THe vertue of Benignity con­sisteth in that a man desire, [Page 2]and dispose himselfe to doe good to his neighbour, whosoeuer he be; and in that he do it from the hearte; yea and with a sweet and tender kinde of will; and in that he put this will in execution by doing good indeed to his neigh­bour; and in that he do it abun­dantly, if it be in his power; and lastly in that it be with a kinde of contentment, and ioy. It doth also consist in that a man treate & conuerse with his neighbours after a sweet and gentle manner, condescending to them, and gi­uing them gust in any thing, which is lawfull, and agreable to the seruice of God; and behoul­ding them with a clear, and dis­charged countenance, and speak­ing to them in sweet and gentle words.

There are men, who in very truth haue the essentiall part of [Page 3]the vertue of Charity with their neighbours, both friends, & ene­mies; both wishing them good, and performing it to them: but yet they fall short, in remedying their necessities according to their ability; and they are au­stere and sharpe in their conuer­sation, and dry and vntoward in performing the very good, which they doe.

The vertue of Benignity, doth cure and heale a man of all these defects; making him who is the owner of it, to loue his neigh­bour hartily, and sweetly; and to doe him good liberally & cheer­fully; and to conuerse with him affably and gently, auoyding (for as much as the lawe, & good pleasure of God will permit) all that which may giue him any dis­gust, or paine. And so, Benignity falls out to be, the act and exer­cise [Page 4]of Charity, with that perfe­ction, which wee haue declared; and interiourly it embraceth the act of beneuolence and loue; and exteriourly the exercise of bene­ficence, liberality, affability, and of all sweetnes in conuersation. It is also one of the fruites of the Holy Ghost; For an act of vertue, in regard that it proceedeth frō thence, and giueth gust to him who performeth it, is called a fruite; and therefore Benignity being an act of Charity, and cau­sing delight in him, by whom it is possessed, is accounted amongst the fruits of the Holy Ghost. All this is confessed by the Saints, when they speake of Benignity. Saint Isi­dorus saith; That man is said to be Benigne, who doth good with a good will, and vseth sweetnes in his wordes. And Saint Anselmus, declaring what Benignity is, saith [Page 5]thus; Benignity is a good affection of the will, & a serenity of heart; in vertue whereof a man doth, for Gods sake giue all he can, af­ter a gratious and cheerfull man­ner; and discourseth and conuer­seth gently, and sweetly with his neighbours. And Saint Thomas, explicating the nature of Benig­nity, saith, that it is the very sweet­nes & tendernes of Charity which spreads, & communicates it self exteriourly; & that as natural fier doth melt mettel, & make it flow; so the fier of loue, which is Benig­nity, maketh a mā scatter what he hath towards the succour of the necessities of his neighbours.

This is that, which the Saints say of Benignity, and the summe of it all is this: that it is the tender­nes of Charity, which doth not only communicate a mans exte­riour goods to his neighbour, but [Page 6]together with them, it commu­nicates his owne very bowells; which is, to discouer both by wordes, and workes, the dearnes & sweetnes of Charity. The Apo­stle declareth this, by saying, Charity is Benigne. Which signi­fieth, that it makes the man who possesseth it, not to be straight handed, but apt to communicate his goods; and not to be harsh or bitter; but that he communicate euen his very hart by conuersing with all men after an affable and sweet manner. And to giue vs to vnderstand this truth, the holy Scripture, doth by one & the selfe same Hebrew, and Greeke word, which signifieth Benignity in doing good, signify also a softnes, and sweetnes in the manner of shew­ing mercy. And so, whereas Dauid saith; Our Lord is sweet towards all, another letter saith, Our Lord is [Page 7]benigne towards all. And whereas he saith, That mā is gentle, & sweet, who sheweth mercy; another translation saith; The man who sheweth mercy, is Benigne. And therfore S. Basil, when he would explicat what it was, for a man to be Benigne, saith; that it is he, who doth liberally enlarge himselfe to doe good to all such as are in necessity. And he confir­meth it by that Psalme which saith, Our Lord is benigne towards all; and by that other, which also saith, That a man is Benigne, who sheweth mercy, and imparteth his goods to such as are in necessity.

In this Benignity did Christ our Lord instruct vs, and perswade vs to it, by many examples, & My­steries of his holy life which wee wil ēdeauour to declare. The first and principall Mystery, wherein he discouered his Benignity, was that of his Incarnation. In that, the [Page 8]most high sonne of God was plea­sed to become a naturall man, & to appeare visibly in the world in mortall flesh, obnoxious to the miseries and penalties of other men; and in that he did all this, to doe good to man; and to draw him to his loue, and so to saue him; not onely did he discouer an immense loue towards vs, but a loue which was also most sweet and dear. And not onely did he communicate his blessings to vs, but he also did it with supreme li­berality, and gust, and ioy of his owne sacred heart. And together with his blessings, he communi­cated to vs, his very selfe; namly his body, his blood, his blessed soule, and his diuinity; and all that which he hath, yea and euen all that which he is, he commu­nicated to vs, by many admira­ble & mysterious waies. This did [Page 9]the Apostle signify by saying; Whē in the time of grace, the Be­nignity & immēse loue of our God and Sauiour to man, did manifest it selfe to the world, he saued and freed vs from our sinnes, not by the title of Iustice, and the merit of our workes, (which were not of any valew without Christ our Lord, for the arriuing to that end;) but through his owne great mercy, and most gratious boūty, and by meanes of that sacred La­uatory, which is holy Baptisme, whereby wee are engendred a se­cond time to be the sonnes of God, and renewed by a spirituall generation, & renouation, which is wrought by the holy Ghost; which Holy Ghost, the eternall Father hath by meanes of his gifts and graces infused and cō ­municated to vs in great abun­dāce, through the merits of Christ [Page 10]our Lord, to the end that being iustified through the grace of the same Lord, wee might from this instant become heires of eternall life, which now wee hould by cer­taine hope, and which hereafter wee shall haue in actuall posses­sion. This is deliuered by Saint Paule. And Saint Bernard, vpon these words, declaring that Benig­nity of God which was discouered in this Mystery discourseth thus. Before the humanity of Christ our Lord appeared in the word the Benignity of God was hidden from vs. There was already in God this Benignity, & mercy, which in him is eternall; but so great Benignity as this, was not knowen before, nor was there any meanes how to to know it. And although it were promised by the Prophets, yet men vnderstood it not, and felt it not, and many did not so much [Page 11]as beleeue it. But when that time arriued, which had been ordai­ned by the diuine wisedome, Al­mighty God came in mortall flesh, and being vested with his sacred Humanity, and appearing to the eyes of our flesh & blood, his Benignity came to be made knowne; for by no meanes could he more haue manifested his Be­nignity, then by taking our flesh; and by no meanes could he more haue declared his mercy, then by vndertaking our misery. Let mā consider, and vnderstand from hence, how great care God hath of him; and how much he estee­meth him; and for how mighty an end he made him; since he did, and suffered so great thinges for him. And thus, by this Humanity wee may know his Benignity; for how much the lesse he became by his Humanity, so much the grea­ter, [Page 12]doth he shew himselfe to be in bounty; and by how much the more he abased himselfe for vs, so much the more amiable doth he shew himself to vs. This is said by Saint Bernard; and so it is a most clear truth, that nothing hath made so great discouery [...]o vs of the bounty, and Benignity of God, nor hath moued & obliged vs so to loue and praise him, as for that he hath taken our Humanity. And therfore as Dauid saith, giue praise to God, because he is benigne and good; and sing praises to his name, be­cause he is sweet.

Christ our Lord did also disco­uer to vs his Benignity, after a most soueraigne māner, in the Mistery of his most holy Natiuity. For what loue can be imagined more dear? & what communication of ones felfe more a morous? & what dew of heauen more abundant, and [Page 13]more sweet, then to see that hidden God, that God of vengeance, that God of those Celestiall Hostes, that Iudge of the quicke and dead, that Omnipo­tent in his workes, and that Terrible in his iudgments? to see him I say, become a tender and delicate lit­tle Infant, hanging close vpon the brests of a Virgin; all burning in loue, & all expiring the sweet­nes, and dearnes of the same loue towards vs? And that he comes to vs, not as anciently he came to the children of Israell in Mount Horeb, with thunder and light­ning and with the terrible sound of the trumpet, and with huge flames of materiall fier; and with prohibition that no man should approach to the foot of the moū ­taine vpon paine of death: but that he should come to be borne an Infant, and appeare on earth, with a most clear, and sweet light [Page 14]from heauen, to discouer him and with most delightful songes, and exultation of Angells; who being full of ioy, sing Glory to God, and peace to men. And that instātly then, he should recreate, and ho­nour those poore shepheards with an Embassage performed by An­gells; and should inuite them to come visit him, and to receiue the comfort of his presence, and to be enriched with the gifts of grace through his goodnes. And that by his loue, and humility, and meeknes, and sweetnes, he should encourage all men to ap­proach towards him; and to come to him by faith and obedience; and so to take their part of all the riches and benedictions of heauē; for being the sonne of the eternall Father, be came full of grace and truth.

