consider of many others as absurd and foolish as this is into which both in other tymes and these also such persons haue fallen as grew lightly to beliâ—ue that the notions or instinctes of their owne harts did come from God CHAP. LI. Of the way wherein we are to carry our selues that we may not erre by such illusions and how dangerous the desire is of Reuelations and such things as those THROVGH the desire I haue that thy soule may not be one of these I recommend to thee much that thou profit as the prouer be sayth by anothers harme and that thou be very carefull that in thy selfe there be no consent either great or small to any desire of these singular or supernaturall things for it is a signe either of pride or at least of curiosity which is full of danger There was a tyme when (a) Marke this Exemple S. Augustine was assaulted by this temptation his wordes are these By how many subtilties of temptation hath the enemy procured with me O Lord that I should beg some miracle at thy hands but I beseech thee for the loue of our Lord Iesus Christ and of our Citty the heauenly Hierusalem which is pure and chaste that as now all consent to this temptation is farre from me so it may euer be farre and further off S. Bonauenture sayth that many had fallen into great follies and errours in punishment of their hauing desired such things as these and he sayth further that they are not so much to be desired as feared If any such extraordinary things happen to thee without any desire of thyne be thou afraid and do not giue them credit but instantly haue recourse to our Lord beseeching (b) A holy wise and safe aduice him that he will be pleased not to carry thee by this way but that he will suffer thee to worke thy saluation in his holy feare and in the vsuall and plaine way of such as serue him Thou art especially to do this when any such Reuelation or instinct shall inuite thee to admonish or reprehend a third person of any thing that is secret much more if he be a Priest or Prelate or the like to whome particular reuerence is due In such case as this thou art to cast away these things withall the hart thou hast and to depart from them with saying that which Moyses sayd Send him O Lord I beseech thee whome thou art to send And Ieremy sayd I am but a child O Lord I cannot speake and both these did hold themselues for insufficient and fled from being sent to reproue others Do not feare least by this humble resistance God should be made angry or to absent himself if the businesse be his but (c) There is no danger of loosing any thing with God by doing acts of humility rather he will draw nearer to thee and he will assure and settle the thing in question For he that giueth grace to the humble will not take it away for an act of humility and if it be not of God the Diuell will fly away as being strooke with the stone of humility which giueth a blow that breaketh his head like that of Golias And so it happened to a Father that remayned in the Desert who vpon the appearing of the figure of a Crucifixe he would neither adore it nor belieue it But (d) See the sweet safe simplicity humility of thâ—se holy Ermites shutting his eyes sayd I will not see Iesus Christ in this world it shall serue my turne to see him in heaueÌ„ Vpon which answere the Diuell fled away who was desirous to deceaue him vnder that forme Another Father answered to one that told him that he was an Angell sent to him on the behalfe of God I haue no need nor am I worthy to receaue messages by the mouth of Angels and therefore consider well to whome it is that thou wert sent for it is not possible they should send thee to me Nor will I so much as heare thee And so with this humble answere the proud Diuell fled away By this way of humility and by a most cordiall driuing away such things as these many persons haue beene free through the mercy of God from great snares which by this meanes the Diuell had prepared for them Experimenting so in themselues that which Dauid (e) Psal 12. sayth Our Lord keepeth the little ones I humbled my selfe and be deliuered me And on the other side a false instinct or Reuelation of the Diuell finding any vaine contentment in the hart of him that doth receaue it taketh roote and force from thence to deceaue men out right God permitting it with iust iudgment For as S. Augustine sayth Pryde deserueth to be deceaued Thou must therfore be free from this vaine inclination and from thinking that thou art capable of these Reuelations that so thy hart may not vary the compasse in the least point from that humility wherein thou wert before vnder the holy feare of God And so carry thy selfe in them as if they had not come to thee And if notwithstanding this answere of thyne the matter do still go on giue thou instantly account to them that may tell thee what is fit although it will be better done to giue notice of it instantly after first it happened and to help him by meanes of prayer fastes other good works who is to giue thee counsaile that God may declare the truth to him in a matter that is of so much difficulty For (f) A great strayte if we hold the good spirit of God for the wicked spirit of the Diuell it is a great blasphemy and we shall so be like to those miserable Pharisees the contradictours of the truth of God who attributed to an euill spirit the workes which Christ Iesus our Lord did by the Holy Ghost And on the other side if with facility of beliefe we accept of the instinct of an euil spirit as if it were of the Holy Ghost what greater misery can there be then to seeke darkenesse and errour insteed of truth and which is worse the Diuell for God On both sides there is great danger eyther in holding God for the Diuell or the Diuel for God And how great necessity there is to be able to distinguish and to iudge of these thinges as indeed they are I thinke there is none who doth not see But as euident as this necessity is so difficult and hidden a thing it is to get assurance and light wherewith to cleare this doubt And therfore as it belongeth not to all men to prophesy or to worke miracles or to impart such other graces but to them to whome the Holy Ghost is pleased to impart them so also is it not giuen to the spirit of man how wise soeuer it be to iudge with certainty and truth of the difference of spirits vnles it were in a matter which were euidently (g) For in that ease
come to know by our owne weakenesse and by seing our selues in so groâ—â— hazard and that we are euen vpon the very hornes of the bull as that if the hand of God did neuer so little abandone vs we should fall into that fearefull 〈…〉 of mortall sinne And till this weakenesse be euen from the roote therof acknowledged and experimented by thee the temptations of sense will not giue thee ouer which are as so many tempestuall showers and blowes that may cause thee to acknowledge that this blessing is not to remayne in thee vnlesse it be graunted thee from aboue If thou wert a faithfull seruant of God the more thou wert combatted by thy flesh the more would thy soule encourage her selfe to the conseruation of chastity so the temptations should be as knockes which might help thee to giue thy purity a deeper roote and thou shouldst see the wonderfull thinges of God For (q) The great goodnes of God shines fair in our wickednes his strength in our weaknes as by occasion of our wickednesse the goodnesse of God appeares the more so by the weakenes of our flesh he bringeth strength into our soule the spirit giuing the No to that which the flesh enticed it to and the loue of chastity doth vnite and fortify it selfe with new spirits as often as the flesh solliciteth the mind to put it away Thus by meanes of one troublesome and base contrary God perfects another which is noble and pretious and this is chastity Remember that a good warre is more to be desired then a wicked peace and that it is better for vs to labour that we may not consent thereby to please our Lord then for the taking of a little bestiall pleasure which euen as soone as it is taken leaues a (r) Sinnefull pleasure is a bitter payne disguised double sting behind it to cast him into indignation against vs whome we ought with all our powers both to loue and please Call thou with humility and with confidence vpon him who will not fayle to succour one that fightes for his honour And in the end he will so ordayne that thou shalt come rich out of this skirmish and he will esteeme of the affliction which thou hast byn in as of a kind of martyrdome For as the Martyrs chose rather to dye then to deny their fayth so thou choosest to suffer what thou sufferest rather then to violate his holy will And he will make thee a companion in glory with them since thou art so heere in thy afflictions In (s) Note the meane tyme comfort thy selfe with hauing in thy hart so good a proofe that thou louest God since for loue of him thou leauest that which thy flesh liketh CHAP. XVI How the guift of Chastity is graunted to some not only in the interiour part of the soule but in the sensuall part also and this after two manners TO others our Lord giueth this blessing of Chastity more abundantly For not only doth he grant a detestation of these delightes to the soule but euen in the sensitiue part and flesh they haue so much temper as that they enioy great peace and do scarce know what a painefull temptation doth meane Now this hapneth after two manners Some haue this peace and purity euen by naturall complexion but others by election and fauour of God They who haue it by naturall complexion are not greatly to applaude themselues for the peace that they find nor to contemne such as they see are tempted For (t) The