How all our spirituall profit and perfections consists in the well doing of our workes. CHAP. 1.

IVSTE quod iustum est persequeris, Deuter. 16.10. sayth our Lord vnto his people, Do that wel & iustly which is good and iust. Our pro­fit & perfection consists not in the sim­ple doing of the thinges, but in the well doing them: like as it is nothing to be a Religious man, but to be a good one indeed is that to which we [Page 2] must all aspire. S. Hierome writing to Paulinus sayth: Non Hierosalymis fuisse, sed Hierosolymis bene vixisse laudādum est. Paulinus had a great opinion of S. Hie­rome, because he resided in those holy places, where our Sauiour had wroght the mysteries of our redemption; and S. Hierome that he might pay no e­steemation to the place, which was not due vnto the person, sayd: Not to liue in Hierusalem, but to liue well in Hie­rusalem, is worthy to be praysed, which A­pophthegma is ordinarily brought to ad­monish Religious, that it is not inough for them to liue only in Religion; see­ing, as it is not the habit which makes a Religious man, so is it not the place, but a good and holy life. In such man­ner as the difficulty consists not in be­ing Religious, but in being a good Re­ligious, nor in doing the exercises of Religion, but in doing them well, & according as we ought. When that which was sayd of our Sauiour in the Ghospell: Bene omnia fecit, He hath done all thinges well, Marc. 7.37. doth come to be verify­ed in vs, then we may truely be sayd to be Religious men. It is most certain [Page 3] that all our good and ill consists in the well or ill doing of our workes, for such as our workes are, such shall we likewise be; they speake and declare what ech one is: the Tree is knowne by its fruit. S. Augustine sayes; That man is the tree, and his workes the fruit he bears, and consequently by the fruit of the workes we doe arriue to know­ledge of the man. And therefore our Sauiour speaking of the Hypocrits & false Prophets sayd:Matth. 7.16. A fructibus eorum cognoscetis eos. And on the contrary, speaking of himselfe: The works, which I do in the name of my Father, Ioan. 10.15. do beare wit­nesse of me; and if you will not belieue me, belieue my workes, which witnesse what I am. Neither do the workes in this life only, declare what each one is, but al­so what in the other life is to become of them: for such shall we be for euer in the other life as our workes haue been in this; seeing our Sauiour will reward each one, according to their works, as the holy Scripture testifyes so often, in both the old and new Testament. Quia tu reddes vnicui (que) iuxta opera sua. Psal. 61.13. And the Apostle Paul sayth, that which a man [Page 4] hath sowed in this life, he shall reap in the o­ther. Rom. 2.6. Quae seminauerit homo, haec & metet.

But let vs now descend further vn­to particulars, and see what workes they are, in which doth consist all our good, our progresse, and perfection: which are no other then those which we doe ordinarily euery day, to wit, to make our daily prayer well, our Examen of conscience, to heare Masse, and celebrate it with all decency, to say our houres and prayers with reue­rence and attention, to be in perpetual exercise of pennance & mortification, to performe our office well, and that charge which obedience doth impose vpon vs: in these consists our profit & perfection, if we do these actions with perfection; we shall be likewise per­fect, and if imperfectly imperfect. And this is all, and only that which makes such mighty differēce, betwixt a good & perfect Religious man, and on who is imperfect and negligent. For the difference doth not consist in that the one doth more, or els such thinges, which the other doth not do; but that the one doth those things, which they [Page 5] are to do, better and with more perfe­ction, then the other: and hence it is, that this is a good Religious man be­cause he doth his ordinary actiōs wel; the other on the contrary an imperfect one, because he doth them with tepi­dity & negligence. And in conformity to this which hath beene sayd, the more perfectly or imperfectly one doth do his workes, the more perfect or imperfect he is.

In the Parable of the Sower, who went out to sow his seedes, the sacred text of the Ghospel says,Math. 13.8. That euen the good seed it self, & that which was sowne in good ground, did in some places bring forth a hundred fold, in others sixty, and but thirty in others. In which place, the ho­ly Doctours say, are disciphred three sortes of people, who serue God Al­mighty. The Beginners, the Proficiēt, and the Perfect; all of vs of the same Religious institute sow but on kind of seed; since that the workes we do are al the same, & the rule the same which we obserue: we haue all one time of prayer & examen; & the same holy o­bedience frō morning vnto night doth [Page 6] employ vs all, and yet for al this Homi­ni homo quid prestat? How much, how farre doth one man excell an other? What difference is there bewixt one Religious man & an other? The Acti­ons which the one sowes euery day, bringes forth an hundred fold, be­cause they do their Actions with spirit and perfection, and these are the per­fect: others grow vp likewise with in­crease, though not so great, as brin­ging only sixty fold; and these are the Proficient: in an other quarter, the seed which is sowne brings forth only thirty fold; and these are they who yet are but beginning to serue God Al­mighty. And now let euery one of vs cōsider with himself, of which of these three sorts he is, & whether he be not only of those, who barely bring forth thirty fold, and God graunt that there be none such among vs, as the Apostle speake of,1. Cor. 3.12 who on the foundation of their faith doe rayse vp buildinges of wood, haye, and stubble, to serue for fewell in that general day; looke that you doe not your Actions out of vayne glory, for humaine respects & to please [Page 7] and delight men & to be esteemed by them: since, this is no other then to build with wood, and haye, and stub­ble, to make the fyer at least in Purga­tory, but indeauour to performe all your Actions with perfection, which is to build with gold, siluer, and preti­ous stones.

That all our profit and perfection doth consist herein, may be vnder­stood by this reason: all our profit and perfection consists in two thinges; to do that which God would haue vs do; & to do it in such manner as he would haue vs do it: and more then this I do not see what can be expected from vs. Now touching the first, which is to do that which God would haue vs do, we haue by the grace of God performed it already, who liue in Religion, & do that which is assigned vs by our insti­tute, which is one of the greatest goods and perfectest consolations, which we haue who liue vnder obedience; to wit, that we are assured that al which we doe, and in which we imploy our selues, by order from obedience, is that only which God would haue vs [Page 8] do: & this is in a manner the first prin­cipall in Religion, drawne forth of the Ghospell, and the doctrine of the Ho­ly Father, as we will proue when we come to treat of Obedience, Qui vos au­dit me audit, Luc. 10.16. in obeying our Superiours, we obey God, and accomplish his di­uine will, which is no other then that we should do these thinges, in which we are then imployed.

We read in the Chronicles of the Cistercians, that as the Religious were one morning at Mattins, S. Bernard with his Monkes saw diuers Angels noting and writing downe the actions, of the Religious in the qui [...]e, and their man­ner of behauiour there; & they obser­ued that they writ downe the cōport­ments of some in golden letters, of o­thers in siluer, of some with inke, & others only with watter, conformable to the spirit, attention & deuotiō, with which each one of them did pray and sing & of others they writ downe no­thing at all, they being such, as al­though they were personally present, were yet in hart farre frō thence, trās­ported by distraction and extrauagant [Page 9] thoughts. And in particular whilst Te Deum was sung, they obserued the An­gels with great deligence going vp & downe among them, to incite them be sing it with deuotion: in so much as from the mouthes of these who be­gan to sing, their deuout words came out of their inkindled breastes like fla­mes of fire. Let vs consider with our selues whether in like manner whilest we pray, our harts do sēd vp such fiery words vnto our mouths, or rather whe­ther we do not languish in deuotion, and yawne againe through lazines & tepidity. Marke whether you be there in body only whilest in spirit you are in your studyes, in your offices, in deep consideration of your affayrs, or with your thoughts bestowed one any such impertinent thing.

How it ought greatly to incourage vs, to the attaining of perfection, that God hath constituted it in the performance of easy things. CHAP. II.

R. F. Hierome Natalis a man of hap­py memory in our Society for his eminent vertue & learning, in his vi­site of the Prouinces of Spayne, did in a most particular māner, among many other things cōmend, and often incul­cate this verity, that all their profit & perfection did consist in the wel doing of those particular & ordinary imploy­ments, in which they were daily ex­ercised; seing that our spirituall pro­gresse, and amendment of life doth nor consist in the addition of other extra­ordinary actiōs vnto those we do, not in performance of more high & spe­cious things; but in the doing with per­fectiō those ordinary things which we haue to do, and those offices, in the dis­charge of which obedience doth im­ploy vs, although they be of them­selues [Page 11] the vilest and most abiect in the world, seing they are those which God doth require of vs, and to the perfor­mance of which we must confere all our regard and care, if we would be pleasing to his Diuine Maiesty and at­tayne vnto perfection; which being so let vs seriously consider with how little expence & cost we may be per­fect if we wil our selues, since it requi­res no more, then the bare performāce of those ordinary things, in the which euery one is exercised and employed.

This ought to be of great conso­lation to vs, and a great incouragemēt to the attaining of perfectiō. For if vn­to the end you might be perfect there were exacted of you any vnwonted, extraordinary things, as rapts, exta­sies, or profound & high meditation, you might haue some pretention and excuse by saying you neither could, nor durst ventur so high a flight; or if there were proposed vnto you the ma­king disciplines euery day to blood, to fast with bread and water, to go bare­foot, & weare and rough hayre cloath continually; you might answere, that [Page 12] you doubted whether you had forces enough for to sustaine so much; but this is neither required of you, nei­ther doth perfection consist in this, but ōly in the doing those ordinary things you doe (prouided that you do them well) with only doing these you may be perfect, the reckoning is already payd, you need be at no more charges, there are required no other workes to be added to them. This being so, who will not take hart and courage to be perfect: when the perfection is in our owne powers, so easy and facile, so cō ­uersant and so familiar with vs? God Almighty sayd to his people to incou­rage them, to serue him and fullfill his law:Deut. 30.11. The commandement which I prescribe vnto you to day is not aboue your reach, nor farre off from you, neither placed in heauen, in so much as you might say, who is there of vs, who can clime vp to heauen, for to fetch it downe vnto vs, that we may heare it, & put it in execution; neither is it put beyond the Seas, whereby you might excuse your selues and say, who is there of vs, that can swime ouer the sea, and bring it hither vnto vs, that we may heare it and do that which [Page 13] is commanded? but that which I say is hard-by you, and very conuersant in your mouth and your hart, that you may fullfill it, and the like may we say of that perfection whereof we speake.

S. Anthony made vse of this motiue to incite and stirre vp his disciples to perfection. Graeci studia transmarina se­ctantur, regnum autem coelorum intra vos est. The Grecians (sayd he) doe crosse the Seas in quest of learning & know­ledge, they do penetrate strange lands, endure much wearynes, & expose thē ­selues to sundry dangers; but we to at­taine to perfection which is the truest wisedome, haue neither need to ex­pose our selues to dangers, nor vnder­take long iourneys, neither so much as stirre out of our owne Cells for it, see­ing we may find it in our Oratories; nay (what is more) euen within our selues, Regnum Dei intra vos est, perfe­ction consists in those daily and or­dinary workes which you are to do.

It is ordinarily demanded in spiritu­all conferences, when any great feast drawes nigh, as Lent, Aduent, Ea­ster, Whitsontid, or at renouation of [Page 14] our vowes, what is the best deuotion to prepare our selues vnto this reno­uation, or that fasting, to receaue the Holy Ghost, or the infant Iesus new­ly borne, and there vses to be assigned many both good and laudable, but the most principall one, and that vpon which we ought chiefly to insist, is this whereof we speake, to wit, to per­fect our selues in doing of our ordina­ry and daily actions; free your selues of those faults and imperfections, which you commit in doing your ordinary workes, and indeauour euery day to do them better, and with lesse imper­fection; and this will be an excellent preparation, if not the best, for to ob­taine your wishes and desires, haue an eye principally vnto this; here fixe al your thoughts; vnto this direct al your consideration, and make all your spi­rituall exercises, meanes to arriue vn­to this end, so important, and with all so easy and familiar.

VVherein the goodnes and perfection of our workes consists: and some meanes to performe them well. CHAP. III.

LET vs now see wherin consists the well doing of our Actions, that we may haue recours vnto those means, which may serue vs to the wel performance of them. This (for to be briefe) consists in two things; the first and chiefest is to do them purly for God Almighty, S. Ambrose demaunds the reason, why God in the Creation of the world, when he created the cor­poral things said that they were good: when he had created the plants and trees, it presently, added, Et vidit Deus, Genes. 1. quod esset bonum, and God saue that it was good: he had no sooner created the beasts of the earth, the birds of the ayre and fishes of the sea but straight ways it is added, and God saw that it was good, he created the heauens, that stars, the Sunne and Moone, and instantly is added, and God saw that it was good: he [Page 16] praysed & comended all things as soon as he had created them; only com­ming to creat mā he seems to passe him ouer in silence without praysing him, or adioyning thus vnto the making of him, & vidit Deus quod esset bonum as he had done, to al the other created things besids. what is the mystery of this saith he? Wherin the difference? because the beauty & excellency of all other crea­turs, & created things, consists only in the exteriour, and the outward shew; they haue no other perfection thē that which appeares without and is disco­uered by the eye, and therefore they were praysed as soone as made: but the goodnes and perfection of man consists not in the exteriour nor the outward shew, but in the interiour, out of all reach of eyes, Omnis gloria e­ius filiae regis ab intus al the glory of man who is the sonne of God,Psal. 44.14. is comming frō the interiour, as also all that which is in him pleasing to the eyes of God, Man seeth that which appeares without (saith God to Samuel) but God beholds the hart, 1. Reg. 16 the end, & the intention with which each or doth do his works: and [Page 17] therefore he did not prayse man presē ­tly after he had created him, as he did al other Creaturs; The intention is the root and foundation of all the good & perfection which is in our Actions. We cānot see those great massy stones, which are throwne into the earth to rayse great buildings on; but notwith­standing they are the stay and founda­ [...]ion of all the edifice, and such vnto vs is our intention.

The second thing which is required to the perfection of our works, is to confer all our care and diligence vnto the doing of them well and perfectly: for it is not inoughe only to haue a good intention, nor to say you do thē all for God Almighties sake; but it is requisit that you performe your actiōs with all possible diligence, to render them more acceptable to God. Let this then be the first means of doing our actions wel, to do them purely for the loue of God; wherby we shall arriue to do them perfectly, and with our vt­most indeauour (as doing thē for God Almighty) although neither our Su­periour nor any one els do looke on & [Page 18] take account of our performance of them. Our B. F. Ignatius asked a cer­tayne brother once, who was a little negligent in his office, wherefore he did those things? the brother answe­red for the loue of God: whereupon our B. Father told him, that if he did his things so negligently againe, he would giue him a good penāce for his payns. For said he, if you did them for any men, the fault would not be so great to performe them with so much neglect and carlesnes; but to do them in such a manner, for so great a master, is a negligence not to be borne with all.

The second means, which the Holy Saints do commend vnto vs, & which indeed is the most effications of al is cōtinually to walke in the presen­ce of God Almighty. Seneca although Heathen was wont to say that a man who was desirous to becom vertuous, and to do all his Actions well & lau­dably, could arriue vnto it by no spee­dyer way, then to imagin himselfe when he did or sayd any thing, in the presence of some graue honourable [Page 19] person, vnto whom he bare respect & reuerence, Sic viue tanquam subalicuius boni viri, ac semper presentis oculis. Now if the bare imagining ones selfe in pre­sence of another man, hath power suf­ficient to make him do his Actiōs wel, what a more efficatious meanes ought it to be, to consider our selues always in the sight of God, to frame an ima­gination of him euer present, to per­swade our selues that he sees all what­soeuer we do; especially seing it is no faynd imaginary thing, like that other of Seneca's, but really true as the Holy Scripture often testifyes The eyes of the Lord are clearer thē the sunne ouerseeing al the wayes of men, Eccl. 13.18. and the deepest of the A­bisse and beholding the harts of men, in the most secret partes and corners of them.

But of this exercise of walking in the presence of God Almighty we shall treat more amply & particularly here after, and declare how excellent and profitable it is, and with all how much praysed and recōmended by the Holy Saints, and therefore for the present we will only (for as much as concerns our present Argument) declare in pas­sing [Page 20] how much it conferres, vnto the well performing of our ordinary Acti­ons, which is of such consequence, that (as we shall in its place declare) we are not only to insist vpon that verity, that we are in the presence of God, but we are to serue our selues of it to do our workes the better and perfecter; in such sort notwithstanding, as should we reflecting on the presence of God, remayne doing our actiōs imperfectly and negligently, it would not be a good deuotion, but rather an illusion and deceyt. And some ad yet further & say that that presence of God Almighty which we should procure to haue, and which the holy Scripture and Blessed Saints so much recommend vnto vs, is this well and perfect performance of our works, in such manner, as they may wortihly appeare before the face of God, and haue nothing in them to dis­please his holy eyes: in briefe that they may be such as may become vs to do in the presence of so high a Maiesty. And it seems that S. Iohn in his Apoca­lyps would haue vs vnderstād so much from the description,Apoc. 4.8. which he makes [Page 21] of the proprieties of those holy Spirits, which he saw standing before the Throne of God, readily awayting what he should command them; of whome he sayes, that they were full of eyes, without, within, and round a­bout them, hauing eyes in their feet, handes, eares, and lippes, and in their eyes themselues; to represent vnto vs that those who desire to serue God per­fectly, & to appeare worthy of his pre­sence, must haue especiall regard in, & about euery thing, that they doe no­thing which may not beseeme so diui­ne a presēce. They are to be ful of eyes both within, & without, to be watch­full ouer euery action, to see how they goe, to consider how they speake, to marke how they heare, to looke how they see, and how they thinke, how they will and desire any thing, vnto the end that among all their workes, there may not be found one, which may be offensiue to the eyes of God, in whose sacred presence we are continu­ally.

This is an excellent manner of wal­king in the presence of God Almighty, [Page 22] and so Ecclesiastes, Gen. 5.24. Eccl. 44.16. Heb. 11. [...]. and S. Paul the Apo­stle in place of that which is sayd of E­noch in Genesis: And he hath walked with God (which is the same as) before God, and he hath not appeared, because God hath taken him away; doe say, Enoch pleased God and was translated into Paradise, de­claring expresly vnto vs, that to walk with God, before God, and to please God, are but three formes of speech of one signification, by their explicating the one by the other. And S. Augustine and Origen after this manner expound that place of Exodus, where it is sayd, that when Iethro came to see his kins­man Moyses, Aaron & the Elders assem­bled thēselues to eat with him before God,Exod. 18.12. vt comederent panem cum eo coram Deo, saying that it is not meant that they were assembled to eat before the Tabernacle or the Arke, for as then there was none; but that they met to feast, to eat and drinke, and reioyce with him, with so much sanctity, pi­ety, and so religiously composed, as if they had beene to eat before God, being exceeding wary not to doe a­ny thing in his diuine presence, which [Page 23] might beget offence. In this manner do iust and perfect men walke before the eyes of God, in the performance of all their actions, euen in those which are indifferent and necessary for the su­staining of their liues, as eating, drin­king, sleeping, and the like: Let the iust feast (sayth the Prophet Dauid) and exult in the sight of God, Psal. 67.4. and be delighted in ioy and gladnes; but all this in the sight of God, and so as his holy eyes may without offence looke on & nothing may be lesse beseeming his diuine pre­sence.

The Holy Fathers say, that in this manner we fullfill that which our Sa­uiour in the Ghospell doth counsaile vs,Luc. 15.1 1. Thessal. 5.17. VVe ought to pray alwayes without cea­sing. And S. Paul to the Thessalonians: Pray without intermission, and many of them are of opinion that he prayes al­wayes, who doth alwayes well, as S. Augustine on these wordes of the Psal­me: Tota die laudem tuam. Would you know, sayth he, how to prayse God al day? Doe that which you are about well, and you haue praysed God. S. Hilarion also sayes the same: For by this [Page 24] (saith he) we come to pray without inter­mission, when by workes pleasing to God, and alwayes performed vnto his glory, the whole life of a Saint-like man, is no other then a prayer, and so by liuing both day and night according to the law, our whole life shall be a nightly and daily meditation: and S. Hierome on this verse of the Psalme; Praise him yee Sunne and Moone, praise him all the Starres and light, demaunds how the Sunne and Moone the starres and light can prayse God; and answers, that in so much as they cease not to do their office and performe that seruice for the which they are created, the ser­uice which they do, is that which prayseth God. And so in like manner, he who doth those ordinary and daily exercises of his Order well, is alwayes praysing God, and in a continuall act of praier: which may be yet further cō ­firmed by this sentence of the Holy Ghost in Ecclesiastes. Eccles. 35. [...] He who keeps the law, doth multiply oblation: it is a sauing sacrifice, to attend to the commandements, and depart from all iniquity. And from hence may we vnderstand, what great perfection it is to do our ordinary A­ctions [Page 25] well, since it is a multiplication of oblation, and prayer, a continuall meditation, a perpetuall remayning in the presence of God & lastly a Ho­locaust of saluation, & of al things the most pleasing vnto God Almighty.

Of an other meanes to do our Actions well, which is so to performe them, as if we had nothing els besides to do. CHAP. IIII.