He also discouered his Benig­nity [Page 15]to vs, in the vocation of the Magi, that first flower of the Gē ­tiles, whom he meant to call in after times. He calls them in­stantly, as soon as he was borne, and he sent no Prophet for them, nor any Angell; for they had no knowledge of Prophets, & they were not wont to see Angells, and so they might haue rather been estranged by such vnusuall inui­tations: but condescending to their condition and custome, he sent them a starre, which by the nouelty thereof might moue thē to a kinde of admiration; and to a search of what it might meane; and by the secret vertue thereof might be teaching them withall, that if signified the birth of the new Kinge; and he admonished and inuited them to seeke him, by following that starre, & he gaue them courage not to feare the ty­rant [Page 16] Herod; and he gaue thē faith and deuotion to know, that the Infāt, whom they saw new borne, was the eternall God; that so they might dedicate themselues to do him eternall seruice, as to the Kinge and Lord of heauen and earth, whom they saw in so great pouerty and contempt, for as much as concerned the world.

All this is the supreme Benig­nity, and most sweet dear loue of God towards man; and it inuites vs to seeke him; and if wee haue offended him, to confide, that la­menting our sinnes, we shall ob­taine pardon of him; and that he will receiue vs, to his grace and loue. For now, when he hath al­ready discouered his great Benig­nity to vs; by his sacred Humanity; with more reason doth he say, that to vs, which anciētly he said by the Prophet Ioel, be you con­uerted [Page 17]to your Lord God for he is Benigne, and mercifull; and as he is Benigne, he taketh gust in dealing gratiously, and most libe­rally with you, and in pardoning your offences past, and as he is merciful he wil deliuer you from your miseries, and from the grea­test of them of all, which are your sinnes.

AFter our Lord had begun to manifest himselfe in Israell, and to conuerse with men, he dis­couered and exercised his Benig­nity, many seuerall waies: One of [Page 18]them was, that such persons as were ignorant, tude, and very im­perfect, who came to demaund succour of him, he receiued with much sweetnes, and condescen­ded to their great weakenes, and tolerated their rudenes, and af­ter a mild and gentle manner, dispossessed them of their igno­rance. Nicodemus the Pharisee, Io. 3. came to Christ, to be taught by him; and though our Lord saw his great weaknes, in that he had not the heart to publish himselfe for the disciple of Christ our Lord, nor to confesse his faith, for the feare he had to be persecuted by other Pharisees, and was ashamed that they should know of him, that being an Ancient, and Ma­ster in the lawe, he should goe to Christ to learne the Mysteries of the same Lawe; for which reason he went by night, & that in very [Page 19]secret manner. And though our Lord did well discerne his great ignorance, and rudenes, and that he had no vnderstanding, or ap­prehension of spirituall thinges, or diuine Mysteries; but that whatsoeuer he said, and taught, the other did measure, and iudge of it by the rule of corporall and sensibles thinges, without raising his heart from earth to the consi­deration of things inuisible & di­uine: notwithstāding all this, our benigue Lord, did not reproue these so notorious defects, with seuerity, nor did he exaggerate his ignorance, nor reproach him for his rudenes, nor condemne him for his inordinate feare, nor did he driue him away for his weakenes, nor shewed he any wea­risomnes, or disgust in respect of his crosse answeres; but he enter­tained himselfe at large with him [Page 20]alone, and held long discourse with him, whereby he did, after a sweet manner giue him to vn­derstand his ignorance & rude­nes; and he discouered to him the Mysteries, which were necessary for his saluation; namely the spi­rituall regeneratiō which is made by Baptisme; and the Mystery of the Incarnation; which he declared to him, by saying that he was in heauen, whereby he signified that he was God, and in all places at once. And by saying also that he was descēded frō heauē, & he sig­nified that he was true mā. He de­clared also the Mystery of his Pas­siō, by saying that he was to be rai­sed vp to the Crosse, as the Brasen Serpēt was lifted vp vpon a pole, to the end that, as al they who be­held the serpent were cured of their torporall diseases, so might all they be healed of their sinnes, [Page 21]who would behould and beleeue in him, with a liuely faith. It was a great Benignity to dissem­ble, or passe by so many defects of a timorous & imperfect man, and to discourse with him after so louing and sweet a manner; & to discouer so great Mysteries, to a person so rude and weake; and to giue him light to vnderstand them, & helpe whereby he might go encreasing, and profitting in the good way which he had be­gunne.

There came to Christ our Lord, Mat. 9. Marc. 5. a Prince of the Sy­nagogue, to aske remedy for a daughter of his, who already was at the last cast, and he held her for dead; as indeed she died instantly after; and he desired our Lord, that he would goe to his house, and lay his hand vpō her, that so he might giue her life. This man [Page 22]coming to Christ our Lord with so imperfect a faith, and with so meane a conceit of the power of our Lord, as to thinke that it would be necessary for the health of his daughter, that he must goe to his house, & lay his hand vpon her, not beleeuing that he could cure her without these ceremo­nies; yet notwithstanding all this, our Lord receiued him, and con­uersed with him after so sweet a manner, and shewed himselfe so affable to him, that he dissembled the seeing of all these defects; and he reproued him not for them, least he should haue grieued him by his wordes, whereas he ment to cure him by his workes. Nor did he deny that which the o­ther asked; nor did he differre the doing of it; but instantly he rose vp, and went with him, and graunted not onely that which [Page 23]he asked, but a great deale more. For he raised his dead daughter to life in body, and he also gaue health to her soule, by making her beleeue firmely in him, vpon the sight of so great a miracle, and he moued and obliged him, to doe him seruice with deuotiō, for so singular a benefit.

This was an act of great Benig­nity, and so did Saint Chrysostome obserue thereof, saying; Behould the dullnes of this man, who for the health of his daughter, desi­res Christ our Lord that he will goe to his house, and lay his hand vpon her. And yet our Lord, not looking vpon the vnworthines of him who asked the benefit, did with much facility and suauity grant his suite, going presently to his house, to doe the thing which he desired, and much more then he desired. For he resolued to raise [Page 24]her from death to life; and more­ouer to giue a firme hope of the Resurrection to them, who sawe, and beleeued that miracle.

Let vs be hould other examples of the same kinde of Benignity, in his receiuing rude, and imperfect people, after a sweet manner, and in teaching, and comforting thē, both by word and deed. Iohn 4. There came a Samaritan woman to Christ our Lord; and, notwith­standing that she were a creature of very base condition, and of more base life; and a Gentile by descent, and extreamely rude in matters which concerned Reli­gion and spirit, yet he inuited her to haue speech with him, himselfe beginning the discourse and de­siring water of her, whereof he knew he would not drinke; and he fell into a most sweet and fa­uourable communication with [Page 25]her, and he made her a very long Sermon, full of Mysteries, and he passed by the rudenes both of her questions and answeres; and he condescended to her ignorance; and he accommodated himselfe to her weakenes; and by the re­semblance of corporall thinges taught her things which were spi­rituall; and by meanes of mate­riall water, he aduanced her to the vnderstanding of the value, and effects of the water of grace. And he went instructing her by little and little; discouering to her first that he was a Prophet, and teaching her afterward, how she was to honour one only God, with spirituall and true worship. And hauing already disposed her, by the knowledge of these thin­ges, he plainly declared to her at last, that he was the very Messias, who was come to saue the world; [Page 26]and that which he tould her in words, he imprinted in her heart, giuing her both light to beleeue it, and courage, and deuotion to confesse it.

What dearnes, what sweetnes of discourse, and conuersation, can be imagined to exceed this? That the Creator of all thinges should speake, in so familiar mā ­ner, with so base a creature, and that the eternal wisedome should vouch saffe by his very selfe, to instruct at so great leasure and by such a lowly manner of speech, so ignorant and rude a woman, and should giue so high mysteries to be vnderstood so quickly and so clearly by her.

This is the Benignity, which Christ our Lord vsed towards this wo­man, and the Apostles were in wonder at it, as Saint Chrysostome obserueth saying; The Apostles [Page 27]were in admiration to see that ex­cessiue meekenes, and humility of Christ our Lord, in that he was content, so publickly and in sight of all men, to speake so of set pur­pose, and so at leasure, and so be­nignely with a poore woman, & that a poore Samaritan.

There came to Christ our Lord Matt. 9. Marc. 5. a sicke woman who was subiect to a bloody fluxe, and she came with much want of vertue; for out of shame and in­ordinate feare, she durst not dis­couer her infirmity; and shee thought to keepe her selfe from being known by Christ our Lord, by meanes of the presse of peo­ple, coming secretly neer him, without the obseruatiō of others; and meaning, after this sorte, to steale health frō our Lord, with­out so much as his knowing of it, who was to giue it. But notwith­standing [Page 28]shee came so imper­fect and weake, our most pit­teous Lord, did passe by all these defects of hers, without so much as reprehending them, or reproa­ching her for them; and he gran­ted that which she desired, and hoped for, yea and much more then that. For instantly he cured her of that corporall infirmity, and he cured her soule, by taking away that vaine feare, to which she had bene subiect, and by ena­bling her to cōfesse both her sick­nes, and the health which she had receiued; and by augmenting in her, the gifts of faith and loue. And hauing vsed so great Benig­nity towards her by this worke, he was also benigne to her in words. For putting her into quiet, and giuing her comfort, he said, Thy faith hath made the whole. Which was as much as to say; In regard [Page 29]of that saith, wherewith thou did­dest touch mee, although it was imperfect, I haue deliuered thee from thy disease: goe thy waies in peace, and still be free from the same disease. So saith Chrisostome. This woman had not a perfect opinion of Christ our Lord, for if she had, she would neuer haue imagined, that she could hide her self from him; & our Lord tooke publicke notice of her, for the good both of her selfe, and many others. For by discouering her, he tooke away her feare, and he preuented that remorce of con­science, which was to accuse her, as hauing stolne the gift of her health; and he rectified her from that false imagination; and he made her know, that nothing could be hid from our Lord, and then cōmēding her faith, he pla­ced her for an example to be imi­tated [Page 30]by others.