greater the temptation is the greater is the vertue in ouercomming it the vertue of chastity receiues not her measure from the hauing of this peace but from the mainteyning in the soule a firme purpose not to offend our Lord by the contrary sinne And if one being tempted with sense make good the purpose of Chastity in his soule with greater strength then the other who is not called into that warre more chaste shall this person be who is assaulted then the other who is not sollicited Neither yet are those well complexioned persons to goe out of countenance by saying I doe little or I gayne little by being chaste But they must serue themselues of their good inclination and make choice of chastity by discourse of spirit to please our Lord to which they are inuited by their owne inclination And by this meanes they shall serue God vvith the superiour part of the soule by a vertuous election and with their sensitiue part by their obedience and good inclination Others (u) A more noble kind of chastity there are who not by naturall inclination but by fauour of our Lord are so chast as that they feele in their soule a most profound internall detestation of that basenesse and in their seâ—sitiâ—e part so greate obedience that it goeth not dragging after the commaundment of reason but obeyeth with gust and speede and they both enioy an entire peace At this excellent condition did those Philosophers point who sayd That some men there were so excellent who had their minds so well purged that not only they did operate vertuously without any warre of their passions but that euen those passions being so absolutely ouercome they forgot that they had any and that not only their passions did not conquer but not so much as assault them But (x) Few Philosophers were euer chasts and neuer any was truly humble that which the Philosophers were talking of and neuer had for without grace there is no true vertue that good Christians do possesse to whome God is pleased to impart this perfect guift Not purchased by their own force but graunted by his strong and celestiall holy spirit which is bestowed through Christ Iesus our Lord in resemblance of the same Lord who kept the entirenesse of Virginity in mortall flesh This heauenly spirit infuseth perfect chastity into whom he wil. And this he worketh in them That as the superiour part of the soule is with perfect obedience most subiect to God from him receaueth powerfull strength and most excellent light being so perfectly vnited with him and so ruled by his will that he may say with the Apostle He (y) 1. Cor. 〈◊〉 that commeth close to God is made one spirit with him so this efficacy of God which infuseth force and giueth to the sensitiue part this disposition doth procure that wholy forsaking bestiality and that fiercenesse which naturally it hath it may be obedient and yield it selfe very subiect to reason And although they are of different natures the one being spirituall the other sensuall yet doth the sensitiue draw so neare to reason and takes the bridle into her mouth so well that she goeth tamed and in order And howsoeuer it be not that thing which reason is yet doth it proceed according to reason not hindering but rather helping the spirit as a faithful wife would do her husband And (z) Euen the reasonable part of a carnal mans soule
it is cleerlynaught against the Scripture and the Church of God That light therefore of the Holy Ghost which is called Discretion of spirits is wholy necessary in this case by the inward and sweet light wherof the man who hath this gift doth rightly iudge which is the spirit of Truth and which of Errour And if the matter be of importance it must be related to the Prelate and his resolution is to be followed CHAP. LII Wherein some signes are giuen of good and bad or false Reuelations or Illusions BESIDES that which I haue sayd thou art to consider what fruit or edification these thinges do leaue in thy soule And (a) This ballance is to be held by a steedy hand yet I say not this as if by these or other signes thou art to become the iudge of that which passeth in thy selfe but to the end that when thou giuest him account of whome thou art to take counsell he may so much the more certainly know teach thee truth as thou shalt giue him more particuler information Consider therefore if these things help thee towardes the reliefe of any spirituall necessity which thou hast or for any thing concerning thy soule of notable edification For if a good man will not speake idle wordes much lesse will God do it who sayth I am the Lord who teach thee things which are profitable to be known and who gouerne thee in the way where thou art to goe But when thou seest that there is nothing of moment but intricate and vnnecessary thinges esteeme it as a fruit which the Diuel setteth before such a one as he seeketh to deceaue and to make him loose his tyme and the tyme of others to whome he relateth it and when the Diuell can get no more he contenteth himselfe with this gaine Amongst those thinges which thou art to consider whether they worke them in thy soule or no let the chiefe be this Whether it leaue thee more humble then thou wert before For humility as a Doctour sayth giueth such weight to the coyne of spirit as that it doth sufficiently distinguish the mettall which is massy from that which is light And S. Gregory sayth The (b) In what case then be all Heretikâ— most euident distinctiue signe of a man elect is his humility and of the reprobate his pride Consider then I say what trace is left in thy soule by this vision or consolation or spiritual gust and if thou perceaue thy selfe to remaine more humble and in more confusion through thyne owne faults and with greater reuerence and trembling vnder the infinite greatnesse of God and hast no light inclination to communicate that to other persons which hath happened to thee nor doest busy thy selfe much in considering or making account thereof but doest procure to forget it as a thing which may make thee esteeme thy selfe and if at any tyme when it commeth to thy memory thou humble thy selfe and dostâ—wonder at the great mercy of God in shewing so great fauour to so base creatures if thou findest thy hart as quiet and more settled then it was before in the knowledge of it selfe it hath some shew to be of God because (c) Note this reasoÌ„ it is agreable to the instruction and doctrine of Christ which is That a man should abase himselfe and become despicable in his owne eyes and that for the blessings which he receaueth from God he must know himselfe to be more obliged and confounded giuing the whole glory of it to God from whose hand all good thinges proceed And with this S. Gregory agreeth saying The soule which is full of diuine vnderstanding hath these for most euident fignes namely Humility and Truth both which if they perfectly ioyne in any soule it is a thing notorious that they giue testimony of the presence of the Holy Ghost But when it is an abuse of the Diuel it falleth out very contrary to this For (d) Humility or Pride are the distinctiue signes wherby to know the truth or falsh god of spirituall gustes c. either in the beginning or at the end of the reuelation of consolation the soule doth find it selfe vayne and desirous to speake of what it feeleth with some estimation of it selfe conceauing that God is to do great matters in it or by it and it hath no desire to thinke vpon the defects of it selfe or to be reproued by others but all that persons busines is to be talking and rowling vp and downe in his mind that which he hath felt and he would be gladd that others also should be talking of it When thou shalt see these signes or the like which shew a kind of leuity of hart it may be affirmed without any doubt that the euill spirit walketh that way And how good soeuer the thing appeare though it bring teares or comfort or knowledge of matters belonging to God yea although thou be hoysed vp to the third heauen yet if thy soule withall do not remaine with profound humility put thou no confidence in any such thing which may happen to thee nor do thou accept thereof For how much the more high it is so much is it the more dangerous and so much the greater fall will it giue thee Aske grace of God that thou mayst know humble thy selfe and that being the ground let him giue thee what is most pleasing to him but if that be wanting all the rest how precious soeuer it appeare is not gold but copper nor is it the meale or floure of nourishment but the ashes of pryde Pride hath this mischeife belonging to it that it despoyleth the soule of the true grace of God and if it leaue any thing that may seeme good it is but counterfaite so it is not acceptable to God but the occasion of greater ruine to him that hath it We read of our Redeemer that when he appeared to his disciples vpon the day of the Ascension he first reprehended their incredulity hardnesse of hart after that he commaunded them to go preach giuing theÌ„ power to worke many and great miracles Making vs vnderst and thereby that (e) God doth first abase such as afterward he meanes to rayse whom he rayseth to great matters he first abaseth in themselues giuing them knowledge of their own weakenesse to the end that although afterward they grow to fly aboue the heauens they may still be fastned to their owne basenes without attributing any other thing to themselues but their own vnworthinesse Let therefore the summe of all be this that thou do well obserue the effects which are caused in thee by such things as these not thereby to make thy selfe the iudge thereof but for his information whose counsell thou art to aske and follow CHAP. LIII Of the secret pride whereby many vse to be much deceiued in the way of Vertue and of the danger that such are in to be snared by the illusions of the Diuell