THE third meanes which may help vs to do our actions wel is to performe each thing, as if we had no­thing els besides to do; so to make our prayer; so to celebrat holy Masse; so to recite our office, and say our beades; & lastly so to do all our other things, as if we were wholy to be imployed therein: for what cals vs away? What makes vs so hasty to dispatch these thinges? We can assigne no reason, and therefore are to procure to do al things without confusion, and so, as on thing may not be hinderance or disturbance to an other, but that we be always at­ [...]ent vnto that which exactes of vs for [Page 26] the present. Whilest you are in prayer, thinke neyther vpon your study, nor your office, nor affayres; for it serues to no other end, then to hinder your prayer, and to the occasion that you shal neyther do that one, nor the other well. You haue all the rest of the day to attend freely vnto your other im­ployments, and to bestow vpon your studys Omnia tempus habent all thinges haue their time,Eccl. 3.1. and euery day hath enough to do, Matth. 6.34. with its owne mallice, It is but a small thing which is required of you, & so conformable to reason, that euen the heathens themselues, who wanted the light of faith, did yet re­quire thus much in the sacrifices of their God, whence it became a Pro­uerbe among them; aderaturi sedeant let those sit who are to adore the Gods: that is; let them do it with great quiet and attention, and not rashly and only for fashion sake. Plutarch treating of that great reuerence and respect with which their Flamins approched vnto the Altars of their Gods, says that all the tyme that the Priest sacrificed there was a Cryer, whose office it was to ad­monish [Page 27] him aloud continually in these wordes, Hoc age, hoc age, Attend to that which you doe, be present to your selfe and your actions, and let no distraction carry your thoughts away. And in this māner must we indeauour to bestow our selues wholy vpon that which we haue in hand, & do it with that maturity and reflection, as if we had nothing els to doe besides. Hoc age do that which you do, bend all the for­ces of your mind, and vse all your di­ligence to performe that well, cast a­way all thought of other thinges, and so you shall arriue for to do all thinges well, Quod nunc instat agamus. A cer­taine Philosopher, to proue that we ought ōly to be attēt vnto that which we haue in hand, without occupying our thoughts with care or solicitude of any other thing, doth giue this reason, that only the present is that which is in our power, and neither the tyme to come, nor yet the passed, seeing the one is already gone, and so consequēt­ly we can dispose nothing of it; and for the future we are not certaine, whe­ther we shall euer liue to see it or no. [Page 28] Oh how happy were he, who could but winne that mastery of himselfe, to keep his thoughts and imaginations in such awe, as they should neuer dare to bestow themselues otherwise, then on the present thing, in which we are im­ployed! But on the one side the insta­bility of our hart is so great, & on the other the craft and malice of the ene­my, that the Diuel makes his vse of it, by casting into it, thoughtes of what we are afterwards to do, to hinder vs in that which we ought to be doing for the present. This is an ordinary tē ­tation of the enemy, and a most hurt­full and pernicious one to vs, since the Diuells end is hereby to hinder vs frō euer doing any thing perfectly & wel, & therefore in tyme of prayer, he will be suggesting vnto vs, the thought of of our affaires, studdies, and offices, & how we may do this or that thing best, that he may hinder vs from making that prayer well, which we are then in hand withall, and therfore he is not wanting to put you in the head with a thousand wayes to compasse & bring about such or such a businesse, since he [Page 29] knowes it the thing, which then you are not to attend vnto, whereas when you come opportunly to imploy your selfe in that other businese, which at another tyme he was so busy to inform you of, he will find so many trickes & deuices to diuert you, that you shall do it as imperfectly and with as little pro­fit as the former. And so he continues haunting of vs still, to the end he may bring vs to do nothing well: Non eius ignoramus cogitationes eius, 2. Cor. [...] 1 [...]. we are not i­gnorant of his way of proceeding.

Let vs therefore lay all care of fu­ture thing aside, and trouble not our selues with thought of them; for how euer the actions truly done be good, yet the vnseasonable thought of them is alwayes bad. And when this tētati­on vnder the colour, that you shall not remember that so well afterward, which is then presented vnto you, shal set vpō you, euen frō thence may you perceaue that they are not thoughtes proceeding from God, but from the e­nemy: seeing that God is no friend of disorder and confusion, but of peace, quietnes, and order, and therfore con­sequently [Page 30] all such thoughts, as bereaue you of your quiet, and peace, and put you in disorder, come not from God Almighty, but from the Diuell who is authour of such disquietnes and confu­sion. Chase therefore all such tentati­ons from your thoughts, and haue a firme hope and confidence on God Al­mighty, that he (so long as you behaue your selfe as you ought) will not be wanting in due tyme & place, to lend you all necessary ayd (& that with ad­uantage) to the performance of your other affaires; & how euer there may present themselues vnto you, at such tyme, some circūstance or other, with neuer so faire pretensions, some forci­ble argument, some witty answere, yet cast all quietly out of your mind, and assure your selfe you shall rather gayne, then loose any thing there­by, Scientia quae pro virtute despicitur, per virtutem postmodum melius inuenitur, sayth Saint Bonauenture, Knowledge which for vertue is neglected, is af­tewardes by vertue better obteyned And M. Auila saith, when the care of any businesse doth come into your [Page 31] mind at any vnreasonable time, you are to say vnto it, My Lord hath giuen me no commission to treat, or thinke of this mat­ter for the present, and therefore you must excuse me; when he shall be pleased that I shall deale about it, there shall want no di­ligence of myne.

An other means to do our Actions well, which it so to performe each on, as if it were the last thing we were to doe. CHAP. V.

THE fourth means, which the Holy Fathers teach vs, to do our Actions well is, so do euery particular thing, as if it were to be the last Acti­on that euer we should do in this life S. Bernard prescribing vnto Religious men, in what manner they are to do their Actions, says Let him demaund of himself in euery worke he doth: if you were presently to dy; would you do this or no? And S. Basill saies: Haue always the last day of your life before your eyes: when you rise in the morning, doubt whether you shall liue till the euening, or no: and when you do com­pose [Page 32] your selfe at night to rest, do not confide to see the sunnes light any more: and this to the end that you may the better refrayne your selfe from falling into sinne. And with how much reason may we alwayes awayt for death our selues, whome we see alwaies so conuersant with our neighbours. This dyes with sicknesse; an other is drowned at sea; one is kild by theeues vpon the way; an other by murtherers in the Citty; many by Pyrats are made away: in all places, at all times, and of all ages, and con­ditiō: death spars no man, what a thing is this (saith an other holy man) what a thing is this? men see nothing more frequen­tly then death, & yet there is nothing which they lesse remēber. Seeing therfore death lays wayt for vs at euery tyme, we ought likewise in al places, at al times, and in all occasions to be ready for it: & this would be an efficatious meanes to make vs performe all our Actions well, and is that of which S. Anthony made particular vse, to stirre vp his Disciples vnto the study of vertue and perfection. What shall we say of that Heathen, whose sentence this is You [Page 33] will not be able to spend this day well vnles you imagine it to be the last of your life? and that of the Poet Horace.

If we did but informe all our actiōs with this same thought of death, we should do them which more feruour & perfectiō then now we do. With what deuotion should I say Masse now, if I knew for certaine, it were the last Masse which I should euer say, & that I should haue no time beyond this to doe any thing or merit more? With how much feruour & attension should I pray, if I knew it were the last prayer I should make, & that I should neuer haue that commodity agayne to beg pardon of God Almighty for my sinnes, and implore his sauing Mercy? Therefore it is become a Prouerbe; If you would learne to pray, go to sea: when we haue death before our eyes we pray with otherguese feruour, then now we do. We read of a certaine Re­ligious man, a great seruant of God Al­mighty, that he was accustomed to confesse himselfe euery day, before he [Page 34] went to celebrat Holy Masse; this holy mā once falling sicke, his Superior per­ceauing his sicknes to be mortall, told him in order to his duty, how the case stood with him, and therfore wisht him to prepare himselfe by a good cō ­fession, vnto whom the Blessed man (lifting vp his hands towards heauen & blessing & praying God Almighty) answered; for these thirty yeares and more I haue confessed my selfe euery day, as if I were presently afterwards to dy which is the cause that for the present I haue only need to recon­cile my selfe, as if I were only to go to Masse; It was most wisely done of him, and an example worthy all imi­tation, so ought we to go to holy con­fession and communion as if we were presently to dy: and doing all our A­ctions in conformity to this, we shall come to make our confession at the houre of death; not with the anxiety of men now in dying, but with that sweetnesse and comfort of men now going to the holy Communion: this pace if we always kept, death should neither ouer take vs before we were [Page 35] aware, nor take vs vntimely out of this mortall life. And this is the best prayer, the exquisitest deuotion, to prouid our selues so, that death may neuer come vntimly to vs.Math. 2 [...] 46. Blessed is that seruāt (saith our Sauiour Christ) whome his master when he comes shall find so doing, so wat­chfull, so prepared for to dy.Iob. 14.14. This was the life of holy Iob. Euery day of this war­far of myne (saith he) I do expect when the change of me wil come. I make account that euery day, is the last of my life, do thou call me, and I will answere the, O Blessed Lord call me away when you please; behold me here prepared and ready for to answere and appeare be­fore you, at all times, at all houres when you shall summon.

One of the best signes which one hath to know, whether al stand right or no betwixt God and himselfe, is if he be alwayes prepared and ready, to aunswere in all times and occasions when God shall call him. I speake not of any infallible assurance, since there is non such in this life without some extraordinary reuelation, but of pro­bable and morall coniectures & such [Page 36] as ordinarily we haue; among the which there is non more assured then this, when we are resigned & content, that death, if Gods blessed will were such, should seaze vpon vs in this time, this Article, this worke we are a do­ing. Consider whether you be ready or prepared or no to answere, if God should call you at this instant like vnto holy Iob: put your selfe often to this proofe; examine your selfe frequently vpon this interrogation: VVould you be content if you were presently to dy? and if vpon this examination and tryall you find your selfe well content to be ta­ken by death from that Action you do, and that moment in which you make this reflection on it, you haue good reason to thinke that all goes right & well with you, & to be much comfor­ted therewith; but if one the contrary, you do not find your selfe resigned im­mediatly to dy, neither to āswer to the voyce of God, if he should call you a­way, in those circūstances, those actiōs and that time, but that you could wil­lingly require a further day, to end som busines which you haue yet in designe [Page 37] & doth import you much; it is no good signe but rather a manifest proofe, that you proceed with great negligence, & not with that care of your spirituall profit which becomes a good Religi­ous man. Seing (as that holy man says) if you had a good conscience you would haue no feare of death: and consequently fea­ring it so much as you do, it is a signe that the reckoning of your conscience goeth not well, & that it will be trou­bled to mak a good account. VVe should rather feare sin then death. That Steward who hath his accountes ready, and faythfully made, desires and wishes for to giue thē vp; whereas he who hath them perplext, and intricat, feares no­thing more, then the time when he is to render them vp, and seekes all pos­sible excuses to differ and put it of.

B. Father Borgia was wont to say that it was a good exercise for a Religious, to dispose himselfe to dye well, one at least euery foure and twenty houres, & that so he should come to haue good successe in all his actions, when he should say vnto himself euery day, quo­tidie morior, I dye euery day, Let vs in [Page 38] like manner enter euery day into our selues, and often exact an accoumpt of our selues according to this reckoning when if we find our selues nithat pre­sēt moment and circumstance not well disposed to dy, let vs begin then at least for to prepare our selues against its cō ­ming, and that article of time vpon which a whole eternity depends; and imagin that God Almighty vpon our humble petition hath graūted vs vnto this end a longer terme of life, which we are therefore carefully to spend & in such manner as if with euery Action we were to cōclude our life, Oh how happy is he who so liues as he would be content to be found, whē he comes to dye!

It is on of the profitablest things, which we can commend in our ser­mons vnto secular people, that they should liue in such manner, as they de­sire to be found at the houre of their death & that they shold not differ their conuersion and doing penance,Thom. de Kempts. Greg. ho [...]. 12. [...] E­uangel [...]. seing to morrow is vncertayne, and who knowes whether he shall liue vnto it or no? He who hath promited pardon to the [Page 39] penitent hath not promised to morrow to them, when they sinne sayth S. Gregory v­pon the occasion of that Example of Chrysaorius which he recounts, who surprised by death which he had dal­lyed with, and forsaken by the Angels whome he had contemned, incompas­sed with Diuells whome he had fol­lowed and humoured and rowling his eyes fearfully about, cryed out with a horrible voyce, inducias vsque manè; in­ducias vsque manè, haue truce with me but till to morrow; haue truce which me but til to morrow: but al in vayne, for before the next days light was he hurryed from the night of this world vnto that more terrible darkenesse of Hell, and from this life wherin he had so much time for to do pennance, vnto an eternity of torments worse then death it selfe, there to bewayle for e­uer that pretious time which he had so vainly spent. It is a common saying that there is nothing more certayne then death, and nothing more vncer­tayne then the houre of it,Luc. 12.14. and our Sauiour says yet more in the Euangell, Be ready and prepared, since the sonne of [Page 40] man shall come in an houre when you looke not for him: where although he speake of the day of Iudgment, we may not­withstanding vnderstand him as spea­king of the houre of death, since that presently vpon that, all shall receaue their particular iudgment, which sen­tence is the same as shall be confirmed by the Generall one, without any mi­tigation or alteration at all. Moreouer our Sauiour doth not only say that this houre is vncertaine, & that we know not when it shall arriue, but also that it shall come when we least thinke on it, and perhaps likewise when we are least prepared, which is that which S. Paul saies:1. ad Tit. 5.2. Apoc. 3.13. It shall come like a thief in the night. And S. Iohn in his Apocalyps: I will come to thee like a thiefe, and thou knowest not the houre when I shall come to thee. When a thiefe intendes to goe to rob any place, he watches his tyme, vntill there is no suspition of any such matters, when they are all otherwise busyed or a sleep: and so our Sauiour Christ doth teach vs by this similitude with what watchfullnes we ought al­waies to attend the houre of death, [Page 41] vnto the end it find vs not vnproued when it comes. For be sure of this (sayth he) that if the Maister of the house knew what houer the theef would come: he would certaintly watch & not suffer him to breake into his house; but because he doth not know what houre he will come, whe­ther at euening, at midnight, or be­fore day breake, or els in the morning, therefore he stands always vpon his guard that his house may not be bro­ken open,August. in Psal. 144. super illa verba, Misericors & misera­tor Domi­nus. & his goods stolne away & so ought we to be always ready, since death comes when we least thinke of it.

The Holy Doctours do consider frō hence the great Mercy of God Almi­ghty towards vs, in keeping vs still in suspence and vncertayne expectation of the houre of death, to the end,Greg. h [...] 13. super Eu. & lib. 12. moral cap. 20. that we may put our selues always in a re­dynes against its coming: for other­wise if men knew for certayne how long they were to liue, it would be the occasion of the great negligence & grieuous offēce of many.Bonau. de profect. re­ligios. lib. 1. cap. 17. For they who can liue thus negligently, and carles of their soules good, when they are not [Page 42] certayne of one houres life, what would they doe if they were assured for to liue some yeares? S. Bonauenture sayth that God hath left vs the houre of our death vncertayne, that we may learne to contemne all these temporal things and not count them worthy of our care, which in euery moment we are in danger to loose. As our Sauiour sayd to that rich Miser in the Ghos­pel of S. Luke: foole this night they will de­maund they soule of thee, and then whose shal all that wealth be, which those hast ga­thered together? Let vs therefore pro­uide our selues of such riches as can ne­uer be taken from vs.

We ought with good reason to do that our selues which we preach and commend to others, according to that of S. Paul thou therefore who teachest o­thers dost not teach thy selfe, Rom. 8.21. it is one of the frequentest tentations, which the Di­uel vses, in deceiuing man, to depriue them of their eye sight in such man­ner as not to see this verity and truth, by bringing them into a dead forget­fulnes, and making them belieue that they haue time inough for to doe this [Page 43] or that, and that afterwards they may haue oportunity inough, for to amend their liues and to prepare for death. And this tentation euen extendes vnto Religious men, making them differre their aduancement in vertue and spiri­tuall profit, with cold purposes that after they haue ended their studys, or are discharged of this office or haue ac­quitted them of that affayre, that then they wil begin to liue better and more holily, and to fall in good earnest to penance and mortyfiyng themselues. Miserable as you are, if you should chaunce to dy before you haue ended your study, vnto what end would all your learning serue you, (for the at­tayning of which you haue neglected your profit in vertues) then to make fuell, and as the Apostle sayth, hay & stuble to burne you in the other world withal.1. Cor. 3.12. Lut. 4.23 Let vs then make our profit of that which we preach to others; Medice cura teipsum, & cure our selues (seeing our need is so great) with the same re­medys which we apply to others.

Of another meanes to do our Actions well, which is to take care only for the pre­sent. CHAP. VI.

THE fifth meanes which wil help and encourage vs much to do our Actions well, and with perfection, is ōly to take thought for the presēt. And although the practise of this seems to be all one with the former, yet there is not a little difference betwixt thē, as we shall declare in that which we are now to say. One of the thinges which doth fright very many, & maks thē go on but fayntly in the way of vertue, & which indeed is a tentatiō of which the Diuell makes gaynfull vse, is; to propose vnto them, that it is impossi­ble they should continue their whole liues in such warynes, and recolecti­on. What? shal it say, is it possible that you should liue so many yeares, with so much reseruation and circumspecti­on? With such prudence and exactnes in euery thing? do you thinke that you shal alwayes keep the ruls & discipline [Page 45] of the house, wherin you liue always? be mortifiyng your selfe and neuer do any thing as you desire? These are co­monly the apprehensions, in which the Diuell appeares vnto vs in such feare­full manner, making all things seeme more terrible then they are, and reli­gious life a kind of Matyrdome & per­petuall dying. And so we read that when our B. F. S. Ignatius retired him­selfe to Mauresa for to do pennāce,Lib. 1. cap 6. vitae P. Ignati [...]. one of the tentations with which the Di­uel assaulted him was this, saying vnto him: how is it possible that you should lead such an austere life, for threes­core yeares together, as you haue now begune? Now this remedy whereof we speake doth answer in diamiter vn­to this same tentation, which is ney­ther to make account of diuers yeares, nor dayes, but only to haue a care to passe the presēt well. This means hath good proportion to our humaine frayl­ty; it will not suffer vs to attempt any great matter; & there is non who only for a day, at least would not strayne himselfe for his owne good and spiri­tuall profit to liue well; this is the same [Page 46] which our B. Father prescribes vnto vs in the particular examine, where he counsells vs from on halfe day to an other, to renue our good desirs & pur­poses of being modest, keeping silēce, or bearing all things patiently and the like: and in this manner, that which perhaps would seeme intolerable and euen imposible, if it were enterprised and apprehended in grose and altoge­ther,Tract. 7. cap. 7. as; I will neuer speake out of the appoynted time, nor neuer goe but modestly and composed; becomes to be easy and familiar to vs.

In vita Patruum.This was the remedy, which that good Religious man, applyed vnto the curing of himselfe, who (as we reade in the liues of the Father) was so fiercely tempted, as his appetit, which was vp euery morning as soone as he, did make him belieue, that it was im­possible for him to do any thing, vnles that should be first satisfyed; the holy man not to breake the ordinary fast of the Religious, which was to eate no­thing vntill the third houre for any importunity of his hunger, did find this stratageme out for to delude it, In the [Page 47] morning he would reason with his ap­petit in this manner; Although your hunger be neuen so great, yet you may fast well vntill the third houre, and then you may freely eate: and when the third houre was come he would say againe, nay certainly I must needs ouercome my selfe so farre as to abstay­ne vntill the sixth houre now; & I see no reason but I may do it as well, as I haue abstayned hitherto: and so he would entertayne himselfe with some other thing the while: and when the sixth houre or noon was come, then would he steep his bread in water and say, we must needs tarry now vntill the bread be soakt; for since we haue had patience hitherto without doubt we will not breake the order of the o­ther Religious to eat before the ninth houre now: and so at last when the ninth houre was come, after he had said the accustomed prayers, he tooke his refection. In this manner he conti­nued for some dayes together ouerco­ming himselfe; when once about the time of refectiō lifting vp the lid of the basket where he kept his bread, he saw [Page 48] blacke smoake arising from thence which vanished out of the window of his cell, which (as the effect shewed) was no other then that spirit of Glut­tony which had tempted him, for after that time he was neuer more troubled with those pangs of hunger, and coū ­terfetted languishings, with which he was formerly vext and molested, in so much as from thēce forwards he could without any difficulty, abstayne two dayes together from taking any food, our Sauiour rewarding him with this particular grace, for that combat which he had so couragiously sustayned in o­uercoming his gluttonous appetit.

We sayd (and not without good reason) that this meanes is the most proportionable to our weakenes, since it goes by little and little sustayning & incouraging vs to the attempt of that, by little and little, which all at once we should not dare to vndertake, how euer if we were but feruent and cou­ragious indeed & truly inflamed with the loue of God, there would be no need to entice vs on by such bayted wayes as these, where all the laubour [Page 49] and difficulty is hid. For a true seruant indeed of God Almighty, neyther thinkes vpon the length of time, or number of yeares, but rather all time seems too short vnto him, to serue God in, all labour little, and all difficulty delightfull, and therfore there would be no feare to let such an one know vnto the full, the vtmost difficulty of euery thing he did, which S. Bernard excellent well declares.Bernar. ep. 253. ad Gar. He doth not (saith he) giue himselfe vnto the seruice of God, for a yeare, or for a certaine time, like a Mercenary, but for eternity without any prefixed end, or reseruation, with an in­flamed will and affection. Heare the voyce of the Iust, saying:Psal. 118.93. v. 112 I will neuer forget your iustifications, seing you haue animated me with them, I haue inclined my hart to doe your Iustificatiōs for all eternity, to do your will, to fulfill your counsells & com­maundments: and so for hauing taken a resolution and offred himself to serue God, in an absolut manner without any limit or restriction, and prefixe no certayne time vnto it, nor entred on the account of any yeares, therefore shall his reward likewise know no [Page 50] bounds, but be extended vnto eternity, that eternall hunger of the iust, is deseruing an eternall refection. Bern. vbi supra. Sap. 4.15 In which sence S. Bernard explicats that of the Wiseman, consumatus in breui expleuit tēpora multa, a good and iust man, liues in the short space of time, or a few dayes, the life of many yeares, since his desire is so great out of the ardour of his loue of God to serue him, that should he liue a hundred, or if it were possible a thou­sand yeares, he should neuer be wea­ary of seruing him, nor euer thinke his seruice great inough. And so by force of this desire, he comes to the merits of so many yeares, since God rewards ech one acording to his good desire. These are men indeed, these haue truly mas­culine spirits, these may well be com­pared to Iacob, who for the great loue he bare to Rachel, thought it a thing of nothing to serue seauen yeares for her, and afterwards seauen more, Vi­debantur illi pauci dies, Gen. 29.20. pre amoris magni­tudine.

