diligent steward and procuratour in all my necessityes as a most abundant and liberall rewarder of all my good workes sith neither eye hath seeâ— nor vnderstanding of man can conceyue what God hath prepared in heauen for theÌ„ that loue him If he at any tyme chastizâ— vs we must loue him the more affectuously for it for punishments inflicted of loue hurt not Euery one who chastizeth is not an enemy as neither euery one is a friend that forgiueth Wherfore seeing euen when he punisheth he is an amiable Father and a Father of mercies it is to be thought that if he do it he doth
it for our good 9. O my soule not to loue God as hâ— is to be loued is not to loue him at all Hâ— ought to be loued respectfully not for the good or euill he can or may do vs in this oâ— the other life but for himselfe and all other things are to be loued in him and for him He must be loued strongly for Charity putteth away all vayne feare and ministreth ability courage to ouercome all difficultyes and to beare all aduersityes patiently He is to be loued with all the hart with all the soule with all the mind and with all the forces And to loue with all the actions inward and outward is to loue wisely sweetly feruently and continually He is to be loued aboue all thinges and so we shall loue him if we prefer him before all creatures if we would choose rather to dye a thousand deaths then to offend him by one mortall sinne 10. Sonne not all that thinke they loue me do so neither all who thinke they intertaine Charity at home do it Charity being the queene of all vertues entreth into no mans house vnles be she intertayned as a Queene neither stayeth she therein vnles he receyue her as a Queene and honour her for such Moreouer I am to be loued not by words but in deeds and my will is that loue be manifested by workes and not by the tongue alone How dost thou loue me if thou seldome thinkest of me when thou thinkest of me thou dost it only by the way passing in a languishing manner This is not to loue with all thy hart not with all thy mind How doest thou loue me when whole dayes weeks and moneths passe that thou speakest neither of me nor of any thing appertayning to me nor doest not willingly heare them who treate of good matters 11. Loue shut vp within the breast can neither forbeare to speake of me nor stop the eares from hearing men talke of me and how canst thou with truth affirme that thou louest me if thou attend not to those thinges that I speake vnto thee in thy hart Or if thou be attentiue wherfore dost thou not regard them Who loueth truly suffereth not any word of the beloued to fal in vaine out of his mouth but layeth them vp within his hart in store and there diligently examineth them and reflecteth vpon them How dost thou loue me if when thou art able thou dost it not or giuest not with a ready mind when any thing is asked or demaunded of thee for the loue of me It is not hard for a true louer to repay lesse loue to the beloued who hath giuen him his hart before more then that himselfe also How louest thou me if thou wilt not suffer any incommodity for my sake not expose thy selfe to any danger Who loueth from the hart will not sticke to dye for his beloued 12. How canst thou say thou louest me if in obseruing my commaundements thou findest so great difficulty and art so negligent as thou mayst seeme not to keep them but forced and against thy will Loue may not endure delay neither is it disgusted at all but doth with great alacrity the will of the beloued How can it be that thou louest me with al thy soule when thou art so greatly deuoted to thyne owne estimation and to other tryfling thinges that agree very little with my will He that loueth another besids me and not for me either loueth me not at all or loueth me not as he should How canst thou affirme that thou louest me if thou neither â—oue nor respect thy Superiours as they deserue who supply my place when as I haue plainly declared that the honour or contempt that is done to them is done to me He loueth not truly who conformeth not himselfe to his beloued Of the Religious mans Charity to his Neighbour CHAP. III. SONNE thou shalt find some in the world who desire not that any honour â—e giuen them thou shalt find those who refuse dignityes and honours thou shalt find also those who receyue not the gifts fauours or presents that others giue vnto them but thou shalt not find him who dereth not to be loued of others especially with due and respectiue loue which for that it causeth vnto the beloued neither suspition nor disgust is wont naturally to please Many loue their neighbour but they know not how to loue and therefore their loue is otherwhiles fruiteles as also hurtfull I gaue a commandment of louing thy Neighbour and declared the manner of louing him If thou loue thy Neighbour because he is thy kinsman or friend or because he is thy Countryman thou dost nothing this is not Charity tending to Heauen but naturall loue creeping vpon the earth and common to Infidells and Barbarians If thou loue him for any commodity or gayne that thou receyuest of him or hopest from him thou louest thy selfe 〈◊〉 not thy Neighbour and this is calleâ— Loue of Concupiscence neither is it of anâ— longer continuance then is the profit hoped for thereby To loue our Neighbouâ— for our owne commodity is not Charity but rather merchandize 2. Charity truly effecteth that thâ— Neighbour be loued because he is created to my likenes and is capable of euerlasting blisse True Charity disposeth that our Neighbour be loued for God and in God and he that loueth after this manner loueth all the poore equally with the rich the nobly borne and the ignoble he imbraceth all and wisheth them life euerlasting He loueth them as well in tyme of aduersity as of prosperity for he who ceaseth to loue his Neighbour in tyme of necessity manifesteth plainly that he loueth him not for me All this I vnderstood when I commaunded a man to loue his Neighbour as himselfe that is that thou shouldst wish vnto him what thou wishest to thy selfe And as thou must loue thy selfe â—n God and for God by obeying his law on earth that thou mayst afterwards haue thy reward in heauen so oughtest thou to loue thy Neighbour as capable of the same beatitude with thee O if the Religious would obserue this manner of louing their Neighbour there would not be seene so many partialityes in Religions and Churches 3. Some be loued most of all because they are learned and kind others because they be rich and in grace others because they are gentlemen or of noble bloud and those that be not such they regard not O fraud deceit What hath Charity coÌ„mon with learning and riches as if a man that is not rich or learned or well apparelled were not to be loued Charity hath in the first place an eye to me and for that cause loueth all in me But there is another misery more to be pittied that some do therefore loue others because they haue the same complexion of nature and of bloud with them This is not Charity but a carnall affection an enemy to true Charity Charity dilateth it selfe far more wide for it extendeth
occasion of sinning another while by giuing them hart and courage to shake off tentations at another tyme by auerting their desires from hurtfull things And now what Law commaundeth or permitteth that euill should be rendred for good What wild beast is so cruell that would go about to hurt his Benefactour If ingratitude alone be worse then a wild beast because it repayeth the Benefactour with ill if the forgetting of benefits be a thing infamous and worthy of reprehension what will it be to offend the Benefactour There haue beene seene many Religious who at the tyme of their death haue much lamented their owne ingratitude and haue made a firme purpose that if it should be their hap to recouer they would be most thankefull and would be most diligent in seruing of God heere after But these men became wise when it was too late 7. Sonne hast thou a desire to auoyd the detestable cryme of Ingratitude Then differre not thy good purpose but begin euen now to answere thy receyued benefits for this is to be grateful He is grateful who is as much afraid to offend his benefactour in the least thing as he is of death it selfe He is gratefull who imployeth his life heaâ—th strength body and whatsoeuer besiâ—s to his benefâ—ctours honour and glory He is gratefull who is diligent in his deuotions and in all his actions seeketh to accomodate and conforme himselfe to the diuine will Contrariwise that Religious man is vngratefull who carryeth not himselfe towards his Religion as towards his mother and mistresse The Religious that respecteth not his Superiours neither yealdeth them fit honour and reuerence as vnto my substituts is vngratefull And no lesse is he who prayeth not deuoutly for his benefactours by whose help meanes and industry I prouide necessaryes for the intertaynement of the Religious Finally gratefull is he who desireth to shew himselfe gratefull in all thinges Of Patience necessary in a Religious man CHAP. V. SONNE sith this life is the vnhappy banishment of Adams children a man cannot passe it ouer without much trouble and many afflictions and therfore my Church calleth it the Vale of Teares because there is not any state therin nor any place in which there is not occasion of lamentation Let a man make an election of whatsoeuer state he liketh best and let him haue al temporal goods and contentments at will yet he shal not want troubles miseryes and disgusts and whence he least expecteth thence will molestations and afflictions come vpon him For to excell in 〈◊〉 aâ—ng to abound in riches to haue the fauour of all to commaund others do not exempt and free a man from this banishment and vale of teares and therefore as long as a man liueth there is not wanting matter of sorrowing All haue a will to fly from the Crosse but it hideth not it selfe from any neither is there one only Crosse in this life but they are infinite No place no tyme no state is without aduersityes and therefore better it is to seeke a remedy against them then to fly from them Some whiles they put one Crosse by do fal into another greater then the former where they thought to haue found quiet of mind they find perturbations and troubles both of mind and body The only and present remedy of all these calamityes is Patience which preuayleth not by flying away but by resisting 2. And for the vnderstanding of the offiâ—e of Patience thou must know that of the contrary accidents that befall men in the banishment of this life there ariseth in a mans mind so great an heauines and grief as it obscureth reason and troubleth the mind And as a feuer in the sicke hindreth the actions of the body so doth sorrow disturbe hinder not only the good actions of the mind but further openeth the gate to many inordinate desires and sinnes And for this cause it is written of the Wiseman Sorrow hath killâ— many not only by a corporall death but by a spirituall also And Patience is a vertue that tempering moderating the grief and heauynes that is occasioned by tribulations conserueth and armeth Reason that she be not put from her standing and ouerthrown by the inordinate desires and passions of the mind And this is nothing els then to stop the entrance against many errors and defaults that befall whils the mind is vnquiet and the Reason troubled And therfore in my Scripture it is sayd that Patience hath a perpetuall work for that when the sorrow grief of mind is once moderated all the hatred indignation reuenge and other the euills which are wont to rise of those perturbations are the more easily diuerted and put by And when the Reason is once free from all