THE AVDI FILIA OR A RICH CABINET FVLL OF SPIRITVALL IEVVELLS Composed by the Reuerend Father DOCTOVR AVILA Translated out of Spanish into English Omnis terra adoret te psallat tibi Psal 65. Let all the earth adore thee sing to thee O Lord. Permissu Superiorum M.DC.XX THE DEDICATORY TO ALL ENGLISH CATHOLIKES HAVING receaued the honour and happines to be a member of your Holy Communion and on the other side hauing done you nothing but dishonour by leading an vnprofitable life at least and most vnvvorthy of the high vocation of being a Catholike I haue had too much reason to cast my thoughtes vpon thinking hovv I might make you some little part of amendes Nothing came to my mind vvhich might also be vvithin the measure of my povver but the presenting you vvith this Book vvhich togeather vvith my selfe I cast at the feet of you all vvith an humble and most reuerend affection Our Lord doth knovv hovv much need I haue of all your prayers and the high account vvhich I make of them vvhereby you may ghesse hovv much in earnest I desire the same And because there is amongst you a Religious Person a true seruant spouse of Christ our Lord by vvhose meanes through the goodnes of God I am grovvne to an increase of some good desires to doe him Seruice and vvho made much impression vpon my mind tovvards the making me translate this very Booke I do also dedicate it to the same person in a particuler manner as a token of Eternall Gratitude And I beg of that Soule that vvhen by vvay of Exchange for the great Treasures vvhervvith God hath trusted her she shall be remitting her deuout Petitions to that diuine Maiesty the necessityes of myne may not be layd aside Our Lord Iesus graunt by the precious merits of his bitter Passion vvhich I beseech him to apply to vs all by the intercession of his Immaculately conceaued Mother the Queene of Heauen that vve vvho by his grace are in these difficult tymes made members of his Militant Church vvhich to vs indeed is so truely Militant may one day by his goodnes arriue to be also meÌ„bers of the Triumphant Where clearely and at once vve shal be sure to see and vvonder at the inestimable riches of Mercy vvhervvith our Lord did choose vs fevv out of so many millions of soules to professe his Truth and Fayth vvith so much preiudice to our selues in all those thinges vvhich the Foolish and Childish World is vvont to hold so deare Only vve must take care that vve continue in it to and in the end and in the meane tyme also to accompany our Fayth by such good vvorks as may become this high Profession for else vve shall but double our damnation Our Lord deliuer vs from falling into that Abysse of misery and enable vs by his holy Grace so to serue and suffer for him heere that Eternally vve may adore him in Heauen The affectionate humble seruant of you all L. T. THE PREFACE TO The discreet and pious Reader THE (a) The great fam that this Booke enioyeth throughout the world extraordinary fame of this Excellent book gaue me a curiosity to be acquainted with it charity I hope is that which makes me thus deliuer it ouer to be acquainted with you The Title thereof will haue told you the Authours Name and when you shall haue perused it you will acknowledge I belieue that spirit to haue been eminent which the only Giuer of all good thinges bestowed vpon him The (b) The Nation of the Author and the tyme wherin he liued and when he dyed Country of his birth was Spaine and the time of his life was this last age of ours for he dyed in the yeare of our Lord Iesus 1569. some thirteene years after (c) B. P. Ignatius dyed in the yeare 15â—6 Doctour Auila in the yeare 1569. and B. Mother Teresa in the yeare 1â—8â— Blessed Father Ignatius about as many before Blessed Mother Teresa With (d) The communication which he had with the holiest persons of his tyme. both these Saints being mirrours of their tymes and the lasting miracles of these endes of the world he had particuler communication For the later of them he aduised and directed in the way of spirit concerning some difficultyes which occurred to her and she was both comforted and instructed greatly by him And as for the former he bore such affection and euen admiration to his holy Institute that his owne being already at that tyme so far in yeares was (e) He carryed great deuotion to the Society of Iesus the only cause that clipt the winges of his desire which would faine haue beene carrying him on to flye apace after such a guyde But what he could he did by addressing diuers of his disciples to become members of that Society wherein they happily both liued and dyed as appeareth both by the history of his life and yet further by some of his owne printed letters and in a Church of the Society of Iesus he would needs be buried namely at Montillia in Andaluzia The (f) Fray Lewis de Granada wrote his life life of Doctour Auila is written by Fray Lewis de Granada a Religious man of the glorious Saint Dominickes Order and one renowned in the world both for the memory of his great vertues and the presence of his holy bookes It is no meaning of myne to giue you heere the full relation of this life but I only shew euen by the circumstance of the eminent man who wrote the same what account our Authour deserueth at our hands which must needs rebound vpon this Booke so farre as to increase your estimation therof For this reason also you shall vnderstand that when he was yet in health and subiect to the greatest importunity of busines he (g) He was a man of very great Prayer mentally prayed foure houres euery day and he slept but foure euery night When afterward he grew into sicknes which he was subiect to and that in greate extremity for those seauenteene yeares which did immediately precede his death it is probable that he must sleep much lesse and 〈◊〉 is faithfully recorded in the life it selfe that â—e prayed much more for all was prayâ—r with him from the morning till two of the clocke afternoone and againe from six till bed-tyme which with him was not till about an eleuen So as this (h) With how great light of vnderstaÌ„diâ—g and heaâ—e of Charity this Boâ—k was written Booke and the rest of his excellent workes in this kind were not so much the issue of a studious and speculatiue brayne as of a bâ—eeding and boyling hart Boyling through the loue of God and bleeding for the sins of the world Which two obiects being so perpetually before the eyes of his mind and he so hourely treating with the purity of God by way of amorous contemplation and vvith men whose consciences were
thou wilt not loose the way to heauen Incline thyne eare that is thy reason for feare least otherwise thou be deceaued thereby Incline it with a most profound reuerence to that which is sayd by the word of God throughout the whole Scripture And if thou vnderstand it not thou art not for that to thinke that the Holy Ghost which spake did erre but submit thy vnderstanding and belieue as S. Augustine sayth that he did that which by reason of the height of that word thou art not able to vnderstand And although thou art to incline thyne eare by giuing equall credit of Fayth to all the Scripture of God because all of it is the word of the same supreme Truth yet art thou to carry particuler respect care to receaue profit by those blessed wordes which (a) A pious and very profitable aduice the true God incarnate spake heere on earth Open thou with deuout attention both the eares of thy body and of thy soule to euery word of this Lord who was giuen to vs for an especiall maister by the voyce of the eternall Father who sayd This is my well beloued Sonne in whome I am pleased heare him Be studious in reading and hearing these wordes and then thou wilt not fayle to find in them a singular remedy and powerfull efficacy for those thinges which concerne thy soule which thou hast not found in euery other of those wordes which God hath spoken from the beginning of the world And this is so with great reason since that which he sayd in other places was spoken by the mouth of his seruants but that which he sayd in the humanity which he tooke he spake in person opening his owne sacred mouth to speake he who formerly had opened and afterwardes did open the mouth of others who spake both in the old and new Testament And take heed that thou be not vnthankefull for so great a blessing as it is That God should be our Maister giuing vs the milke of his word to sustayne vs he who had giuen vs first a being that we might haue somewhat to be sustayned So great a fauour is this that if we had scales wherewith to weigh it and if it were told vs that at the furthest corner of the world some wordes of God were left for the instruction of our soule we were to make light of all labour and danger to heare some few of those wordes deliuered by that supreme wisedom for the making of vs his disciples Serue thy selfe therefore well of this fauour since God hath giuen it thee so neare at hand and desire of him who taketh care to conduct thy soule in the way of spirit that in holy Scripture and in the doctrine of the Church and amongst the writings of the Saints he will seeke out such wordes as may carry proportion to the necessityes of thy soule whether it be to defend thee against tentations as our Lord did fast in the desert for our example or whether it be to spurre thee vp in the search of those vertues which thou wantest or whether in fine it be to know how to carry thy self as thou oughtest with God with thy selfe and with thy Neighbours whether they be thy