Of another means, which is to accustome our selues to do our Actions well. CHAP. VII.

THAT auncient & great Philo­sopher Pythagoras, Pythago­ras. counsailed his friends & disciples (vnto the end that they might both become vertuous. & that vertue might be delightful to thē) to make choice of some good course of life, and go forward with it without staying at any apprehensiō of difficul­ty or labour, which might present it selfe in the beginning for to discou­rage them, seeing with a little vse & exercise the difficulty would passe a­way, & the practise of vertue become easy & pleasant to them. This meanes is of much importance, & ought to be put in practise by vs, not so much be­cause it is comended by this Philoso­pher, as because indeed it is deriued from the holy Scripture (as we shall presently declare,) & also very effica­tious for that which we pretend. We haue made choice already of a perfect [Page 52] manner of life; or rather, God of his great goodnes hath elected vs vnto it, Non vos me elegistis, Ioan. 15.16. sed ego elegi vos: for the which grace and fauour he is to be blessed for all eternity. But in this state of life, vnto which our Lord hath cal­led vs, we may haue more or lesse of perfection, and be perfect or imperfect Religious men, according as we shall do our actions, perfectly or imperfect­ly. Therefore if you meane to make any profit in Religion, and to arriue vnto perfection, you must accustome your selfe to do all the Actions, and ex­ercises of that Religion with perfecti­on: accustome your selfe to make your meditation well, & all the rest of your spiritual exercises, to be exact in poynt of obedience, to obserue your rules pre­cisely, & to make esteeme of euery lit­tle thing. Accustome your selfe to re­collection, and mortification, to pen­nance modesty, silence and the like; & be not any whit dismayed, if in the begining you find difficulty, seeing with a little continuance and vse, that difficulty wil not only passe away, but there will succeed to it, a great contēt­ment [Page 53] and satisfaction, and you wil not know how to make an end of ren­dring thankes to God, for giuing you perseuerance so farre as to arriue to so much contentment and felicity. The holy Ghost hath taught vs this doctrin in diuers passages of the holy Scrip­ture, as in the Prouerbes,Prouerb. 4 11. Viam sapientiae demonstrabo tibi. I will shew you the way of wisedome, and learne you to find gust & sauour in the knowledge of God. For Sapientia or wisedome, sayth S. Bernard, is quasi sapida scientia a sauorous and delightfull knowledge of God Almighty, and he professeth to teach vs the way, to come vnto the tast the knowledge and the loue of God: I will lead thee (saith he) by the paths of equity, into which when thou shalt once be ētred thy wayes shall not be straightned, and when thou runest thou shalt haue no hindrance. Now the reasō why this way of vertue is called a path, is because, at the first entrance of it, (by reason of our ill in­clinations) it seems narrow and not to be passed without much difficulty, but being but once a little entred, we find it so delightfully inlarged as we go on [Page 54] cheerfully, & runne securely without any feare of let or hinderance. And by this Metaphor the holy Ghost with diuine elegance hath taught vs, how vpon the apperance of any difficulty in the entrance of the way of vertue & perfection, we are no wayes to loose courage and be dishartened, but to go on with this assurance, that we shall be shorthly past all that is hard and dif­ficile, and arriue to all happinesse and delight, because I haue laboured a little, and I haue found for my selfe much rest, Eccl. 5.35 which is agayne reiterated in the 61.Eccl. 6.20 Chapter of Ecclesiasticus, there is a little labour in the worke, & presently thou shalt eat of its fruit, Heb. 12.21. and the Apostle S. Paul doth likewise teach vs the same: Al dis­cipline (saith he) for the present seemes not to be plesant but (rather) irksom & tedious, but afterwards it renders by the exercise of it a most peaceable fruit of the accomplisht Iustice, neyther will it become only facile & easy, but also pleasant and de­lightfull to vs. The same we find by experience in all other Artes & Scien­ces: for what is there more difficill in the beginning then learning & study? [Page 55] with what force & constraint are chil­dren brought vnto it? in so much as it is become a Prouerbe that knowledge comes with blood and violence: & yet after a little practise, when they come to make some profit, & haue some vnder­standing and tast of what they learne, they haue no greater recreation then to be always at their books, and it is the like with those, who go in the way of vertue and perfection.

S. Bernard explicats this excellent well, vpon those words of Iob.Bern. l. 1. de consid. ad Hu. Iob. 6.7. That which a little befor my soule would not touch is now through necessity become my food, would you know (sayth he) how much custome and exercise can do, & how farre in time it winnes vpon vs? first a thing shall seeme intollerable to you; in processe of time, if you accustome your selfe vnto it, you will not imagine it so hard; a little after you will euen feele it light; shortly after not so much as feele it at all; and after that be euen delighted with it: in so much as you may wel say with holy Iob, that which at first my soule could not looke vpon without horrour and de­testation, is now become the sauou­ryest [Page 56] food and nourishment I haue, & when soeuer you find any difficulty, to obserue your Additions, and those Instructions which are giuen you for the well making of our prayers & ex­amins, be assured that it is only for want of vse and practise, as also when you haue so much a doe to recollect your thoughts ouer night, in such mā ­ner as to haue them in your power when you wake, to make offer of thē vnto Almighty God in prayer. For the reason of this difficulty is, because at other times you take little or no care of the custody of your thoughts, & of kee­ping them ōly attent vnto that Myste­ry which you are to meditat. Hence also is it, that silence and recollection seems such a tedious melancholy thing vnto you, since you neuer in earnest apply your selfe vnto it, Your cell (saith Tho. a Kempis) becomes sweet vnto you, if you continue in it, and begets tediousnes if you seldome tarry in it, frequent your chamber often and but accustome your selfe to keep with in, and you will come to be delighted with its solitude. This is the reason why secular persons [Page 57] find so much difficulty in fasting and meditation, for they haue neuer vsed themselues vnto it.1. Reg. 17 38. King Saul armed Dauid with his owne Armes, when he was to fight against the Philistim, but Dauid because he had byn neuer v­sed vnto them, was forced to put them of againe; notwithstāding we see how afterwards with vse, he came to passe ouer whole moneths in armes, & pro­ued a famous soldier. And that which we say of good and vertue, is likewise to be vnderstood of vice & all defects, vnto which if we giue but any way in the begining, or incurre any ill habit through our owne negligence, it will continue daily strengthning it selfe, & winning so much vpon vs, as after­wards it will be very difficile, to find out remedies forcible inough to free vs from it, but we shall incur the daū ­ger of always being subiect to the ill habits of it: Vnlueri venusto & neglecto callus obducitur, & eo insanabile quo insen­sibile fit, old ranckled woundes do, if we neglect them, close vpon the out sid, and so become the more incurable, the lesse sencible we are of them, If you [Page 58] had but accustomed your self from the beginning, to haue don euery particu­lar action well, what a rich treasure of merit should you haue gotten to­gether by this time? & what content­ment should you haue found by expe­riēcing the facility & sweetnes, which is in euery vertuous action? do but see what a pleasant life he leads, who ha­uing had once a custome of swearing, hath habituated himselfe agayne it, & ouercome it; with how much facility and delight doth he auoyd the comit­ting of so many mortall sinnes? Let vs therefore from this time forewards be­gin (for it is better late then neuer) to accustome our selues to do all our or­dinary works and daily actions well, since they are of so much consequēce, applying vnto that end (if neede should be) our particular Examine, which should be one of the best & pro­fitablest examines, which we could make; and so we should arriue vnto that happines to do al things wel with great facility.

Of how great importance it is that Religious men do not growe remisse and slacke in the way of vertue. CHAP. VIII.

FROM that which we haue sayd it may be easily gathered how much it imports a Religious man, to conserue himselfe in feruour & deuo­tion, and to make perpetuall progresse in the well doing of his Actions, and how wary he is to be not to do them negligently and with tepidity, least he should get such an ill habit, as he should scarcely or neuer be freed of af­terwards. God can effect so much as to bring you after a great negligence vnto the feruent exercise of a holy and perfect life,Bernard. epist. 96. but this would be a won­der & miracle. S. Bernard handles this point excellently well writing vnto one Richard Abbot of Fontaines & his Religious, where God had wrought a miracle of this kind, diuers of the Religious hauing liued long tyme in great neglect of religious discipline, [Page 60] being afterwards drawn to a life more feruent and deuout: at which the holy Saint much astonished, and yet more reioycing, congratulating their hap­pines sayth: This is the finger of God, who shall effect so much that I may like another Moyses, goe and see this great vision? seeing it is not lesse wōdrous then that which Moyses saw in the bush which burned, & yet was not cōsumed: It is a rare thing vpon earth, to see any one in Religion, get neuer so little higher (in perfection) then that degree, to which he arriued first; and you shall with more ease find diuers secular per­sons who doe wholy conuert themselues to good, then any one among Religious men, passe forwardes to a better state of life; and the reason is, because secular people haue not those many helpes, nor con­tinuall meanes to aduance themselues in vertue as Religious haue, and ther­fore when they heare an excellent ser­mon, when they behold the sudden & disastrous death of any acquaintance or friend of theirs, the nouelty of it star­tels and amazeth them, and excits thē to alter and amend their liues; but if a Religious, who hath all these helpes [Page 61] in such aboundant manner, who fre­quents the holy Sacraments so often, who heares so many spirituall exhor­tations, who meditates so often, who speakes so frequently of death, of iudg­ment, hell, & the beatitude of heauen; If he I say, notwithstanding all this, passe his dayes in negligence and tepi­dity, what hope of any remedy to mak him amend himselfe? Since their eares are so accustomed to the hearing of these thinges discoursed of, as that which commonly suffices, and is e­nough to moue & incite others to bet­ter life, passeth only lightly by their eares, and makes no motion or impres­sion at all.

And this is the right vnderstanding of that so celebrated sentence of S. Au­gustine, where he sayth:Aug. Epis. ad plebem Hiponens [...] From that tyme in which I begun to serue God Almighty, as I haue rarely found any better men thē those who haue gone forwards in monasticall dis­cipline, so haue I neuer met with worse then those who haue falen and decayed in Mona­steries. S. Bernard doth also testify, that rarely any of those Religious men, who decay in spirit, and fall from their [Page 62] first feruour, do euer get vp againe & recouer that degree, from whēce they fel; but that rather they are still falling from worse to worse: which is that (sayth S. Bernard) which the Prophet Hieremy deplores,Bern. ser. 3. infesto Apo. Pet. & Pauli. How is the gold ob­scured? How is that best of colours changed? How is this prime beauty decayd, and withered? They who were nourished in scarlat (who were graced by God Al­mighty with all the fauours he could euen bestow vpon them in prayer,Hierem. 4 1. v. 5. & all the blessinges he could send them downe from heauen) haue imbraced filth & taken delight in all shamefull foul­nes and misery.

And therefore commonly speaking, there is but little hope of those, who begin to decay and loose spirit in Re­ligion, which is a thing we ought to haue a liuely feeling, and a great hor­rour of: and the reason of it is that, which we haue toucht vpon before, because they grow worsewith frequēt vse of the remedies, and become more sicke when those medicines are apply­ed vnto them, which ordinarily bring health to other folkes; & what reme­dy [Page 63] can there be found out for such as these? They hold with good reason his health for desperate, who growes not better, but rather worse, with the medicines which should cure him: and this is the reason which makes vs haue such an apprehension and horrour of the fall of a Religious man, whereas we are not much moued, with the im­payring of seculars. When a Physitian sees a sicke man very faint and langui­shing, or finds him by his pulse broght low and weake, it seemes no extraor­dinary thing vnto him; but when he obserues the same symptomes, or ill dispositions in a man that is strong and lusty, he holdes it for a very dange­rous signe, since such an effect cannot proceed from any thing els, then from some peccant humour predominating in the body, which is the forerunner of some great sicknesse, or ineuitable death. And so is it in this, for if a secular man chaunce to fall into any sinne, it is no new thing, nor strange for one who passeth his life in so great negli­gence, confessing but once a yeare, & liuing among such frequent occasions of [Page 64] falling into sinne: but if a Religious man, who is sustayned with so much frequency of Sacramentes, so many prayers, and such a number of holy ex­ercises, if he I say come once to fall, it is a signe of a decayed vertue, of a long rooted weaknes, and of approaching ruine, and therefore with good reason is it to be feared so much.

Bernard. vhi supra.But I say not this (sayth S. Bernard) to discourage you; especially if, being fallen, you desire presently to aryse a­gaine, knowing that the longer you differre your amendment, you render it to effect the more hard & difficille, but only to refraine you from sinning, from falling, and from decaying in spirit. Notwithstanding if any one should through frailty chaunce to fall or stumble, we haue a good Aduocate, our Sauiour Christ to plead our cause with his eternall Father, who can do that, which to vs is impossible. Deare children (sayth S. Iohn) I write this vnto you, Ioan. 2.1. to the end you may not sinne, but if any one shall chaunce to sinne: we haue an Ad­uocate with the Father, Iesus Christ, and therefore no man is to despaire, seeing [Page 65] that if he hartily con [...]t himselfe to God, there is no doubt of his obtaining mercy. If the Apostle S. Peter after so long a discipline in the schoole of Christ, and so many graces and fauours receaued of him, did notwithstanding come to fall so grosly and from so low a fall, as the denying of his Lord and Master come againe to rise vnto so high and excellent estate; who shall dispaire hereafter, being once fallen, for to get vp againe? Haue you sinned Whilest you were in the world? (sayth S. Bernard) could your sinne be more grieuous then S. Pauls? Haue you sin­ned since your comming to Religion? Can it be more enormious then Saint Peters? Seeing then these holy Saints by harty sorrow & pennance haue not only obtayned pardon of their sinnes, but merited to arriue vnto so high and eminent perfection as we know; doe you but imitate their sorrow and their pennance, and you shall not only reco­uer that state in which you were, but also proceed vnto a higher and more excellent perfection.

How much it imports Nouices to bestow the tyme of their Nouiciat well, and to accu­stome themselues then to do their Actions well. CHAP. IX.

VVE may gather from that which hath been sayd, how much it importes Nouices to make good vse of their tyme of Nouiciate, & to accustome thēselues from that their beginning to do al the exercises of Re­ligion exactly, and with great dili­gence. The first rule of the Master of the Nouices in the Society declars this cleerely vnto vs, & in a briefe manner; which is not directed only vnto vs, but also to all other Religious persons in general.Re. 1. Ma­gistra No­uitiorum. He shall vnderstand (says the Rule) that there is a thing of great moment comitted vnto him. For the prouing of which, two weighty reasons are al­leadged to make the Master of the No­uices more vigilant ouer his charge, and more sensible of the importance of the thing committed to his care; the first is; because on the first institution of the [Page 67] Nouices, for the most part dependes their (ensuing) profit; & the other, Because the hope of the Society in our Lord doth likewise consist therein. And to declare these two reasons more in particular, I say first of all, that on this first education and ha­bit of vertue, which the Nouices first put on, depends morally speaking all their aduancement or detriment in spi­rit, all their feruour or remisnesse, as we haue said in the precedent chapter. For of one who passeth ouer his Noui­ciat tepidly & with negligēce, there is scarcely any reason we cā haue to hope that he will become more feruent or obseruant hereafter, but on the con­trary there are many presumptions & pregnant reasons to doubt the contra­ry.

But to explicat more clearly this ve­rity, let vs enter into more particular discourse with the Nouice and well weighing the reasons, cōuince him by force of them. Now whilest you are in your Nouiciat you haue as much time and leasure, as you can desire, to attend vnto your interiour & your progresse in spirit: vnto which end you haue all [Page 68] requisit helps & comodities, since your Superiours imploy you in nothing els besides, neyther require of you any other thing: this is their end and ought likewise to be yours. You haue for the present the frequent examples of your fellow Nouices, who aspire vnto no­thing els, but to perfection; which is a motiue which ought much to animate you, & to stire you vp, when you con­uerse with no others but such as those: neither do I see how you can remaine negligent and remisse among so many who make such great profit in vertue. You are now free from al solicitude & cares, and haue your hart freely left to the pursuit of vertue: there is no im­pediment which may diuert you from it, and the examples of many do inuite you to it. If therfore now, when you haue nothing els to attend vnto, and euery thing to further you, you make no profit, nor prouide you of no stocke of vertue for the future; what will become of you, when your hart shall be deuided, and you imployed a­mong a thousand businesses? If at this present with so many aydes, so preti­ous [Page 69] and forcible, you make not your Prayer well, you do not your duty in your Examens, you are negligent in your Additions, and haue no care to performe your other spirituall exerci­ses well; how will you do, when you shall haue your studies to exact your attention; and when afterwardes you come to be imployed in hearing con­fessions, teaching, preaching and the like? If now with so many conferen­ces and spiritual exhortations, with so many examples, solicitations, & euen, in a sweet māner, addition of violēce, you make no spiritual profit; what wil you doe when you shall be as it were besieged round with occasions of lets and hinderances, to diuert you from it? If now in the beginning of your con­uersion, when euen the nouelty of the thinges were sufficient to stirre you vp to feruour and deuotion to them, you go forwards with so much languor & tepidity; what will become of you, when your eares shall be frequently accustomed to heare those thinges, which may diuert & carry you away? And what is yet more, if for the presēt [Page 70] when your passions doe but begin yet to sprout forth, and your inclinations are but (as it were) in their infancy, & wanting force, you haue not force, nor resolution to resist them, for feare of labour and difficulty; how will you make head against them and ouercome them hereafter, when they shall haue taken deep root, and be growne so strong, and naturall to you by length of tyme and custome, as the departing from them would be a diuorce vnto you, not much lesse violent then that of your soule and body?

S. Dorotheus declares this by an ex­ample borrowed of one of those anciēt Fathers,Doroth. doctr. 11. who sitting once with his disciples in a groue of Cypres trees, where some were great, others grafts and others of middle grouth, the Fa­ther commanded one of his Disciples to plucke one of them vp by the roots, which he did presently, it being but a graft; afterwards he pointed vnto one which was of a bigger sort, and bid him likewise plucke vp that which he did, though not without much vio­lence & applying both his hands vnto [Page 71] it; then he set him vnto another which was yet greater, which he could not plucke vp, without an others helpe; & lastly appointing one of the best rooted of them to be plucked vp, all the Re­ligious together could not once stirr it from the place: where vpon the graue Father toke occasiō to discourse in this māner vnto them. Behould (sayd he) it is iust so with the passions of our mind: it is easy for vs in the begining when they haue not yet taken root, to ouer­come them with the least diligence, but after you haue suffered thē to take root a while, they will gather so much strength from your indulgence to thē, as it will cost you payne inough and require a strong resolution for to root them out; if notwithstanding you can effect it with all your industry.

From hence may we see the greatnes of that tentation and deceit by which we are wonne to differ our amende­ment and spirituall profit from day to day, and to make account afterwards to mortify and ouercome our selues, which for the present we dare not take in hand, because of the difficulty and [Page 72] tediousnes thereof. If you cānot ouer­come the difficulty when it is not much; how will you be able to resist it when this grown strong & mighty? if now when your passions are (as it were but whelpes) you trembled for feare of them; how will you dare to with stand them, whē they shall grow to be Lyons in strength and fury? ther­fore assure your selfe, that if you doe your actions now with so much cold­nesse, negligence & imperfection, you will be far more tepid and negligent hereafter. If now you are no good No­uice, hereafter you will be no good Religious man, nor Operarius: if now you are negligent in obseruing your rules, you will be much more negli­gent hearafter. Lastly if now you haue but little care to do your exercises de­uoutly, and with perfection, all that you shal doe hereafter wil be nothing worth. All the difficulty in the batch is to lay the leuen well,Bonau. in spec. discip. & S. Bonauen­ture saith that the impressiō or mould which one receaus in the begining, he hardly leaues of afterwards, and he who neglects discipline in the beginning of his new conuersion, shall [Page 73] with much difficulty be afterwards brought vnto it; & man shall hardly apply him­selfe vnto that in his age, which he ne­glected when he was a youth. It is a prouerbe,Prou. 22.6. and a prouerbe of the holy Ghost a youth according to his owne way, will hardly depart from it euen when he growes old, Clymac. de inanis vi­tae fuga gradu 1. Threnor. 3.27. and therefore S. Iohn Cly­machus says that it is a daungerous & fearfull thing to begin tepidly: since (saith he) it is the manifest signe of an insuing fall, and therefore is it of so much importance to accustome our selues from the begining vnto vertue and to do our ordinary exercises wel. The holy Ghost by the Prophet Hie­remy admonisheth vs of this, where he says, it is good for a man, Eccl. 25.5. when he beares the yoake from his youth: for such as then he shal haue byn, such shal he remayne always thereafter, & those vertues & good habits by vse and exercise will become light vnto him, which other­wise would haue seemed intolerable, that which you haue not gathered to­gether in your youth, how shall you find it when you come to be old?