Wee also are to imitate Christ our Lord in that Benignity which he vsed towards such as came to him full of imperfection, weak­nes and ignorance; and wee must receiue after a sweet manner our neighbours, when they come to vs full of necessity & ignorance; enduring with a serene counte­nance their importunity, & rud­nes; and giuing eare and satisfa­ction to their questions; and be­nignely instructing them in those thinges which are fit for them to be knowne by them, according to the capacity of euery one, and remouing the ignorance, wherin they are, & comforting thē with the knowledge of truth, and the hope of saluation, and appeasing their conscience, deliuering thē from vaine scruples and feares.

To this doth the Apostle Saint [Page 31] Paule Gal. 6. aduise in these words. My brethren, if any of you be surprised by any sinne; as it hap­pens to them who sinne out of Passion, or weaknes, orignorāce, and not out of meer malice; and who are as it were preuented, and surprised by that sinne, into which they fal, because they haue not well considered the ill they doe, in respect whereof they are the more worthy of mercy, and more easy to be reformed; If any such, I say, haue fallen, you who are spiritual men, and liue accor­ding to spirit, (that is, according to the true and spirituall vnder­standing of the Lawe of God) in­struct and informe well such a kinde of sinner as this; and doe it not with sharpenes, & rigour, but with sweetnes and gentlenes both of words, and deedes, wher­in true Benignity consists. And for [Page 32]this purpose, let euery one con­sider himselfe, and reflect well vpon his owne weaknes, and dan­ger, and how subiect he is to fall, as the other did, and peraduen­ture worse. And from hence he will grow to instruct, and correct others, with the sweetnes of mer­cy, and Benignity, and not with too much rigour, and seuerity; least himselfe also growe both to be tempted, and conquered. This in substance is deliuered by the Apostle; and with great reason he wisheth him who treateth such, as haue fallen into sinne, without mercy and Benignity, that he looke well to himselfe, least he be tēp­ted and ouercome. For in very truth it is the punishment, which he deserues, and which ordinarily almighty God inflicts, vpon such as rashly iudge and condemne their neighbour for committing [Page 33]any fault, and as despise him for it, to let them fall into the same sinne. As on the other side, our most piteous Lord, is wont to vse supreme Benign [...]ty and mercy, towards such others, as vse Benig­nity & mercy towards their weak and imperfect brethren. This did that great and admirable woman Christina, with great ponderation and feeling affirme, when shee said; There is no thing in the whole world which doth more moue Christ our Lord to vse Be­nignity, and mercy towards men, then to see that themselues are benigne and mercifull towards others; and such Benignity and mercy, cannot but leade them on to a happy death, which will de­liuer them vp to eternall life.

THis very manner of Benig­nity, did Christ our Lord vse towardes his blessed Apostles, whilst he conuersed with them, in mortall flesh. For during all that time (which was the space of three yeares) they were very im­perfect, and liued in great igno­rance; and by reason of their much rudnes, made litle profit of the great light of doctrine which was propounded to them; and of that so admirable example of the life of Christ our Lord; which they had before their eyes. Let vs produce some examples to proue [Page 35]this truth.

Our Lord had already wrought that illustrious miracle, in the sight of his disciples, Matt 15 of feeding fiue thousand men with fiue loaues of bread; and shortly after, another necessity offering it self, wherin our Lord was plea­sed to feed foure thousand men with seauen loaues, and hauing already tould his disciples, that he would not permit those trou­pes of men & woemen, to returne home to their houses, till he had fed them; they conceiued it to be a matter of so much difficulty, that (as if it had indeed been im­possible for our Lord to doe) they said, where can wee be able to pro­cure in this desert, such a quantity of bread, as would be necessary for the feeding of such a multitude?

What a great imperfectiō was this in them? and what a strange [Page 36]rudenes, and blindenes of heart, that hauing seen with their owne eyes, that our Lord had wrought so many like, and greater mira­cles then that, they did not yet beleeue, and confide so much in him, as that with so few loaues, he was able to feed so much peo­ple? and especially considering, that he had declared himselfe to haue a will to doe it; and that he had wrought the like in the selfe same case some few dayes before. And yet these disciples, making him answere with so little faith, and indeed with so little good manners; our most blessed Lord did yet treate them with so great tendernes, and sweetnes, that he blamed, or reproued them not; nor shewed himselfe a whit dis­gusted, or offended, for the little account, and estimation which they shewed themselues to haue [Page 37]of his power. But passing by all this, he asked them how many loaues they had, and they saying that they had seauen, he cōman­ded the troupes to sit downe, and he gaue them all to eate of those seauen loaues, and he made the Apostles gather vp seauē baskets full of the ouerplus; and in this sorte, he did by that action of his let them see their rudenes, and he remoued their ignorance, & set­led them faster in their faith. And this was so great a fault in the A­postles, that the confessing and publishing of it themselues, after the coming of the Holy Ghost, was an act of great humility in them; and the suffering and cu­ring it by our Lord, with so great pitty and mercy, was admirable Benignity in him. So saith Saint Chrysostome. It is worthy of great admiration, to see the Apostles [Page 38]so great friends to the truth, as that themselues, who wrote the Euangelicall history, would not couer those so great faults of their owne. For it was no little one, that they could so soon for­get that miracle, which our Lord had wrought so lately before, in the multiplication of the fiue loaues of bread. And Theophylact addeth thus; It was not reason that they should so soon haue for­gotten that miracle, whereby our Lord had giuen food in the wil­dernes, to more persons, with fewer loaues of bread. But the dis­ciples, were men very grosse, and of meane vnderstanding; which our Lord permitted to be so, to the end that when afterward wee should finde them so full of dis­cretion, and wisedome, we might know that it was the gift of di­uine grace, which caused it. But [Page 39]their ignorance and vntowardnes being so great, as wee see it was, our Lord did not yet rebuke, or reproach them for this fault, but cured it with great Benignity; and instructed vs thereby, not to put our selues in choler with igno­rant people, nor to be sharpe or wayward towards them, but that we must haue compassion of their ignorance, and instruct them and correct them with charity.

Our Lord did also discouer his Benignity to the Apostles, in that hauing already wrought that mi­racle of the seauen loaues; & tel­ling them that they were to take heed of the leuen of the Pharisees and Saduces, Matt. 16. Marc. 8. (which signified their euill doctrine and example) they would needes vn­derstand as if he had said it, be­cause they were not prouided of bread inough for the desert; and [Page 40]so they were affraid they might want food. And our Lord repre­hēding this fault in them, which they had added to the former, said in this manner; do you not vnderstand, and remember the fiue loues of bread, and the fiue thousand men, which I susteined with thē; nor yet the seauē loues, wherewith I fed foure thousand men? And thus reprouing them, as much as was necessary, he did it yet in words as gentle, as you haue heard; and with so great sweetnes, as that, together with reprehending them, he excused them; imputing their fault to ig­norance and forgetfulnes. O ad­mirable Benignity, worthy of such a Lord as he, who together with the chastisemēt, giueth comfort; and whilest he speaketh of the fault, he giueth hope of pardon and remedy▪ So doth Saint Chry­sostome [Page 41]obserue. Consider the re­prehension which he giueth thē, all tempered with meekenes; for whilest he reproues them, he ex­cuseth them; yea & he answereth for the very men whom he re­proueth.

But let vs looke vpon some other examples of this Benignity, which Christ our Lord did vse to­wards his disciples. When thus he had answered that rich young man, Matt. 19. who said. He had kept the comaundments, If thou wilt be perfect, goe and sell all that thou hast, and giue it to the poore, and come and follow mee, and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen, and when the young man was going sad away, because he was very rich, and had not the heart to embrace the counsaile of our Lord, and to make himself poore for the king­dome of heauen; Saint Peter said [Page 42]to our Lord, Behould, ô Lord, how as for vs, wee haue left all thinges, and wee haue followed thee, what therfore shall be done to vs? What reward wilt thou bestow on vs? Our Lord made them this answere; Verily I say to you, that you who haue followed mee, shall sit vpon twelue seates, and thrones, to iudge the twelue Tribes of Israell, with the Sonne of man, when he shall sit in the seate of his Maiesty, at the generall resurrection to a life of glory. At that day, you shal haue great authority, and glory, by raigning with the sōne of man, and iudging the world together with him.

It was very little, which Saint Peter and the rest of the Apostles had left for Christ our Lord; for they were but a poore company of fishermen; and that which they had left (as Saint Chrysostom saith) was some fishing rod, some net, [Page 43]and some little barke. And al­though together with these thin­ges, they also left whatsoeuer they might growe to haue, yet that also must needes be very little; for in the trade they had, they were neuer able to get much. And all this being so little, and that Saint Peter with so much liberty, and audacity should say to him, Behould, ô Lord, wee haue left all, wee had, for thee, as if they had left most abundant riches and great hopes; our Lord might with much truth and reason, haue said to Saint Pe­ter: What greate possessions hast thou left for mee; and what great acts of prowes hast thou performed in my ser­uice? And yet he said no such thing; nor did he answere them with any shew of any disdaine or euē disgust, or with little estima­tion of that which had been left for his sake; but he spake to him [Page 44]in great earnest and with wordes, of much weight and with shew of great estimation of that which they had lest, and of that which they had performed in following him; and he declared that most high reward of glory & that most eminent dignity which he would giue them, in the kingdome of heauen.