betters thy inferiours or thy equalls and how thou art to conduct thy soule in prosperity and how in tribulation And finally how thou art to behaue thy selfe in all that whereof thou mayst haue need in the way of God In such sort as that thou mayst say In (b) Psal 118. my hart I haue hidden thy wordes that I may not sinne against thee Thy word is a torch to my feet and a light to my pathwayes And be sure thou fall not into curiosity of desiring to know more then thou hast need of either for thy selfe or for such as are vnder thy charge For whatsoeuer is more then this thou must leaue to them whose office it is to teach the people of God as S. Paul (c) Rom. 11. admonisheth That our knowledge may be with sobriety CHAP. XLVI That the holy Scripture must not be declared by what sense one will but by that of the Church of Rome and where that declareth not we must follow the vniforme exposition of the Saints And of the great submission and subiection which we must performs to this holy Church THOV art to know that the exposition of holy Scripture must not be made according to the wittes or fancies of particuler men for so although it be most certainely true in it selfe as being the word of God yet for as much as concerneth vs it would be very vncertaine since commonly there are as many opinions as there be heades of men Now for as much as it doth greatly import vs to haue suprem certitude of the Word which we are to belieue and follow since we are to lay downe for the confession obedience thereof whatsoeuer we haue euen our very life our businesse were not well prouided for if notwithstanding the seueral opiniōs which men of themselues are subiect to the certainty of this Word might not be lodged in the hart of a Christian To (a) The only Catholike Church of Christ in the vndoubtedly true Intérpretour of Gods holy Scripture the only Catholike Church this priuiledge is giuen that it may vnderstand and interprete the Diuine Scripture because the same holy Ghost which deliuered the Scripture doth dwell in her And where the Church doth not determine we must haue recourse to the vniforme interpretation of the Saints if we will be free from errour For otherwise how shall that which was spoken by a diuine spirit be vnderstood by a spirit witt which is humane since euery scripture is to be read and declared by the same spirit that wrate it Thou art also to know that the declaratiō of what Scripture is the Word of God that so it may be belieued by all men doth not belong to any other but only to that same Christian Church which by diuine ordination hath the Bishop of Rome for her head And esteeme thou for certayne as S Hicrome (b) Let Protestāts note this tremble sayth That whosoeuer shall eat the lambe of God out of this Church house of God is a prophane person and no Christian And whosoeuer shal be found out of the same will infallibly perish as they who entred not into the Arcke of Noë were drowned in the floud This is that Church which the Ghospell commaundeth vs to hearken to and whosoeuer shall not hearken to her is to be held for a wicked person and for an vnbeleeuer And this is that Church of which S. Paul sayth that shee is the pillar and strength of truth And to belieue that this is so that very Fayth infused by God wherof we spake before doth incline and illuminate vs as to one of the other articles and with a like certainty to that which belōgeth to others and as hitherto it hath byn so belieued
necessary for the search and true science of the Scriptures And he sayth afterwards that without purity of mind and a life which followeth in the steps of sanctity it is not possible to vnderstand the speach of Saints For as if a man would behould the light of the Sunne he maketh cleare his eyes and by so doing his sight groweth cleare and by that meanes to be of some resemblance with the very Sunne which he desireth to behold that so his eye being made light he may the better looke vpon the Sunnes light and as also if a man desire to see any Citty or Countrey he must come within a certayne distance for that purpose so he that would procure the vnderstanding of holy books must first endeauour to cleanse purify his soule by a resemblaÌ„ce of life manners to draw neare to the Saints who wrote theÌ„ that so approaching to them by his intentions actions he may vnderstand those things which God reuealed to them being made as it were one of them he may escape from the danger that sinners are subiect to from the fire which against the day of iudgement will be prouided for them It is necessary to ponder this greatly which S. Athanasius deliuered that so we may receaue profit by the diuine Scripture For though without this purity of life a man may easily know by Scripture what God in generall requireth of him yet in particuler to know the counsaile will of God cannot be learned as the Wiseman sayth by humane study but he affirmeth thus in the manner of a question Who O Lord shall know thy meaning vnles thou giue him wisedome vnles thouâ—end thy holy spirit from on high This Wisedome (r) True celestiall wisedom is that which teacheth the vvay how to please God in particuler manner this resideth not in wicked men But when this industry continueth with experience of holy labours humble prayers and the fruit of good workes it maketh a man truely wise that so by reading of Scripture and long experience he may teach others after the manner of an eye vvitnesse and may light vpon the veyne of another mans hart instructing it by that which passeth in his owne And without this though he may chance to hit right for once he will mistake many tymes and will fall out to be one of them of whome S. Paul sayth That (s) 1. Tim. 1. taking vpon them to teach the law they vnderstood not that wherof they speake A man who putteth himselfe vpon the studdy of holy Scripture must help himselfe also by the interpretation and exposition of the Saints as also of the Schoole-Deuines For as for the profit which may be drawne from the study of holy Scripture without accompanying it by these endeauours Germany hath taken experience of it to her cost CHAP. XLIX That we must not grow in pride for not hauing lost our Fayth as others haue done but rather we must be humble with feare and the reasons which we haue for being so DO not thou by hearing of the fal of others grow to such pride of hart as to say I am not like one of them who so wickedly haue lost their fayth Call thou to mind those men who related to our Lord how Pilate had caused certaine Galileans to be kil'd as they were in the middest of offering their sacrifices And they that related this carryed in their hart a kind of vayne contentment wherewith they held themselues for better then those others who had deserued that Pilate should cause them to be murthered But now when this soueraigne Iudge did know their pryde without the manifestation of it on their partes and being desirous to vndeccaue them he sayd after this manner Thinke you that those Galileans were the greatest sinners of all the men in that Prouince because that punishment came vpon them Or doe you thinke that those eighteene men vpon whome the tower of Siloe did fall and slew them were the greatest sinners of all them that dwelt in Hierusalem I tell you No. But if you do not pennance you shall also perish The same did S. Paul intend when he sayd For their incredulity were the Iewes cut off which had byn the branches of the Oliue tree of belieuers and thou who by fayth art on foote do not thou grow proud but feare for else thou shalt also be cut off The (a) The punishment which God inflicteth vpoÌ„ others must mak vs humble and not insolent punishments which God hath inflicted vpon others ought to make vs chast and humble and not proud For whither soeuer we cast our eyes in these vnhapy tymes of ours they will find reason to weep and to say with Ieremy If (b) Ierem. 14. I go out into the field I see that men are slayne by the sword if I enter into the citty I find them defeated and dead of hunger The former are they who went out of the Citty which is the Church A kind of people this is without a head for the sword of incredulity hath taken off from them the head which God gaue to Christians which is the (c) The Bishop of Rome as successour to S. Peter is the visible head which God hath giuen to the Church vnder Christour Lord. Bishop of Rome And the later are those many who in this citty of the Church haue their Fayth vntouched but they are miserably dead of hunger because they tooke not the food of obedience to the coÌ„mandmeÌ„ts of God of his church These things deserue that we should feele them much if we haue any feeling of Christ and that we should bewayle them in his high presence and say to him How long O Lord wilt thou forbeare to haue mercy on them for whom thou didst shed thy bloud and loose thy life vpon the Crosse in the middest of so many torments And since the busines is thyne let the remedy also come from thy hand being impossible that it should come from any other Be thou carefull O daughter to feele and to pray for this for (d) Note if thou loue Christ thou art to lodge in thy hart a tender and profound compassion of the soules for which Christ Iesus dyed And so art thou also carefully to consider how thou liuest and how thou doest profit by the Fayth which thou hast least otherwise God doe also punish thee by suffering thee to fall into some errour and so to loose it since thyne eares haue heard the newes of so many that haue lost it by the heresies of that peruerse Luther And others there are who haue denied Christ amongst the Moores to follow the bestiall law of Mahomet whereby thou shalt see accomplished that which Saint Paul sayth That some had lost their Fayth for hauing cast away a good conscience in their life And whether it be as we sayd before when we spake of the motiues which induce a man to belieue because euen their euill