perturbations it hapneth that a man executeth the workes of vertue after an entiere perfect manner Hence it is that some call Patience the keeper and conseruer of vertues and not without cause For vertue cannot exercise their power when Reason is troubled and the mind disquieted and therfore they need the help of Patience that keepeth the reason free from perturbation and the mind from disquiet consequently the vertues be conserued also The house that hath not one within to keep it is easily spoyled 3. For to cure the deseases of this present life there be vsed three kinds of Antidots The first is that which the Phisitians prescribe and this doth not alwayes cure or help yea sometymes it hurteth For the Phisitians often find not the cause of the sicknes and therfore they cannot well apply any cure vnto it The second is prayer whereby recourse is made to the heauenly Phisitian who as most wise hath a perfect knowledg of all diseases and being omnipotent is of power to take them away in an instant And this medicine though it doth euer good doth not for all that restore the health at all tymes For the heauenly Phisitian euer prescribeth a remedy that is expedient for the sicke person but corporall health is not euer good for the sicke therfore God doth not at all tymes giue it him The third Antidote is PatieÌ„ce which alwayes cureth being healthfull both to body and soule and helpeth not the sicke alone but the standers by also for the good example that is giuen them And this third Antidote is so proper to Religion as the Religious who either make little esteeme therof or vse it not be alwayes sore sicke The sicknes and infirmity is euill inough when the mind is disquieted by impatience 4. Sonne what is the cause when any thing befalleth troublesome vnto thee in Religion when some great labour is to be vndertaken or aduersity to be borne thou doest not vse Patience but art troubled murmurest and afflicted Hast thou not giuen ouer the world to suffer aduersityes for the loue of me Hast thou not resolued with thy selfe to endure all thinges though sore and painefull for the good of thy soule Whence is it then that when
â—nd thereunto I exhorted my Disciples for it is both an easy and healthfull meanes for â—he purchasing of the rest of the vertues For whereas it is the office of Meeknes to maintayne the peace of mind against the force of â—nger it causeth that the mind exerciseth vertue without any difficulty And whils it also defendeth the body against the innordinate passions it maketh the body a fit instrument for the obeying of the soule in the purchasing of vertues And therfore the Religious who taketh no great paynes in attayning Meeknes is not truly one of my Schoole and more then that stoppeth vp the entrance against vertue and Religious perfection 2. There is not any so vnciuill barbarous who if he do but consider the beauty excellency and propertyes of the vertue of Meeknes would not extoll and be in loue with it Sonne hast thou a desire to vnderstand how noble a vertue Meeknes is Compare it with the contrary vice namely with the intemperance of anger which is bound to obey the reason of man as to her Mistresse whose handmayd she is For if it obey not reason but go before it as it ordinarily hapneth it so distracteth the facultyes of the mind and troubleth the angered person as he may seeme to differ nothing from a foole and mad man from a beast possessed by the Diuell 3. Anger when it once getteth possession and commaund of the mind first of al it effecteth that the angred person remembreth neither God nor his own conscience It depriueth the mind of all iudgment that is of the eye of the mind whence blinded it is driuen into sundry errours and falls In the body it taketh away the equall temper and good proportion of humors and giueth cause to sundry diseases Moreouer it hurteth our Neighbours for the bad example To be short an angry mans life is most vnhappy not only because none willingly â—reateth with him but also for that he will haue al things done after his owne manner a thing that cannot be endured Whereupon when a thing is not done according to his mind or he hath sustayned hurt in some thing or hath receiued some iniury he eftsoones breaketh forth into flat rayling and reuiling speeches threatneth reueng and sometymes also by his intemperance of mind turneth his fury and rage vpon himselfe 4. Meeknes remedieth all these euills whose nature and first office is to moderate and stay the intemperance of anger and to restraine all other perturbations arising of it First of all therefore it represseth and mittigateth the violence fury of anger next it draweth the appetite of reueng to the rule of right reason for as much as in the angry it is wont to transgresse and goe beyond the bounds of moderatioÌ„ Meeknes in like manner conserueth all the facultyes of the mind euery one in his order and causeth them to do their owne functions Finally it reduceth the whole man to quiet and maketh him fit not only to acknowledge his Creatour but also to conuerse iâ— familiar manner with him And this gifâ— was peculiar to Moyses for his singulaâ— Meeknes 5. Neither doth the force and efficacy of Meeknes stay heere but it extendeth iâ— selfe further to the qualification and moderating of the anger of the Neighbours foâ— that one benigne and gentle answere or one meeke action is inough to appease the fury of any enraged beast to say nothing of a man incensed to anger But a thing much more to be regarded Meeknes is of so great excellency and authority as it mounteth vp to heaueÌ„ auerreth the anger of Gods iustice and obtayneth the pardon of most grieuous sinnes Woe to him who resisteth an angry man more mighty then himselfe 6. Moreouer the life of the Meeke is most happy because it is most acceptable not only to me his Lord but also to all his Neighbours Hence it is that euery one willingly vseth the company of the Meeke and all desire to gratify him Consider therefore Sonne how profitable and pleasing the vertue of Meeknes is and consider thou whether it be not conuenient that thou shouldest loue it and labour with all diligence to make thy selfe possessed of it Neither let it seeme any painefull matter vnto thee to striue against the inclination of nature prone and propense to choller for it is proper to a Religious man to restraine his passions to mortify his senses to intertaine his inward peace of mind But admit that Meeknes had nothing of al this yet this one thing should moue thee to vse all diligence for the obtayning of meeknes for that it maketh a Religious man like vnto me his Lord and Maister Againe is not all paine well taken in procuring that vertue that is no lesse pleasing to me then it is profitable to the Religious himselfe Not for him to be Religious but to be indewed with vertue maketh him like to his Lord and Maister And for the leading of a quiet peaceable life it is not inough to haue forsaken the world but a man needeth further to bridle anger and the passions therof 7. Sonne thinke not because thou art Religious that thou art free from the darts of thine enemyes because the Diuell taketh more paines in ouerthrowing of one seruant of myne theÌ„ of many secular persons The same enemyes also that is the passions and perturbations of the mind when they be not mortified do giue the Religious very sore woundes and therefore they need a strong and sure buckler for the receiuing of so many of the enemyes blows And this shield is Meeknes which no enemyes force can possibly breake but goeth away with the victory by receiuing their blowes theron It causeth the Meeke also in all his aduersityes and crosses to place great confidence in me and therefore while he continueth with a stout vndaunted courage he doth not easily giue way nor in prosperity please himselfe ouermuch and this is to hold the place of a shield not only in the tyme of warre but of peace also A Target profiteth him who holdeth it fast but he that easily suffereth it to be stroken out of his hands is presently wounded And so is it with Meeknes that defendeth him who holdeth it fast and will not let it go 8. Sonne remember that thou hast bidden a farewell to the world that thou mightst rid thy selfe of the dangers of the sna es of it and consecrate thy selfe wholy to a spirituall life and to my seruice but if thou be not Meeke thou canst obtayne neither For if thou shalt in Religion be subiect to anger and wrath thou wilt easily therein contend also with others and so thou canst not but be troubled and disquieted But if thou shalt be Meeke thou wilt not haue contention with any and with thy gentle and milde answers thou shalt appease those that haue a will to conteÌ„d Meeknes also helpeth that thou mayst be affected to spirituall and heauenly matters which do then set a man on
man is truly mortifyed who is dead to his owne loue He that is dead to himselfe is dead to the desires of the senses and leadeth a life conforme to the state of his Religion that maketh him Religious and spiritual The spirit may not continue life if the sensuality be not first dead 6. There be some Religious who mortify themselues in some one thing and not in another Mortification if it be not whole vniuersall in all things nothing pleaseth me because there is no being nor entrance for the spirit where all sensuality is not taken away The bird that is tyed with many bands is not free at liberty nor can fly her way if there be but one thrid that holdeth her fast by the legge One defect may hinder a Religious man from ariuing to the height of perfection Neither do those Religious lesse displease me who begin indeed to mortify themselues but vpon the very least inducement of the senses or terrified by their owne slouthfulnes continue it not MortificatioÌ„ that continueth not to the very end of lifâ— looseth the reward The victory is noâ— gotten at the beginning of the fight but iâ— the end thereof 7. Others there be who thinke theâ— discharge their duty when they mortifyâ— their passions and bad inclinations so far as publiquely and in the sight of others they do nothing that may not beseemâ— them But this is not Religious mortification for that such perturbations and motions of the mind be not truly mortified but are only couered ouer that their branches may not come to light and be seene He that draweth not out the roote of the imperfections cleane if it spring not forth to day it will to morrow and the Religious man will sooner giue ouer to cut off the peruerse branches then will the roote to put them forth Those Religious are very acceptable vnto me who do not only cut off all outward bad workes but do further endeauour by contrary acts to roote out the bad habits and their inordinate affections which be the rootes and fountaines of imperfection And this is true Mortification which taketh away the bad actions togeather with their beginnings Desirest thou to take away all the water â—hen stop vp the spring head 8. Sonne I know right well that this â—ontinuall warre betweene the flesh and â—pirit and betweene the sense and reason 〈◊〉 very sore and troublesome vnto thee but â—hou must know that a man was not creaâ—ed with this discord Neither was there â—his state in the terrestriall paradise where when as the sense was obedient to reason â—nd man to his Creatour there was exceeâ—ing great peace and concord sinne after â—t had stirred vp the inferiour part against â—he superiour brake this peace And if â—hou desire to be reduced and to returne to â—his first peacable state Mortification is to â—hee necessary the office whereof is againe â—o bring the body in subiection to the seruice of the spirit the lawfull Soueraigne