From this first reason proceeds the [Page 74] secōd, seeing if the progresse of the Re­ligious consists in their first beginings and education, the good of the Religi­on doth likewise depend theron. For it is not the walles of the cloyster, or col­ledge which makes the Religion: but the persons who are cōgregated in thē; and those who are now in the Nouici­at, are they who are afterwards to be the body of the Religion, and for this reason the Society thinkes it not e­nough to erect Seminaries & Colled­ges where youth should be educated in vertue and learning together, but it also designes peculiar houses for vertue only, where the Nouices attend vnto nothing els then to the abnegation and mortification of themselues, and to the exercise of true and solid vertue as a foundation of far more importance & necessity, then that of any learning or liberall science. Vnto this end the No­uiciats are erected,Pater Bor­gia. in ep. ad Societ. which are (as B. F. Borgia says) like Bethleems for the No­uices, which is interpreted the house of bread, here they prouide them of Bis­cuit & prouision for so long a voyage, and so many daungers which do threa­ten [Page 75] them. This is our haruest, and our fruitfull season; this those plentifull yeares, during the which we must lay vp store, with Ioseph for those yeares of famine and sterility to come. If the Inhabitants of Aegypt, could but haue appehended the necessity, of making best vse of that same plentious time, they would not haue so lightly exhau­sted their granaries, of that prouision,Genes. 41 48. which Ioseph did so carefully buy vp. If you could but imagin how much it imports you to go out of the Nouiciat well furnished & stored with spirituall prouision without doubt you would be farre from being ioyfull when you were to go frō thence, but rather you would be sad and much afflicted, at the necessity of sending you away, when you considered what small pro­uision of vertue and mortification you went away with al. And so B. F. Borgia was wont to say, that those who desi­red or were glade to haue made an end of their Nouiciat, did well shew that they had little vnderstanding of spiritual things, and did not know the necessity which they had, considering [Page 76] the daunger & difficulty of their voy­age to go out well furnished with pro­uision for it: of how rich, and well prouided of all vertue did our B. Fa­ther imagine that we should depart out of the Nouiciat,4. P. con­sti. cap. 4.2. as he declares in the Cōstitutions? he ordayns two years of probation & experiment, where the Nouices are to looke vpon no other booke, nor attend to other study, then that of their greater abnegatiō, morti­fication and progresse in all vertue and perfection, from whence he supposeth they will come out so feruent and spi­rituall, such great friends of mortifica­tion & recolectiō, so addicted to pray­er, and to spirituall things, that there would be more need of the bridle thē the spurre: therfore he exhorts them when they come to Colledges, to mo­derat their feruour during the time of their studyes, and in no wise to follow its dictamen for as much as concerneth prayer and mortification, as thinking that they are come out of the Nouiciat with such interiour light and illustra­tion, with such a knowledge of God and spirituall things ioyned with the [Page 77] contempt & hatred of the world, with such a tendernesse of deuotion, and such exteriour & interiour compositi­on that ti was need to go by way of preuention, to meet with that feruour which they were to bring from the Nouiciat with them, the fruit of two complet years of probation. Let vs thē procure to depart from the Nouiciat with an answerable feruour to this expectation of vs; let vs make due vse of that so pretious time, seeing so long as we liue, we shall neuer haue the like time againe to make our profit of, and to gayne & store our selues with spiri­tual treasure; let vs be wonderful wary of mispending it, and letting the least moment of it be lost,Eccl. 14 14. Non defrauderis à die bono, & particula boni doni non te pre­tereat.

One of the greatest graces & fauours which our Sauiour doth to those whō he cals in their youth vnto Religion, & for which they are to render him infi­nit thankes, is; that it is very easy for them then to apply themselues to ver­tue & Religious discipline. The tree, whilst it is yet in its first growth & but [Page 78] a limber plant, may be bowed which way you please, and fashioned & dis­posed to an excellent growth, but after you haue suffered it once to grow knotted and awry, it will be easyer to breake it, then to straightē it, but it wil remayne always as it is, Adeo à teneris assuscere multum est it imports so much to be accustomed from the begining. And this which is said of plantes, is likewise found by experience in men, who when they are young may easily be framed and fashioned to good, and they come to haue a great facility in that, vnto which they are trayned & brought vp from their tender age, and cōsequently lightly to perseuere in it. as the woole which being dyed, before it be wrought, doth neuer come there after to loose its collour. Who shall re­store the wool which is once dyed scarlet, to its natiue whitenesse againe saith S. Hierome? and the Poet Horace.

Testa diu — ould vessels will tast of that liquor, which they first did fill into them, when they were new.

2. Paras. 1 34.3.King Iosias is praysed the holy [Page 79] Scripture, for begining from his youth to serue God, Cum adhuc esset puer, coepit quarere Deum patris sui Dauid.

Humbertus a right venerable person, and Master Generall in his life time of the Order of S. Dominicke, doth recoūt how that one of the Religious being dead, appeared som night after vnto an other Religious mā of the same Order, in great brightnes and glory, and lea­ding him out of his cell, he shewed him a vision of diuers persons in white & resplendent habits, who carying fayre crosses on their shoulders, did in that manner march in procession towards heauen; presently after he saw an o­ther company, but far more delightful & shining with greater light then the former, who bare each on a faire rich crosse in their hands, and not one their shoulders, as the other procession had done, who went before; shortly after he perceyued an other band of them, shining with more admirable light without comparison then those who went before, whose crosses were li­kewise far more riche and resplendent then any of the other, which crosses [Page 80] they did not beare on their shoulders, nor in their handes, as the two other companies had done, but each one of their crosses, was borne by a seuerall Angell, who lead them on, whilest they in ioyfull manner followed after them. At which vision the Religious man much wondering, and desiring to be instructed in the mystery; that bles­sed soule deceast told him, that the first whō he had seen, bearing their crosses vpon their shoulders were such as en­tred Religion, when they were well in yeares; the second sort, who bare them in their hāds, were such as came into Religion in the flower of their youth; & the last who went so cheer­fully and so lightly on, whilest their crosses were borne in the handes of Angels, were such as had entred Re­ligion in their tender yeares, and had sooner forsaken & left the world, thē knowne it.

That we ought principally to shune all vaine glory in our Actions. CHAP. I.

THERE is nothing in our Rules, & Constitutions, so oftē repeated, or more recommended to vs, then that we should endea­uour to haue a right Intention in all our actions, & therfore almost in eue­ry [Page] leafe and rule, are these words re­peated: To the greater glory of God. Or these other (in effect the same) hauing always regard vnto Gods greater seruice. Our Blessed Father Saint Ignatius, had this desire of the greater honour and glory of God, so deeply rooted in his heart, and was so accustomed to direct all his actions vnto this end; that he repeated these words (for out of the aboundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh) most frequently on all occa­sions.Math. 12.34. & Luc 6.45. This hath beene euer as the De­uice, the soule & life of all his actions, as is amply declared in the History of his life, and therefore with good rea­son are these wordes,Lib. 1. c. 3. vita P. Ig­natij. Ad maiorem Dei gloriam subscribed vnto his picture. This is his Armes, this his Deuice, and Motto; in this short sentence is his whole life and all his actions in such manner comprehended, as we cannot entitle him to more prayse and honour, then these few wordes make him inheritour of. This must likewise be our Scutchion, Motto, and Deuice, to the end that like dutifull and legiti­mate children, we may be in all things [Page] like vnto our Father. Neither is it without cause, that he commends this so much vnto vs,Tract. 2. cap. 1. seeing that all our progresse & perfection cōsists in those works which we are to do; for accor­ding as they shall be good and perfect, so likewise shall we be better & per­fecter, & the more right and pure our intentions are, the more sublime and perfect shal be their end; for this is that which giues soule and being to our a­actions, according to that of our Saui­our in the Ghospell:Math. 6.22. & 23. The lampe of your body is your eye, if that your eye be pure & simple, your whole body shall be inlightned, but if your eye be naught, your whole body shall be obscure. Greg. l. 38 Moral. c. 3 The Holy Doctours commōly vnderstand in this place by the eye, the intentton, as that which before hand, markes & considers what it is to do, & by the Body, the operati­on, which presently followes the in­tention, as the whole body followes the direction of the eyes. Moreouer Christ our Lord sayes, that our works and operations, receaue all their light & luster from the intention which we haue in doing them, & that the worke [Page] is good or bad, according as the inten­tion is good or bad, with which we do it, & so likewise sublime & perfect, as the end shall be sublime & perfect for which it is done. Which the Apo­stle S. Paul giues to vnderstand, where he sayes:Rom. 11.16. Si radix sancta & rami. The tree & its fruit take well or ill, accor­ding to the roote; for what els can we expect from a tree which hath an ill root, but wormeaten and vnpleasant fruit? Whereas on the contrary if its root be good and sound, both the tree shall be good, and the fruit proceeding from it. S. Gregory writing on these words of Iob, Iob. 38.6. Greg. l. 18. Moral. c. 28. Super quo bases illius solida­tae sunt, sayth, that like as the edifice of some substantiall building, vseth to be sustained by rewes of Pillars, and that those pillers are supported by their basses and foundations, so also our spi­rituall life is sustained by vertues, and these vertues depend vpon a right and good intention.

But that we may proceed heerein with order, we will first treate of that vitious end, which we are to auoid, & fly from in our actions, that they may [Page] not be done out of vaine glory or any other humane respect; and after pro­ceed to set downe that good & perfect end and intention, with which we ought to doe, and to performe them; for first we must fly euill, and then do good, according to that of the Prophet Diuerte à malo & fac bonum. Psal. 33.15. All the ho­ly Doctours doe principally aduise vs to take heed of vaine glory; for that it is (according to their saying) a sly and crafty thiefe, which sets vpon vs at vn­awars, and spoiles (or to speake more properly) robbs vs of our good works and penetrates so secretly and insensi­bly into our soules, that it oftentimes hath ransackt and bereaued vs of all, before we tooke any heed or notice of it. Saint Gregory sayes,Greg. cap. vlt. mora. & l. 9. c. 13. that it is like a thiefe disguised, who puts its selfe in­to our cōpany as we trauaile, making shew as if it went the same way with vs, vntill at length when we are least aware of it, it sets vpon vs & bereaues vs both of life and goodes togeather. I confesse (sayth that holy Pope) that it seemed to me, when I first examined my intention, in the writing of this [Page] worke, that I had no other in the vn­dertaking of it, but only to please Al­mighty God, and neuerthelesse in the processe of it, I haue discouered a cer­taine desire of delighting men, and a kind of vaine complacence so subtlely crept in, that although I know not how, nor in what māner it got entrāce yet this I find, that the further I go in it, the lesse free it is from the drosse of vanity: he sayth moreouer that it happeneth with this, as it doth with eating; for we begin most commonly to eate, out of pure hunger & necessi­ty, but afterwardes there creepes in Gluttony and complacence so subtilly withal, that we proceed to do that out of meere delight and gust, which we begun out of necessity to satisfy our nature & sustaine our life. Euen in this manner we begin well oftentimes our spirituall functions of preaching, and the like, with intention only to apply them to the help of soules, but by little & little afterwardes it turnes to vani­ty, and we fall to seeke, to please and comply with others, and be esteemed our selues; and when we find any of [Page 81] this wanting to our expectations, pre­sently we begin to do our functions af­ter a languishing manner, and more out of necessity, then any will or applica­tion to them.

Wherein the hurt and mischiefe of vaine Glory doth consist. CHAP. II.

THE hurt which proceeds from this vice, is principally this, that it makes a man vaine gloriously seeke to exalt himselfe with that honour & glory which only appertaines to God:1. Tim. 17 Deo soli sit honor & gloria, & that which he reserveth only to himselfe,Isa. 42.8. &c. 48.11 and wil haue giuen to no created thing (Gloriā meam alteri non dabo) wherefore S. Au­gustine in his Solitoquiums directs his speech in this manner vnto God Al­mighty: VVhosoeuer, Augu c. 5 Solioq. Lord from thy good [...]ckes glory [...] himselfe, and not to thee, is [...] theefe and a robbery; and like vnto the Di­uell who went aboue to steale thy glory from thee. In all Gods workes, two thinges are to be considered; first their profit [Page 82] and vtility; next the glory and honour which proceedeth from them, and ought to redound vnto their Authour and Originall, the fruit and vtility of his actions, God doth freely bestow in this life vpon men, but the glory he doth wholy reserue vnto himselfe.Prou. 16. [...]. D [...]ut. 16.19. God hath made all for himselfe and the Lord hath created all people to his prayse, name, and glory. Whence it is that all his crea­tures do preach, and teach vnto vs his wisedome,Psal. 18.2. goodnesse, and his proui­dence; hence also it is that heauen and earth are sayd to be full of his glory.Isa. 6.3. Whosoeuer then in those good workes which he doth, shall seeke the prayse and the esteems of men, doth wholy peruert Gods ordination in them, and is app [...]rently iniurious vnto his diuine Maiesty, by seeking that men (who ought wholy to be occupyed in glori­fying God, should neglect and turne themselues from God, to haue regard to his esteeme and prayse; and also de­siring, that their harts which God hath created to the end they should be ves­sells of his honour and glory, should be filled with their honour and estee­mation. [Page 83] What is this is this but to steale the hearts of men from God Almighty, and turne him out (as we may say) of his owne house and habitation? Can there be greater malice & wickednes, then to seeke, to robbe God of his glo­ry, and the hearts of men? Or to [...]y with their mouthes, that God Almigh­ty is only to be our obiect, whilest in their hearts they desire to deriue the eyes of men, from God vnto themsel­ues? He who is truly humble desires not to dwell in the hart of any creature but in God alone, neither that any should be mindful of him, but that they should conuert all their thoughts to God, neither lastly to be so much as spoken of by men, but that God alone should be in the mouthes of euery one, that they should haue him only in their hearts, and there conserue him to eter­nity.

We may the better perceaue the soulnes and enormity of this vice, by considering what iniury that woman should doe vnto her husband, who should trimme vp, & adorne her selfe, more to please anothers eyes then his, [Page 84] for euen so doth he, who doth his good workes (which are our soules peculi­ar ornaments) more to please men, thē God Almighty, who is the spouse and Bridgrome of our soules. Thinke like­wise how vnworthily it would shew in any Nobleman, to boast some sleight seruice he had done his Prince, who for him had formerly exposed himselfe to some great danger and ignominy, without regard eyther of life or fame, especially if he should seeke to com­mend himselfe by those his small ser­uices, (which yet he had not done, without the assistance of his Prince) vnto the dishonouring of his Prince, who without any helpe of his, had done for him a thousād times as much; it were a disloyalty to be detested by euery gratefull mind, and yet these is none of vs, but may well apply [...]ll this vnto our selues, and haue iust cause to be ashamed, aswell for that we proud­ly esteeme our selues to haue done any thing, as chiefly for that we boast our selues, & glory vnto others when we do any thing, whereas we might haue iust cause to be so confounded for ha­uing [Page 85] done so little, if we would but compare that which we are obliged for Gods sake to do, with that which God only for our sakes hath done.

The euill of this vice doth yet more clearely appeare, in that the Diuines & holy men do reckon it among the sea­uen deadly Sines,Clim. de vana [...] glo­ria, which are called the heades and originalls of al other sines, and some there are who reckon eight, and say that the first is Pride, the se­cond vaine Glory, but the common opinion of the holy Fathers, which is receaued and followed by the holy Church,D. Thom. 2.2. quest. 132. art. 4 is that there are seauen capi­tall Sinnes, vnder which S. Thomas saith Vaine glory is the first, but that Pride is the fountaine, originall, and root of all the seauen,Eccl. 10.15. following this sentence of Ecclesiastes, the beginning of all sinne is Pride.

Of the hurt and domage which vaine Glory bringes along with it. CHAP. III.

OVR Sauiour in the Ghospell doth apparently declare, what [Page 86] detriment this sin of vaine Glory doth bring along with it, where he sayes: booke that you do not your actions before [...] for to be seene of them, Matth. 6. otherwise you shall haue no reward of your Father which is in heauen. Doe not imitate the Hipo­criticall Pharisies, who did all their works with designe to be seene, estee­med, and praysed for them by men; for so shall you loose all the fruit of them: Amen I say vnto you, they haue receaued their reward. Math. 6.5 Your desire was to be e­steemed of men, and out of this desire, you haue done all your actions, and therefore you haue your reward alrea­dy, Quia ventum seminabunt, & turbinem metent. And miserable as you are, haue nothing least, you may pretend in the other life. Holy Iob sayth: The hope of an Hipocrite shall vanish, Iob. 8.13. to wit, of such a one,Greg lib. Moral cap [...] [...]. who doth all his actions to be e­steemed and praysed; which S. Grego­ry excellently declares, where he saies, that all the prayse, and the esteeme of men, for which they sought & labou­red, with the breath of life vanishes a­way, and then, Non ei place bit record [...] sua, his folly and madnes will be dis­pleasing [Page 87] to him. O how much (sayth this Saint) shall you find your selues a­bused, when (hauing the eyes of your vnderstanding opened) you shall see, that with those workes by which you might haue purchased Heauen, you haue gained no more then the vaine prayse of men, and the empty wordes of, O how wel hath he sayd this! How excellētly done that! He who desires the fauours of men for those good works he doth, sets a vile price vpon a precious thing, and askes only the base come of transitory words, for that with which he might haue purchased Heauen. What greater folly or madnes can be imagined, then that a man should doe diuers good workes with much sweat and labour, and depriue himselfe of all recompence in the end? Which is that which the Prophet Agge­us sayth: Put your hearts vpon your wayes: Agg. 1.5. & 6. you haue sowed much, and reaped but little: you haue eaten and are not satiate: drunken and are not inebriat: you haue cloathed your selues, and are not warme, and he who ga­thered vp his byre and wages, hath put it in­to a sacke full of holes, or (according to another translation) into a pierced or [Page 88] leaking Vessell, into which to [...] any liquid matter, is no other then to spill it. In the like manner to doe our workes with vaine glory, is but vtter­ly to loose them, for the losse accompa­nyeth inseparably the gaine. Where­fore (then) appenditis argentum non in pa­nibus, Isa. 55.2. & laborem vestrum non in saturitate? As you do many thinges, toyle much, and labour much, performe them all in such manner, as they may profit you, and not to loose your labour and recō ­pence.

S. Basil obserues three losses and de­triments which vaine Glory brings vs.Basil. const Monast. c. 11. The first is, that it makes vs labour & weary out our selues in exercise of works which in themselues are good. The second, that it depriues vs of them as soone as we haue done them, by be­reauing vs of al their recompence; this mischieuous vice (sayth this Saint) doth not bring vs not to worke at all (for that were not altogeather so grieuous, to haue no reward, when we had not laboured for it) but it lyes in wayt vn­till we haue laboured and wearied out our selues, with doing many good [Page 89] workes, & then it dispoiles vs of them by bereauing vs of their reward.Chrys. ho. 3. in verb. Isaiae. Vidi Dominum It may properly be compared (sayth he) vnto a Pirate, who lyes a loofe vpon the Sea, vntill he sees a ship well fraught come out of the Hauen, & thē he makes to it, and layes it aboard. The Pirats vse not to set vpon shippes whē they put first to sea empty of loading, but lay for it, when it hath made its voyage & comes home richly fraught; in like manner, this thiefe of our vaine glory, waits vntill we are full loaden with good workes, and then it surpri­seth vs, & forcibly depriues vs of them, and what is yet more, it doth not only depriue vs of their reward, but (which is the third losse and most materiall) it makes vs worthy of punishment, by changing our good into ill, & vertue into vice, through that vitious & cor­rupt end for which we did our actiōs. And so we come to reape ill fruit from good seed, and to deserue punishment & torment for that which might haue purchast vs the ioyes of heauen, and all this it doth with such sleights & allur­ments, that men doe not only receue a [Page 90] losse so important as that of all the good workes which they haue done, but e­uen they take pleasure and are deligh­ted with it: In so much that although you clearely demonstrate vnto them, and they acknowledge it, that they do merit nothing by all the workes they do, notwitstanding they are so set on fire, with this desire of the esteeme of men, that they seeme to be bewicht with it, & to haue no thought or care of any thing besides.

In Const. Monast. c. 11.Wherefore S. Basil calls Vaine glory, A sweet thiefe of spirituall treasure, and a delightfull enemy of the soules of men, it is a fawning traitour, a sugred enemy and a sweet impouerishing, whence it is, sayth he, that so many are inticed by this dangerous vice, into its nets & snares. The glory of this world, sayth he, seemes sweet vnto the ignorant, and with its outward appearance coo­sens and deceaues them. And S. Ber­nard sayes:Bern. serm 6. super Psal. Qui habitat. Take heed of the arrow, it flyes lightly, and enters lightly in: but I say vnto you, it makes no light wound, but bringes death presently, and this arrow is vaine glo­ry. It is but a poore and little graine of [Page 91] Sand, but it flyes high.Surius in vita S. Pachomij Surius recoūts how that whilest S. Pachomius was once sitting with some other graue Fathers in a certaine place of the Monaste­ry, one of his Monkes came, bringing with him two mattes, and layed them by his Cell, iust against the place wher S. Pachomius sat, hoping that he would take notice of them, and prayse his di­ligence for hauing platted those two mats that day, wheras the other Reli­gious according to their rules, had on­ly made their one a peece: But the ho­ly man perceauing his vanity, sighing and turning him vnto the other Fa­thers with great sorrow and feeling, sayd: Behould this Brother here who hath beene labouring from morning vnto night, to offer vp all his workes vnto the Diuell, and hath had more respect vnto the prayse of men, then to Gods glory. Whereupon calling the Monke vnto him, after a sharpe repre­hension he gaue him for pennance, to go with the mats vpon his shoulders, as the Brothers should be assembled to prayer, & there to cry out with a loud voice, Deere Fathers and Brothers, I [Page 92] beseech you pray vnto God for me poore sinner, that he would haue mer­cy on me, who haue made more accoūt of these two matts, then of the king­dome of heauen. Moreouer the Holy Abbot commanded that whilest the rest of the Religious tooke their refe­ction, he in like manner with the matts on his shoulders should sit in the middle of the Refectory; neither yet did this pennance seeme inough vnto him, but he caused him to be lockt vp into a Cell, where none should haue accesse vnto him, and there to remaine for fiue monthes togeather without a­ny other sustenance then only dry bread, salt, and water, with a taske imposed vpon him, to plat euery day two matts. there in secret before he eat. Whence vnto our profit we may gather how great pennances those an­cient Fathers did impose vpon ordina­ry faults, and with how great humili­ty and patience their Religious recea­ued them, making their profit of them.