which was beginning to sly de into Spaiâ—e about his tyme and they were called Ilâ—umimati so farre did this deceite ariue that if this kind of interiour motion came not to them they would not stirre a foot towardes the doing of any thing how good soeuer and on the other side if they had a mind to do any thing that they would be sure to do though it were against the wil of God Belieuing that the humour which they found in their hart was Gods particuler instinct and the liberty of the holy Ghost which did enfranchise them from all obligation to the ordinary Commandments of God to whome they sayd they carryed such an entiere true loue as that euen by breaking of his commandments they lost it not They considered not that the Sonne of God did preach by his owne sacred mouth a doctrine very contrary to this when he sayd If any man loue me he will keep my word and he that holdeth and obserueth my Commandements he is the man that loueth me And againe If any man loue me he will keep my word and he that loueth me not will not keep it Giuing cleerely to vnderstand heereby that whosoeuer keepeth not his word doth beare no loue nor hold friendship with him For as S. Augustine sayth No man can loue that King whose Commandements he hateth Now as for that which the Apostle sayth That (d) Note how the obiection which is made by heretikes vnder the colour of this place of Scripture is soundly answered and at large to the iust man there is imposed no law and that where the spirit of our Lord is there is liberty This is not so to be vnderstood as if the Holy Ghost did free any man how iust soeuer he may be from keeping the commandments of God or of his Church or of his Prelates but rather how much the more this spirit doth communicate it selfe so much the more loue doth it infuse and by the increase of loue the care and desire doth also increase of keeping more and more the word of God and of his Church And as this spirit is most efficacious and maketh a man become a true and feruent louer of that which is good so it further putteth such a disposition into the soule when it imparteth it selfe aboundantly as that the keeping of the Commandements is not hard but very easy so full of gust as that Dauid sayd How sweet are thy wordes to my threate yea more then hony to my mouth Because when this spirit doth place in the will of man a most perfect conformity with the will of God making it to be one spirit with him and doth say as S. Paul doth That he hath the same mind to will and not to will it must necessarily follow that to such a man the obseruation of the will of God is to be full of gust since it is of gust to euery body to do that which they loue And this is so full of Truth as that if the very law of God could be lost it would be found writteÌ„ by the holy Ghost as it were in the bowells of these persons according to that which Dauid (e) Psal 39. sayth That the law of God is in the hart of the man that is iust that is in his will which is according to God And God himselfe sayd as much I (f) Ierem. 31. will put my law into the bowells of theÌ„ From hence it is that although there were no hell to threaten and no heauen to allure and no commaundment to oblige yet would this iust man do that which he doth for the pure loue of God For because the holy Ghost worketh in a man towards God that which nature worketh in the hart of a sonne towards his Father since by his gifte and by his grace we receaue the adoption of being the sonnes of God from hence I say it groweth that such a man like a tender harted Son doth reuere and serue God throgh the filiall loue which he carrieth towards him Vpon this doth also follow a perfect detestation of al sinne and a perfect hope which dispatcheth all feare sorrow away with speed as it may be done in this exile of ours and it enableth him to suffer paine and trouble not only with patience bâ—â— euen with ioy And by reason of the liberty which he hath both in respect of sinnes afflictions abhorring the former and louing the latter he may be called free and that vpon such a iust man there is no law imposed Euen so as if there were a mother who did much loue her sonne and would faine do much for him that law would be of no trouble to her which should commaund her to do those things towards him which her own maternall hart did induce her to And so this mother should not be placed vnder a law or vnder the trouble that she was put to but should rather be superiour to them since she performed that with alacrity which the law commaunded with authority In this sort do they of whom we haue spoken by fulfilling the law of Gods loue yea and there are many who do things to which they are tyed by no obligation their hart flaming vp into a hoater fyre of loue then the law doth any way oblige them to In this manner therefore that of S. Paul is (g) Gal. 5. to be vnderstood If you be conducted by the Spirit you are no more vnder the law Because (h) This liberty of Spirit is very different from the Protestant liberty of the ghospâ—ll by abhorring sinne and carrying a tender loue to that which the law commaundes and being ioyfull in tribulation which are all effects of being guided by the Spirit the law as hath byn sayd is no burthen to such But in breaking any of the commaundments of God or of his Church this Spirit doth instantly fly away as it is written That it departeth from the thoughtes of them who are without vnderstanding and that it shal be driuen out of a soule when sinne commeth into it And as then men are not carried by this holy Spirit so is it impossible but that they should be vnder that weight which the law imposeth vpon such as loue it not and who are weak in suffering affliction and subiect to returne to sinne Let (i) Heere ProtestaÌ„ts are playnly spoken to no man therfore affirme that when he breaketh the commaundment of God or of his Church he hath Iustice or liberty of spirit or loue of God in his soule since our Lord pronounceth him to be a slaue and no free man who committeth sinne And as there is no participation between light and darknes so neither is their any between God and him that worketh wickednes For as it is written The wicked man and his wickednes are detestable in the sight of God I haue giuen thee notice of this so blind errour in the nature of an example by meanes whereof thou maiest
rest be So great are the mischiefes which grow from pride that it troubleth al them with whom it hath to do for if men will defend their owne opinion in obstinate manner and be inseparable from it who shall be able to liue in peace And to the end that thou mayst fly cutse this vice know that it arriueth so farce as to make of them that were good Christians peruerse Heretikes Nor haue they beene nor are they such for any other reason now but because by giuing more beliefe to their owne iudgment then to that of the Church and of their Prelates they conceaue themselues to hit the birde in the eye and that whatsoeuer passeth in their hart is the worke of God that to belieue the opinion of others rather thē that which they find in their own hart were to forsake God for man But experience truth demonstrates to vs that the thing which they thought to be the spirit of Truth was the spirit of Errour which not being able to ouercome them otherwise did assault them after hauing transformed it selfe into an Angell of light vnder the appearance of Good so depriued them of the life of their soules for not being content to submit themselues to the aduice of others CHAP. LV. That we must fly fast from our owne opinion chuse some person to whome for the loue of God we must be subiect and be ruled by him and what kind of man he must be and how we must carry our selues with him BEING therefore afrayd and taking a warning by occasion of these fellowes I admonish thee that as thou art to be an enemy to thyn owne will so thou art much more to be so of thyne owne opinion and of resoluing to carry thinges by thyne owne iudgment since thou seest the euill conclusion which is made by selfe conceite Be an enemy thereof both within doores and without and follow it not euen in trifles For (a) Note this well thou shalt hardly find a thing which so much will disquiet the peacefull rest that Christ desireth to find in thy soule that so he may cōmunicate himselfe thereunto as to be obstinate resolute to carry the matter after thyne owne mind And better for thee it were not to haue that which thou desirest then to loose that wherof thou hast so much need for the enioying of God with intiere peace This I say is to be practised by thee if the ordering of the house do not belōg to thy care for in case it do thou must not forbeare to do that which seemeth best to thee though yet withall thou art to informe thy selfe well both by making prayer and taking counsaile according to the quality of the thing in question Thou (b) Whosoeuer will maister his will in great matters must be contēt to begin in small ones knowest well inough that they who are in dāger of receauing some great affront do beginne to make trial vpon enduring certaine toyes that so they may be exercised towardes the bearing of such as indeed are great ones And know thou assuredly that whosoeuer is accustomed to belieue himselfe and doth esteeme himselfe to haue a wise vnderstanding resoluing to beare himselfe out in small matters will find it very strang and hard to depart in greater from his owne opinion And on the