and the senses vnder the commaund of reason for this is the way of renewing the peace For the reducing of two souldiers that be at variance do in hostile manner presecute the one the other necessary it is to peace amity that the one yeald to the other the inferiour to the superiour and therfore it is necessary that the body yield to the spirit sith it is a subiect to the spirit 9. O how ill doth that Religious maÌ„ vnderstand the manner of his own vocation who practiseth no true mortification sitâ— experience plainely teacheth that wherâ— Mortification is not there sensuality beareth sway And what profitable fruit caâ— grow from such a roote What good can 〈◊〉 Religious man do that abaseth himselfe to the desires of men of the world Of thâ— many euils that Sensuality produceth thiâ— is one that it is neuer quiet vntill it hath drawne a Religious man into extreme misery both of body and soule Contrariwise Mortification forcing the passions to keep themselues within their own bands greatly helpeth the Religious man towards the attayning of the perfection of vertues For as it is impossible to come to perfection without vertues so is it as impossible to compasse true vertues without Mortification 10. Lord all that thou hast hitherto sayd is most true but sith there is in man so great a multitude and variety of inordinate desires so many vnruly passions so great a company of bad inclinations how is it possible for a poore Religious man to resist so many contraryes When shall he euer be able to tame so many wild and vnruly beasts A man needeth to stand both day and night armed with a two-edged sword in his hand And for this cause no â—aruell though some Religious be found not to mortify themselues in all things and others againe not to preseuer in the care study of Mortification 11. Sonne thou peraduenture thinkest thy selfe the first of them who haue giuen themselus to exercise mortification Many indeed haue gone before thee who haue laboured manfully and gloriously in mortifying themselues in this life who now â—nioy the fruit of mortificatioÌ„ in heaueÌ„ And there liue many in Religion at this day giuen to mortification wherein they persist not without their owne merit and with great ioy to me Neither must it seeme strange or hard vnto thee to be continually in armes For if this life as my seruant Iob well sayd be a certaine continuall warfare on earth what other thing is it to liue theÌ„ to be euer in warres and to fight without ceasing When a Citty is besieged if the enemy giue continuall assault day night for the taking of it necessary it is for the besieged to be continually also in armes for the resisting of him If then thou meane to defend and keep the Citty of thy soule which is day night molested by passions that be the enemys therof it greatly importeth thee day and night to be at defiancâ— with them and to fight against them Anâ— it for the gayning of some fortificatioÌ„ meâ— aduenture with the hazarding of theiâ— liues wherefore should thy paynes of Mortification seeme hard vnto thee for the gayning and winning of the castle of heauen wherein thou shalt triumph for eternity Thou shewest thy selfe ouer delicate The souldiar that is afrayd of paynes soone fainteth and looseth courage 12. Neither must thou be terrifyed with the multitude and variety of thy contrary passions for though thou hast not forces inough in thy selfe to beare the violent impression of them yet by the help of Gods grace thou shalt be able not only to mayntaine thy selfe safe from their incursions but also to put them to flight and to take away the memory of them within thy selfe All Religious haue a desire at the houre of their death to be found mortifyed and yet but few haue a will to mortify theÌ„selues If thou shunnest mortificatioÌ„ liuing how wilt thou be mortifyed at the end of thy life when thou coÌ„mest do dye
vnto them that it is good for a Religious man if he bring his flesh in subiection by long watchings and other asperityes of body as did the holy Fathers in the wildernes who be now Saints in heauen and are honoured in this militant Church for lights of the world But the crafty enemy proposeth not that those actions should be profitable to the soule or pleasing to God or exercised by the rule of Discretion neither doth he also declare when the forces of men be not equall that it is not conuenient for all to vse the same seuerity towards themselues for what is mediocrity to one is ouermuch to another Neither doth he giue to vnderstand that there needeth the coūsell of spiritual Fathers without which none may with security walke on in the way of spirit Sonne seeing the Diuell deceyueth thee by himselfe if thou wilt not be deceiued by him in thy pennances and deuotions follow not thine owne head nor trust thy selfe 9. Finally that a Religious man may be discreet in all his actions it is therefore also conuenient because he is regular and reason requireth that he direct all his actions to a certaine square and rule this is to be discreet And more then all this a Religious mans actions must be addressed to my glory but what glory of myne can it be if the same be vicious and indiscreet What pleaseth me not procureth not either honour or glory Consider now Sonne if indiscretion in fasting disciplines and in other good workes of that kind displeaseth me so greatly how much thinkest thou will it discontent me if a Religious man be indiscreet in eating and drinking in sleeping and in the like actions which be not of themselues holy but indifferent How much shal he displease me if he exceed be indiscreet in actions that be bad in themselues If indiscretion be ill of it selfe cōioyned to a bad thing it wil doubtles be worse and will displease me more 10. Discretion is necessary as well for Superiours who gouerne others as for subiects who are gouerned Discretiō which is the child of beneuolence teacheth them to be louing and benigne Fathers to be compassionate to their subiects nor to impose heauyer burdens vpon them then they are able to beare And it teacheth the subiect to reuerence honour respect obey their Superiours O how displeasing a thing is it to me to see a subiect indiscreet towards his Superiour Indiscretion because it is crueltyes daughter and hardnes sister causeth the subiect to afflict his Superiour by shewing himselfe froward in obeying and dissolute in discipline I know very well how many sighes and deep groanes of the poore afflicted Superiours for their subiects hardnes of hart ascend vp to heauen But woe to them who shall haue giuen the occasion The contempt that is done to Superiours is done to me and it appertaineth to me to examine and punish it Of Indifferency necessary for a Religious man CHAP. IX SONNE thou hast many a tyme and often heard that Religion is the schoole of perfection so it is and therefore they that enter into Religion be not perfect but haue a desire to labour to the perfection of Religious discipline The scholler that hath begon to follow his booke hath no thing els proposed to him but to learne to speake write Latin first after to passe ouer to the higher Sciences As touching the meanes whereby he may come to his sayd end he sayth not I wil imprint these rules in my mind I must be conuersant in this booke and read it ouer ouer I must heare such a lesson but he is indifferent submitteth himselfe wholy to the iudgmēt of his maister to read or heare whatsoeuer shall to him seeme good If a Religious man doth not the same in the schoole of Religion he shall neuer write or read wel but shall cōmit many errours in Religious discipline His only care must now be to aspire to perfection but about the meanes proper to Religion let him be indifferent and leaue all to the iudgment of his Superiour whatsoeuer is in that kind to be don And that Religious man is truly indifferēt whose will put as it were in to a payre of scals weigh not more to one part or thing then to another but is ready to do what the Superiour commaundeth 2. Indifferency is Resignations daughter this cannot be without that Therfore the Religious man who is not touching his owne person and those things that appertaine vnto him resigned to my will to that of his Superiours who supply my place neither is nor can be sayd to be indifferent O how little is that Religious in grace and fauour with me who when any thing shall be by his Superiour commaunded him answereth that he is ready indeed to obey yet he had rather do this or that if that be not yealded vnto him he complaineth or murmureth and sometymes also neglecteth to do what is commaunded him This is no indifferency nor resignation but is a kind of contract He that in accepting of obedience vseth this But hath a meaning that his worke should be but very slenderly rewarded Who sayth I will do it but I would or will declareth that he is not yet dead to himselfe nor hath renounced his owne will In the world when thou wert thyne owne maister in dealing with me didst thou not say I wil or I would and therefore thou hast not yet either left the world or it hath not left thee This is no other thing then to put one foot into two stirrops and to haue a will to serue two maisters The world doth not leaue them who do not first forsake it 3. Lord if I be indifferent and ready to performe all thinges that shall be commaunded me who shall proue that to me to be better for my soule and my quiet Sonne if thou seeke to do that whereunto thyne owne affection swayeth thee who may secure thee that it is more expedient for thy soule and for thy quiet The good of soules proceedeth from me and that I communicate to them who are conioyned with the Superiour whom I haue assigned to gouerne from whome if thou because thou art not indifferent shalt separate thy selfe thou shalt depriue thy selfe of all the gifts and graces which I am accustomed to bestow vpon the subiectes by help of the Superiours Besides if thou be a true child of obedience thou oughtst to iudge and thinke that to be best that thy Superiour where no sinne is shall ordaine if thou be indifferent thou art bound promptly to put it in execution For if any errour hap to be committed it shal neither be thyne nor imputed vnto thee neither shalt thou loose any part of thy merit A good Religious man examineth not whether it be better or worse that is commanded but it is inough to him if it seeme better to the Superiour 4. Some there be who can hardly be induced to