That the tentation of vaine Glory doth not only assault those who are new beginners, but also such who make progresse in Vertue. CHAP. IIII.

S. CYPRIAN treating of the ten­tation with which the Diuell as­saulted our Sauiour the second tyme, (when hauing carryed him vp vnto the Pinacle of the Temple, he sayd:Math. 4.6 If you be the sonne of God cast your selfe down) falls into this exclamation, O detestable malice of the enemy, the maligne spirit, made account to ouercome him. with vaine glory, whom with Gluttony he could not winne! And therefore he indeauoured to per­swade him, to make himselfe by flying in the ayre, the spectacle and wonder of the people. The Diuell thought he should find the like successe with tēp­ting our Sauiour, as he had with o­thers, and knew by experience, confir­med by often tryall, that euen those whom by no other tentations he could ouercome, he had often by vaine glory [Page 94] and Pride. wone & subiected to him. Wherefore after he had tempted them with Glutony, he sets vpon him with this, as the more forcible and difficile to resist. For it is no smal matter (saith the Saint) for one not to be delighted with the prayse of men, and as there are not many to whome it is gratefull to heare themselues ill spoken of by o­thers: so are there as few, who are not well pleased when others speake in cōmendations of them. From whence we may perceaue that this of vaine glory is not only a tentation of Noui­ces, and new beginners, but euen of those of longest experience & practise in Religion, yea rather it is more pro­perly the tentation of such who go for­wards in perfection.

The holy Abbot Nilus (who was disciple of S. Iohn Chrisostome) relates how the ould experiēced Fathers,Nilus de inte, emp. Patruum qui erant in Sina, adfert Su­rius 14. Ianuar. did instruct & bring vp the Nouices, after another, and farre different manner then they did those who had been lōg in Religion: they tought the Nouices alwayes to haue a care of abstinence & temperance, since those who suffred [Page 95] themselues to be ouercome with the vice of Gluttony, would easily (they sayd) be subdued by the concupiscence of the flesh (for how shall he be able to ouercome a mighty enemy, who can­not resist a weake and feeble one? But they admonished those who had made a longer progresse in Religion, to haue an eye chiefly to the resisting of vaine Glory & Pride (like as those who saile by sea, are then most carefull to take heed of shelues and rockes, when they are not farre from the Hauen; for as there are many who hauing made a prosperous voyage by sea, do perish & suffer shipwracke neere the Hauen? So likewise are there diuers, who haue happily passed ouer almost the whole course of their liues, ouercoming all tentations on their way, who in the end, whē they were euen in entrāce of the port, by trusting too much to their passed victories, and growing proud and negligent with the conceit that they were out of danger, haue made a most lamentable wracke of all. And like a ship which with many voyages to sea was neuer hurt, comes las [...]ly to [Page 96] perish in the Hauen, so farre is it with vaine glory, and therefore many holy men call this vice, A tempest in the Ha­uen. Others compare it by a Marchant, who hauing his ship richly loadē with all commodities, doth spring leaks in it himselfe, and drowne it, yea the an­ciēt Philosophers destitute of the light of Fayth, yet haue arriued to the know­ledge of this verity, as namely Plato, where he sayth, that this vaine Glory is the last garmēt which our soule puts off, meaning that it is easier to leaue off all other imperfections then this one.

The reason why those ancient Fa­thers did not exhort their Nouices to take heed of this vice of vaine Glory▪ was, because they knew there was no great feare of vaine glory in those, who hauing newly left the world, had yet the woundes of their sinnes open and freshly bleeding, from whence they should find matter inough of humility and shame, and therefore it was more need for them to be exercised in absti­nence, pennance, and mortifying thē ­selues, but those more ancient in Re­ligion, who had already washed away [Page 97] their sinnes with their repentant teares who had vndergone hard penance, & were wel entred on the way of vertue, had need of these admonitions, for the other who were yet full of passions, empty of sollid vertue, who had not yet made an end of weeping for their sinnes, and the forgetfulnes of God Al­mighty into which they were so deep­ly plunged, had no cause at all, to grow vayn-glorious, but much, to giue way vnto their shame and their iust cause of griefe.

Wherefore they ought to be great­ly confounded, who hauing diuers mo­tiues for to humble themselues passe them blindly ouer, and become proud by looking only vpon something more then ordinary, which they seeme vnto themselues to haue done. In which they are most shamefully abused, for any the least ill which may be found in vs, ought to be sufficient for to humble vs, seing to the end a thing be good, it is required that there be nothing defectiue in it; whereas any on circumstance is inough to make it bad. But we on the contrary side, can­not [Page 98] humble our selues with all our faults and imperfections, whereas if there be any one thing in vs which seemes but good, we presently grow proud of it, and desire to be esteemed & respected for it. In which we may cleerly perceaue the malicious craft of this vice of vayne glory, since it spares none of any condition, and setts vpon all without any ground or reason, S. Bernard sayes likewise of it,Bernard. de o [...]dini­bus vitae & morum institutib. Aug. in Psal. 115. that it is the first in the sinne and the last in the combat, the first which setts vpon vs to ouer­throw vs, and the last which we must fight against to ouercome. Therefore deere Brothers sayth S. Austin, let vs all arme our selues and prepare vs to fight agaynst this vice, in such manner as we read of the Prophet Dauid, where he sayes.Psal. 148.37. Auert myne eyes that they may not looke vpon vanity, O how hap­py are those who in the howre of death can say that which S. Catherine of Si­enna answered the Diuell suggesting vayne glory vnto her when she was a dying: get hence sayd she I neuer gaue any way vnto it, but haue done all my actions vnto the glory of my God.

Of the particular care which they ought to haue of vayne glory, who are to imploy themselues to assist and helpe their Neighbour. CHAP. V.

ALTHOVGH (as we haue sayd) all men in generall ought to take heed of this vice of vayne glory, neuer­theles we (who according to our insti­tute are to attend vnto the saluation of soules) haue particular need, to proceed heerein with great warynes & cir­cumspection, seeing that our functions are very sublime, and perspicuous, as being exposed vnto publike sight, and therefore the more spirituall and emi­nent they are, the greater daunger is there in them, and the fouler should our faults be, if we should seeke our selues in doing them, and desire the prayse and the esteeme of men. For this should be to glorify our selues,Ber. serm. 45. super cantica. in that which God makes most account of, which is his graces and his spirituall guifts. Wherupō S. Bernard sayes. VVoe [Page 100] be to them to whom it hath bin giuen to thinke and speake well of God Almighty if they esteeme gayne, piety, if they conuert that to vayne glory, which they haue receaued to lay out for to gayne soules to God, if feeding and tasting of high things, they haue not well re­lisht but neglected the humble, Woe I say vnto them vnto whom it is giuen to apprehend and speake feelingly of spi­rituall things, to vnderstand the Holy Scriptures, and preach with great ap­plause vnto the people, if they once should wholly imploy those talents in seeking of themselues and humaine prayse, which God bestowed vpon them, for to winne soules to him, and spread abroad his honour & his glory, let such feare & tremble at those words of God spoken by the Prophet Oseus I haue giuen them siluer, Ezeae. 28. I [...]aue multiplyed their gould, with which they haue made (their Idole) Baal, they haue made vse of my guifts, to build vnto themselues an I­dole of glory.

Greg. lib. 22. mor. cap. 17. 2. Cor. 2.17.S. Gregory brings vnto this pur­pose that saying of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians. VVe are not like vnto many, adulterating the word of God, but out [Page 101] of sincerity, but like as from God we speake before God in Christ, on which place he makes two expositions, saying, that the word of God may be adulterated in two kinds. The first is when one vnder­stands & expounds the holy Scripture, contrary to its litterall sense, making out of their own fancyes new coments on it, contrary to the legitimate sence which the holy Ghost, the authour of it, hath deliuered vnto his spouse the Catholicke Church, by the holy Do­ctors and interpretors of it. The second sort of corrupting and falsifying the word of God is that which makes more immediatly to our purpose. For there is this difference betwixt the lawful hus­band & an Adulteror that the ones end is to beget children from the lawfull bed, the others only to satisfy his lust­full appetit. In like manner, he who by the word of God and his spirituall fun­ctions, seekes not to beget spirituall children to God Almighty, which is proposed vnto him, according to that of S. Paul. Per Euangelium ego vos genui, 1. Cor. 4.15. but seeks his owne satisfaction, and the prayse of others, is an Adulteror of the [Page 102] word of God. And for this reasō the ho­ly Doctours call vayne glory a spiritual Adultery, since the pleasure therof is as much greater then that of the other, as the soule surpasseth the body. Let vs not therefore like Adulterors corrupt the word of God nor seeke any thing in our functions, besides the honour and glory of his diuine maiesty, confor­mable to that saying of our Sauiour Christ, Ego autem nō quaero gloriam meam, I search nor myne own honour & glo­ry but the glory of my Father which is in heauen.Ioan. 8.50. Origin well compared our good workes, which are the works of God, to the male children of the He­brewes in the land of Egypt, and sayes that we should be as careful not to shew them for ostentation, as they were not to haue their children seene by the E­gyptians, least it happen to vs, as it did to Moyses, who being perceaued when he was an infant, and taken vp, was throne into the riuer of Nylus. If you would appeare to be any thing, let it be in the eyes of God Almighty.

The Holy Scripture relats an ex­ploit of Ioab the Generall of Dauids [Page 103] Army, most worthy of our imitation, to wit, that he with his Army besieging Rabat, the capitall Citty of the Amo­nits, where the King was, with diuers of his chiefe Nobility,2. Reg. 12.29. & had so weake­ned it, that he doubted not to take it by the next assault, dispatched a Post to Dauid presently, to let him know vpō what tearmes it stood, and withall to beseech him to come vnto the Army & be present in person at the taking it, gi­uing him this reason, that when he de­stroyed the Citty, 1. Reg. 12.19. the victory might not be as­cribed to him, This his fidelity ought we to imitate towards God in all our Acti­ons with desire that the fruit & cōuer­sion of soules with the good and pros­perous successe of our affayres, be attri­buted to God, and not to vs. Non nobit Domine non nobis, Psal. 113.9. sed nomini tuo da glo­riam. All honour belonges vnto God who is in heauen, as the song of the Angells doth teach vs, Gloria in altissimis Deo.

We read of S. Thomas of Aquin in the History of his life,Luc. 2.14. that in his whole life he neuer had so much vayne glory, as might arriue vnto a veniall sinne, ne­uer [Page 104] the more delighted with himselfe, for his great knowledge and Angelical wit, nor those great guifts and graces which God had bestowed vpon him. We read also of our B. F. S. Ignatius,L. 5. c. 3. vitae B. P. lgn. that for diuers yeares before his death, he was so entirely freed, from this tēta­tion of vayne glory, (he being ariued to such knowledge & cōtempt of him­selfe by the illustration of heauēly light) that he was vsed to say he feared no vice lesse. Behould heere the patterne after which we ought to frame our selues, and which may make vs hartely ashamed, to let our selues be carryed so away with the breath of vayne glory, for euery slight & paltry thing we do. What should we do, if we were emi­nent in learning, famous for preaching, if we made great profit in the gayne of soules, and were for these things estee­med by Princes, Prelats, and by all the world? It behoues vs euen in little things to accustome our selues to ne­glect the prayses of men, & seeke the honour and glory of God Almighty, to the end that we may do the like, when occasion of greater shall present it selfe.

Of certaine other remedyes a­gaynst Vayne Glory. CHAP. VII.

S. Bernard vpon these words of the Psalmist,Bern. in b. 14 super ps [...] Qui habitat. psal. 90.11. You shall walke vpon the As­pe and Basiliske & tread the Lyon & Dra­gon vnder your feet, sayth, that of these beasts some there are who wound with their teeth, others infect with behoul­ding, others with their clawes, and o­thers with their hissing do affright: so the Diuell in as many kinds doth inuisi­bly endommage men, and goeth on ap­plying the propertyes of these beasts, to diuers sorts of sinnes & tentations, with which the Diuell makes warre vpon vs, vntill comming to the Basiliske, he tells of a monstrous thing which is re­ported of it, to wit, that with its only sight, it poysons men to death. Which the Saint applyes vnto vayne Glory, according to those words of our Saui­our in the Euangell:Mat. 6.1. See that you do not your Iustice before men for to be seene by thē, as if he would say, take heed of the Ba­silisks [Page 106] eyes. But we are also to consider, that as some say, the Basiliske only doth poyson those whome it sees first, wher­as if you first looke vpon the Basiliske you are not only not hurt by it your selfe, but also are the death of it: so sayth he, vayne glory hurts none but the ne­gligent and blind, who set themselues forth for to be seene of it, and neuer marke before, what a vaine, abiect, & vgly thing it is, wheras if you would but preuent it, by looking on it first, it could not hurt you, but you on the con­trary, would be the death and ruine of it, by conuerting al its threats & flames into contempt & smoke.

This is thē the first remedy against vayne glory, to wit, that we indeauour to preuent this Basiliske by looking on it first, attentiuely examining and con­sidering, that the opiniō & the esteeme, of men, is but a little wind and vanity, by which we neyther winne or loose, the prayses & opinions of men making vs not better, neyther their slaunders nor persecutions worse; which Saint Chrysostome excellently declares vpō these words of the fiftenth Psalme.Psal. 5.13. For [Page 107] thou shalt blesse the Iust, saying, that these words of the Psalme are of great com­fort vnto righteous men when they are persecuted and iniured, incouraging them to the neglect of it, for you (saith he) you o Lord are he who blesses the iust; which being so, what harme can al the contempt & scorne of men do him, who hath the King of Angells for to blesse and praise him? And on the other side, if God reiect him and do cast him off, all the esteeme & prayse of men, will nothing help him. Which he con­firmes with the example of holy Iob, who whilst he sat on the dunghill full of loathsome soares and vlcers, craw­ling with wormes, afflicted and reui­led by his foes and friends, & (what is yet more grieuous) by his owne wife, was yet more happy then them all, be­cause that God did blesse him, Iob. 2.3. and howsoe­uer men did iniure him, yet God was well pleased with him, which he con­firmed by this great testimony of him, that he was simple, and vpright, one fearing God, declining euill, and yet remayning in his innocence, and this was it which made him a great man indeed: the scorne of [Page 108] men, and the worlds disesteeme, ma­king him in nothing lesser then before, And from hence this Holy Saint con­cludes, that we ought only to bend all our indeauours to render our selues gratefull and pleasing vnto God alone, seing the prayses and esteeme of men can neither hinder vs, nor further vs:Cor. 4.3. & therefore is to be neglected. To me it is a thinge of least account to be iudged of you, or of mans day, that is, by men, I do not study to please men but God, who is the Iudge of me, qui autem iudicat me Dominus est.

Bonauen. opusc. de in format. nouiciorū.S. Bonauenture adds heereunto an o­ther point, saying: be not offended with those who speake euil of you, seing that which they say, is either true or false: if it be true, it is no maruaile they do dare to say that which you haue dar'd to do: If false, it cannot hurt you. And although you should be moued to some impatience by it, yet sustayne it coura­giously, like those who indure the cau­tering Iron, and as that red hoat Iron cures the wound, so shall you be deli­uered by this calumny, from some se­cret pride, which perhaps lay in your [Page 109] heart, you neuer knew of.

The second means which will help vs much heerein,Basil. ser. de exercit. monast. is that which is so much recōmended to vs, by the Saints, Basil, Gregory, Bernard, and generally all; which is to abstayne from vttering any word, which may tend vnto our owne comendations & esteeme.Bern. in formul. ho­nesta vi­tae. Neuer speake any thing of your selfe (saith S. Ber­nard) which may import your praise, how euer familiar he may be with whom you speake. Yea be more carefull to conceale your vertues then your vices, It is reported of Mr. Aui­la, that he was very carefull & circum­spect in this, in so much, that when v­pon any occasion for the profit & edifi­cation of others, he thought fit to speake of any spirituall thing, which he him­selfe had experienced, he would by speaking in the third person, so hide his owne praises,Ferdinād, Epis. 4. that none could perceaue it was himselfe he sp [...]ke of. And a cer­taine Prelate in Spaine who had former­ly knowne our B. Father at Paris, was wont to recount vnto vs, that he once was discoursing of prayer, and teaching the vse of it. Being demanded how his prayer succeeded with him, answered, [Page 110] they should pardon him, for he would not tell them that, but as much concer­ning prayer, as should be necessary for them to know, Charity and the needs of others obliging him to this last, wheras to speake of the other were but vanity. We read also that Saint Francis was so reseru'd in this, that he was not only afraid to make knowne to others those great fauours and graces which God was pleased to bestow vpon him, but also when he rose from prayer, he caryed himselfe, so couertly & with so much moderation, in his words & his exteriour, that none could ghesse by his outward comportement at any thing which passed in his heart.

Thirdly we are not to thinke it suf­ficient, not to say any thing which may tend vnto our praise, but we must passe yet further, & procure as much as may be, to keep those good works secret which we do. According to this admo­nition of our B. Sauiour in the Euan­gell,Mat. 6.6. when you pray enter into your cham­ber, & shutting the dore, pray vnto your Fa­ther in secret, and your Father who in secret sees you, will reward you; And as you giue [Page 111] almes, do it so, as your left hand may not know, of that your right hād doth; which is as much as to say, that if it were possible your selfe should not know thereof. And when you fast, Math. 6.17. annoint your head, and wash your face, that you may not seeme to men to fast. That is, cary your selfe as if it were a time of feasting, for in the prouince of Palestine (where our Sauiour was when he spoke these words) it was the manner (as S. Hie­rome writs) to annoint and perfume their heads on Festiuall dayes: and be­cause the subtilty of this vice is so great therfore hath our Sauiour Christ giuen vs the greater charge for to take heed of it, and fly it, by doing our good works in secret, that we may not loose them, and that this thiefe vayne glory may not steale them from vs. For so saith S. Gregory, do trauaillers hide their mo­ney, least if they should let it be seene, it would intice theeues to take it from thē. And on this occasion he tells what happened to King Ezechias, who by shewing the treasure of his pallace to the Embassadours,4. Reg. 20.17. of the King of Ba­bylon, was the cause that it was all [Page 112] taken from him and transported to Ba­bylon. They bring likewise that com­mon example of the henne, who loo­seth its egge, by kakleing when it lays it, to shew that it is iust so with those, who desire that others should see their good works when they do them, and perhaps rather then faile do tell of them themselues.

Greg. lib. 22. mor c, 9.But a faithfull seruant of God Al­mighty saith Saint Gregory, is so farre from this, that he is not content to tarry there & do nothing els, but that which may come for to be seene of others, for so he esteemes himselfe in a manner to haue receaued reward for them, but he labours further, to ad an ouerplus of such other Heroicall acts, as may neuer come vn­to the knowledge of men. S. Hierome writes of S. Hilarion, that he seing such a world of people following him, & all men honouring him for the multitude and greatnes of his miracles, was very sad, and did nothing els but weep, and when his Disciples demaunded of him the reason of his teares, & that vnwoon­ted sadnes? he answered, it seemes to me (Deere brothers) that God is rewar­ding [Page 113] in this life, those slender seruices, which I haue done him, since he per­mits me so to be honoured of men, & this is another reason, & a very fit one which we may make vse of against vaine glory. Looke that you haue no desire to be esteemed of men, for feare least God pay you in this mony for your good works, if perhaps you haue done any; and after this life answere you with the rich Glutton. Remember sonne how you haue receaued good in your life tyme. Luc. 16.25. This is one of the reasons why the Saints counsaile vs to shunne al ex­treames & singularities, since those a­ctions which are aboue the ordinary straine vse to be obserued, weighed, & spoken of by others, Qui facit quod ne­mo mirantur omnes, Gerson. & Guiel. Pa­ris [...]ens. and commonly serue vnto no other end, then to beget in vs a spirit of Pride and vaine Glory, from whence proceedeth our contempt of o­thers.