By this answere, Christ our Lord did shew extreme Benignity, partly by making so great account of such a trifle as his disciples had left for his sake; and promising such a soueraigne reward for such a sleight seruice as they had per­formed in following him; and partly by shewing how greatly he loued them, who then had la­boured so little for him; and by esteeming them so much, who were so meane, and poore, as to promise to exalt them to so great [Page 45]dignity, and to giue them a seate of so great Maiesty; and by an­swering them in words so serious, so sweet, so full of comfort; and which gaue them such a height of hope. So saith Origen. Saint Peter asked what reward he would giue him for what he had left, as if he had performed things of mighty difficulty. But although the thin­ges which he & his brother left were little, in the account of the world; yet in the sight of God who regarded the loue, and great good will wherewith they were left, they were much esteemed. This is the most benigne & sweet condition of Christ our Lord, and our God; who be houldeth the ser­uices which are done him, and the good will men haue to serue him, & their holy desire to please him, and that grace which he li­berally bestoweth for the doing [Page 46]of them; and therfore doth he re­compence little works, with most high and euerlasting rewardes.

Our Lord, 10.11. whilest he was in the desert, hauing heard the message of Lazarus his sicknes, and two daies passing on, after he had heard it; and now vnderstan­ding that Lazarus was dead, he said resolutely; Let vs goe yet once againe into Iudea; for Bethania was seated in that Prouince. But his disciples answered him after this manner, Master, it is but the other day, since the Iewes were ready to stone thee in Iudea, and doest thou thinke of going backe, where there is so much danger? And our Lord saying still, let vs goe yet againe into Iudea, and they seeing his resolution and being full of apprehension and feare of death, Thomas said to the rest of the Apostles, Well then, let vs goe, and dy with him.

[Page 47]Now the Apostles hauing known by so many experiments, that our Lord knew the secrets of mēs hearts, and that his enemies ha­uing a minde to take and stone him, were not able to touch him, because he had all power in his hands; and hauing heard him say many times, that in all thinges he perfor­med the will, and good pleasure of his eternall Father; they ought to haue beleeued, that if our Lord went into Iudea, it was most conue­nient thnt he should doe so; and that he knew very well whatso­euer was to happen to him there; & that if he should haue a minde to free himselfe from his ene­mies, they could fasten no hurte vpon him; and that themselues going in his company, might hould themselues secure inough; and that without his will, they could receiue no harme; and that [Page 48]they ought to make themselues wholly subiect to that will of his. But they forgetting all this and distrusting his power and prote­ction, would haue hindred his going into Iudea, and would needes haue dissuaded him from the resolutiō which he had taken in that behalfe; as if he had been either ignorant of the danger which there he might incurre, or impuissant in defending himselfe from the same; and they were full of apprehension and feare, as if our Lord had not been able to protect them.

And these defects of theirs being so great, our most merciful Lord was not yet offended with them; nor did he shew any disgust, nor did he reproue them with sharpe wordes, for the meane conceit which they had of him; but he informed them in sweet termes, [Page 49]that there was no danger in his iourney, and that they might hould themselues safe in his com­pany, by saying thus to them; Are there not perhaps twelue houres in the day? He who goes by day, stumbles not, because the day light lets him see the way; but he who walkes by night, may stumble and fall, because he seeth not the light. Whereby he would let thē know, that iust as, whilest the naturall day lasteth, which hath twelue houres of light, it is not in the skill or power of any creature to take away or diminish any one of these houres, or any part thereof; and that during this time, a man may walke securely without stumbling or falling; iust so, as long as that time of his life was to last in this world, which had been determined by the will of his eternall Father, in which time he was to illuminate the [Page 50]world with his doctrine, and by his miracles, there was no cause for them to feare; for that all the power of the world was not able to take one moment of that time from him; and that so both him­selfe, and al they of his company, were very safe. With this Benig­nity did he tolerate their boldnes, and cure their rudenes, and their want of that faith, and confi­dence, which they ought to haue had in our Lord.

THE two brothers Saint Iames, and Saint Iohn, came to Christ [Page 51]our Lord, Matt. 10. Luc. 22. to demaund at his hands, the two prime dignities of his kingdome; and herein they serued them sel­ues of the intercession of their mother. Now the rest of the Apo­stles, seeing the pretension of these two, grow into indignation against them, and were offended and troubled much, to see that they would offer to outstrip all the rest; and it moued a strife amongst them, to know which of all the company was to be the greatest in the schoole, and king­dome of Christ our Lord. These faults of the Apostles, being so worthy of reprehēsion; for faults they were (as wee haue declared elswhere) in some of them, of ambition, & in the rest of enuy; and such faultes in men who had been so long aduised, and instru­cted by the doctrine, and exam­ple [Page 52]of Christ our Lord, which was euer preaching, and perswading humility and charity, did well deserue to make our Lord offen­ded with them, & that he should reproue them after a serious and sharpe manner, & that he should punish thē seuerely: yet our most meeke Lord, hauing compassion of their ignorance and rudenes, which was the roote from whence those faultes did spring, vsed so great Benignity towards them, and cured their defects, with so great sweernes, that as for the two, with onely looking vpon them, and giuing them answere to that pe­tition, which their mother had presented, he made them see that fault into which they had fallen, by making their mother their in­tercessour for that suit, and by de­siring to couer vnder the piety of a mother the inordinate appetite [Page 53]which they had to be preferred before the rest; and with onely saying; You know not what you aske, he corrected and cured all the ambition which they had; and so reprehending their fault, he did withall, excuse them by imputing it, not to malice, but to the ignorance of men, who knew not what was best for themselues. And as for the other ten, he refor­med them also by calling them to him, & aduertising them, that to desire commaund, and aduan­tage ouer others, was the vice of Gentiles, who lodged not their heart vpō heauēly but on earthly thinges; and that they were not to doe so, but to imitate their Lord and Master, who came into this world, not to be serued by men but to serue them, yea and to giue his life for them.

With this Benignity, Christ our [Page 54]Lord did tolerate, and cure those so great defects of his disciples. So saith S. Chrysostome. As those two Apostles did obey the inor­dinate appetite of flesh & blood and did beg of our Lord, the two chief seates in his kingdome; so also the other ten, obeying the like euill inclination of flesh and blood, were offended and affli­cted by the demaund, and pre­tension of the former two. For it was ill done by the two, to desire to be preferred before the rest; and the rest, conceiued it to be an affront to them, that the two should be preferred before them. And Saint Hierome addeth; That our Lord, who was al meeke and and humble, did not sharpely re­prehend that inordinate appetite of honour, wherewith those two came to him; nor yet the indig­nation and enuy, which the ten [Page 55]conceiued against the two; but he treated them, and instructed thē, and [...]ured them all with supreme Benignity, and meeknes.

The Apostles being in the gar­den, with our Lord, the night of his Passiō, he admonished them to re­maine watchfull in prayer, least other­wise, they might fall into that tempta­tion, & tribulation, which was cōming towards them. But they, the while, laid themselues to sleepe; and our Lord hauing been at Prayer, and going to visit them, and finding that they were fallen a sleepe, did wish them a second time, to watch and pray; and he said; Why sleepe you? rise vp to watch, and pray, least els you be ouercome by temptation. And ha­uing giuen them this lesson, he returned againe to Prayer, and after went to see them a second time: and finding them asleepe yet againe, he said nothing to [Page 56]them. A third time he went to Prayer; and a third time he went to see them; and finding them still sleeping, as being oppressed by the great sorrow they had, he said to them, sleepe on, and take your rest. And so he left them for a while, till the time was come, whē his enemies who were to appre­hend him, were approaching. Then he turned towards them & said; It is enough: rise vp, let vs goe; for the hower is already come, wherein the Sonne of mā, is to be deliuered ouer, into the hands of sinners.

This was a great defect in the disciples, because they were ad­uertised, of the much danger wherein they were to see them­selues that night; and they had promised, that they would giue their life for our Lord; and they had been warned by him, two se­uerall times in words of great ex­aggeration, [Page 57]and waight, that they should watch and pray, be­cause they were to be tempted in a grieuous manner; and their prayer was to be the meanes, for their not being ouercome by that temptation. And yet notwith­stāding all this, they neither wat­ched, nor prayed; and they suffe­red themselues to be ouercome by sleepe, which was the cause, why afterward being ouercome by the temptation, they fled all away for feare, at the time when our Lord was apprehended, and they denyed their Master, who was the head and crowne of them all. But yet our Lord did suffer, and passe by, & seeke to reforme this so great defect with so great Benignity, that finding thē asleepe the first time, he corrected them with no other then these gentle wordes; Why sleepe you? Whereby [Page 58]he would giue them to vnder­stand, how vaine that confidence was, which they had reposed in their owne strength, making a promise that they would giue their life for their Lord, whereas the while, they had not the strength to watch and pray du­ring that little time. And when he went to visit them the second time, and perceiued them to be ouercome by sleepe, through the great weaknes, and frailty of im­perfect men, he dissembled the seeing it, and hauing compassion of their infirmity, did not repre­hend them, nor so much as speake a word, nor wake them, but still let them sleepe. And the third time; returning to them, & seing the difficulty they had to ouer­come their sleepe, in regard of their much sorrow, he did not onely passe it ouer, but expressely [Page 59]gaue them leaue to repose and rest, whilest he was watching, and praying, and sweating blood for them. With this so admirable Be­nignity, and so full of the deernes, and sweetnes of loue, did Christ our Lord treate his disciples, and tolerate their defects, and endure the trouble they gaue him; and he remoued their ignorances and cured their faults.