make their habitation in that place where Obedience would appoint them or to do the busines that the Superiour iudgeth most conuenient for my glory and therfore they are troubled and cannot find any quiet or peace of mind they ascribe this their disquiet either to the place wherein they dwell or to the company with whom they conuerse or to the office that they execute vntill they obtaine some change in them But that euill is hardly cured the cause wherof is not vnderstood This is no fit way of cure and of remedying it the origen of the euill is to be sought into which is an vnmortified passion proceeding of selfe loue And of this it is that a Religious man is not indifferent nor resigned in all thinges to the Superiours wil. Thinkest thou the place will effect that thyne inordinate passion or proper loue may be remoued and taken away The change of bed doth not ease the sicke man of his feuer but doth oftentymes increase it And though the change somewhat tēpereth the hoat burning of it for the tyme yet within a while it tormēteth him more sore So hapneth it to a Religious man who carryeth with him the cause of his vnquietnes and that is his inordinate passion and vnles the axe of mortification be vsed to the cutting away of this bad roote whatsoeuer change of place be made it will euer be worse with him for the longer the euill hangeth vpon him the more strength it getteth and the lesse indifferent it maketh him 5. But tell me if after the change of place or of office thou find thy selfe as vnquiet or more then before as commonly it is wont what wilt thou do Wilt thou wish to remoue to another place In no case for that were to play the pilgrim without a staffe with thyn owne detriment and the bad example of others Or wouldst thou rather resolue to mortify thy selfe there to pull the cause of thy disquiet vp by the roote But that might be done as well in the place to which obediēce had sent thee and had beene done with edification of them who knew thee to be vnquiet little mortified lesse indifferent He that hath not the spirit of God though he should find a place euen among Angels will not cease to be vnquiet 6. Others againe are so tyed to one place as when they vnderstand that the Superiour thinketh on some change they are tempted and much troubled and which is worse because they thinke themselues in that place where they then are to abide with the fruit increase of Gods honour and seruice they censure their Superiours for imprudent and destitute of zeale Hence it is that if they be against their will remoued and sent away to some other place they do not well accommodate thēselues to any function or office but do trouble others and liue very vnquietly and discontentedly themselues Can it possibly be that so little a regard should be had of Indifferency which is a Religious mans crowne When I called thee to Religion did I then promise and vndertake to place thee there where thou wouldst or where I would Certes thou dost manifest that in seruing me thou relyest rather vpon thyne owne sense then my iudgment O misery There is not a Religious man that would not thinke also affirme that it is good yea and necessary that my seruants be indifferent and resigned but when he commeth to action he findeth a repugnancy What auayleth it an Horseman to haue a generous and goodly horse if he be not tractable What helpeth it to haue a seruant though he be neuer so excellent if he suffer not himselfe to be gouerned neither hath a will to do my will 7. Tell me Sonne is it not good for a Christian to be indifferent in thinges neither commanded nor forbidden and to be ready to do what I shall command him as to haue children or not haue any to be of an healthfull body or of a sickly Euen so for seeing it is vnknowne vnto him what is best for the good of his soule there is good reason he should stand to my iudgment And this is to be indifferent And if this be true as it is most true wherfore dost thou that art Religious choose out of thyn owne will to execute this ministery and office rather then that to dwel in this place rather then in another How knowest thou whether this or that be more for thy soules good quiet or perfection He that is not indifferent maketh the gouernement the more hard laborious and paynefull He that is not indifferent seldome yealdeth to the iudgmēt of the Superiour but ordinarily is inclined to performe those ministeryes to the exercising wherof he is lesse fit sith none is a good and impartiall iudge in his owne cause in regard of an inordinate affectiō that deceiueth him He that is not indifferent peruerteth the order of right gouernement for that whiles he accommodateth not himselfe to his Superiour as he ought the Superiour is forced to accommodate himselfe vnto him He that is not indifferent can neyther be spirituall nor deuout and is ordinarily selfe-willd and heady Of Modesty necessary for a Religious man CHAP. X. SONNE Religious Modesty is a silent Sermon but such as penetrateth and is efficacious which like vnto a sharppointed arrow entreth into a mans hart woundeth it and worketh wonders therin and the more deepe wound it giueth the more plenteous fruit it bringeth forth it profiteth not only them who heare the sermō but him also who maketh it For Modesty intertayneth a Religious mans spirit and maketh him so collected in mind and present to himselfe as all his actions breath forth a most sweet sent of deuotion and is so excellent an ornament to a Religious man as it maketh him amiable and most deare to all who shall behold him Againe inward Modesty whereof the outward proceedeth is so pleasing vnto me as it is a pleasure to me to vse the company therof And more then this a Modest Religious person is of so great authority with others as there is nothing that he may not perswade them vnto And if they do so many thinges in regard of a Religious mans Modesty what is it conuenient for me to do for whose loue he practised that Modesty What should he not obtaine at my handes who is most deare vnto me and most acceptable 2. It produceth also wonderful effects in others There is not any so incomposed so dissolute and disordered who would not at the very sight of a modest Religious man presently collect and compose himselfe also to an externall Modesty thinking he should transgresse the bounds of Modesty if before a modest Religious man he should not demeane himselfe with the like Modesty also Moreouer Modesty woundeth the hart with a certaine other woūd and that a more healthfull one and this is it sweetly draweth others to deuotion and to an imitation of good manners neither giueth ouer
manner and forme of Prayer wherein he would be named Father that all might in their necessityes with a great confidence repaire vnto him and both prayse and reuerence the diuine Goodnes in this holy exercise of Prayer which is so pleasing vnto him as he sometymes differeth to impart the grace that is required and craued therein that the Prayer may be repeated and sayd ouer againe Prayer was also no lesse pleasing vnto me then it was familiar vnto me and therfore I recommended it in the Ghospell and commended it vnto others not by words only but by examples and deeds And when I had no leasure to attend to Prayer by day by occasion of the paynes of my preaching and of other works done for the good of my Neighbours I spent the night in it 3. O how sore that Religious man sinneth and how strait an accompt is he to yeild vp one day vnto God who eyther doth not bestow the tyme that is by his Religion allowed him for prayer in that holy exercise or bestoweth it not in manner as he ought and might if he would And how great a shame is it to see that whē a signe is giuen to some recreation appertaining to the body they come running in all hast and diligence and when the signe is giuen to Prayer they come slowly vnto it If thou dost not performe or very negligently performe the taske of thy wonted Prayers dost thou not consider that thou dost it with the preiudice of other Religious that haue a participation with thy Religion He that maketh no conscience to depriue his owne soule of the fruit of Prayer will make lesse conscience to defraud others If the seruant be not affected to that which pleaseth his Lord much lesse will the Lord be affected to that which is pleasing to the seruant 4. Prayer is nothing els then a talke commerce of a reasonable creature with his Creatour to whome he confidently proposeth both his owne necessityes and those of others that as a Father of mercyes he would vouchsafe to assist help his children But those please me much who being to deale in prayer with their heauenly Father do inuocate some one of the Saints to whome they are deuoted that they would please also to assist them with their prayers and petitions to God They also please me who do not begin to pray vntill they shall haue craued grace of praying well as do those also who craue pardon for their imperfections and sinnes for as much as this is wont not a little to help and promote the fruite and progresse of Prayer They also do well who to pray with fruit do not only exclude the cogitations of all other affayres that are wont to distract the mind but also seeke to be well composed and to vse such a situation of body as helpeth towards the saying of their prayers both attentiuely and deuoutly For seeing Prayer is a sacrifice to God it is not lawful to pretermit any thing in it for the best performing therof 5. Some obtaine not at Gods hands what they haue craued in prayer because they craued not what was conuenient He that asketh what is hurtful or vnprofitable to the soule asketh not that is conuenient for it for as much as in prayer are to be craued thinges good and profitable for the soule Thinges indifferent which may be vsed well or ill such as be honours riches health of body must be asked with a condition if they be good for the soule Better knoweth the Phisitian thē the sicke what is more necessary for his health and therfore he doth neuer giue vnto the sick what he demaundeth but what may do him good I did not take from my Apostle the sting of the flesh though by his prayer he had more then once craued it of me because it profited him more to haue it still It is best for the Religious if his soule be filled with merits rather then that his will should be satisfied He that is not humble in his prayer and acknowledgeth not his owne misery obtayneth not what he craueth because he asketh not well Who prayeth not with confidence so as he firmely beleeue that I am able to satisfy his petitions obtayneth not grace because he prayeth not as he should He that perseuereth not in prayer or giueth ouer his petition once begon or els goeth forwards after a languishing cold manner therein obtayneth nothing because he asketh not well 6. There are some others who so soon as they obtayne not the grace they craue giue ouer their prayer to their owne losse for as much as I had determined to bestow greater graces vpon them then they asked of me but because they might not endure to be delayed they lost all Whiles I differ the bestowing of my grace and they yet persist and hold on in prayer their desire of praying waxeth hoater and hauing obtaytained it they imbrace it and conserue it with a greater feruour for the tyme to come Moreouer they cōtinue their prayer which is a good action meritorious they make themselues the more apt for the receiuing of the desired grace For whiles they are betwixt hope and feare of receiuing the grace they craue they examine themselues whether some secret sinne or imperfection of theirs may peraduēture be an impediment to the receiuing of such grace and if they find any such they become penitent for it and therby they make themselues the more apt for the receiuing of grace Be not these diuers and different priuiledges of graces that I giue whiles I do not yeald vnto the petitions at the very first Why then do they giue ouer their prayer Many things are obtained of God by occasion of a vehement and continued desire of the thing which if it should not be they should not obtaine at all Therefore as my Scripture sayth Better is the end of Prayer then is the beginning For no worke is finished being but begon but when it is brought to an end To one well disposed God knoweth how when to giue more then he is able to aske 7. Others giue ouer their prayer because they are dry and find no deuotion in their prayer at all but this is no good remedy for the matter If that aridity groweth through thyne owne default as because thou comest to prayer without any preparation going before and with an head distracted with many impertinent cogitations wherfore shouldst thou giue ouer thy prayer for it Let the cause of thy aridity distraction be rather remoued taken away He that of his owne carelesnes stumbleth vpon a stone doth not therefore cut off his own foot because he stumbled without any his owne fault neither omitteth he for that to prosecute his iourney but is more vigilant that he may stūble no more Neither is prayer to be giuen ouer when the aridity commeth vpon thee without any thy fault for as much as I do sometymes of purpose withdraw the grace of