But seeing that it is not alwayes in our powers to hide our good workes, whose vocatiō it is, to help our neigh­bours by them, the fift remedy is, to rectify our intentions, eleuating our [Page 114] hartes to God, and offring and dire­cting vnto him all our thoughtes, our wordes, & actions as we shall present­ly declare, and then if perchance vaine Glory shall seeke for entrance,Magister Auila tom 2. epist. f. 59. we may say with Maister Auila: You come too late, I haue offred vp all my workes already to God Almighty, or answeare it very pro­fitably,In vita S Bern. as S. Bernard did, who when his thoughts once suggested to him (as he preached) Oh, how well you say, answered. I neyther begun for your sake, neither for your sake, will I make an end. We ought also to be very wary, that we leaue not off our workes begun, out of feare of vayne glory, for that were too too palpable a folly; but we must stop our eares, and passe ouer the prayses of men as if we heard thē not. In which (S. Chrisostome) saith,Chrys. l. 5. de Sacerd. that we are to carry our selues with the world, as Fathers to their little children, who if the child prayse him doth not much esteeme it, if he disprayse him, doth but laugh at him, since he considers him as a child, that knowes no reason for the one or the other. And so must we be haue vs with the world, & con­sider [Page 115] it both when it speaketh the best, or worst of vs, but as a child which knows not what it saies.P. Xauer. lib. 6. cap. 15. S. Francis Xa­uerius that great Apostle of the East In­dyes, sayes yet more: that if we would but seriously consider our sinnes and imperfections, and what we are truly in the eyes of God, we should belieue that men in praysing vs, did no other then deride and mocke vs, and take their commendations for our iniuryes.

The last meanes (with which we will cōclude this chapter) is the know­ledge of our selues, which is the only counterpoise, to all vayne Glory: for should we but throughly search and diue into that which in truth we are, we should vnderstand what smal foū ­dation we haue for to build Prid vpō, and how much cause to humble our selues, and be ashamed of so many sinnes and imperfections. And that not only by cōsidering that which is ill in vs, but euen by attentiuely marking those works of ours which seeme to vs the best and perfectest, wherin we should find so much amisse, as it were sufficient for to humble vs: which S. [Page 116] Gregory saies and repeates often.Lpeg. lib. 9. moral. cap. 11. All hu­mayne Iustice (saith he) if it be strictly weighed is conuinced to be iniustice, and if setting aside Gods goodnes, we should be ex­amined, we should find those works of ours worthy of punishment, for which we away­ted to reyceaue reward. And S. Iob testifies that he therefore feared in al the works he did, knowing the multitude of those defects which vse to mixe themselues with their actions who haue not a wary eye vpon themselues,Iob. 9.28. verebar om­nia opera mea. Which being so, what cause or reason haue we to be prowd? When if we examine our selues but with attention, and call but to compt at night the Actions of the day, we shall find nothing but a multitude of miseryes, sinnes, & imperfections crept into all our thoughts, and words, and deeds; we shall perceaue nothing but many good workes omitted, and lastly (if with Gods assistance we haue don any good) we shall commonly see it, so deformed with pride, vaine glory, negligence, and many other defects which we do know, and far more which we may presume are vn­knowne [Page 117] vnto vs, that we may haue iust cause to be ashamed of it, let vs therefore enter into our selues, & haue recourse vnto the knowledge of our being nothing, let vs I say looke vpon our feet, which is the fowlnes and deformity of our workes, and it will presently make vs let fall the feathers of that vanity, pride, which was lifted vp within our harts.

Of the good end & intention, which we ought to haue in all our Actions. CHAP. VII.

VVE haue hitherto shewed how we are to fly vayne glory, and humayne respects in doing of our workes, & now will we treate of the end and intention, which we ought to haue in them. which is Gods greater honour and glory. S. Ambrose to this purpose brings that exāple of the Eagle, who for to try,Ambr. l. 5. Hexam cap. 18 & lib. de Sa­lom. cap. 2 whither her yoūg ones, are truly bread or no, bears them in her Talents vp into the ayre, and there exposing them to the full [Page 118] shine of the sunne, if shee perceaues that they winke, and are not able to abide its beames, she lets them fal and houlds them for none of hers, but if with their eyes fixed, they can abide its brightnes, she beares them backe vnto the eyery againe and cherishes them with al ten­dernes. In the like manner, shall it appeare whither we be true children of God or no, if we do looke stedfastly on God the true sonne of Iustice, by so directing all that we do to him, that the only But and End of al our works, may be only to please his sacred Ma­iesty, and accomplish in them, his holy will and pleasure; which agrees well with that which Christ our Sauiour hath said in the Euangel.Math. 2.15. Whosoeuer, shal do the will of my Father which is in heauen, he is my brother, sister, and my mother.

One of those antiēt Ermits was wōt alwayes before he begū any worke to stand still a while,In vitis Patrum. and being demaun­ded why he did so, answered: these workes are worth nothing of themsel­ues, vnles they be accompanyed with a good Intention & End, & therefore as a good Archer, takes his ayme at [Page 119] leysure before he shutes, that he may hit the white the better, so I before I begin any worke do vse to direct my intention to God, who is the marke at which I aime at in all my actions; & that is the reason why I stand stil at the begining of euery worke. Behould that which we must imitate.Cant. 8.6 Pone me vt signaculum super cortuum, and as good men marke, (that they may the better recollect their sight,) do vse to shut their left eye, and take their ayme only with the right, so ought we to shut vp the left eye of humayne respects, and only keep open the right eye of a pure and good intention, & so shal we come infallibly to hit the marke,Caat. 49. and pene­trate the heart of God. Thow hast woun­ded my hart with one of thyn eyes.

But to speake more cleerly, and to descēd vnto particulars, I say we must indeauour to direct all our workes ac­tually to God Almighty, which may be done in diuers manners. And first in the morning when we rise, we ought to offer vp to God, all our thoughts words and workes, of the following day, humbly crauing of him, that they [Page 120] may be all directed to his honour and glory, vnto the end that if vayne glory should afterwards presēt it self to haue any part in thē, we may truly answere, you come too late, they are al bestow­ed already. Moreouer we are not to thinke it sufficiēt to haue offered vp in this manner, to God Almighty euery morning al which we shal do that day, but we must procure to accustome our selues to begin no action, without first hauing offered it vp vnto Gods greater glory. And like as Masons vse to do, who go forwards with their building, so by rule and leuell, that they lay not one stone, but they measure it with their plūmet whether it be right or no, so must we measure all our actions, by that rule of the good pleasure, and the glory of God. And as the workman is not content only to make vse of his rule and line in the beginning of his work, but applyes almost to euery particuler stone, so we ought not only in the be­ginning of euery action, to offer it vp to God Almighty, but also in the pro­gresse of it, we are to make an often tē ­der of it vnto him by saying, O Lord [Page 121] it is for your sake I do this, because it is your cōmaund, because it is your good pleasure.

How we may doe our actions with great rectitude and purity of Intention CHAP. VIII.

THE maisters of spirituall life, for to declare how we are to do our actions with greater perfection, do vse an excellent comparison, saying: That as Mathematiciās abstracting from the matter, only regard the quantity, and figure of the thing, not caring whether it be good siluer or any other mettle, as a thing nothing appertayning to them, so the true seruant of God Almighty, ought in the doing of his works, only to haue regard vnto the will of God: and abstracting from the matter of thē, not to care whether they be gould or clay, that is, to be indifferent, to be im­ployed either in honorable, or base & painefull thinges, since our gaine and perfection consists not in the quality of our imployments, but in accōplishing [Page 122] the will of God, & in seeking his grea­ter glory in all we do.Basil. de ingluuie & ebriet. ora. 16. The which the glorious S. Basil doth excellently teach vs, according to the doctrine of S. Paul, where he sayth: The life of a Christian man, ought to propose vnto its selfe this only But & End, 1. Cor. 3. to wit, the glory of God: so that whether we eate or drinke, or do ought els besides we are to do all vnto the glory of God sayth S. Paul preaching in the Lord.

Our Sauiour Christ (weary & ty­red with his lōg iourney) talking with the Samaritan VVoman, whilest his dis­ciples went vnto the adioyning villa­ge to buy them food, it being after din­ner, and they returned offering him to eate,Ioan. 4.31 saying: Rabbi manduca. Answe­red, I haue food to eate which you know not of. Whereupon they sayd among thē ­selues: Hath any one brought him any thing to eate? To whome he answeared: My food is to do the will of him who sent me. This must likewise be our food in all we do, whilest we study, heare con­fessions, or teach, or preach, our food ought not to be the delight and satis­faction which we take in teaching, Preaching, studying, or the like (for this [Page 123] weare to chaunge gould into Clay). but all our food, delight and satisfacti­on, ought to be in doing the will of God, which is, that you should be then imployed in those workes, you ought likewise to haue no other food in do­ing the ordinary offices of the house, so that being or Porter, or Infirmation, you eare and fare a like, with him who is Preacher or Diuinity Maister, & cō ­sequently you are to be as well plea­sed with your office, as he with his, as hauing the same cause of true con­tentement, common with you and them, which is, the accomplishing of the will of God. For like a good spi­rituall Mathematician you are not to reflect vpon the materiall worke, but on the will of God, which you per­forme in doing it, And therefore must we alwayes haue these words both in our hearts and mouth. O Lord it is for you that I do this, it is to your glory, & to ful­fill your pleasure; neither are we euer to intermit this exercise, vntill we do arriue vnto that perfection,Ephes. 6 7 to do our actions as seruing God and not men, as S. Paul saies, & to performe them in such [Page 124] manner that they may be, as so many continued actes of the loue of God, & that it may be our only felicity, to do Gods will, in the execution of them, so that coming to do any worke or a­ction, we may rather appeare to loue then worke.

Reuerend M. Auila declares this by a familiar and good similitude, saying: That when a Mother washes the feet of her husband or her sonne, comming from abroad, it is in her a mixt action, of seruice and of loue: shee louing the seruice shee doth them, and seruing them for loue. Oh that we could but do our actions in this manner, that we could but find the hidden myne of this treasure in the field; one the one side so apparant and manifest,Tract. 6. cap. 4. & tract. 8.14 on the other so hidden and concealed! Oh how rich should we be in spirit and recollection! Behould here, the true Alchimy which chaungeth brasse and Iron into gould, for howsoeuer ignominious the worke be in its selfe, yet by this it is made ho­nourable and of great esteeme, let vs therefore hereafter inforce our selues so to do al our actions, as they may be­come [Page 125] pure gould by our performance of them, this is in our power to do, and easely.3 Reg. 6.19.22. In the Sancta Sanctorum & Salomons Temple, all was pure gould, or conuered ouer with gould, so like­wise all that we do, ought to be the loue of God, or for the Loue of God performed and done.

How we are not so much to lay the fault of those distractions and spirituall hinderan­ces which we find in our selues som­times, on our exterior occupati­ons, as on our not performing them as we ought. CHAP. IX.

ONe may wel conceyue from that which we haue now said, that the cause of that small progresse, and troublesome distractiō, which we sō ­times find in our selues, when we are busyed about externall things, ought not to be attributed, vnto those occu­patiōs, but vnto our selues, who know not how to make our profit of them, neyther to performe thē as we ought, [Page 126] and therefore no man is to lay the fault on his affaires, but on his owne want of knowledge to make his benefit of them. Cracke the nut, it is not the shell, but the kernell which must be eaten. If you only insist vpon the ex­teriour action, and this same outward rind and shell of things, you shall but breake your forces, and loose spirit, the nut and inward kernell that it with which is no other then the wil of God. must be that which we must feed vpō, cracke therefore with the teeth of your consideration, this outward shell, and without regarding it passe forwards to the kernell and the pith, like Ezechiels great Egle,Ezech. 17 3. which Flew. to Labāus, and toke away the inward pith of the Cedar, without tarying at the out­ward barck, Holocausta medullata offerā tibi, Psal. 62.15. this is that vpon which you must insist, this is that which you must pre­sent to God, and so your deuotion wil increase and profit you. Martha and Mary are sisters, the one is not to be hin­derance to the other, but to maintayne mutuall assistance, prayer, helps to per­forme our actions well, and our good [Page 127] workes do maynly assist our prayers, and if at any time you find your selfe troubled & disquiteed in your actions, it is because that Mary (which is con­templation) helps you not Martha, Luc. 10.40.41. Martha, solicita es, & turbaris erga pluri­ma, Martha was disquieted, because shee was not accompanyed with her sister Mary, Dic ergo illi vt me adiuuet, Do but procure that Mary may assist you and you shal presently see all this trou­ble will be appeased. Those Holy & mistical beasts which Ezechiel writes of, held their hand vnder their winges,Ezech. 1.8. to signify, that spirituall persons apply their handes to worke, but vnder the winges of contemplation, not separa­ting the one from the other, but whilst they worke they contemplate, and cō ­templating they worke.

And this is that which Cassian re­counts of his Monks in Egypt, who al­though they laboured with their hāds, yet seased they not withal to meditate, and whilest their hands were doing Marthaes offices, their hearts were bu­syed in Maryes exercises, which S. Ber­nard excellently in these words decla­res, [Page 128] Those who make profession of spirituall exercises, Bern. serm ad solit. must haue a speciall care that they so imploy themselues in exteriour things, as they do not extinguish the spirit of deuotion, and so although externally through the exer­cises of good works, they are wearyed in their bodyes internally, neuertheles in their soules they are recreated and refreshed Whence it comes that the externall occupatiōs do so little hinder the internall deuo­tion and recollection, that they rather further it, for they no wayes hinder the vnderstanding, but leaue it at liberty and free to thinke on God Almighty. Wherefore Father Hierome Natalis, one of our first Fathers, and a very spi­rituall man was wont to say, that he enuyed two sorts of people in Religiō, the one was Nouices who studyed no­thing els but their spirituall progresse in vertue; the other, the lay Brothers, who had alwayes their vnderstādings free, and left vnto themselues, to en­tertayne them al day in prayer and de­uotion.

S. Iohn Clymachus tels of a certayne Cook in the Monastery where he was,Clym. cap. 44. who hauing much busynes, by reason [Page 129] the number of Religious was very great (amounting o two hundred and thirty, besides the strangers and ghests which dayly came) was notwithstan­ding in the middle of so many affaires, highly recollected within himselfe and vnited with Almighty God, hauing moreouer the plentious guift of teares, at which S. Iohn Clymachus being much astonished, was very importune with him to know how he came to obtaine so high perfection, among so great and continuall a presse of businesses. The Brother in the end ouercome with his importunity, answeared him. I neuer imagined that I serued men, but God. I haue alwayes thought my selfe vn­worthy of any rest or quiet, & the sight of this materiall fire makes me weep through a liuely apprehēsion of the in­tollerable paines of the eternall fire. It is also related of S. Catherine of Sienna in her life,In vita S. Catharinae Senens. that her parents did greatly persecute her, & exceedingly importun her to mary, yea they proceeded so far as to forbid her all priuacy, and the comodity of any place where she might retyre her selfe to pray, and not contēt [Page 130] with this, they imployed her in the drudgeries of the house, taking a ser­uant which they had from the Kitchin that she might supply her place, to the end that by this meanes they might leaue her no commodity nor tyme to pray, or attend vnto her other spirituall exercises. But she (as the History of her life sayes) instructed by the holy Ghost did build vnto her self in her deare hart a spirituall and most retired Cell, with intention neuer to go out of it, which she performed afterwardes in such mā ­ner, that (whereas she was inforced sometymes in her other retirements for to come abroad) out of this spirituall Cell of hers, she neuer went, her pa­rents could depriue her of the first, but she was so surely possessed of this other, that no liuing creature could driue her out of it. And by imagining with her selfe, that her Father was Iesus Christ, her mother our B. Lady, and her Bro­thers and the rest of the family, the A­postles and Disciples of our Lord, she came to do her workes with exceeding diligence and cheerefulnes, hauing her thoughts in the middest of all the drud­geries [Page 131] of the Kitchin, only vpon Iesus Christ her spouse,Hier. super illud Isaiae cap. 38.10 Ego dixi in annidio. inioying his presence alwayes, and being continually in his company within that holy of Holyes in her soule. And so would she frequēt­ly afterwardes when her Ghostly Fa­ther had any iourney in hand, or were otherwise much pressed with busines,Greg. l. 35 mor. c. 35. super illud Iob. 42. Mortuus est Senex & plenus dierum. giue him the like counsaile, saying: Father build a cell within your selfe, & neuer go out of it. Let vs also doe the like, and we shal not find our selues di­stracted with exteriour functions, but they will rather help vs to be euer in prayer and Meditation.

How good and profitable it is, to doe our A­ctions in the foresayd manner. CHAP. X.

SVCH workes (as we haue spoken of) are called full and perfect wor­kes, and those who liue in such man­ner (according to S. Hierome, & S Gre­gory) are sayd by the Holy Scripture to be full of dayes, although they haue liued but a litle tyme, and dy in their [Page 132] young yeares;Sap. 4.13. following this sentence of the Wisemā: Hauing finished in a short space, he hath fulfilled a long tyme. But how can a man in a short space liue many yeares? Would you know how? By doing full and compleate workes, and liuing whole dayes: Et dies pieni inueni­entur in eis. Psal. 24.17. This second place doth ex­plicate the first, and a good Religious man, and faythfull seruant of God Al­mighty, from morning vntill night, & from the euening to the next morning, liues a complete day of foure & twenty houres, since that he imployes all that tyme in the fullfilling of the will of God; and he euen passes vpon the ac­count of God Almighty, his tymes of eating, recreation, and taking his natu­rall rest, since he doth them not, but only as they are the will of God, & di­rects them all vnto his greater glory. He doth not eate for any gust or plea­sure which he takes in it, as the beastes do, neither seeks he his own satisfactiō and content, in those other thinges, but would willingly be without them if it were Gods blessed will. O Lord, that men could but liue without ea­ting, [Page 133] drinking, and passing sometime in decent recreation? That they might al­wayes loue thee, without need of ha­uing recourse vnto these miseries of the body? De necessitatibus meis erue me. Psal. ibid. O Lord deliuer me from these necessities and miseryes, that I may be wholy im­ployed in louing thee, that I may be­stow my selfe vpon thee alone.

But I see well, that this is not to be hoped for in this life, and that the iust man, ought to beare patiently, though with griefe the condition of this cala­mitous state of ours. Let vs demand of some such holy persons, as Iob, & Dauid were, how they did carry themselues in like occasions, and then one wil an­sweare vs: I sighed before I eate, Iob. 3 24. and min­gled my drinke with teares. The other: I will wash my bed euery night, Psal. 100.10. Psal. 6.7. and will wa­ter my couch with teares. And in this mā ­ner must we weep when we go to rest, and say: O deare Lord, must I be heere so long without being mindfull of thee? Heu mihi quia incolatus meus prolongatus est. A­las that my captiuity is yet prolonged. VVhen will you recall me from this banishment? Psal. 119.5. VVhen will you set me free from this Capti­uity. [Page 134] Erue de custodia aenimam meam. Psal. 141. O my God, when will you lead me out of the prison of this body, that I may wholy bestow my selfe vpon you? Oh when shal this be? Alas, why doth this houre differre to come?Greg. l. 35 moral. c. 15 Behold heer those full dayes, and compleat workes we spake of; in this manner a iust man in a little tyme liues long, and makes of a few dayes of life, many yeares of merit. Whereas he who hath liued ill, and mispent the dayes of his life, dyes void and empty of dayes, although o­therwise he were aged,Iob. 7.3. and had liued long tyme. Habui menses vacuos, & this because he had spent vnprofitably his yeares and dayes;Gen. 47.9 and therfore may say with good reason: The dayes of my yeares are few, and nothing worth. S. Hierome v­pon these wordes of King Ezechias (when he was deliuered frō his sicknes by the Prophet Isaias, Isa 38.10) I haue sayd in the middest of my dayes. I will goe to the gates of hell, obserues, that the Saints and holy men alwayes accomplish their dayes as Abraham, Gen. 25.8 of whome the holy Scripture sayes, That he dyed in a good old age, and full of dayes, but that the wicked dye al­wayes [Page 135] in the midest of their dayes, yea they doe not arriue so farre,Psalm. 54.24. according to that saying of the Prophet. Bloody & deceitfull men shall not liue the one halfe of their dayes, because they haue passed o­uer their yeares vnprofitably. And so the holy Scripture calles a sinner of a hundred yeares: Puer centum annorum, Isa. 65.20 a child of a hundred yeares, and addes that such an one shal be accurst: Because a child of a hundred yeares shall dy, and a sinner of a hundred yeares shall be accurst. Since he hath not liued like a man, but as a child. Whence it comes, that death alwayes cuts off the wicked, vntimly, as it were before they are ripe, and so, such at the arriuall of death, do ordina­rily say: Oh that I had at least but one yeare more to liue, for to doe pennance in, and so likewise it happens with te­pide & negligent Religious men, who although it be many yeares since they haue worne the habit, haue yet but li­ued a few dayes in Religion.3. part. l. 8 cap. 27. Hist. Min. de F. Ge­rardo.