contrary side a man who hath vsed to call his vnderstanding foole and to giue it little credit in trifles will find himselfe facilitated towards a subiection of himselfe to the pleasure of God and of his Superiours and not easily to iudge ill of his Neighbours And as I haue sayd that in thinges of smal importance thou shalt do well to forsake thyne owne and to follow another mans opinion without much examination of who it is that sayth or sayth it not so I tell thee that in the things which concerne thy conscience thou art much more to follow aduice neither trusting thy selfe therewith nor yet some such other man as thou mayst find at randome It will therefore be fit for thee to take for thy guide and Ghostly Father some person who is both (c) Both learning experience are wholy necessary to such as are to be the Ghostly Fathers of spirituall persons learned and of experience in thinges that belong to God For without both these qualityes speaking ordinarily he will not be for the purpose For learning alone is not sufficient to prouide for the particuler necessityes and prosperityes and temptations which happen to the soules of such as walke in a spirituall life and in these cases as Gerson sayth recourse must be had to men of experience And it will fal out many tymes to them who haue no more thē learning as it fell out to the Apostles who being one night in a tempest at sea thought that Christ comming towardes them was but some other idle apparition holding that for a deceit which yet indeed was a reall fauour the truth of our Lord. Some man will strike thee into excessiue feares condemning euery thing for euill And as their owne harts are very farre from the experience of any spirituall gustes and illuminations of God so do they speake therof as of a thing neuer heard of and can with difficulty be induced to belieue that nobler and higher thinges do passe in the harts of others then they find in their owne With others also thou shalt meet who are practised in matters of deuotion and who are easily carryed towardes any gust of spirit who make much account thereof And if any such thing be told them they hearken to it with great admiration esteeming him for more holy who hath more of them and he is light in giuing credit to them as if in them all were safe But because indeed it is not so many of these persons fall into errour and they suffer also them to fall whom they haue in charge for want of giuing them sufficient aduice against the craft of the Diuell and in this respect they are as vnfit to gouerne soules as the former But (d) Note this and learne thereby wherein true sanctity doth consist know thou that there are some of so good iudgement as to vnderstand that true sanctity consisteth not in such things as these but in the accomplishing of the will of our Lord and they haue experience in spirituall things and they also can tell how to doubt and to aske of others who may informe them Thou (e) Great experiēce with great humility goeth far in making a manable to guyde another in matters of spirit though there be not so great learning maiest trust these last although they haue no eminency in learning because that which they haue is inough since they haue no other employment but to looke to themselues And since it doth so much import thee to light vpon a good guide thou must with great instance beseech our Lord that he will direct thee by his prouidence to
himselfe for iust as if a man who were all full of leprosy should account himselfe to be in health We (a) Of the humility which is to be exercised in the consideration of a mans good workes must not therfore be contented to esteem only little of our selues in respect of our sinnes but much more are we to do so in our good workes Profoundly knowing that neither the fault of sinne is of God nor the glory of our good deedes of our selues But that of all the good that may be in vs we are perfectly to giue the glory to the Father of lights from whome all good and perfect gifts descend So that although we may haue a thing that is good we must looke vpon it as none of ours and we must vse it with so great fidelity as not to pretend for the glory which is due to God nor that the hony as the Prouerbe sayth may be found sticking to our fingers ends This humility is not of sinners as the first was but of iust persons Not only is this kind of humility in this world but in heauen also For by occasion therof it is written Who is like our Lord God who dwelleth in the Altitudes and lookes vpon humble things both in heauen and in earth This kept the good Angells fast on foot and disposed them fitly for the enioying of God since they would be subiect to him And the want thereof did thrust downe those wicked Angells because they had a mind to robbe God of his honour This was possessed by the sacred Virgin Mary our B. Lady who being preached for happy and blessed by the mouth of S. Elizabeth she puffed not vp nor did she attribute to her selfe any glory for the graces which were in her but with (b) More humble and more faythfull then all men and Angells put togeather an humble and most faithfull hart she teacheth S. Elizabeth and the whole world that the glory of the greatnes to which she was raysed was not due to her but to God and with profound reuerence she beginneth to sing My soule doth magnify our Lord. This very humility and that which was yet more perfect did inhabite the most blessed soule of Iesus Christ our Lord which for as much as concerned the personall being that he had did not rest vpon it selfe but vpon the person of the Word as it exceeded all the soules and celestiall spirits in other graces so did it exceed them in holy humility being further off from giuing glory to it selfe and from relying vpon it selfe then all those others put togeather And from this hart did that proceed which so often he most faythfully preached to the world That he had receaued his workes and wordes from his Father and that to him he gaue the glory And he sayd My doctrine is not myne but of him that sent me and againe The (c) Ioan. 7.14 wordes that I speake I speak not of my selfe but the Father who is in me is he that doth the workes And so it was fit that the redresser of mankind should be very humble since pride was the rooâ—e of all misery and mischiefe And our Lord resoluing to make vs know how necessary it is for vs to haue this holy and true humility he maketh himselfe a maister of it in particuler manner and he puttes his owne example before our eyes saying thus Learne (d) Matt. 1â— of me for I am humble and meeke To the end that men seeing their so wise Maister recommend this vertue so particulerly they might labour much in the purchase thereof And seing that our Lord being so soueraign doth not attribute the good to himselfe there may be no man so franticke as to presume vpon the committing of so great a wickednesse Learne therefore O thou seruant of Christ of this thy Maister and Lord this holy humility to the end that according to his word thou mayst be exalted For he (e) Luc. 14. that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted And keep in thy soule this holy Pouerty for of this it is vnderstood Blessed (f) Wats 5. are the poore in spirit for of them is the kingdome of heauen And of this be sure that since Iesus Christ our Lord was exalted by the way of humility he that hath not this doth loose his way And he must vnbeguile himselfe and belieue that which S. Augustine sayth If thou aske me which is the way to heauen I shall answere thee Humility and if thou aske me till the third tyme I shall answere thee the same and if thou aske me a thousand tymes a thousand tymes shall I answere that there is no other way (g) I doubt much that ProtestaÌ„ts are then out of the way if it be but euen for this but of Humility CHAP. LXIIII. Of a profitable exercise of knowing the being which we haue in Nature that by it we may obtayne Humility BECAVSE (a) I beseech you ponder well the foure next chapters for they will teâ—l you â—ewes I thinke thou desirest to obtayne this holy humiliation of thy self wherby thou mayst become pleasing to our Lord I will say somwhat of the meanes how thou mayst procure it And (b) The meanes which are to be vsed for the procuring of the holy vertue of humility let the first of them be to begge it with perseuerance of him who is the giuer of all good thinges for it is a particuler guift of his which he bestoweth vpon his elect Yea and the very knowing that it is a guift of God is no small fauour They who are tempted with pride do wel perceaue that there is nothing further off from their owne power then this true and profound humility and that it hapneth many tymes that by the same meanes whereby they hope to obteine it they fly furthest from it and that by the very acts of humiliating a mans selfe the very contrary which is pride sometymes doth grow Thou (c) Note must therefore as I sayd in that discourse which I made before of Chastity take in hand the obteyning of this Iewell in such sorte as that neither thou giue ouer thy endeauour by saying What shall I get by striuing for it since it is the guift of God nor yet must thou put thy confidence in thy arme of flesh and bloud but in him who is wont to graunt his guiftes to whome he giueth the grace to aske them by meanes of prayer and other deuout exercises The course then which thou art to hold shal be this Consider these two thinges in order The one a being the other a good and happy being As for the first thou art to thinke who thou wert before God made thee and thou wilt find that thou wert a profound pit of being nothing a priuation of all thinges that are good Consider then how that mighty and sweete hand of God drew thee out of that profound Abysse placed thee in the number of his creatures giuing