THis Benignity must wee vse towards our neighbours, in imitation of Christ our Lord; and especially it must be done by Su­periours towards their Subiects, by Teachers towards their Schol­lers, by Masters towards their [Page 60]Seruants and slaues, and by Pa­rents towards their children. First they must exercise this Benignity by enduring their imperfections, negligences and faults; not suffe­ring themselues to be ouercome by wrath, to wish them any euill, or to curse them, or giue them in­iurious words, or any other word of reuenge. And to this exteriour patiēce, they must add the sweet­nes of Benignity, in such sorte, as that it may be a benigne kinde of sufferance, which springeth from the interiour sweetnes of Charity. To this did Saint Chrysostome ad­monish vs, who vpon those words of Saint Paul, Charity is patient, & it is benigne, discourseth thus; There are some who haue patience, but they doe not vse it as they ought; for although in the exteriour, they are silent, and dissemble the cause of their disgust, yet they [Page 61]doe it with a kinde of bitternes of heart yea and they shew some ex­teriour vntowardnes, and vnder­ualue of their neighbour; and so they grow to offend, and prouoke to further wrath, euen those very persōs, whom they were resolued to tolerate. This kinde of pa­tience is not agreeable to charity which is benigne, and vseth to suffer with gentlenes and sweet­nes both exteriour & interiour; and whilest it is suffering, doth not prouoke a mans neighbour to encrease of anger, but rather doth mitigate, and appease it. For we must not be content to to­lerate the faultes of our neigh­bours, after a superficial manner; but whilest wee be suffering, wee must also admonish and comfort them; and thus shall we cure that wound of wrath, which they may haue in their hearts. Saint Chryso­stome [Page 62]declareth; that this is to suf­fer with Benignity.

Superiors also who haue charge of others, must exercise this Be­nignity; prouiding all thinges ne­cessary both for their bodies and soules: for their bodies, giuing them food, cloathing, physicke in their sicknes, ease in their la­bours, and comfort in their trou­bles; to the end that they may beare them with contentment: and for their soules also by gi­uing them doctrine, counselle: spirituall consolation, and good example, which may edify them. This doe Prelates owe to their Subiects; Lords to their Ser­uants and slaues; and fathers to their children. Benignity I say, doth require, that Superiours make prouision of all thinges ne­cessary, both for the body and soule, of all such as are vnder [Page 63]their charge, not sparingly & mi­serably, not with disgust and bit­ternes, and vexation of the infe­riours; but sufficiently, and plen­tifully, according to the necessity of the inferiour, & to the ability and meanes of the Superiour; and that they doe it with facility, and suauity, and with comfort to the inferiour. For to this is the office and charge of a Superiour ordei­ned; not for the honour, & ease, and temporall comfort of the Superiour; but for the remedy & benefit of the inferiour, whom he hath in charge. So saith Saint Au­gustine; Wee who are Superiours, and Pastors of others, haue two capacities; the one, in that we are Christians; the other, in that we are Superiours, and rulers. Our being Christians, makes for our selues; and vnder that capacity, we are to looke to our owne pro­fit, [Page 64]fit, and good: but our being Su­periours, is for the vse of others; and for the complying with this duty, wee must procure their be­nefit whom wee haue in charge. This is deliuered by Saint Augu­stine. And although it be true, that the Superiour, as he is a Supe­riour, is not to looke so carefully to his owne temporall profit, as to that of his subiect, yet doing that which he ought in his office, and complying with them whom he hath vnder his charge, he doth also negotiate his owne profit, & dispatcheth his owne businesse best, since he purchaseth spiri­tuall and eternall benedictions thereby.

All Superiours must also exer­cise this Benignity, by imposing the burdens of their imploymēts, and commaundements, in such sorte, as that the inferiours may [Page 65]be able to carry them on, with comfort. Let them measure out the labours, the businesse, and the offices wherewith they will charge their subiects, by the strength, and talents of euery one of them; to the end that they may not carry them with deepe sighes, nor be forced to faint vnder thē; but that they may be able to dis­charge them with a cheerfull and contented heart. And let them moderate their directions and cō ­maundments, whereby they rule and gouerne, according to the capacity and talent of the infe­riours; that so they disposing thē ­selues to obey, and to doe their duties, may performe them with facility, and profit of their soules. So faith Saint Chrysostome; If thou wilt proceed like a man who in­deed is holy, be austere and rigo­rous towards thy selfe, and be­nigne [Page 66]and pitteous towards o­thers; and let men see, and heare it said of thee, that thou com­maundest others to doe thinges which are light, and easy, to be performed; and that thy selfe vn­dergoest heauy, and performest hard thinges.

As for that which concerneth the chastisement and correction of inferiours, the vertue of Benig­nity doth not teach, that they should not be corrected: for this vertue is not contrary either to that of Iustice, or to that of Cha­rity; both which oblige Princes that they should correct, & cha­stise their vassailes; Lords and Masters their seruants, & slaues; parents their children. For, the Apostle faith of that Superiour, who gouerneth the cōmōwealth. It is not in vaine that he hath power and authority to punish; [Page 67]as we see by the sword he carrieth; but it is giuen him vpon great cause and reason, and for a great good vse; for he is the Minister of God, for the punishment of such as doe ill, and for the execution of iustice vpō their persons. That which Benignity doth teach and exact is this; that since correctiō, and punishment is necessary, and most important for the generall good of the commonwealth, and for the particular members ther­of; which is, to the end that they who are faulty, may amend; and the rest may feare punishment, and take warning by others, it must be executed with that mo­deration & sweetnes, which may carry most proportiō to this end, as Christ our Lord hath taught vs by his example.

This moderation & sweetnes, consisteth in that; when the infe­riours [Page 68]commit small faultes, the Superiours doe not exaggerate, and enforce them too much, nor correct them with too grieuous punishments; but that they mo­derate their wordes and deedes, according to the fault. So faith Saint Dorotheus; Be not to great, nor too seuere a punisher of faul­tes, and defects, which are not great. And so also, when faultes are cōmitted through ignorāce, or through great weakenes, or vpon some vehement temptatiō, and not with malice; obserue that moderation, in making the re­prehension and inflicting the pu­nishment, as that you affront not the offender, with ill wordes; but that the paine he is to suffer, may lessen, according to the ignorāce and weaknes, wherewith the fault was made.

And sometimes when the per­son, [Page 69]who sinned through igno­rance or passion, is such as that of himselfe he growes to know his fault, and hath much com­punction for it; and doth cor­dially put himselfe vpon amend­ment, and that noe hurt or ill example of others groweth by it; the vertue of Benignity doth re­quire, that the punishment be re­mitted, or moderated at least, very much. So saith Saint Gre­gory; Some faultes are to be puni­shed very gently; for when men sinne not by malice, but by igno­rance, or weakenes, it is necessary that the correction and punish­mēt, be tempered with great mo­deration. And in another place; as the fault of them, who sinne by ignorance, may be tolerated in some sorte, so they who commit it wittingly, and wilfully, must be seuerely punished. And that it [Page 70]is more conuenient to pardon a fault sometimes, then to inflict punishment, the Venerable Bede doth affirme saying; Not allwaies are they to be punished, who of­fend; for sometimes clemency doth more good, both to the Su­periour for the exercise of his pa­tience, and to the inferiour for his amendment. When faultes are great, & vnexcusable by any ignorance, and that it be neces­sary to inflict due punishment; that which Benignity requires, is, that the Superiour who corre­cteth and punisheth, be not mo­ued to it by anger and passion; but that in his heart, he haue pitty of the delinquent, and that he commit no excesse in puni­shing; but that he temper, and moderate it in such sorte, as that it may not seeme cruelty, or too much rigour: for els he who cor­recteth, [Page 71]and punisheth, will re­ceiue more hurt, by his owne pas­sion, and the excesse which he vseth, then he who is punished will receiue good. So doth Saint Gregory aduise, speaking to a Su­periour. Let such as are good, finde by experience that thou art sweet towards them; and let such as are euill, finde by experience, that thou hast zeale in corre­cting, and punishing their faults. In which punishment, thou art to obserue this order, that thou loue the person, and that thou abhorre and persecute the vice; procuring that the vice may be destroyed, & that the person may be amended, and preserued; and according to this, let the punish­ment be moderated in such sorte, that it reach not soe farre, as to proue cruelty; & so thou happen to hurt, and to loose him, whom [Page 72]thou desirest to amend, & keepe.