We read in the Chronicles of S. Frā ­cis Order, of one of those holy Religi­ous who being demanded of another, how long he had beene Religious, an­swered [Page 136] not one minute, and the other being much amazed to heare it, not vn­derstanding what he meant by it, he tould him, I know that I haue worne the habit of a Miny-brother this three­score & fiue yeares, but for as much as concernes the workes of one, I doe not know whether I haue beene a minute. God graūt that but too too many of vs may not say with truth, what this good holy man said out of humility. We must not make account of our long being in religion, but our well liuing in it: Diuers (sayth Thomas of Kempis) count the yeares of their conuersion, but often times there is but little amendment, a few dayes of a good life are more worth, then many yeares of an ill and negli­gent. For before God there is no reco­ning made of the yeares of our life, but of the goodnes of it, neither of the lōg time, which we haue bin in Religion, but of that which we haue spent well in Religion, of which the Holy Scrip­ture affords vs a remarkable example. It is said in the first book of Kings that Saul raigned two yeares ouer Israel,1. Reg. 13.2. Saul was a child of one yeare, ould when [Page 137] he began to raigne, and raigned two yeares ouer Israel, where as it is certayne that he was King forty yeares, for so Saint Paul sayes in the Actes of the Apostles:Act. 13.21 Afterwards they demaunded a King, & God gaue vnto them Saul the sonne of Cis, a man of the Tribe of Beniamin for fourty yeares. How comes it then, that in the Chro­nicles of the Kings he is sayd to haue raigned but two yeares? the reason is, because in the Annales and records of God Almighty, there is no reckoning made, but of only those yeares which we haue liued well, and so he is said only to haue raigned two yeares, be­cause only in those he gouerned as a good & righteous Prince, & we read in the Euangell,Matt. 20.8. that those who came to worke in the vinyard at the eleuēth hower, were for one howers worke, preferred to those who had laboured al the day, since in that one hower they had done as much of true labour, as those who had wrought frō morning vnto night. Let vs then cast vp our accounts according to this reckoning, and see by our good workes how long we haue bin in Religion.

[Page 138]This is excellently declared by Eu­sebius Emissenus, Eusech. ho. 9. ad Mō. who from a Senator, was afterwards Bishop of Lions. We vse to count (saith he) Our yeares, and the space of time which we do liue, be not decea­ued (who soeuer thou art (with the num­ber of those dayes which you haue passed o­uer since in body you haue left the world, make account that you haue only liued that day, in the which you haue denyed your owne will, in which you haue resisted your ill af­fections, and which you haue passed ouer, without any transgression or breach of your rule, make account that you haue liued that day which hath b [...]n inlightned with the beāes of purity, and holy meditation with such dayes as these make vp (if you can) your computation of yeares, and by those measure the time of your being Religious, and feare otherwise least that should be said vnto you, which was reproached to the Bishop of the Church of Sardis in the Apocalips. An­gelo Ecclesiae Sardis scribe, Apoc. 3.1. scio opera tua, quia nomen habes quod viuas, & mortuus es, esto vigilans, non enim inuenio opera tua plena coram Deo meo, I know thy workes (saith God) although they are vnknowne [Page 139] to men, Apoc. 5.2. you haue the name to liue and you are dead, you beare the name of a Christi­an, the habit of a Religious man, but your works fit neither of them, for they are not ful before my God: but empty, empty of God, and of your selfe, too full, for you doe no other then seeke your selfe in them your owne commodity, your ho­nour and esteeme. Let vs therefore be watchfull and make it all our labour, to do full workes, and liue full dayes to the end that in a little time, we may liue long, and merit much in the sight of God Almighty.

A MORE EXPRESSE DECLARATION of the vprightnes, and purity of inten­tion with which we are to do our Actions. CHAP. XI.

THEY giue commonly a good aduise to those who cōuerse with their neighbours, touching the man­ner of their cariage, in those functions which they exercise & actions which they performe, by the which it may [Page 140] be gathered how pure our intention ought to be, how free and desingaged our selues, and how sincerely we are to seeke God in all occasions. And it is the Doctrine of the Holy Fathers and Doctors of the Church, S. Hierome, S. Gregory, & S. Chrysostome as we shal see afterwards; They say that when we vndertake any action to the end our neighbour from thence may reap any generall or particular profit, we are not to reflect vpon the fruit and good successe of it, but only to fulfill the wil of God in doing it, in such manner that when we heare confessions, or when we preach or teach, we ought not much to regard whither those you cō ­uerse with all be conuerted, amended, or profited, but ōly one our parts to do the will of God, and please him, in do­ing the b [...]st we can, and for the suc­cesse of our actions, as whither such an one be conuerted, or profits by our ser­mons, or becomes learned by hearing of our lessons, that belongs not vnto vs,1. Cor. 3.6 but only vnto God, Ego plantaui, Apollo rigauit, sed Deus incrementum dedit, for vs (saies the Apostle,) al that which [Page 141] we can do, is but to plant, and water, like as that Iardiner doth, but for to make the plants grow, and the trees bring forth fruit, belongs not to the Gardiner but to God the fruit of soules, which is, that they depart from their sinnes, that they conuert themselues to God, and that they go forward in vir­tue & perfection, doth only appertayne to God, and the value and perfection of our Actions, doth not depend vpon it. This then is that purity of intentiō which we are to indeauour to haue in all our Actions, that by this meanes we may attayne vnto a great purity in our intentions, & inioy a delitghful peace of mynd, for those who do their Acti­ōs in this manner, are neuer troubled, when the successe of their affaires comes by any chaunce to be thwarted, or fayles of executiō, or produceth, not the fruits, they hoped for; for they proposed not this end vnto themselues neyther haue they placed their cōtent­mēt in it, but only for to do the will of God & performe al to please him, vnto their vtmost Power, for if when you preach, heare confessions, or do any [Page 142] other function for to helpe your neigh­bour, you propose vnto your selfe be­forehand to make great profit of it, & let this be your principall end in the performance of thē when any chaunce crosseth your designe in this, you be­come troubled and disquieted. And not only loose your peace of mynd, but euen sometimes all patience, if you proceed not further.

Our B. Father S. Ignatius, declares this with an excellent example or si­militude,Lib. 5. c. 2 vitae B. P. Ignat. do you know said he, how we are to carry our selues, in those our functions, wherein we imploy our selues vnto the helpe of our neigh­bour? Iust so as the Angell Guardians do with those, who are cōmitted vnto their charge by God Almighty, who neuer cease with all possible care to counsayle, defend, and gouerne thē, to illuminate, excite, & helpe them in all good, but if through misuse of that freewill they haue, they obey not to their good inspirations, the Holy An­gels are neuer troubled at it, nor dis­quieted, not so much as to leese the least particle of their felicity, which [Page 143] they possesse in enioying the sight of God, but they say and repeat that, which is written in the Prophet Hie­remy We haue salued Babylon and it is not cured, let vs go and leaue it; Hiere. 51.9. In the like manner, we ought to vse all possible remedys, so well to free and retire our neighbour from sinne, as to aduance him in the way of vertue, but if not­withstanding all our indeauours, he remaynes still in his infirmity, & will not suffer himselfe for to be cured by vs, we ought not therefore to afflict our selues, but are to remayne with great quiet and tranquility of mynd.

As the Disciples of our Lord retur­ned from preaching, with much ioy, for hauing done Miracles, and cast out Diuells from possessed persons, our Sauiour said vnto them,Luc. 10.20. Do not reioice therefore, but because your names are regi­stred in heauen, our ioy ought not to depend vpon the euent of things, al­though it might be as happy as that of theirs, but we are only to haue care to do those workes, by the which we may merit to haue our names enroled in heauen. Let vs looke that we in our [Page 144] duties in our offices and charge, and place our ioy and felicityes therein, but for the happy successe of them, for strā ­ge conuersions, & such like wondrous thinges, we are not so much as to make reckoning of them. And the reward & glory, which we shall haue, shall not be proportioned to these, but answea­rable vnto our paine and labour, whe­ther any haue beene conuerted by vs or no, which may be more clerely per­ceaued by the contrary. For should you reape such aboundant fruit, by your sermons, writinges, and conuersation as to conuert a world, & in the meane tyme should neglect your selfe, all which you had done, would nothing profit you, according as our Sauiour sayes in the Ghospell, and on the con­trary,Matth. 16 26. if after hauing done your duty, not so much as one person be conuer­ted by you, your recompence shall be neuer a whit the lesse. The glorious Apostle S. Iames had certainly had but a poore reward, if the recompence of his labour had depended on the euent, and if he had beene to haue placed his contentment and felicity therein, who [Page 145] (as it is written of him) conuerted in all Spaine, no more then six or seauen: but his merit therfore was neuer a whit the lesse, neither his labour lesse accep­table to God Almighty, then that of the other Apostles.

Moreouer we haue in this a great cause of consolation, for from hence it followes, that God doth not only not exact an account of vs of the great fruit and profit we haue done, but also he will not so much as question vs, whi­ther we haue made fine sermons, or learned lessons or no. God doth not command vs that, and consequently our merite dependes not on it. That which God would haue and requireth of vs, is for my part, to performe as much as we can, according to the ta­lent we haue receaued, if little, little, if much, much. A gaine & this being done God requires no more of vs:Luc. 12.48. Much is required of him to whome much hath beene giuen, and but a little of him who hath receaued but a little.Chrys [...]hom 41. super Genes. Which S. Chry­sostome explicates rarely well, where treating of the parable of that Talent: he demaundes, why that seruant who [Page 146] had gayned but two Talents was e­qually honoured with him who had gained fiue? When the Lord came to take an account of the Talents which he had distributed among his seruants, the sacred Scripture says, that he came who had receaued fiue, & sayd: Lord you gaue me fiue talents, and here I haue gained other fiue vnto them, vn­to whome his Lord sayd: It is well done thou good and faythful seruant, Matth. 25 21. because thou hast beene faythfull ouer a little, I will con­stitute thee ouer much, enter into the ioy of thy Lord. Afterwardes he presented himselfe, who had receaued two Ta­lents, and sayd: Lord you haue giuen me two Talents, behold other two which I haue gained to them, and his Lord answeared him with the same wordes and promised him the same re­ward as he had done to the other who had gayned fiue. What is the reason of this, sayth this holy Doctour? It is most iust, sayth he; for the ones negligence, or the others diligence was not it, which made the ones gaine greater thē the others, but the quantity of the ta­lents committed to their charge; for in [Page 147] their diligence they were both equall, and so their rewardes and dignityes were both [...]lik. This is a point of great profit and singular consolation, seeing it may be applyed to all offices & im­ployments; for if one be as carefull & diligent to performe those offices, which he hath in charge, as another is in the discharge of his, he may with­out doubt merit as much as he, al­though his worke be nothing neere so much. For example, if I take as much paines as you for to prepare my selfe to preach, although I should preach with neuer so ill a grace, whereas you one the contrary should carry a­way your audience with excellent ie­sture, choice matter, good deliuery, it may happē neuertheles, that I may me­rit as much, if not more then you. It is the like in matter of study, where al­though one be but a simple scholler, & you on the contrary haue an excellent wit, he knowes but little, and you are deeply learned, notwithstanding he may merit more with that little which he hath, then you with all your know­ledge and your learning. So also in [Page 148] point of office & imploymēt, although my office be more abiect then yours, and that my forces and talents reach not to the discharge of those high fun­ctions, yet I may merit more in the same little abiect thing I do, then you by all your great & high imploymēts. And this may greatly help on the one side fot to resist vaine glory; and on the other, to giue heart and courage; to be the ones spurre, and to others a briddle. S. Hierome on the same para­ble teacheth the like doctrine, saying: The Lord receaued into the same degree of ioy and honour, as well that seruant who had made foure talents of two, as that other, who made vp his fiue Talents ten, as not re­garding the greatnes of the gaine, but the affection of the will, and the charity and dili­gence with which their workes were done. Saluianus saith:Saluian. l. 1. ad Ec­clesiast. Cathol. to. 3. Bibl. SS. Patrum. Oblata Deo non pretio, sed affectu placent. which is the same with that of S. Gregory: God doth not regard how much, but out of how much; it is the heart more then the guift and present he esteemes. And so one may please God more with doing a little, then another who per­formes far more then he, if he performe [Page 149] that little with more loue then the o­ther. Wherein the greatnes of God Al­mighty doth more clearely and mani­festly appeare, before whome no ser­uices of ours (howeuer great) doe ap­peare so, vnles that loue be great with which they are done, he being one who hath no need of any good of ours, and whose riches, and all thinges els, are so aboundant, as they can neuer be made greater: If thou dost (well and) iustly (sayth Iob) what shal thou giue him? Iob. 35.7. Or what shall he receaue from thy handes? That which he desires and esteemes, is to be beloued, and that we on our parts do as much as we are able, which may appeare by those two Mites, which the poore Widdow in the Ghospel offered,Marc. 12.43. [...] Luc. 21.34. our Sauiour sat hard by the Boxe in the Temple, where the Iews vsed to cast in their almes, and saw the Pharisies, and the richer sort some ca­sting in siluer, others gold perhapes, among the rest came a poore Widdow and offered two mites only, when our Sauiour turning to his Disciples sayd: Amen I say vnto you, this poore VViddow hath put in more then all the rest; for the rest [Page 150] haue giuen out of their aboundance, Chrysost. bo [...]. 3. ad Cor. but this out of her need hath giuen all that she had, all her sustenance. On which place S. Chrysostome sayes: Quod in Vidua fecit, i­dem in docentibus operabitur. God will deale the like with those who preach, study, labour, and do all other functi­ons, and ministeries, not so much re­garding what they doe, as the will, loue, and diligence with which their workes are done.

Of some signes by which we may know, whe­ther we doe our actions purely for the loue of God, or seeke our selues in them. CHAP. XII.

S. Gregory teacheth vs a way to make a right coniecture,Greg. l. 22 mor. c. 24. whether in those functiōs which regard our neigh­bour, we seeke purely the glory of God, or els our selues. Obserue, sayth he whē another preaches wel, is great­ly followed, and reapes much fruit frō the good of soules, whether you are as greatly reioyced at it, as if your selfe had done it, since if it be not so grateful [Page 151] to you, but you do feele out some cer­taine grudging, enuying & repining at it, it is an euidēt signe you do not seeke Gods glory purely, and as you ought. And to this purpose he cyteth this pas­sage of S. Iames: Iacob. 3.14 & 15. If you haue zeale of soules, and haue contentions in your heart, it is not a wisedome descending from aboue, but an earthly, brutish, and diuellish one. It is no zeale of the glory and honour of God, but a zeale of your owne selfe, a zeale to be honoured, and a desire to be as much honoured and cheriched as that other is; for if you sought only the glory of God and not your owne, you would be glad that God had store of such seruants, and reioyce that others could performe that in which you are defectiue, and wanting. Like as the Holy Scripture witnesses of Moyses, who when Iosue opposed himselfe vn­to some who prophesyed, answeared in an offended manner:Num. 11.29. VVhy are you e [...] ­mulous for me? VVho shall do so much that all the people may prophesy, & that God may bestow vpon all of them his spirit? And so a true seruant of God Almighty ought to say, I would to God that euery one [Page 152] were an excellent preacher, and that God would bestow his spirit plentiful­ly vpon them, that by this meanes the honour and glory of God may be the more dilated and spread abroad, that he may be the better knowne, and his holy name sanctifyed through euery place and prouince of the world.

We haue a remarkable example of this in Doctor Auila, who (as it is re­ported of him) when he saw that God by the meanes of our B. Father Saint Ignatius, Lib. vitae S. Ignat. cap. 27. had begun this least Society of Iesus, and had heard relation of his in­stitute, sayd it was that very thing, which for so many yeares togeather, he had beene labouring to effect with so much solicitude, and could neuer bring to passe, adding that it was for­tuned to him, as to a little child, who being at the foot of some great moun­taine, desirous to rowle some heauy burthē vp vnto the top, finds it aboue its forces to effect; when a strong and mighty Gyant comming, takes vp that burthen which the child could not lift, and with ease carryes it there where the child desires to haue it. Vnderstan­ding [Page 153] by this comparison, himselfe the child, and esteeming S. Ignatius a Gy­ant vnto him. But that which makes to our purpose, is that he was as glad and well contented in himselfe when he heard of it, as if our Society had byn instituted by him, because he had no other end in the desiring such a thing should be, but only Gods glory, & the saluation of soules. Such as these are God Almightyes good and faythfull seruants,Ad Phil. 2.2. who as S. Paul sayes) seeke not after any thing of their owne, but that which is of Iesus Christ. A true seruant of God Almighty ought in such manner, to desire the glory of God, and the sal­uation and profit of others soules, as when God is pleased to serue himselfe therein, by meanes of any other, he is to be as glad and well content, as if God had vsed him for his instrument. And therefore it were a good manner of proceeding which we find practised by diuers great seruants or God Al­mighty, who when they perceaue themselues vrged strōgly on with the desire and zeale of gayning soules, hū ­bly begge it of God by saying: O Lord [Page 154] that such or such a soule might but on­ce come to know you, that such a per­son might be acquired to you, that his fruit may be done, that profit, this per­fectioned, and all this by such meanes as you shall please, for me I pretend not to any part of it. Such as these wal­ke rightly, and in great purity, & like vnto these are we sincerely to carry our selues in the seruice of God, as not to seeke any proper honour & esteeme but only the greater honour and glory of God.

We may say the like also, as well in that which concernes our owne spiri­tuall progresse, of our brethren, for he who is discomfited when he sees his brother make progresse in vertu, whi­lest himself remaines behind doth not seeke purly the greater glory of God; for although it be true that a good ser­uant of God, ought to haue a great re­sentment and feeling, for that he ser­ues not God so perfectly as he ought, neuertheles it followes not that he should therefore be troubled and dis­quieted, when he sees another perfe­cter then he, but on the contrary he is [Page 155] to be glad of it, and to giue this com­fort to his grieued soule, for seruing God Almighty with so great negligēce that how euer he through his slouth­fulnes be wāting in his duty, yet there do not want those who do supply in effect, yeelding in giuing prayse & glo­ry vnto God, what he in wishes only proposeth to himself. That sadnes & repining which some are troubled with, proceedeth from no other cause, then from a certaine enuy and secret pride: for should one but desire truly and in good earnest the greater glory of God, it is most certaine, he should haue a great ioy and contentment to see that others did increase in vertue and perfe­ction, howsoeur on the other side he were sorry & ashamed for not seruing God so feruently himselfe.

The second signe is, when a Reli­gious man doth his office and those thinges which are commaunded him, in such manner, as not to care more whether he be imployed in this, or that, whether he haue that office, or els be put to this, and is in one, and to the other content alike; for it is a most [Page 156] euident signe, that we do our thinges only for the loue of God, and therefore doe we carry our selues with such e­quality of mind and indifference vnto all, seeking nothing but to fullfill the will of God in euery thing, and neuer troubling our selues with the exteri­our of the thing we do: wheras if we do not vndertake those offices which are humble & laborious with as good a will, as the easy and honourable, it is a signe that we doe not performe thē purely for God Almighty, but that we seeke our selues, our gust and proper commodities in them. Wherefore that holy man sayes well:Thomas à Kempis. If God were the occasion of your desire, you would be glad, in what manner soeuer he should dispose of thinges.

Thirdly it is a signe that we do not thinges purely for loue of God, but out of humane respects, when we desire to approue vnto our superiour all we do, and that he should take notice of our paynes, and publiquely commend vs, or at least by some exteriour signes expresse himself [...] well pleased and sa­tisfyed with vs, in so fare as to be­come [Page 157] disheartned and troubled when we are not so delt withall. If you did your Actions purly for loue of God, you would neuer regard such triffles nor seeke after them, but one the con­trary would blush & be ashamed, whē the Superiour should expresse himselfe in any such manner towards you, as knowing it done because of your wea­knes and imperfection, & bewayling your owne infirmity would say. Alas how wreched and miserable am I, to be so weake and wanting in all vertue as to stand in need to be animated and incited one with such poor things as these?

Abbot Ioannes the younger,In prato spirit. Disci­ple of Abbot Amon serued twelue yea­res togeather, one of those antient Fa­thers in his sicknesse, which said Fa­ther although he saw him with all fai­thfulnes and deligence labouring for so long time together did neuer yet afford him any good or frendly word but vsed him alwayes with great harshnes and seuerity, this Father at last draw­ing towards his end diuers holy Her­mits came to visit him, when he before [Page 158] them all, calling his humble and pa­tiēt Disciple to him, tooke him by the hand & said thrice vnto him, Farwell, farwell, farwell, afterwards commen­ding him vnto those other holy Her­mits, and deliuering him ouer vnto their fatherly care, he said: Behould heer an Angell and not a man, since hauing serued me in my sicknesse for twelue yeares together, and neuer re­ceauing one comfortable word of me, he hath nothwithstanding for so long time serued me both readily & cheer­fully.

HOVV VVE ARE TO INCREASE AND go forwards, in vprightnes and purity of intention. CHAP. XIII.

OVR B. Father S. Ignatius declares vnto vs in a particuler manner, how we ought to go perfecting our selues,In Constit. con. 17. in this rectitude and purity of intention. Let euery one (saith he) in­deauour to haue a right intention, 26. Reg. 17. not only in that which concernes the state of their li­ues, [Page 159] but also in all particular things, seeking in them alwayes to serue and please the di­uine goodnes, for it selfe and for the charity & singular benefits wherwith it hath preuē ­ted vs, rather then for feare of payne or hope of reward, though they ought also to help thē ­selues with these. There are many wayes of seeking & seruing God, for to serue God for feare of punishment, is to seeke God, and is good and laudible; for ser­uile feare is good, and a guift of God & so the Prophet did desire it of God, when he sayd:Psal 118.120. Confige timore tuo carnes meas. But if any one should haue this mind and thought within his heart, if there were no hell, and that I stood not in feare of punishment, I would not care to offend God Almighty. The Diuines say, that it were nothing worth, and absolut sinne, since it de­clare the malice of his mind: but to make vse of the feare of torments, of the apprehension of death, and the horrour of Iudgement, to serue God the better, and make vs more feare­full of offending him, is right and good, and so the holy scripture doth often put these things before our eyes, [Page 160] and threaten vs with them, the bet­ter to keep vs from falling in sinne.