is a distinct thing from that wherby Christ is iust And from hence it commeth that although the workes which we did before were meane and of aâ—â— imperfect kind of goodnesse and which had noâ— in them any true iustice nor could deserue 〈◊〉 haue it as being of our owne stocke and store yet those thinges which now we do being oâ—â—â— in the state of grace are of so high valew and are workes so truely iust as that they deserue an increase of iustice according to that of (n) Apocâ— 22. S. Iohn He that is iust let him be yet more iust and they are worthy to obtaine the kingdome of God as it was sayd by (o) 2. Tim. 4. S. Paul That the Crown of iustice was kept for him This vnspeakable benefit do we owe to Iesus Christ but (p) See heer how honourable to Christ our Lord the doctrine of the holy Catholike Church is in the point of workes this is not all For as it is the ordinance of God that no man shall obtaine grace and iustice but by the merits of this Lord so is it also that none of them that haue it is able to increase or euen to conserue it but by their being vpheld by this Lord as a liuing member is by his head as the fruitful branch is by his vine and as the building is by his foundation For although by gayning grace and iustice for them he gaue them as hath beene sayd a good (q) Because God through Christ our Lord would haue it so title by the way of merit to the kingdome of heauen as also that they should obtaine by prayer that which they would aske as they ought yet if they had a mind to enioy the same and to vse it rightly they must not do it like people which would disband from their captaine or deuide themselues from their head or as if they could go vpon their owne feet alone without the help of any other No a soule must rely vpon and be vnited to this (r) Christ Iesus our Lord. blessed head to the end that (f) See the excellent immaculate doctrine of the holy Catholik Church Grace may be conserued to it and that from thence a certaine spirituall strength may come which may proceed and accompany and follow the good works that it shall do and without which those good workes cannot be meritorious as is declared by the Councell of Trent And by this meanes the prayers which that iust person shall make will be worthy of the eares of God and to obtaine that which the man desires Salomon (t) 2. Para. 6. did begge of God That he who should pray in the Temple which he had made on earth might be heard by God from heauen granting that which should be desired And the true and most excellent Temple of God is Iesus Christ our Lord in respect that he is man in whome as S. Paul sayth The accomplishment of diuinity doth corporally remaine That is it remayneth in him not only by way of grace as it doth in the Angells and in holy men but in another fashion of more weight and valew by the way of the personall vnion whereby that sacred humanity is raised vp to haue the dignity of being personated in the word of God which is one of the three persons of the Blessed Trinity This is that Temple whereof Dauid sayd God heard my voyce from his holy Temple And he that in this Temple shall vtter the speach of prayer which is inspired by his spirit and resting vpon him as a liuing member which demandeth succour by the merits of his head which is Iesus Christ this man I say shall be heard by God in the title of iustice as Dauid was and all iust men were who vvere euer heard But the prayer vvhich is made without this Temple (u) That is we must be members of Christ our head by being in the state of grace which requireth that we resort to the sacrament of pennance with harty sorrow for that sin which is past a firme purpose to coÌ„mit no more for otherwise insteed of receauing a Sacrament we should commit a sacriledg by whomesoeuer it be made is a oarse and prophane prayer and vnworthy of the ares of God And not being inspired by Iesus Christ it carryeth not that broad seale whereby 〈◊〉 should be warranted and held for iust in the â—btaining of what it askes And to the end that Christ in the quality of our aduocate may giue â—ispatch to our petitions it is necessary that on â—arth we be his liuing members and inspired to â—ray by him For although his mercy is so great â—hat many tymes he maketh the petitions of his â—ead members to be heard which are they that â—old the fayth of his Church but are not in state â—f grace yet heere we speak only of those which being made in Christ haue the dignity and the â—erit of obtayning what they aske And the hoâ—y Church our Mother well knowing the necessity that we haue of Christ in our prayers is wont â—o say to the Eternall Father at the end of hers Graunt vs this or that O God through Iesus Christ â—ur Lord. This did she learne of her spouse and maister when he (x) Ioan. 16. sayd Whatsoeuer thing you aske the Father in my name he will giue it you Let thankes O Lord be giuen to thy name â—ince through thee we are heard For thou doest not content thy selfe only with being our Mediatour to merit that grace for vs which we receaue by thee nor with being our head which instructeth and moueth vs to pray by thy spirit as we ought but thou also wilt be our (y) He obtayneth that we may be heard by our selues when we aske in his Name Bishop in heauen that so representing to thy Father that sacred humanity which thou hast and the passion which thou didst receaue thou mightst obtayne the effect of that which we desire on earth by our inuocation of thy Name So that as the holy Gâ—ospel sayd When (z) Matt. 3. Marc. 1. Luc. 3. our Lord was baptized the heauens did open themselues to him and although many haue followed in thither after him yet they are opened to none but by his meanes so may we also say that the bowels of his eternall Father which open themselues for the graunting our petitions are opened to Christ And he is the person heard by his Father since the fauour grace vvhere with we are heard we haue by him For if it were not for this as no man would be iust in himselfe so no man could be heard for himselfe And as through the great loue which our Lord did beare vs he tooke our miseryes vpon himself as his owne and he payed for them by his life death so with the same loue vvhich he carryeth towards vs although now he be in heauen if any little one of his be either naked or clad
people their kinred that in their hartes they may be a kinde of Melchisedech in this world without hauing any thinge in those hartes which may captiue them or so much as foreslow the pace which they make in the way of God CHAP. XCIX Of the vanity of being nobly borne and that such persons must not bragge thereof as desire to be of the kindred of Christ. I would not haue thee blinded by that vanity which blindeth many whilest they presume vpon the extraction of their bloud And therefore I will tell thee what S. Hierome saith to a certayne virgin I will not saith he haue thee behold those Virgins who are Virgins of the world not of Christ And who not remembring their good purpose begunne do take ioy in pleasure and do please themselues in vanity and glory in corporall thinges and in the antiquity of their descent Who if (a) The extreme valew of temporall nobility sheweth that men vnderstaÌ„d not the true valew of that nobility which is spirituall they did indeed hold themselues for the Children of God they would neuer after they had bin borne diuinely of him make any estimation of this temporall nobility And if they felt that God were become their Father they would not valew the nobility of other parents Why dost thou glory in such nobility of descent God made one man and one woman in the beginning of the world from whome the multitude of mankind descendeth This (b) In nature there is no difference of nobility Nobility of linage is not giuen by nature which is alike to all but by the appetite of ambition Nor ought there to be any difference (c) That in spirituall nobility there is also no difference betweene one and another between them who are begotten according to this second spirituall birth whereby as well the poore as the rich the slaue as the free man may be accoumpted to be of noble linage and without which they are neuer made the sonnes of God The descent of flesh and bloud is wholy obscured by the brightnes of this heauenly honour and appeareth not to be any thing at all now that they wâ—o before were vnequall in respect of worldly honour are equally apparelled with the Nobility of that otâ—â—er honour which is spirituall and diuine No place is there left for this vaine kind of linage none of them can be thought to be without Nobility who are beautifyed by the height of a heauenly birth And if that former be esteemed it is but in the mind of them who valew temporall thinges more then eternall Which temporall aduantage although theâ— haue how vainely do they proceed who esteeme themselues more for lesse thinges then they esteeme others whom they know to be equall to themselues in greater things and who esteeme others as men creeping vpon the ground and far inferiour vnto themselues whome yet they belieue to be their equalls in celestiall thinges But whatsoeuer thou be of birth O Virgin thou who art of Christ and not of the world fly away from all glory of this present life that thou mayst obtayne all that which is promised in the life to come All this is sayd by S. Hierome Heereby thou mayst see how necessary it is for thee To forget thy people and the house of thy Father remembring well that the priuiledge which thy parentes gaue thee was to be conceaued in sinne