not be a good iudge nor iudge well of thy selfe If thou didst know thy selfe well thou wouldest not raise so magnificall and stately a building vpon so weake and frayle a foundation That a man be highly recommended and held in great veneration needs it must be that there is an opinion and estimation before in the mind not of him who is to be honoured but of them who are to giue the honour touching his excellency and worthines But if they see no vertue in thee at all but imperfections rather and leuityes how can they haue a good opinion of thee or speake and report of thy prayses The good workes do cause a good opinion and not the desire of him who seeketh his owne prayses 7. Desirest thou to see how far thou art in this matter from the truth Consider what I am now to say vnto thee Thou art either dead to the world or not If thou be not thou art nothing worth for Religion nor Religion for thee sith it receiueth and approueth none but such as haue from their hart renounced the vanityes of the world and this is to be dead to the world And amongst the vanities of the world one is to seeke after honour and to desire to be esteemed for great But if thou be dead to the world why desirest thou to be honoured of it A dead body careth not whether it be placed on the right hand or on the left in an honorable place or whether cappes and knees be giuen it or not But if thou seekest for a more honorable place or a greater office if thou desirest that others should giue thee place how art thou dead to the world Neither doth it satisfy me if thou sayst thou desirest honour for my glory and honour that thou mayst haue greater authority with men and by help thereof mayst be able to do more good with others For if it were so that appertained to me and not to thee to prouide and if there shall be any need I will not be wanting to my duty In the meane time it is my honour and my glory if thou be humble and not greiued if thou be at any tyme contemned for so thou shalt be like vnto me thou shalt liue quiet in Religion and shalt receiue thy reward in heauen And know thou that to be desirous of prayse is not the way to help others but to be a follower of Humility Charity and other vertues and most of all if thou be wholy estranged from all ambition and auarice and giue good example to others That a Religious man must not be ouermuch desirous of the commodityes of his body CHAP. II. SONNE to speake faire to a friend to please him and to giue an occasion of well doing is very conuenient and commendable but to fawne vpon an enemy who seeketh thine eternall ruine and to giue him oportunity of ill doing is very absurd and detestable Thou art not ignorant that of three capitall enemyes thou hast one is thyne own body thou knowest also that thy flesh if it be not chasttised and kept vnder becometh so fierce and insolent as it will cause thy soules ruine Tel me what law hath appointed that a Religious man should fawne vpon his body who is bound to restraine kurbe it with the bridle and to mortify it Wherefore should the Religious attend to the care of the bodyes commodityes who is assured that the more he fauoureth and che sheth it the prouder it will become My Apostle by chastising his body and intreat ng it hardly brought it to the duty it did owe to the spirit He therefore who yealdeth vnto it ouer much giueth an occasion vnto it of reuolt and of rebelling against the spirit 2. Lord thou hast not made vs lords of our body that we may take life from it or mayme and mangle it but thou hast giuen vs a charge to preserue the health of it as much as we can and therefore we may procure those commodityes therof that make to the conseruation of health and so much the more for that we vse not onely the soule but the body also for the doing of thee diuine honour and seruice 3. Sonne it pleaseth me much that a Religious man conserue and maintaine his good health by fitt meanes for the doing of my seruice but this displeaseth me that vnder pretēce of preseruing the health of body he maketh ouer much of it I like not that Religious man who will vsurpe and take vpon him a Phisitians office and iudge himselfe what is for and what is against his health For of this it happeneth that whatsoeuer pleaseth his appetite that is good for him what agreeth not with his tast that is hurtfull for his health Neither doth he offend me lesse because he sayth he doth it for my greater and better seruice And indeed it is not to serue me but to serue his owne gust and sensuality It is my seruice when euery one mortifyeth his owne flesh as much as is requisite and it needeth O how many Religious be there who vnder a pretext of conseruing their health become the slaues of their own desires The health is better kept by parsimony and moderation then by the procuring of thinges appertayning to the tast Yea by this the health is impayred for that there is excesse in all thinges commonly that haue pleasure with them Moreouer it is an obligation proper to a Religious person to yeald no more to the body then what is needfull for intertayning of life not what is for the stirring vp of the flesh 4. If the Religious man would examine whence ariseth that so great a care he hath of himselfe and of his body he would not be so anxious and importune in seeking after the commodityes therof In some it groweth of a superfluous cōmiseration and pitty towards themselues because they could wish to yeald their body some pleasure In others it proceedeth of a magnificall opinion they conceiue of their owne estimation for wheras they are perswaded that it greatly importeth the cōmon wealth if they liue long their care is all in all about the preseruation of their health Both these namely commiseration and estimation be selfe-loues daughters And what good fruit can come of so dangerous a roote These men peraduenture thinke that if they were gone my Church would come to decay or their Religion would come to ruine They are greatly deceiued Many other pillars haue fallen and yet both my Church and Religion hold their owne that care appertayneth to me aswell to conserue both as to prouide them of good workmen and labourers And I vnder take that the Religiō when such men are gon shall not only not come to ruine but shall further receaue an increase because those commonly who haue taken lesse paynes in Religion and haue most troubled it be those who haue beene most of all giuen to their pleasures and commodityes of body And these be they who do by their example
O how displeasing is it vnto me whiles I see some Religious to haue a most earnest desire to vnderstand â—omething touching the state of their paâ—ents and to receiue letters from them For what is it els but to seeke an occasion of â—rouble and of distraction in their prayers â—t is not much to haue forsaken parents in body vnles thou also abandon them in mind and cogitation O how wisely did some seruants of myne who hauing receiued letters of their friends from far countryes for the conseruing of their quiet and peace of mind threw them vnread into the fire O lamentable folly of some Religious persons Their parents by them left in the world haue laid a side all care and memory of them whiles they againe be day and night sollicitous and anxious about them 5. Neither do those Religious lesse offend me who do not only wish but also by all manner of diligence on their part seeke to raise their parents or kyn to great dignityes and therefore they subiect themselues to the men of the world that they may gaine and wyn their fauour these men do greatly preiudice both their ownâ— authority and their Religion Sonne dost thou not see that is not to serue me but thy friends Seest thou not that is not to furnish and enrich thy soule but to make others rich by many temporall commodityes What rule perscribeth that thou shouldst play thy parents Procuratour Haue an eye to thy selfe for I assure thee that in the latter iudgment I will not demaund of thee whether thy parents were great in this life nor whether thou shewdst thy selfe diligent in procuring them dignityes and honours but will rather exact an accompt of thee whether thou hast busyed and intangled thy self in such affaires This is not the way of Religious perfection but the way of loosing all spirit and all piety togeather 6. Is it not an exceeding great madnes for a Religious man to be most cowardly and negligent in running the way of perfection whereto he was bound and to be most cunning and to shew a great witt about the raising of his friends vp to great dignityes in the world And what is worse then it It more displeaseth me that there be Religious who take more care that their parents and friends abound in temporall commodityes then in spirituall Whence it is that they very seldome and withall coldly aduise them to the exercise of vertues but they often and in very earnest manner excite them to the procuring of earthly riches Sonne what will the dignityes and titles of thy friends do thee good if thou be imperfect What reward expectest thou froÌ„ me if thou trauailest takest paynes only for flesh and bloud Certes thou shouldst prouide better for thy selfe and for their soules good if thou wouldst direct them in the way of vertue and by so doing thy merit would be the greater and their soules good should be the more securely promoted That the Religious man ought to vse greaâ— prudence and circumspection in the company of others CHAP. V. SONNE all the Religious with whom thou liuest be my beloued children my charity wherwith I tender them iâ— not partiall but generall for I loue all I wish vnto all the true good And I desire that thou also by my example wouldst loue all indifferently and wish vnto all perfection in this life and euerlasting glory in the next for so perfect Religious Charity requireth O how much do the particuler familiarityes of some Religious persons displease me who contract the charity that they should extend to all to two or three with whome they continually keep company and by their bad example do greatly offend others And how is it possible I should not hate such conuersation The amity and friendship that hurteth the coÌ„munity was neuer good neither had euer a good ending but euer brought forth some euill as murmurations obloquies complaints dissentions wherby though no other great mischiefe should follow these conuersations would be dangerous pernicious inough to Religion 2. Sith thou art a member of a Religious community thou art euery way and by all meanes bound not only to loue it but also for the loue of it to suffer something not pleasing to thy liking For we see that a man to be conserued in health some member therof is oftentymes either tormented with cutting and searing or quite cut off from the body for that the meÌ„bers be naturally ordained for the conseruation of the wholy body If therefore thou louest thy Religion wherof thou art a member thou must haue a care that it be preserued whole and entire to remoue all thinges from it that may any way hurt it among which not without cause is an ouermuch familiarity with some particuler persons He that loueth truly is most circumspect and carefull not to offend the beloued in any thing But we see that Communityes be not a little offended hurt by priuate friendship especially if the same be betweene persons desirous of a more free life who be held neither in the number of the very spirituall nor of the well mortifyed Wherefore it followeth that he who forbeareth not from such like conuersation that offendeth the rest of thâ— company is not a louer of the community nor of his Religion I know wel that somâ— Religious person is otherwhiles found who taketh very little or no care at all oâ— loue his Religion and little regardeâ— whether it goeth on well or ill so he may not himselfe want his own commodityes But euery Religious person must know that Religion is his mother and if he louâ— it not and vseth it not as his mother hâ— shall not himselfe be dealt with as with a sonne but as ingratefull shall be one day punished as he deserueth 3. Neither am I ignorant that therâ— be not wanting of those who excuse themselues that they are of their own nature complexion very melancholy and foâ— that cause do vse only the company oâ— few And whence hast thou learned thaâ— the Religious must vse the direction and conduct of nature and complexion If nature should incline thee to ease and ydlenes or to pride might thou giue thy selfe to ease and pride But remember sonne thaâ— thou art now become Religious that thou mighst ouercome nature and mortify thâ— inordinate desires of bloud or of complexion Now then it appeareth that the affection of particuler familiarity sith it is not conforme to a Religious spirit must needs be inordinate Neither is it good if thou sayst That in this particuler conuersation there is no euill nor any peruerse end intended for it carryeth a shew of an euill great inough when others are therby offended and that the Superiours reprehend and find fault with it 4. Lord it is thy will that all should profit in spirit vse those meanes which may help to spirituall profit I then find by experience that I profit more in spirit by often conuersing with