And to the end that the corre­ction & punishment may be im­posed with that moderatiō which Benignity requires, let the Supe­riout procure, that he do it not, whilest he findes himselfe angry, and altered, or enflamed with choler; but let him stay, till his heart be calme and quiet. And be­fore he punish, or reproue, let him lift vp his heart to God, and desire fauour and grace from heauen; to the end that he may do it with such moderation as is fit; and to such end as he ought; which is, that the delinquēt may amend, and so others may take warning by his example, & that the diuine Maiesty may be serued and glorified by all. This doth S. Dorotheus declare to vs, by these wordes. Our Predecessors & fore­fathers, the holy men, did teach [Page 73]vs, that if any Superiour being in anger, did reprehend his sub­iect chollerickely; in such sorte, as reprehending the other, he sa­tisfied his owne passion & anger, it did amount to be a kinde of re­uenge; and he discouered the vi­tiousnes of his owne heart, wher­by he disedified them, whom he was to reforme. And for this rea­son it is fit, that first he bridle his owne choler, and be wholly in the hands of reason, before he punish other folkes.

All this moderation, which is necessary to the end that corre­ction, and punishment be impo­sed with Benignity, the Apostle tea­cheth vs, speaking thus to his disciple Saint Timothy; Argue, (that is to say conuince such as erre, with reasons and authorities) and entreate thē also. Which is as much as to say, admonish the good by [Page 74]way of request, and in sweet man­ner, to the end that they may profit; & such others as are weake, and pusillanimous, to the end that they may get vp into heart; and reprehend and correct the wicked, with feruour & zeale; but yet this you must doe, with much patiēce. In a word, you must cor­rect such as are faulty, without shewing your selfe angry, or in passion; but let them see, that you haue a calme, and quiet heart.

IT belōgeth to Benignity, to shew the sweetnes of loue, in life and conuersation with men. And a [Page 75]great sweetnes of loue it is, that a man placed in dignity should drawe neere to a poore sicke per­son full of soares, & should speak to him in most amiable manner; and should touch his soares, and clense them, and cure them, and comfort him with such a regalo as this would bee. And so much more eminent as that Lord were, who should descēd to this office; & so much more base as the sicke person were, and so much the more horrible as his disease were, and so much the more often, and so many more as the sicke persons were, to whom he should vse this charity; so much the greater, and so much the more admirable would this sweetnes of condition, and Benignity fall out to be.

Well then, all this was done by Christ our Lord, who being the Kinge both of heauen and earth, [Page 76]and the Lord of infinite Maiesty, did touch with his owne blessed hands, those poore base persons, who were sicke of horrible disea­ses; and who came to him with desire of remedy; and he cured them, and left them full of com­fort; and this he did many times, and to innumerable persons. S. Luke, and Saint Marke relate, how our Lord beginning to preach in Galilea, after his fast in the desert, came to the Citty of Caphernaum; and being gone forth to preach in a Sinagogue, and the euening being already come on, all they who had sicke persons in their power, brought them before him. And those sicke people, being many. Marke 1. Luke 4. and their diseases of many kindes, (for they came from seuerall parts of that Prouince, to hunt after their health by his meanes) he touched [Page 77]euery one of them with his owne sacred hands, and gaue them per­fect health; the whole Citty, the while, standing al amazed at that wonder, to see how he touched them one by one, and how in­stantly withall, they were cured.

Hauing once preached a sermō in the Mount, he descended to­wards the plaine, Matth. 8. Mark, 1. and there came many troupes of people to him. Amongst the rest, there approached a mā all loaden with leaprousy; and in the pre­sence of al that multitude of peo­ple, he placed himselfe vpon his knees, before our Lord, (but a litle separated from him,) and be­sought him to cure him of that leaprousy, saying. O Lord if thou wilt, thou canst make mee whole. Now our Lord could haue cured him with the least word; yet, not cōtē ­ting himself with that, but to the [Page 78]that he might shew the more Be­nignity, he extended his hand so farre as to reach him, and touch his leprous body, saying, I will, be thou cleane; and instantly he was cured.

After the mystery of the Trāsfi­guration, Matth. 17 Marke 9. there came troupes of people who were expecting him, and they brought a lunaticke before him, who was extremely tormented by a diuell. Our Lord commaunded the diuel to depart, who yet at his going out, did treate the young man so ill, as that he fell to the ground like a dead body. And whereas our Lord could easily haue cōmaunded him to rise vp, or els appoint one of his disciples to raise him, he did not so; but himselfe went towards the young man, and tooke him by the hand, and raised him vp; and then the [Page 79]young man being touched, and assisted by our Lord, who sustai­ned him in his handes, did rise.

Whilest he was in Bethsaida, Marc. 8. they brought a blind mā to him that he might cure him, which he would not doe in the Citty be­fore that people, but abroad in the field. And when he might haue commaūded them, who led him, to conduct him forth of the Citty, he was not pleased to serue himselfe of any other in that of­fice; but himselfe would needes take the poore blinde man by the hand, and drew him a side into a part of the field out of the com­pany, and himselfe lead him, and became his guide, and to cure him laid his hand vpon his eyes, and to discouer his Benignity to vs, he vouchsaffed himselfe in per­son, to be the leader of a poore blinde man, which is a worke of [Page 80]so much humility and meannes. Not onely did he vse this kinde of Benignity with men, but also poore sicke woemen. The mother in lawe of Saint Peter, Matth. 8. Marc. 1. was sicke of a violent fea­uer. He went into her house to vi­sit her, he drew neer her, he tooke her by the hand, and he raised her vp, commaunding the feauer to forsake her: so might he haue cō ­maunded her to rise alone, but he would not do so, but would needs raise her vp himselfe, to discouer his Benignity so much the more.

Our Lord being preaching in a Sinagogue one Saboth day, Luke 13. there came before him, a sicke & miserable creature, bow­ed crookedly downe euen to the ground, and tormented by a di­uell; and our most pitteous Lord called her gently to him, & made her come neer him, and laid his [Page 81]hands vpon her with great Benig­nity, and gaue her perfect health.

That which our Lord did with these sicke and miserable persons, whereof wee haue spoken, he did at other times, with other innu­merable sicke people, who were subiect to horrible and loath some diseases; for all the world came to him. And they who were so weake and wasted, that they could not come of thēselues, were brought to him by others, & so they drew neer him, and he touched them with his most blessed hāds to cure them. Now that our Lord him­selfe, should raise sicke persons out of their beds, or from the ground, to which they were fal­len, did proceed in him, from an vn speakeable and most tender loue, who not onely was disposed to doe men good, but also to cō ­fort, honour, and regale such per­sons [Page 82]as he did good vnto: which was a fruite of the supreme sweet­nes of his Benignity and loue.

THis example of Christ our Lord, hath generally been imitated much by holy men who thereby haue been moued, & ani­mated to serue sicke persons, and to cure them, and to raise them in their armes, and to clense them with their owne hands. And this hath been done, not onely by meane persons, but by principall and great Lord; who not being content with giuing almes to poore sicke people, and to main­teine them by their bounty, haue [Page 83]themselues, been glad to serue them, and striue to cure them, sometimes being sicke of lepro­sies, and other most loathsome & corrupt soares; and haue with ex­treme Benignity, done all imagi­nable offices of charity and ten­dernes, yea euē so farre as to kisse their leprosies, and soares. And to the end that God might declare how much this tender, and be­nigne kinde of charity was plea­sing to him, he did oftentimes concurre, by miraculously curing those sicke persons, who had been touched by his seruants. Let vs relate some examples of this truth.

Saint L [...]wis Kinge of France, vsed to visit the hospitalls, where there was a great number of per­sons sicke of diseases, both grie­uous, and dangerous, and ex­treamely loathsome withall; and [Page 84]yet the King, without loathing that vncleanes, & the horrour of their diseases, and without any feare also of contagion, would go to the sicke, and would be ser­uing them vpon his knees, and regaling them with extreame Be­nignity. And this he performed with so great cheerfullnes, and estimation of this office, as if vi­sibly he had beheld the person of Christ our Lord, in euery one of those poor people. And finding on day a leaper, whose nose, & whose very eyes were eaten out, with the leprousy, & who was become euen abhominable to all that saw him; to this man he vsed extraor­dinary tendernes, and gaue par­ticular regaloes, and serued him vpon his knees, putting the meat into his mouth, with his owne hands, and giuing him the wine & water which he was to drinke.

[Page 85]The Count Elzearus of Ariano had euery day in his house twelue Leapers, & he washed their feet, and gaue them meate; and not content with what he did in his owne house, he went to the hospi­talls, where they liued; and there putting himselfe vpon his knees before them, he would wash their feet, and kisse and clense and tie vp their soares. One day in the hospital he found six leapers, and some of them had their lips, and mouthes so eatē, that they could not be looked vpon, without hor­rour; and the holy Count went to them, and comforted them by word of mouth; and afterward kissed the soares of euery one of them; and this charity was so ac­ceptable to God, that instantly they were all cured, and the house was filled with a most fragrant odour. Not onely did Christ our [Page 86]Lord approue this worke, by cu­ring those leapers, who had been touched by his [...]eruāt, but himself also was pleased to appeare to him in forme of a leper, that so he might receiue the same ser­uice, and regalo, which was af­foarded to the rest.