and filled full of many miseryes and to be borne in the wrath of God by the first sinne of Adam which we inherit by our conception A (d) The basenes of the body body they bestowed vpon vs which was begotten in such a loathsome maÌ„ner that it would cost a man shame to speake of it and makes him loath to thinke of it Into which the soule being infused after the creation thereof doth grow to be spotted with originall sinne which yet by the hand of God was created without it Our body is besides full of a thousand necessityes and subiect to sicknesses and death and made fit to do pennance by suffering it Such a body it is that (e) Consider seriously of this if thou shouldst take of but the first thynne skinne that couers it the most beautyfull creature would be abhominable A body which if thou obserue to be exteriourly white yet consider the trash which is shut vp within thou wilt say it is some dunghill ouer cast with snow A body whereof I would to God the worst condition were to be full of paine and shame but this is the least matter of all the rest That (f) The emniâ—y of a sinnefull body to a soule which importeth is that it is the greatest enemy which we haue and the greatest traytour it is which was euer seene who goeth vp and downe in pursuite how to plunge that (g) The soule thing into death and death eternall which giues it bread to eate and whatsoeuer else is necessary for a body And which for the enioying of a little pleasure doth set at nothing the giuing of any offence to God and the casting of the soule into hel fire A body which is as sloathfull as an asse and as malicious as a mule And if thou belieue not me let it but goe a while without a bridle and do thou but neglect a little to keep it in order and thou shalt see whether it be a wicked thinge or no. O Vanity which deserues to be despised in them that presume vpon their descent whereas all the soules of men are created immediately by God and we haue not them by inheritance And as for the flesh which is inherited it ought to serue vs but for matter of shame and feare Let such giue eare to that which God hath said by (h) Isa 4. Isaias Cry out and what shall I cry out vpon sayth the Prophet Our Lord made this answere That all flesh is but withred grasse and all the glory therof as the fading flower of the field God commanded his Prophet to cry out but yet deaf men did not heare him who resolued to (i) A preposterous absurd kind of pride glory more in that filth which they drew from their flesh then in that height of dignity which by the holy ghost was graunted to them Be not thou blind be not vnthankefull O thou spouse of Christ The estimation which God maketh of thee is not for thy birth of bloud but for thy being a Christian not because thou wert borne in that sumptuous Chamber but because thou wert borne againe by holy Baptisime The former of these births was of dishonour the later was of honour the former of basenes the later of nobility The first of sinne the second of Iustification from sinne The first of flesh which kills the second of spirit which quickens Bâ— the first we are made the sonnes of men by the second the sonnes of God By the first as we be out Fathers heires to their estates we are also
there heires in being made sinners by them and full of many other miseryes but by the second we are made the brethren of Christ and ioyntly the heires of heauen with him For the present we receyue the holy ghost but we hope hereafter to see God face to face Well (k) An ignorant most inexcusable errour then and what dost thou thinke that God will say to that person who shall prize himselfe more as being borne of men wherby he became a sinfull and miserable creature then for the being borne againe of God wherby he presently becommeth iust and may afterwardes be happy These (l) Note this comparison men are like to some one who being begotten by a King vpon the body of some most vgly slaue should prize himselfe for being her sonne and should talke much thereof and should neuer consider or remember himselfe to be the sonne of the King Forget therefore thy people that so thou mayst be of the people of God The wicked people is thyne owne and therefore it is sayd Forget thy people for of thy selfe thou art a sinner and a very vile one But if thou wilâ— shake of that which is thyne our Lord will receaue thee into that which is his into his nobility into his iustification into his loue but as long as thou wilt cleaue to thy selfe thou shall not be inriched by him Christ will haue thee all naked for he meaneth to giue thee a dowry and he hath where withall Of thy selfe thou hast nothing but to be full of debts Forget (m) We must forget our people more wayes theÌ„ one thy people That is forget to be a sinner and grow a stranger to thy ancient faults Forget thy people and set not so high a price vpon Nobility of bloud Forget thy people by casting all kind of tumult out of thy hart and make account that thou art in some desert hand to hand with Almighty God Forget in fine thy people since there are so many solide reasons why thou shouldst forget it CHAP. C. Wherin he beginneth to declare that other word And forget the house of thy Father And how much it importeth vs to fly from our owne will in imitation of Christ our Lord â—or the auoyding of those inconueniences which grow from thence THERE followeth heere another word which saith And forget the house of thy Father This Father is the (a) How the diuell may be called the Father of sinnefull men why Diuell for as S. Iohn saith He that committeth sinne is of the Diuell for the Diuell did sin from the beginning Not that he did create or beget wicked men but because they imitate his workes and he according to the holy Ghospell is said to be anothers Sonne who imitates the workes of that other This wretched Father liueth in the world that is in wicked men as it is written in (b) Iob. 4. Iob He sleepeth in the shaddow and in the hollow part of a reed and in moyst places A (c) A place of holy Scripture excellently pondered shaddow are the riches of this world For they giue not that rest which they promise but pricking the hart which cares like so many thornes the owners of them do find by experience that they are not true riches but they are a meere shaddow of riches and they are true pouerty and nothing lesse then that which their name doth pretend A (d) The vanity of transitory honour glory cane or reede is the glory of this world and how much the fairer and bigger it appeares exteriourly so much the more hollownes doth it hold Yea and euen that very exteriour is so very subiect to change that with reason it may be called a reede which declines at the commaundement of euery wind Moist (e) The basenes weaknes of men giuen ouer to worldly pleasures places are those soules which are dissolued by carnall pleasures after which they runne without any bridle Iust contrary to them of whome the holy ghospell saith That (f) Matt. 11. the vncleane spirit departing out of that man whome he had formerly inhabited goes seeking where he may be and he walkes his round through dry places desiring entertainment but findeth none For in soules which keepe a loofe from these carnall appetites the diuell cannot find a lodging but his place of aboad is in couetousnes ambition and sensuality Therefore is it that he is called the Prince of this world the ruler and the Lord thereof not still in any respect of his hauing created it but because wicked men who are of God by creation will needes be of the Diuell by imitation Conforming themselues to his will that so with iustice they may also be made conforme with him in the torments of hell as at the latter day it wil be sadly and plainly said to them by the mouth of Christ Go (g) Matt. 25. you cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Diuell and for his Angells And if we consider well what kind of thing this house of the Diuell is we shall find that it is the lewd will of wicked men wherein (h) How the Diuell is seated in a sinnefull will the diuell takes vp his seate as he would do in a chaire commaunding from thence the whole man To forget therefore thy Fathers house is no other thinge but to forget and to forsake thyne owne will wherein thou maiest haue sometimes giuen entertainment to this wicked Father and to imbrace insteed thereof the will of God with an entire and faithfull hart saying to him Thy will O Lord and not myne be done This admonition is one of the most profitable that can be giuen vs. For by casting away our will we shall put away our sinnes as (i) The will is the root and the sinne is the braunch braunches are cut off from the roote This (k) 2. Tim. 3. S. Paul doth note when recounting the multitude of sinnes which (l) These dayes of ours in the latter day would be committed he saith That men would be louers of themselues Giuing vs thereby to vnderstand as the commentary declareth That the inordinate loue of a mans selfe is the head and root of all sinnes and that vpon the taking away thereof a man growes to be in subiection to God from whome all his good proceedeth Againe (m) A most profitable consideration the cause of all our disgustes our melancholies and our affliction is no other thinge then our owne will which we would faine haue to be accomplished and when it is not we are in paine but this being taken away what is there that can trouble vs For (n) Note as much as sadnes doth not necessarily rise from the very comming of any troublesome thing towards vs but from our vnwillingnesse that it should come Nor is the paine alone of this world put away by the putting away of our will but of the other also For as S. Bernard saith Let