whereof by reason of an inueterate custome he smelleth not but he shall feele it alas in his death when he shall also haue a feeling of the hurt For he must of necessity go depriued and destitute of good workes to another life where the fewer good workes a man shall bring the lesse he shall haue of happynes and he that might haue brought more shall be greatly sory â—hat he brought theÌ„ not O how true is that which the Wiseman sayth That a liuing dog is better then a dead lyon There be some Religious men excellently learned generous of nature enriched with many â—alents by God but so giuen ouer to ease idlenes as where they are able wonderfully to promote the Christian cause by their paynes and trauaile yet they do nothing and what be they els then dead lyons Certes a liuing dog that is that Religious man doth much more who though but meanly and slenderly prouided of learning doth yet what he can and is able for the loue of me And indeed he thâ—â— doth little when he can no more pleaseth me more then doth he who is of ability to performe much and yet doth it not 3. I was euer a capitall enemy of idlenes and therefore meete is it that thou who makest a profession of imitating me shouldst also be auerted from idlenes Thou knowest well that I began to take payne from my very childhood in helping onâ— while my poore mother another while my foster-father Ioseph in his trade and wilâ— not thou who art come out of the worlâ— to Religion to trauaile and take paynes help the Religion thy mother in her lâ—bours and thy Superiours who intertainâ— and gouerne thee Remember what my Apostle sayth That an idle man is noâ— worthy of his meate To desire to eate not to haue a will to labour is nothing elâ— but to haue a will to consume and spenâ— what is got by others a thing vnworthyman not to say a Religious man Neitheâ— doth it satisfy that thou sayst I am readâ— to take great paynes but my Superiouâ— will not put me to those labours wheruntâ— I haue an inclination and which I am ablâ— to do with commodity and ease This iâ— no iust excuse sith it is not for thee to choose the office or thing that is to be exercised or done The seruant in seruing must not follow his owne inclination but his Maisters and thereâ—ore the Superiour supplyeth my place to appoint vnto his subiects what is to be done to my greater glory Moreouer whence art thou sure that thou canst performe that charge and office well whereunto thou hast an inclination Thou canst not in this matter be an vpright and indifferent iudge by reason of the passion that deceiueth thee Euery one pleaseth himselfe in his owne but the paine and difficulty is that the same may also be pleasing to others and though thou shouldst content all and yet should displease me what good would it do thee And therefore thou shalt neuer free thy selfe from the fault of idlenes vnles thy trauayles be conforme to my will declared vnto thee by thy Superiour 4. O how pernicious a thing is idlenes to a Religious person For where idlenes raigneth there is no charity which cannot be idle as my Apostle sayth very well If therefore thou be idle it followeth that thou wantest charity And what will it profit thee poore and miserable man if thou hast receiued the gifts and talents of all creatures be without charity What merits canst thou heap vp for thy selfe if thou labourest not according to charity Idlenes is no more repugnant to paines taking and Charity then it is pleasing to the Diuell to whose tentations assaults he giueth place oportunity and occasion Where idlenes is there the Diuell euer findeth ready entrance for as much as idlenes is to him like a citty vnprouided of the defence of walls Hence it is that those ancient holy Fathers who made the desert famous did euer and anone admoniâ—â— their schollers for freeing themselues from the impugnations assaults of the Diuell to haue a care to be euer in some imployment or busines sith by so doing an occasioÌ„ is taken from the Diuell of working hiâ— bad designes 5. Idlenes further worketh anotheâ— mischief and hurt to a Religious man that is that he falleth into many defects for as much as it maketh him curious a breaker of silence detractour it causeth him to disturbe and hinder others in theiâ— good exercises to go often abroad and tâ— wander vp and downe the Citty and to seeke sundry recreations and pastimes foâ— the contenting of himselfe This is not â—he way of purchasing vertue nor of laâ—ouring to perfection wherunto thy foreâ—â—thers ariued and now do in a most pleaâ—ant and contenting manner enioy the â—ruit of their good works and labours 6. Finally idlenes is cause of another â—urt that it spoileth the Religious man of â—wo most precious thinges namely tyme â—nd life and is not this a most manifest madnes I haue giuen thee life and do still â—onserue it that thou mayst enrich it by meriting and hast thou no regard of thyne owne good and commodity What proâ—itor help can thy neighbour expect from â—hee if thou hast not any consideration of â—hyne owne weale I haue granted thee â—yme and oportunity of manuring and cultiuating thyne owne vineyard that is â—hy soule and thou sufferest it through â—hyne idlenes to grow wilde What good wilt thou do to thy Religion who hast â—o little care of thyne owne soule That a Religious man ought to be practised in hearing and talking of God and of spirituall matters CHAP. VII SONNE many be by Sermons drawn to the faith to a better course of life and many by spirituall talke and discourse be stirred vp in the loue of God and of vertues whence it is that to heare or to speak of matters of spirit helpeth very much to the attayning of perfection for that the one and the other findeth entrance into the innermost receipts of the hart Spirituall talke whiles eare is giuen vnto it iâ— receyued into the hearers hart as a good holy seed that cannot but bring forth good and answerable fruit And because the same commeth from out of the hart of the deliuerer of spiritual matters it must needâ— also set his hart on fire from whose mouth such speach commeth Conference therefore of pious matters profiteth both the hearer and the speaker 2. All this is true but yet if there want loue in the hart neither the tongue not the eares will busy themselues much in spirituall matters Whence thinkest thou doth it come that some speake so seldome â—â—d so coldly of spirituall matters but of a â—efect and want of feruent loue Whence â—inkest thou groweth the loathing and â—isgust when speach is had of pious things â—â—d heauenly but of a defect of the same â—â—ue If the fire of the loue of God and of â—ertues should burne within
opinion present or els stand vpon their honour and reputation the flame and hear of contention goeth sometymes on so far as no help may quench and put it out but with the ruyne of them both 7. The fruits of this tree be very pernicious to Religion in gathering wherof if there be no vigilancy and diligence vsed it is to be feared least within a while it become full of much infectious fruite as of hatred dissentions murmurations treacheryes vnderminings reuenges and other vices of that kind neither shall Religion be any longer the Schoole of vertue but the sinke of vice and a receptacle of Diuells yea and for the scandall giuen to men of the world more bad then hell it selfe And whereas hell is the place of torments and full of miseryes wherin sinners receiue their punishments it induceth no man to sinne but rather terrifyeth him from committing sinne but that ReligioÌ„ in the bowels wherof raigneth discord and hatred for the scandall giuen induceth secular men to sinne the more greeuously For if a secular man obserue the Religious to be at contention and iars amongst themselues he will thinke thaâ— it is much more lawfull for him to enteâ— into such kind of contentions to continue them But if it chance that seculaâ— men do intermeddle themselues and takâ— part in the contentions and debates oâ— Religious men then the Religion becommeth nothing els then a house and habitation of diabolicall confusion My Apostles had also contentions amongst them which of them should be greater though their errour were not great nor would haue done much hurt to the Colledge oâ— my Apostles yet I gaue them to vnderstaÌ„d that such contention did not a little displease me and by vsing correction I tookâ— away the seed of that discord and taught them to practise Humility which is Concords mother And I further added this feareful saying Vnles you become as little ones you shall neuer enter into the kingdome of heauen 8. Sonne if there be any found a louer of peace and of vnion among Religious men I am he and if the contentions and debates of them againe be displeasing vnto any I am he most of all And therfore that a quiet and peaceable life might be led in Religion besides that which I tooke from them Myne and Thyne the beginning of all discords I caused further that all their constitutiont and rules should be directed to the intertayning of peace and coÌ„cord But the Diuel hath sowen in them the cockle of selfe estimation which if it be not trodden vnder foote is the seminary of all contentions suits debates quarrells and warres How a Religious man ought to carry himselfe in his Tribulations CHAP. X. SONNE if thou couldst go to heauen without tribulation or without the suffering of aduersityes in this life according to the lawes of loue thou shouldst not with or desire it considering I thy Lord entred into it by the way of the crosse and of tribulation All the blessed also who do now enioy most perfect peace and rest and ioy in heauen held the same way Wherefore if thou hast a desire to go any other way then that of tribulation thou shalt neuer come to that place of quiet and ioy thou seekest but of paynes and miseryes sith assured it is that none can haue his ioy both in heauen and in earth togeather If thou wilt in this life be an imitatour of tâ—â— rich Glutton thou