Surius relateth in the life of Saint Ethbinus, the Abbot, whose feast is celebrated vpon the 19. of October, that another holy Priest going with him by the fieldes to his Monastery, they encountred in the way, a poore leper all full of soares, and deepely groaning vpon the ground, where he was laid. They came to him, & com­forted him, and hauing much cō ­passion of his misery, they asked him what he would haue? and of­fered him all the seruice they could performe, although it were to giue him of their very [Page 87]flesh. The leper said, the thinge which I desire of you, is that be­cause my nose is so ful of corrup­tion and filth, you would asswage my grief, by making it cleane. They doe soe; and Ethbinus takes him in his armes, and raiseth him vp from the ground, and the Priest comes, & clenseth the cor­ruption of his sore with his to ūg. In that very instant, wherin they beganne this worke of so great Charity, and Benignity, there ap­peered Angels from heauen close by the leaper, and there appeared also a Crosse, which was placed ouer his head; and the leaper rose vp whole, all full of splendor, and beauty; and they saw cleerly that it was Christ our Lord. And when he was a little mounted vp, he said. Yea were not ashamed of mee, in my afflictions; neither will I be ashamed to confesse you, [Page 88]and to admit you as my seruants, in my kingdome; and when this was spoken he vanished, and as­cended vp to heauen. The two Saints were amased, and full of mighty ioy, and could not satis­fie themselues with praising God, for the great fauor he had shewed them, by appearing in the forme of an poore sicke man; and for vouchsafing to receaue that poor seruice at their hand, and to re­ward that with so great bounty as to giue them an assured hope, that they should enioy him in his kingdome.

There haue also been many Queenes, and great Ladies, in the Church of Christ our Lord, who haue imitated his Benignity, towards sicke persons. Fortunatus the Bishop, relates of Radegundis the holy Queene of Frāce (whose feast is celebrated in August) that [Page 89]shee made an Infirmarie, into which she gathered, and wherein shee cured a great multitude of sicke persons, and shee her selfe would serue them; and licke the corruption of their soares & euen the wormes which grew therein, and she would clense their heads, & cut their haire. And especially she did this to leprous woemen, whom she would embrace, and kisse, and anoint, and cure, and serue at table, with great sweet­nes of loue.

The Queen Donna Isabel, daugh­ter to Don Petro King of Arragon, and neece of S. Isabell, daughter of the King of Hungary, who was married to Don Dionysio King of Portugall, and who for her san­ctity, is publikely reputed and serued in Portugall as a Saint by leaue of Pope Leo, did not con­tent herselfe to giue all the goods [Page 90]she had to poore people, who were sicke; but shee herselfe would be seruing and curing them, in her owne person. And for this pur­pose, she would cause both men and woemen who were sicke of loathsome infirmities, as soares, and leprosies and cankers, to be sought forth, & secretly brought into her Palace, and there shee cleansed, and cured and serued, and regaled them with all the ex­pressions of pietie, that she could make; & she would kisse the feet, & the soares of the leprous woe­men. One day washing the feet of a woman who was leprous, the woman hid one of them, because it had been much eaten with the canker and there distilled forth corrupt matter, which gaue a most loathsom sauour. The Queē made one of her woemen draw forth the leprous foote, & put it [Page 91]in a basen, that she might wash it. When this was done, there came such a pestiferous sauour from that foote, that the Queenes woe­men, not being able to endure it, went all out of the roome. The Queene remaining alone with the leaper, did gently touch the foote with her hand, for feare of hurting it, and she cleāsed it; and stooping kist it with that horrible sore which it had. And Christ our Lord being pleased to discouer how much gust be taketh in such workes of piety, did entirely cure the leaper at the instant, when the Queene kist her foote.

Now wee also are to imitate Christ our Lord, and his Saints, in this sweet and benigne kind of charity, towards poore sicke per­sons; and wee must visit them in their houses, and hospitalls, and infirmaries, and wee must serue [Page 92]and cleanse, and cure and cōfort them, and prouide them, the best wee may, of all things necessary. And howsoeuer wee may be pla­ced in great height of nobility, and dignity, yet must we not dis­daine to affoard such seruices & regaloes to poore sicke people; since this was done by Christ our Lord, who is the King of glory; and many Christian Kings and Queenes, haue done the same for loue of him. And it is a great ho­nour and glory for vs to be able to do a worke so acceptable, and pleasing to Christ our Lord, and so profitable to our owne soules; and of so great edification and good example to our neighbours and which hath the assurance of so immense a reward in the king­dome of heauen.

IT doth also belong to this ver­tue of Benignity, to giue that to ones neighbour, which he desi­reth, with facility and sweetnes; yea and more then that which he desireth; and not to reflect vpon the indignity of him who asketh, nor vpon the authority & great­nes of that Lord, who may need the like; but to consider what is agreable to charity, which when­soeuer it is great, it communica­teth it selfe to all, and doth good to all, and taketh order that in many things, the high and lowe, [Page 94]the great and little men of the world, be made equall to one an­other.

Christ our Lord left vs many examples of this truth. Saint Luke chap. 18. relateth how once coming to the Citty of Iericho, a blinde man neer the way was asking al­mes; and when he heard the noise of the people in company of our Lord, and vnderstood that it was Iesus of Nazareth, who passed by, he began to cry out and say, Iesus thou sonne of Dauid, haue mercy on me. And although the people bad him hould his peace, yet still he continued in crying out, and be­seeching our Lord that he would free him from the misery wherin he was. Our Lord heard his cry, and deteined himselfe in the high way, and made all that people which was in his company stay with him, and commaunded that [Page 95]they should bring the blind beg­ger to him, and he stayed expe­cting till he came; & being come, he asked him this question; What wouldest thou haue mee doe for thee? What doest thou desire at my hands? The blinde man answered; the thing which I desire and beg of thee, is that thou wilt giue mee my sight: and instantly our Lord, without the least delay, gaue him that which he desired, and said; Receiue thy sight. And he receiued the sight of his corporall eyes, & the sight also of his soule; for being full of faith, and deuotion he followed Christ our Lord, both with body and soule; and did not cease from glorifying Almighty God. This passed at the entry which Christ our Lord made into Iericho, for Saint Luke relates that he entred into Iericho, after he had wrought this miracle.

[Page 96]Saint Matthew also chap. 20. shewes, that Christ our Lord going forth of the same Citty of Iericho, and being accompanied with much people, there stood two blinde men, close vpon the way, demaunding almes; & when they knew that Iesus passed by, they began to cry out and say, Iesus the sonne of Dauid, take pitty on vs. Christ our Lord did instantly make a stand in the way, and cau­sed them to be called to him; and being arriued he asked thē thus, what do you aske at my hands? They answered, Lord that thou open these eyes of ours, and take this blindenes from vs; and at the in­stant our Lord extended his hand to their eyes, and they obtained sight both of body and soule; and they followed our Lord, being full of gratitude for so great a be­nefit, and of faith, and desire to [Page 97]doe him seruice.

Much is here to be considered in the admirable Benignity, which Christ our Lord did vse towards these blind men; in that he would hearken to their cries; and they, being so base persons, and our Lord so soueraignely high, that he would yet pawse in the way, & stay for them, and make all them also stay, who went with him; and condescend thereby to the neces­sity of those blinde men, and ac­cōmodate himself to their weak­nes. For if our Lord had gone walking on, they not seeing the way could not haue followed him, or at least, not fast enough to ouertake him; & he must haue giuen them much trouble in put­ting them to it. That way of Ie­richo, was also full of impedi­ments and dangerous precipices, as Saint Hierome notes; and so if [Page 98]they had been put to goe a pace in such a way, they had been in danger to receiue much hurt. For these reasons did our Lord make a stand; as also because he would vouchsaffe to doe them honour, making so much accoūt of them, as for their respect to stay in that high way; and to make so much people stay with him. And besi­des, it was a great testimony of his Benignity towardes them, to graunt them at the instant of their asking it; and that with so much comfort to them, so great a benefit, as it was to receiue their sight, both in body and soule, and such deuotion, as carryed thē on to glorify Almighty God.

A great wonder it was, that Iosue should cause the Sunne to stand still, and make a pawse in the heauen, to illuminate the earth, till such time as he had ob­tained [Page 99]victory ouer his enemies; and that the Sunne and all the Orbes, which moued with it, should stand still, obeying the voice of Iosue, the seruant of God. But a much greater wonder it is, that our Lord who created both the Sunne, and the whole machine of the world should make a stand in the way, obeying the voice of a blinde begger, that he might il­luminate him both in body and soule, as the true Sunne of Iustice.

A great Benignity it is, that a Kinge of any earthly kingdome passing on his way through a street, should stay and make all the Grādes of his Court stay with him, vpon the cry of a begger, who asketh almes; and that he should expect that begger till he could arriue; and should giue au­dience to his petion; and then in­stātly, open a purse with his owne [Page 100]hands, and giue the begger what­soeuer almes he had desired. But a farre greater Benignity it is, that the King of heauen and earth should deteine himselfe in a high way, and stand expecting a poore begger, till he could arriue to him, and then should aske him what he would desi [...] to the end that his owne mouth might be the measure of that which our Lord would giue him; and that instantly he should open the trea­sures both of his mercy & power, and bestow all that almes vpon him which he could aske or de­sire, yea and much more then he knew how to aske.

Now our Lord by shewing this mercy to those blinde men, hath shewed also a very great mercy to all faithfull Christians, instru­cting vs and perswading vs by his example, to vse Benignity towards [Page 101]our neighbours, giuing eare to the cry of the poore, and bestow­ing with liberality, what they aske according to the ability wee haue: and that when they are not able to come to vs, to aske re­medy as being hindred, either by infirmity or ignorance, or any other weakenes, wee goe to seeke them out, or make thē be sought; to the end that wee may helpe them, accommodating our selues to their impotēcy, and necessity. And teaching vs also by this ex­ample, that wee must expect, and stay for our neighbours, when there is occasiō to do them good, and to giue them comfort; and that although wee may be pla­ced in high estate, and they in lowe, wee must not yet disdaine to vse this charity, and sweetnes towards them. And that when our neighbours make vs expect [...] [Page 102]while, and come not so soone as wee desire; wee must not yet be angry with them, nor loose the peace of our heart; but wee must endure with patience, and expect and speake to them with Benig­nity, i [...] imitation of this example of Christ our Lord.