Secondly to serue God for recom­pence, for the reward we hope for, & the glory we awayt, is also to seeke God, and is laudibly good, and better then the former. It is better to do our actiōs out of hope of reward & glory, then for feare of hell, and punishment, and this motiue Moyses had as S. Paul affirmes, saying: Moyses growne great in faith, denyed himselfe to be the sonne of Pha­raoe, choosing rather to be afflicted with the people of God, then to haue the pleasure and delight of temporall sinne, esteeming the ignominy of Christ greater riches thē the treasure of Aegypt, Ad Heb. 12.24. for he had regard vnto his recompence, Psal. 118.112. and the Royall Prophet Dauid saies of himself I haue inclined my heart to do thy iustifications eternally, be­cause of the reward which thou hast promised me.

All these wayes of seeking God are good, and we must likewise make our vse of them. But our B. Father will haue vs proceed yet further, & lift vp our hearts higher, seeking things more eleuated and sublime Aemulat and seeke [Page 161] after the best guifts that are, 1. Cor. 12.3. & I shew you yet a way more excellent, he is not contēt that we should serue God, in what manner soeuer, but he shewes vs yet a way more excellent and high, and would haue vs seeke and serue God only for God alone, purly for the loue of him, and for his infinit goodnes, & because that God is, what he is; which is the highest and sublimest of all his titles.

The glorious Fathers of the church,Basil in reg fusius dis­putatis in praemio. Chrys [...]hom 2 s [...] per e­pist. ad Ro­man Greg. l. 8. mora. c. 30 S Basile, S. Chrysostome, and S. Gregory treat of this matter excellently well, and compare those who serue God, out of hope of recompence to Simon Cy­reneeus who was hyred at a set price to beare the Crosse of Christ, for so do those who would not follow our Sa­uiour, nor beare his crosse, vnles there were the reward of heauen proposed, & they adde, that we are not to be so­licitous for our recompence, nor al­wayes thinking vpon what we gaine: Like vnto vngratefull seruants who (exact their wages &) keep a strict account which is more the part of a hyrling then a gratefull seruant: we ought not to serue God in [Page 162] such vnworthy manner, but as childrē purely out of loue; there is great diffe­rence (say they) betwixt the seruices of a slaue, a houshold, and a child; the slaue serues his Lord for feare of stripes and punishment; the seruant for his wages, and if his diligence be mor [...] then ordinary, it is but to comend hi [...] seruices vnto his Lord, out of greater hope of profit and aduancement: but the child, serues his father, only for loue and tendernes, and is most careful of offending him, not so much for feare of chastisement (for he is lyable vnto none, supposing he is past his infancy) neither for hope of his inheritance, but only out of loue and deare affection. And so a wise, good and vertuous child doth serue, respect, and honour his parent out of that only motiue that he is his Father, although otherwise he be poore and able to leaue him no­thing: so say these holy Saintes, we ought to serue God, neither for feare of chastisement like slaues, neither as ser­uants with our eyes and affection fa­stned vpon our gaine and interest, but like true children, since God hath been [Page 163] so good and gra [...]s to vs to make vs such:Ioan. c. 3. Behold (sayth S. Iohn the Euangelist) what loue the Father hath bestowed vpon vs for to be styled & (really) to be the sonnes of God. We are not only called the sonnes of God, but are such truly and really, and withall right cal God our Father, and the sonne of God our Brother. If we be therefore sonnes of God, let vs loue and serue him like true children; let vs honour him as a Father, and as so great a father, with truly louing him as wel because he is delighted with it, as that he is worthy of it, in being what he is, and for his infinit goodnes, which merits an infinity of hearts and bodyes, continually to be imployed in louing and seruing him.

S. Chrysostome sayth admirably wel: If by the grace of God you should be made worthy to please his diuine Maiesty & should desire any other reward beyond this of being mad worthy for to please him, Chrsost. l. 2. de com­punct. you were cer­tainly ignorant how great a good it were for to please God, and if you could once but apprehend it, you would neuer desire other extrin secall reward or benefit. And truly what greater good can we pretend or wish [Page 164] for, then to content & please Almigh­ty God?Eph. 5.1.2. Be imitators of God (fayth S. Paul) like to his dearest children, & walke in loue and dilection, as Christ hath loued vs. Bonau. to. 2. opusc in fascic c. 8. And S. Bonauenture sayes: Consi­der that God your benefactour hath so be­stowed his benefits vpon you, as to aske none of them backe againe, who hath [...]o need of you, or any other creature. Yea he doth not only receaue no profit from vs, nor commodity for al those fauours he be­stowes vpon vs, but he affoardes them vs, at so great expence and charges of his owne, as is his owne deare life and bloud, which he layd downe & shed for our redemption. In this manner purely and without all mixture of pro­per interest, are we to serue and loue almighty God neither (which is more) are we so much as to desire any vertus and supernaturall guifts for our owne pleasure and comodity, but only for God, and for his greater glory, and to the end to store our selues with some­what, that may be pleasing to his di­uine Maiesty, yea and in this manner we are to desire glory, in so much as when we set before the eyes of our [Page 165] soule (to giue it heart and courage to performe its actions well) the great­nes of the reward which is annext to euery good it doth, it ought in no ways to haue this its ayme & end, in vnder­taking any thing, but only the pure de­sire, of further pleasing and glorifying God, in that the more glory we shall haue, the more shall God be honoured and glorifyed.

This is the true loue of charity, the true and perfect loue of God, and this is purely to seeke God, and his greater glory, and all besides is but to seeke & loue our selues; which will the better appeare if we consider the difference which Philosophers and Diuines doe make betwixt that perfect loue which they call the loue of amity, & the loue of concupiscence. The first loues his friend, for his friends good, and out of vertue, without regarding his owne interest or gaine: but the loue of con­cupiscence, is when one loues another not so much for himselfe as for the pro­fit and comodity which he hopes for from him, as when one serues & loues a rich man, because he hopes for aduā ­cement [Page 166] and assistance from him. We see apparently, that this is no perfect loue, but wholy compounded of selfe loue and interest, since you loue not your friend so much, as your own selfe and proper comodity. So we say, that we loue bread and wine with the loue of concupiscence, because we loue nei­ther the one nor the other for its selfe, but only for our selues and particuler endes. And in this manner doe they loue God, who serue him out of feare of punishmēt, or hope of recompence, it being no other then to loue God with a loue compounded and wholy consisting of selfe loue, & priuate ends, not seeking of him purely, nor with a liberall mind, which our Sauiour hath giuen vs to vnderstand by S. Iohn, who after he had wrought that great mira­racle of feeding fiue thousand men, be­sides woemen and children, with fiue loaues and two fishes, being followed (sayth the Euangelist) by a world of people,Ioan. 6.26.27. sayd vnto them: You seeke me not, because you haue seene wonders, but because you haue eaten of the loaues and are satiated. Not because you belieue me to [Page 167] be God, but because you seeke your owne comodities. VVorke (and seeke) not that food which perisheth, but which re­mayneth in eternall life, which is Christ, and to do purely the wil of God. That holy seruant of God Almighty shew­ed a right,M. Gerso pure intention in his an­swere, who liuing a wondrous, and austere life, and giuing himselfe who­ly vnto prayer, the Diuell enuying so great a vertue, and seeking to with­draw him from his vertuous course of life, by bringing him into doubt of his predestination, tould him that he la­boured and wearyed out himselfe in vaine, for he should neuer be saued, nor come to inioy the beatitude of heauen, to whome the holy man answe­red: I serue not God Almighty for his glory, but ōly because he is that which he is, wherupon the Diuell departed confounded, and ashamed. S. Bernard requires yet more of vs,Bern. ser. sup. Cant. 63. and would that we should be so farre from seeking our owne comodityes & ends in those good workes we doe, as he is not con­tent that we should serue God only with a filial loue, but would bring vs [Page 186] yet to higher perfectiō: Children (sayth he) loue, but they do thinke on their inheri­tance withall, which whilest they stand in a kind of feare for to loose, or hope to haue im­proued, they reuerence him more, and loue him lesse, from whom they expect it; I hould that loue suspected, which seemes to haue dependance vpon any hope of gayne, it is but weake, since if its hope do fayle, it is eyther wholy extinguisht or made lesse it is no pure one, since it hath a secondary end; pure loue is not mercenary, pure loue borrowes no for­ces from any hope, neyther is it diminished with distrust, that is, whosoeuer purly loues indeed, needs no incitment of a­ny rich hope, to make him serue, la­bour, & suffer for God Almighty, yea should he know for certaine that for al his paynes he should haue no reward, yet it would not make him to diminish in the least thing, the greatest labour he had vndertaken, as hauing not be­gun it out of any hope of his comodi­ty, but for pure loue of God. But what loue may this be so high and perfect as may exceed the loue of children? Spō ­sae hic Amor est, sayes the holy Saint, It is the loue of a Spouse vnto her Brid­grome, [Page 189] for true and perfect loue hath its content within its selfe, hath its re­ward and proemium, which is no other then that which it doth loue; to loue the beloued heer is al his recompence, the Brides loue is such that it hath noe other pretention then to loue, & such is the Bridgroms as he desires nothing but to be beloued: Nec is aliud quaerit, nec illa aliud habet. He seekes nothing els, and she hath nothing els. And in this manner (sayth S. Bernard) ought we to loue God the Bridgrome of our soules, this is the loue to which we should arriue, louing him, because he is what he is, and placing all our feli­city therein; This loue is of it selfe suffici­ent, in its selfe delightfull, and for its selfe is to its selfe both merit and reward, it seeks no other cause besides its selfe, no other fruit, the fruit is the act of louing. I loue because I loue, I loue to be beloued.

On this occasion S. Chrysostome adds that we are not to conceaue,Chrys. hom 5. super epist. ad Rom. circae finem. that our reward shall be the lesse, because we looke for none, but that the lesse we do expect, the more we do obtaine, as being most certaine that the lesse the [Page 170] worke shall haue of proper intrest, the more it shall haue of purity and perfe­ction (it being free from all mixture of selfe loue) and consequently shalbe more meritorious: Atque tibi maior mer­ces est, si modo citra mercedis spem feceris. Your reward (for your works) sayth this Saint, shall be greater, if now you do them without hope of any, the further you are frō the spirit & condition of a hyrling, the grea­ter shall be your recompence. Since then God will not pay you as a hired ser­uant; but reward you as a sonne with the inheritance of his Fathers riches: If we be sonnes and heyres we are heyres of God, Rom. 8.17 and coheyres with Christ. We shall enter with him into possession of our heritage, succeeding and inioying the treasures of our heauenly Father.Exod. 28.9. Pha­raos daughter hired Moyses mother, for to nourish & bring vp her owne child, but she did not nurse him for the hyre, but only out of loue and tendernes.

Three degrees of perfection, by which we may ascend and arriue vnto great pu­rity of intention, and to a high and perfect loue of God. CHAP. XIIII.

OVT of the doctrine of the holy Fathers, and of the glorious S. Bernard in particuler, we may gather three degree of perfection, by which we may ascend vnto a high degree of purity of intention, and to a great and excellent loue of God. The first is to seeke only the glory of God, in such manner as in the performance of euery thing, we may haue no contentment but in God, and in the fulfilling of his holy will, casting into forgetfulnes all other wordly businesses.Bern. trac. de interiori demo c. 69 S. Bernard sais if you would know whether your loue of God be great, and you go per­fecting of it or no, consider with your selfe whether there be any thing be­sides God, which might comfort and delight you, and from thence you shal come to know how much you are pro­fited [Page 172] and aduanced in the loue of God. For truly (saith he) as long as I can receaue any pleasure and consolation from any thing besides, I dare not say, that our beloued doth possesse the inwardest boss [...]me of my most ar­dent loue which expresses that other sē ­tence of S. Augustine.Aug. l. 10 Confess. c. 29. He loues thee im­perfectly who loues any thing together with thee which he loue not for thy sake, such a loue would come far short of the loue of that holy Queene, who in the midst of al the pomps & vanities of the court could say, O Lord thou knowest that thy Handmayd hath neuer reioyced in any thing since shee hath bin transferred hither, Esth. 14.18. vntill this very day, but only in thee Lord God of Abraham. You know O Lord said shee that I take no pleasure in the Royall crowne, nor in the Maiesty nor glitte­ring shew of things. I am not deligh­ted with the luxurius bāquets of King Assuerus, neither in any fading thing besid but only in you my God & Lord behould heer a loue perfect and excel­lents.

Greg. l. 4. moral. cap. 28. S. Gregory vpon this passage of holy Io [...]. VVho build solitudes vnto themselues, sais, that he builds himself a solitude & [Page 173] Hermitage, who so wholy casts of & as it were strips himselfe, of all crea­tures, and the loue and affection of all earthly things, as to remaine in a mā ­ner solitary, although he were in the midest of all the sports and pleasures of the world by taking no pleasure, nor contentment in them. Such an one builds a solitude vnto himselfe, by ha­uing placed all his felicity in God, whence it proceeds that no company is grateful, no pleasure delightful vnto him, out of his holy loue. Wihch we see by experience, of one who hath some friend in whome he hath placed al his affection, who although he be in the company of many other persons wor­thy of esteeme, yet seems to be in a so­litary desert, as long as that friend he loues so dearly is not in his sight. Iust so he who hath bestowed his heart one God, and banished from him all af­fection of creaturs, although he should be incompast with the world, & in the middle of all its pleasures and delights, would yet still continue in an inward quiet & solitude, as taking no pleasure in any of those things, nor so much as [Page 174] regarding them, hauing his heart raui­shed and drowned in contemplation of his beloued; They, saith S. Gregory, who are arriued to this, do inioy a great repose & trāquility in their soules nothing being forcible inough to mo­lest or disquiet them, no aduersity can make their quiet lesse, nor any prospe­rity their ioy greater; vaine glory, no humane excellence can bring them acquainted with: but as they are af­fectioned vnto no earthly thing, so are they not troubled nor intangled with the succese of any, but reckon them as thing which do concerne thē nothing. Would you know (saith this Saints) who hath ariued to this perfection, & built himselfe this Hermitage & soli­tude? The holy Prophet Dauid, where he sais.Psal. 26.4 I haue demaunded one thing of our Lord, this I shall beseech, that I may inha­bit in the house of our Lord all the dayes of my life. There is nothing els in hea­uen, and earth that I desire besides your selfe, O God. And now what is my expectation, Psal. 38.8 is it not our Lord? The Bles­sed Abbot Siluanus was arriued to this, to whom when he came from prayer, [Page 175] all the world seemed such a wretched thing, as lifting vp his handes through admiration, & shutting his holy eyes, he would say with great disdaine: Close vp your selues myne eyes, close vp your selues, and do not vouchsafe to looke abroad vpon the creatures, & those wordly thinges, since in all the world, there is nothing worthy the behoulding.Lib. 1. c. 2 vitae S. I­gnat. We read also of our B. F. S. Ignatius, that when he eleuated his mind to God, and his eyes to heauen, he vsed to say: Oh how foule and vgly the earth doth seeme to me, when I do but looke on Heauen.

The second degree may be that,Bern. trac. de dilig. Deo cap. 6 & 7. which S. Bernard proposes in his trea­tise of the loue of God, which is, whē we do not only wholy forget all exte­riour thinges, but also our selues, lo­uing our selues no otherwise, then in God, by God, and for God: and we ought so wholy to be plunged in this forgetfullnes of our selues, to be so free from al particuler interest of our own, and to loue God with a loue so pure & perfect, that we are to reioice, & be no otherwise taken with those graces [Page 176] which we receaue from his all giuing hand, neither with that heauēly glory which we hope for, then so farre as his will and pleasure appeareth in them, without regarding our owne profit in them. In this manner the Blessed in heauen reioice in their felicity, not be­cause they are exalted to such heigth of glory, but because it is Gods pleasure that they should be so; and they seeke God with a loue so refined and pure, & are so straictly vnited and transfor­med into his blessed will that they de­sire not so much the glory which they possesse, nor their felicity, for their owne ioy and happines, nor for the wondrous content which they do take therein, as because it is the pleasure, and the will of God. We ought sayth S. Bernard so to loue God, as that holy Prophet did, who sayd: Let vs confesse vnto our Lord because he is good, he sayd not because he is good to me, but only, be­cause he is good. He did not prayse, nor loue God only because he was good to him,Psal. 117.1. as this other did of whom it is writen: He will confesse to thee when thou shalt haue done well vnto him, but he loues and [Page 177] glorifyes God, because he is good in himselfe, because he is what he is, be­cause his goodnes is infinite.

S. Bernard sayes, that the third and the last degree of the perfection of the loue of God, is, VVhen one now doth come to doe his actions, not so much to please God, as because God delighteth him, or because that which he doth is pleasing and acceptable vnto God. Whereby a man becomes to haue no other solicitude or thought, but only how to delight and please Almighty God, without thinking any more vpō himselfe, then if there were not, or euer had beene such a creature in the world, and this is a most pure & perfect loue of God. This loue (sayth the Saint) is a mountaine, and a high moū ­taine of God, a rich & fertill mountaine full of all exquisite perfection. By a mountaine of God, is signifyed no­thing els then a heigth and abstract of all greatnes and excellence: VVho shall ascend into the mountaine of God; who shall giue me winges like a Doue, Psal. 231.3. Psal. 54.7. and I will fly a­way, and go to rest? Ah miserable as I am (sayth this glorious Saint) that I can­not [Page 178] wholy forget my selfe during this banishment!Rom. 7.24 Oh me vnhappy man, who shal deliuer me from the body of this death! Isa. 38.14 Oh Lord I suffer violence answere for me, Bles­sed Lord, when shall I wholy dy vnto my selfe, and only liue to thee! Oh, woe is me for that my pilgrimage is prolonged, Psal. 119.5. & 41.3 when shall I come & appeare before the face of God! Oh when shall I be deliuered from this woefull banishment? When shall I be wholy vnited, and through loue transformed into you O Lord? When shal I be intirely free and quit of all remembrance of my selfe, by being made one spirit, one thing with you? So as I may not hereafter loue any thing in me, frō me, or for me, but that all which may haue any part of my af­fection, may be in you, by you, & for you only to loose thy selfe in a certaine mā ­ner, Bern. de diligendo Deum. c. 7 as if thou wert not at all, to haue no sence, no feeling of thy selfe, so wholy to de­part from all thou art, as for to leaue no me­mory that thou euer weart, this would haue more of heauenly conuersation, then any hu­mayne affection. Such perfectiō is rather heauenly then of earth, and sauours [Page 179] more of our owne country then of this dungion of our banishment.Psal. 70.10. The Pro­phet likewise saies, I wil enter into the mightines, of my Lord, O Lord I will remē ­ber only thy Iustice. When the good and faithfull seruant shall be so rauished & drowned in the ioy of his Lord, and inebriated with the aboundance of his loue, then he shall be so absorpt and transformed into God, to haue no re­membrance of himselfe. When he appea­res we shall be like vnto him, Ioan. 3.2. because we shal see him as he is: we shall be thē like vnto God, and the Creature shall haue a kind of proportion with his Creatour, for (as the holy Scripture sayes) euen as God hath created al thinges for himself & to his glory, so we shal thē loue God withall purity, not louing our selues, nor any thing els, but only in him. He shall truely reioyce, Matth. 25 21. not so much for being a­boue all necessity, nor for inioying all felici­ty, as for to see his holy will in vs, and of vs fullfilled, all our ioy shall not consist in our ioy, but in the ioy of God, and his delight: Intra in gaudium Domini tui. This is to enter into the ioy of God.

[Page 180] Bern. de dilig. Deū. cap. 7.S. Bernard breakes forth into an ex­cellent exclamation, saying: O holy, o chast loue, o sweet o sugred affection, of pure, o refined intention of the will, the more pure and refined, the lesse mixture it hath of ought that is its owne, the more sweet, more su­gred, the more it partakes of that which is al diuine: Sic affici, deificari est. It is a deify­ing to be so affected, like as S. Iohn sayes, then we shal be like to God. S. Bernard to explicate the manner of this deificati­on & transformation into God, brings three similitudes. Like as (sayth he) a droppe of water, let fall into a whole tunne of Wine, presently looseth all its qualityes and properties, and becomes perfect wine both in colour & in tast; like as the Iron when it is through hot & glowing in the forge, appeares not to be Iron, but al fire; and as the Ayre when it is fully inlightned with the rayes of the Sunne, is so transformed into brightnes, that it seemes to be but one light with the Sunne, so sayth he, in that eternall felicity, we loose all humane faculties, and become deifyed and transformed in God. All that we [Page 181] shall loue there, wil be only for God, and that is only God, for otherwise how shall he be all to all, 1. Cor. 15.28. if any thing shall remai­ne in man of man There shalbe nothing there which is our owne, since all our delight and glory shall be no other, thē the pleasure and glory of God:Psal. 3.4. Thou art my glory and the lif [...]er vp of my head. then we shall not care to repose, nor sustain our selues with our owne happines, since all our felicity and rest shalbe in God. But although whilest we are in this valley heere, we cānot arriue vn­to the sight of this, yet are we at least to bend our eyes that wayes, since the neerer we shall come to the sight of it, the more perfect & vnited shall we be with God.Bern. l. 2. de amore Dei cap. 4. And so this blessed Saint concludes: This is (o heauenly Father) the will of thy Blessed Sonne in vs, this is his prayer for vs to thee his Father and God, I will that like as I and you are one, so that they should be one in vs; and we with him through the vnion of perfect loue, to wit, that they may loue thee for thy selfe, & not themselues but only in thee, this is the end, this is the consummation, this the perfe­ction, [Page 182] this the peace, this the ioy of our Lord, this is the ioy in the Holy Ghost, this is the si­lence which is in heauen. This is the vt­most ayme of all our thoughts, the end of our Pilgrimage, and the last degree of perfectiō to which we may attaine,