canst not liue in the â—ther in the company of Lazarus My selâ— proued by many tribulations carryed mâ— owne heauy Crosse vpon my shoulders therby gaue thee sufficiently to vnderstanâ— what way is to be kept to thy country Mâ— Apostle also declared it plainely inough that there is no getting into heauen but bâ— many tribulations And therefore to thâ— sonnes of Zebedaeus my most deare discipleâ— when they wished to sit one on the righâ— hand and the other on my left in my kingdome I sayd That they knew not whaâ— they asked for that they were first to thinkâ— of their suffering of tribulations and theâ— afterwards to speake of the reward theâ—of 2. Thou art therfore deceiued if thoâ— thinkest that there is accesse for thee to heâ—ueÌ„ without thy crosse tribulatioÌ„s Thoâ— art deceiued if thou thinkest thou maysâ— liue without the enduring of aduersityes thou art deceaued I say if thou thinkesâ— that thou canst be in Religion free and exempt from all affliction If outward tribulations be wanting the inward wil assayle thee for as much as the bad inclinationâ— passions and inordinate desires suffer not a man to be at quiet and free from his crosse â—nd though they were away yet I will â—pt omit my selfe to send thee for thy souls â—ood and profit some affliction or other â—herefore seeing it is certaine and vnâ—oubted that in this exile the life cannot â—ossibly be passed ouer without crosses and â—ribulations seeing the life it selfe is a conâ—â—nuall tribulation euery Religious man â—hould in earnest do very well and best â—or himselfe if he would make a vertue of â—ecessity accommodate himselfe to beare â—he crosse patiently and with a stout couâ—age All labour the more patiently it is â—ndured the better and the more lightly is â—t borne Whosoeuer refuseth to follow me with his crosse his crosse will follow him 3. Sonne what dost thou that thou â—omplaynest in thy afflictions and art discouraged Dost thou not see that thou makest them the more bitter vnto thee and that they torment thee the more Dost thou thinke that for the afflictions that thou bearest as thou art able thou art the lesse beloued of me I am not like vnto the men of the world who abandone their friends when it is their hap to fall into any calamity yea I send sometyms tribulations vnto some that I may be preseÌ„t with them when they are in their troubles I do iâ— truth reproue and chastise my seruants thâ— more the better I loue them that they may the more perfectly be purged from all thâ— filth of their sinnes their vertue may be the more strengthned and beeing so corroborated may be manifested and made known vnto others If thou didst but see in how great an esteeme a good and perfect Religious man is with me when he is in affliction and misery thou wouldst wonder that I do not multiply more and greater afflictioÌ„s vpon him For he in that state looseth nothing of his spiritual gayne more then that he profiteth himself exceedingly by his own exaÌ„ple inciteth others wonderfully with a willing mind to imbrace tribulations and to hold them as a most singular gift sent him from heauen And therefore it often happeneth that some pious Religious man exercised by such tribulations is able to effect more and do more good then many preachers Patience manifested by worke profiteth much more then when it is recommended and preached out of a pulpit 4. O how much is that Religious man in my fauour who when any
therefore it may sometymes do good sometymes againâ— hurt If thou take it with humility patience and thankesgiuing it will profit if on the other side thou take it with an vnwilling mind with indignation complayning against him who sendeth it tâ— thee it will greatly hurt thee and redoublâ— thâ— affliction besides For to that whicâ— hapneth and is felt from without wilâ— come another within that is that whicâ— the inordinate desires cause and produce in the mind whiles a man becommeth inwardly moued and angry for the tribulation that hath a repugnance with his will The tribulation that is taken with an ill will is not diminished but rather increased 10. There be some who when as they cannot complaine of tribulation as of an ill thing do transferre and lay all their coÌ„plaint vpon the creatures whence it commeth and say I make no great reckoning of the tribulation but I take it in ill part that this man or that was the occasion therof as though one might without my will and permission receiue tribulation â—t anothers hands It is nothing so for as much as all tribulations happen by my order and I vse creatures one while for the punishing of some another while for the giuing vnto others an occasion of meriting and of exercising some vertue And their complaint groweth of none other thing then that they may not endure aduersityes For where they are ashamed sincerely to confesse it least they may seeme deuoid of the vertue of patience and fortitude they turne themselues against the creatures and complaine that they be ouer sore oppressed therwith not knowing what way to turne themselues And such men make it known that they want both patience and Charity 11. Tell me my Sonne why when thou lightest vpon a very afflicted friend of thyne thou dost at the first giue him so much good counsaile and remedyes for his euill and yet if thou be thy selfe plunged in the same or like affliction thou vsest it not thy selfe Thou knowest how to tel others that they beare all with patience that they conforme themselues to Gods will that after tribulation they are to expect consolation sith the Father of heauen doth not send his any affliction but for their greater good And when tribulation visiteth thy owne house wherfore doest thou not welcome and receiue it with patience Why dost thou not conforme thy selfe to the diuine will Why dost thou not reape some spirituall profit by it He is no good Phisitian who applyeth not to himselfe what he thinketh good for others But this is worst of all that in tribulation thou art moued with indignation and sayst what haue I done what I say haue I done Put thy hand to thy breast and thou shalt find that thou art a sonne of Adam and conceyued in sinne and nothing so innocent as thou thinkest Thou shalt therefore do better if thou sayst Lord increase my sorrow â—nd payne increase also my patience Burne me â—eere cut me heere that thou mayst spare me for eâ—er That a Religious man ought to haue a care of gouerning his tongue CHAP. XI MY sonne the tongue is a little part of man but yet of very great power â—o do much either good or ill I haue giuen â— tongue to men not only to conuerse and â—reate one with another but also and that most of all for this that by it they may â—rayse me celebrate extoll my greatnes â—nd teach others the way to heauen And â—herfore when a Religious man abuseth it â—n discoursing vnprofitably in murmuring â—gainst his Superiour in censuring the life â—f another in lying in ambiguous speaâ—ing or with dissimulation it is a proceeâ—ing much vnbeseeming Religious profesion and no lesse displeasing vnto me And â—t may be sayd of such a one that he carâ—ieth not himselfe like a Religious person â—nd that that is true which my Apostle S. Iames sayth If any man thinke himselfe to be Religious not bridling his tongue buâ— seducing his hart this mans Religion iâ— vaine 2. But against this o Lord the same Apostle hath written that none could eueâ— tame the tongue and that worse it is theâ— a sauage and wild beast whence it is thaâ— the Scripture sayth els-where that to rule and moderate the tongue is a gift that dependeth of thee And if it be so what fault is there on our part when we permiâ— it to breake forth into vnprofitable talke It is indeed most true my Sonne that thâ— tongue is worse theÌ„ a raging beast becausâ— the hurt that such a beast doth goeth nâ— further then to the body but the domagâ— that the tongue doth extendeth it selfe both to soule and body The beast ordinarily doth no mischiefe to the maister who hath the handling and tending of him but â— bad tongue hurteth him whose it is firsâ— of all and then others It hath neuer beenâ— heard that one beast hath destroyed aâ— whole prouince but the tongue hath ruyned cittyes and whole kingdomes and aâ— my scriptures say More haue dyed by thâ— tongue then by the sword True it is thaâ— none can tame anothers tongue but euery one may rule his owne with the help of my grace and further it is true that the Religious man who is of power so to gouerne his tongue as by it he offend not meriteth at my hands great prayse no lesse reward But this perfection besids that it is hard is almost impossible It is only required and necessary on thy part that thou endeauour to bridle gouerne thy tongue in the best manner thou canst and so doing thou mayst be assured that thou shalt neuer want the assistance of my grace But if thou giue it liberty the raynes of thy own wil and permit it to vtter vpon euery occasion what commeth in thy mind who should endure the blame of these thy toÌ„gues faults but thy selfe and thyne owne neglect in restrayning it 3. And if thou desire in particuler to know touching what care a Religious man should haue of his tongue I say first that he must keep it from speaking much for so much as certaine it is that there cannot want sinne where speach is vsed He that speaketh much considereth not what he sayth and by that occasion he speaketh and vttereth many things to smal purpose and therewith vnprofitable also And this is that which the Sage meant to giue vs to vnderstand when he sayth That foole haue their hart in their mouth becausâ— they speake whatsoeuer commeth in theiâ— mind in so much as their hart seemeth to depend on their mouth But on the contrary the wise and circumspect hath hiâ— mouth in his hart because he considereth and premeditateth what he hath to say by that occasioÌ„ maketh the tongue to haue dependance on the hart and not the hart on the tongue 4. In the second place the Religious man must forbeare to speake ambiguously doubtfully or in a dissembling manner For sith the life of a Religious man ought
The sinne of Ambition doth not consist in enioying the preheminence of places but in desiring to haue them afterward to liue very proudly therein FINIS CERTAINE ADVERTISEMENTS to Religious men For the leading of a vertuous life in Religion and for the better obseruation of their Rules GOD sayth by the mouth of the Prophet Ieremy What is it that my Beloued hath in my house done much wickednes As though he meant to say more expresly I haue good occasion to complain in seeing that my creatures haue so sore offended me but that those whome I loue most and whome I nourish in Religion as my house-hold seruants and familiar friends haue so highly offended me and make no reckoning neither of their institute they haue imbraced nor of the Vows whereunto they be bound nor of the obseruation of their Rules nor of profiting and gâ—â—â—â—g forwards in the way of perfection is a thing intollerable and not to be borne withall And if God may not endure to see this abuse meet is it that we be sory also and therwith also endeauour to find out a way meanes for the remedying of so great an euill by all possible industry And to this purpose it will profit vs to meditate and often to reuiew these points following 1. Consider first my sonne how rigorously God did punish the sinnes that were committed in the holy places as in the person of Lucifer who was for his pride thrust out of heauen and cast downe into hell in the person of Adam Eue whom he banished out of the terrestriall paradise for their disobedience in that of Dathan Abyron whome the earth swallowed vp aliue in that of Ananias Saphyra who fell downe dead at S. Peters feet for lying vnto him Consider these examples and feare thou also least he punish thee in body or soule or at least for the sinnes thou hast committed in Religion he abandon thee cleane Therefore make thou from hence forth this resolution firme purpose that thou wilt keep all thy rules and lawes of Religion for feare least God lay his heauy and rigorous hand vpon thee 2. Secondly consider what our Sauiour sayth of the tree that did not beare any fruit Cut it down to what end occupieth it place in the ground He coÌ„maunded it to be cut down being against reason it should take the place of another tree that would beare fruite If our Sauiour would giue so rigorous a senteÌ„ce vpon an vnfruitfull tree what would he haue done if it had borne fruit infectious impoysoning and deadly Thou art that barren tree that in Religion dost in vayne occupy the place of another that would serue God truely and as it should best beseeme a Religious man Thou art the vnfruitfull tree that bearest none but the fruits of death of many sinnes and for this thou hast cause to feare that God will with the axe cut thee down remoue thee from the place where he hath so mercifully set thee and plant another for thee who shaâ—l serue him Religiously and shall beare fruit to life euerlasting Therefore my sonne read thy Rules often obserue them exactly be feruent in thy vocation and endeauour to go forwards from one vertue to another to the end our Lord may gather the fruit that he desireth of thee whome he hath by so singular a priuiledge planted in the vineyard of holy Religion 3. Thirdly consider that all the holy inspirations spirituall helps and all the ordinances rules of Religion be giuen by God for this that the Religious seeke to perfect themselues in his seruice and therfore thou must thinke that doing the contrary thou wrongest God and iniurest thy selfe very much and hast iust occasion to feare least he will pronounce this dreadfull saying mentioned in his Prophet Esay against thee In the Land of the Holy he hath done wicked things and he shall not see the glory of our Lord. As though he should say I haue giuen thee a place in an holy place amongst Holy ones to the end thou shouldst become like vnto them I haue for the same end prouided thee of all possible commodityes and so many good inspirations lawes ordinances and rules for thy better help and the more perfecting of thee in my seruice and all these helps thou hast abused and hast been so far from profiting going forwards in my seruice as thou art become worse And what will be the end of all this Because thou hast abused al these helps that I haue giuen thee towards thy increase in vertue thou shalt not haue any part in my eternall glory 4. Fourthly consider that the sinne which is committed against any Vow is much greater and displeaseth God more then do other sinnes A Vow imposeth a greater and straiter obligation of seruing God and therfore when the fault is made in that behalfe the sinne is the greater against God And more then this thou must perswade thy selfe that al which thou vsest for thy meate and drinke cloathing or otherwise whether thou hast it of the Religion wherof thou art an vnworthy member or otherwise by way of almes of well disposed persons turneth to the sinne of fraud because thou defraudest deceauest thy Religion on the one side in not obseruing the rules therof and on the other side thou art vnworthy and incapable to pray for them who bestow such almes vpon thee For our Lord vouchsafeth not to heare thy prayers so long as thou shalt omit to obserue what thou hast promised him 5. Lastly consider how feruent and earnest a desire thou hadst to serue God when he did first call thee vnto Religion And if euen now notwithstanding thou be intangled in so many sinnes and affections of the world thou yet feelest in thy selfâ— so hâ—rty and earnest a desire to aspire to perfection whence is it that being in so holy a place amidst so many and excellent helpâ— and meanes of profiting to perfection thou art so miserable cold and negligent And if thou answer me that thou art indeed a grieuous sinner but thou entredst into ReligioÌ„ to be good whence commeth it that after so long tyme of thy being of trayning vp in this schoole of vertue thou seemest to be so far of from thy first desires and from that which appertayneth to thy profession And therfore my sonne be ashamed that thou art so imperfect make a firme resolution to returne to thy first feruour and to an exact obseruation of thy rules of thyne Institute that thou mayst from this tyme forwards serue God in all loue and holynes as meet is thou shouldst do Certaine Considerations that may help to the obseruing of the Rules in Religion THE first is to read them often and to meditate the forementioned points euery moneth once or more often to the end by such meditation thou mayst stir vp in thy selfe a desire of obseruing them And to conceiue a firme purpose neuer to infring or breake any Rule
any occasion offereth it selfe of accomplishing thy so pious desires thou resistest the same and art troubled Cast thyne eye a while vpon me and tell me what sinne I did commit in the world Whom I offended all my life long and yet from the tyme that I came into the world I euer suffered something swallowed downe many a bitter morsell for thy sake How many contumelies were forged against me how many iniuryes were done to me which yet I endured patiently to giue thee an example of liuing conformably to thy vocation And that thou hast now a will to practise Patience in bearing reproaches with a contented mind is a thing that beseemeth not a man of the world much lesse a Religious man who hath made profession of vertue and of imitating me who did euer imbrace Patience in so affectuous a manner 5. Lord I would very willingly endure all thinges for loue of thee but when I see some to persecute me vniustly wrongfully I cannot a way with it and therefore am troubled and grieued Thou art deceiued Sonne if thou thinkest thou hast any iust occasion of being troubled Tell me was not I wrongfully persecuted Did not I put vp and disgest false accusations and testimonyes against my selfe Was I therefore troubled Or did I make my coÌ„plaint And how many Religious be there already crowned in heauen who suffered sore persecutions whiles they liued on earth If the bad and wicked should not iniure and persecute any the good should not haue so exceeding store of merits To suffer wrongfully is the crowne of Patience But if thou suffer iustly that is for thyne owne sinnes it is rather a iust punishment then any vertue of Patience sith Patience beareth and putteth vp iniuryes for the loue of me And therefore my Scripture pronounceth them for blessed that suffer persecution but yet for Iustice Iniury to him who putteth it vp patiently is a gaine and to him that doth it a sinne and losse 6. There be some Religious that punish themselues diuers wayes some by fastings others by wearing of haire-cloth by disciplining themselues which they suffer both willingly patiently But when the same are imposed vpon them by Superiours they fall to murmuring are troubled and if they performe them they do it against their wills with a repugnance of mind and so they loose all their merit And are they not manifestly besids the offence it selfe deceiued herein Tell me I pray thee for what end thou shouldest punish thy body so cruelly and with so great patience Is it not to please me If it be so thou shouldest with a greater readines and more patience receiue and performe the pennance inioyned thee by thy Superiours for then thou shouldst do a worke far more pleasing vnto me for thou shouldest exercise three most excellent vertues at once namely Humility Patience and Obedience He that punisheth himselfe only out of his owne will seldome becometh perfect 7. O how much do the men of this world confound the Religious who are the children of light For most of them carryed away either by ambition couetousnes or some other bad desire spare not to take any paynes suffer molestations and put themselues into whatsoeuer perills for the satisfying of their vayne desires and should not a Religious man patiently suffer some tribulation for loue of me and for the good of his owne soule He that loueth not is afraid to suffer And more then this the ambitious and couetous man if he suffer any incommodity at any tyme is very carefull that grief and heauines oppresse him not or discourage him in the continuing of his negotiation that he hath begon but with a stout courage seeketh diuers and sundry wayes and meanes for the repayring of his losses againe But some Religious vpon the very least crosse and trouble suffer themselues to be much disquieted in mind and are so sore moued vpon the very least word as they loose from thenceforth all the fruit of the rest of their works My Apostles did not so who went their wayes reioycing that they were held worthy to suffer contumely for the glory of my name And the Martyrs endured most cruell torments with so great cheerfulnes of mind as some who were by Tyrants commaunded to go barefooted into the fire did thinke themselues in doing it to walke vpon roses 8. That a secular man suffereth iniuryes aduersities with an impatient mind is nothing to be meruayled sith he thinketh himselfe to be the maister of his owne honour and estimation because he did neuer renounce them as do the Religious and therfore no meruayle though being iniured he be moued Againe a secular man because he hath neuer put himselfe vnder the commaund of a Superiour thinketh himselfe to be wholy his owne man and to rely vpon himselfe and therefore he cannot be much offensiue vnto others if he cannot with Patience put vp a disgrace or disgest a contumely But that a Religious man who hath openly made profession of renouncing all his owne honour and estimation should take the iniury that were done him impatiently is a thing vnworthy his estate And more then this the Religious being deliuered ouer to me is no moâ— his owne but myne and dependeth wholy and all in all of me therefore it may noâ— seeme hard to any if he be sometymes râ—proached or be tryed by sicknes or any other calamity My seruant must only haue 〈◊〉 care to serue me but how he ought to seruâ— me either this way or that that care hâ— must leaue to me I can vse his seruice euen when he lyeth fast tyed to his bed or when any other persecutioÌ„ is raised against him For some serue me more perfectly whiles they are sicke in their beds or otherwise punished then when they be in best health free from all aduersity The Religious man is neuer a whit lesse regarded of me for his defects of body but for his impatience and other indispositions of his mind 9. There be many Religious who while they pray thinke themselues of ability patiently constaÌ„tly for loue of me to suffer all kind of torments and to spend their bloud for me and to dye martyrs but within a while after if they be but touched with a little word or something be commaunded them that is accompanyed with some trouble and payne they knit their browes can hardly forbeare which 〈◊〉 worse euen in the presence of others to â—reake forth into words gestures of imâ—atience He that accustometh not himselfe â—o beare with little things will neuer with â—atience away with great and hard matâ—ers Sonne hast thou a will and desire to â—ecome a Martyr without the sword and without shedding of thy bloud for it Conâ—erue and keep thy mind in patience Of Meeknes that ought to be practised by Religious men CHAP. VI. SONNE learne of me for that I am meeke humble of hart Meeknes was â—he first vertue that I taught in my Schoole