THe parents of little childrē, Matth. 19. Marc. 10. Luc. 18. seeing the power which Christ our Lord had to cure all diseases by touching sicke persons, brought those little children to him; and not onely them who were able to goe vpon their owne feet, but also [Page 103]their sucking babes, who could not speake nor goe, but in the ar­mes of others; and they offered thē to him, that he might touch them, and giue them his bene­diction; and they had confidence that by this meanes, such of thē as were sicke, would recouer their health, and they who were not not sicke, would continue whole. Their parents vsed this very of­ten, and with much importunity: for they who had children were many, and did so much esteeme this good of their children, that no man would want it by his will; and euery one desired to preuent his neighbour, and be the first to get a blessing for his sonne. The Apostles seeing this, and concei­uing that it was a thing vnwor­thy of the authority and grauity of our Lord, to employ himselfe vpon such a light and meane [Page 104]thing as this, and thereby to hin­der greater matters; & thinking also, that because the exercise was so frequent, and vsed with so great importunity, and ill man­ners by those parēts, who brought their children, that our Lord would be troubled and vexed thereby; did vse seuerely to re­prehēd such as brought the chil­dren; and would shake them off, as threatening them; that so they might not come to our Lord. So saith Saint Chrysostome, giuing a reasō therof. The disciples droue away the little children, and for­bad them to come to our Lord, in respect of his dignity, and the authority of his person. And S. Hierome, declaring another reason saith; The disciples thought, that as other men are wont to be dis­quieted, and displeased, by such importunities; so also would our [Page 105]Lord be, by the frequency and importunity, wherby they offred their children. And Saint Ambrose addeth another cause to this, and faith; The disciples also did thus, least otherwise our Lord might haue beē oppressed, that is; much straigthened and tired, by the multitude of people, which came to him; some thrustling and iust­ling others, by occasion of the children whō they brought. Now our Lord perceiuing how the A­postles hindred litle children frō approaching to him, though he knew their zeale, and the inten­tion wherewith they did it, which was not ill; yet he liked it not, be­cause it was not so agreable to the diuine spirit of the same Lord, but to the humane spirit of the disciples. And shewing both by his countenance and his wordes, that he liked it not, he called & [Page 106]reprehended them saying; Suffer little children to come to mee, and doe not hinder them; for of such is the king­dome of heauen. I meane that hea­uen doth belong, not onely to those little children, for the pu­rity, innocency and grace they haue; but that the same kidgdom of heauen shall be also giuen to men, who in their practise of hu­mility, simplicity, and purity of life, will become like little chil­dren. And so for that, which little children are in their owne per­sons, by diuine grace, which is, to be acceptable to God, & wor­thy of heauen; and for that also, which they represent in others, namely to be men, who are hum­ble, innocent, and pure, whom I loue and esteem much, and em­brace with my very bowells, and blesse with my gifts; therfore will I suffer them to approache to me, [Page 107]and I will admit them to my em­bracements, and blessings; and therefore see you giue them noe impediment in comming.

Our Lord hauing thus repre­hended his disciples, he called them who brought the children; and making those children come neer him, he put his hands vpon their heads; and embraced them, and gaue them his holy blessing with his hands; & with his words he recommēded them to his hea­uenly Father; and he made them partakers of his diuine grace, by the efficacy of his benediction.

By this act, Christ our Lord dis­couered to vs his Benignity, and most sweet condition; in that a Lord of so great Maiesty, and who was euer ēployed in so great and high workes, should descend to a thing, which in all appa­rance was so poore and meane, [Page 108]and belonging wholly to men, who had no waighty businesse in hand; and that he should doe it, with so cheerfull a countenance, and with so much gust, and sweet­nes, that their parents, & others of kinne who brought the chil­dren, should presume to bring them so often, and so importu­nately, and to interrupt the con­tinuance of his discourses, and the working of his miracles; and to ēploy so large spaces of time, in this so meane exercise.

And not onely did Christ our Lord discouer his Benignity to vs, by this proceeding; but he mani­fested it to be so great, and so ad­mirable, that it doth incompa­rably exceed all that, which men can conceiue, and beleiue ther­of. For although it were much, which the Apostles knew of the Benignity, and piety, and meek­nes [Page 109]of our Lord; yet they could not beleiue or vnderstand, how it could possibly arriue so farre as this; but did rather thinke; that our Lord was to disdaine such a poore imployment; and that he would be troubled, and offended by the disquiet, and im­portunity which they gaue him in this kinde. But indeed it was farre otherwise with him; for the meannes of the action pleased him much; and the time it cost, was held by him to be well em­ployed; and the labour & trouble which they put him to, was sweet­ly, and gladly endured by him.

Let vs imitate this Benignity of our Lord, in descending to doe such thinges as are poore, and meane in the account of men, when charity requires it at our hands; and to treate and conuerse with poore, and meane people, [Page 110]though wee may seeme perhaps to loose somewhat of our right, and dignity thereby; if yet it doe import for the assisting, and com­forting them, in their necessities, & for gaining them to Christ our Lord, doing that which the Apo­stle did, in imitation of Christ, when he said, I haue made my selfe all thinges, to all men, I haue accom­modated my selfe to the inclina­tion and gusts of all men, in all lawfull thinges; thereby loosing somewhat of mine owne right & liberty, that I might saue as many as I could.

OVr Lord shewed great Benig­nity in yeelding so liberally and sweetly to all that, which the persōs, who came to him, desired of him with good intention, and true desire of finding remedy by his meanes; but he discouered it much more, in yeelding liberally to that which was desired of him, with a corrupt minde, and with a meaning to calumniate him, and to drawe some word out of his mouth, or to note some action, wherby they might defame him, and condemne him to death.

There came to him a man of [Page 112]the Lawe Luc. 10. after a counter­feit manner, to tempt him; and he asked him, what he was to doe for the obtaining of eternall life? but our Lord did not discouer his treachery, nor reprehended his wickednes, but graunted that which he desired, instructing him with wordes full of sweetnes, con­cerning the truth of what he was to know and doe, for the obtai­ning of eternall life.

There came a Pharisee to him, Matth. 22. who was learned in the Lawe, to aske him which was the greatest commaundment of the Lawe; and he came, with a mali­tious minde and not with a de­sire to vnderstand the truth, but to finde matter, whereof to accuse him. And yet he without shewing any feeling or disgust, either in his countenance, or wordes, did answere to the questiō with much [Page 113]facility & suauity, and he taught him the truth.

The Pharisees did often inuite him to eate with them, Luc. 7. & 11. Matth. 22. not with charity, but with a peruerse and malitious in­tention; which was to see if he did or said any thing, which might be taxed; and finding nothing whereof they could take hould wherewith to hurt him, they pro­cured to serue themselues of his piety and religiousnes towardes the making good their ill pur­pose; and therefore they inuited him vpon their Sabboth daies, and would place sicke persons be­fore him; to the end that curing them vpon the Sabboth, they might accuse him for not obser­uing it. And our Lord knowing the malice, and wicked intention wherewith they inuited him, did not yet excuse himselfe from [Page 114]going; but with great facility graunted the suite they made, & accepted their inuitation; and he went to their houses, and did eate with them, and comfort them by his presence, & illuminate them by his doctrine, and edify them by his example. And though he vsed most exact temperance in eating and drinking; yet to ac­commodate himselfe to them, & to shew himselfe affable, and be­nigne towards them, he fed vpon those ordinary meats, which they vsed. And euen this was a proofe of his very vnspeakeable Benig­nity, that coming into the world to suffer for man, and carrying such an intense loue towards the Crosse, and such a most ardent de­sire to abstaine from all earthly comfort, and regalo; and to take all that to himselfe, which was most painfull and grieuous, that [Page 115]so he might suffer the more for man, and satisfy the diuine Iu­stice more perfectly, and discouer and exercise that loue so much the more, which he carryed both to the eternall Father, and to the whole race of mankinde; yet ne­uertheles, he did in many things remit much of this rigour at some times, and did both in his feeding and cloathing, serue himselfe of ordinary and vsuall things; so to shew himselfe more appliable, and sweet towards them with whō he conuersed and fed; & to make himselfe more inuitable by all men, and to giue them all, the greater hope of their saluation. So saith the venerable Abbot Eu­thymius. It was fit that our Lord who came to take away finne, should be benigne and sweet, and that he should accommodate himselfe to the weakenes of men [Page 116]to gaine them for heauen, as he did; and for this cause he went to the table of sinners, and fed vpon their meates; though he did it in a most temperate and religious manner, as it becometh holy men to doe. And although at times, he condescended thus to the vsuall custome of men for the winning of them; he did not for all this, giue ouer his man­ner of austere and painfull life, which he also exercised at cer­taine times; as namely during those forty daies, which he fasted in the desert.

This was said by Euthymius; wher­by it is cōfirmed, that so to admit of the inuitatiō of sinfull people, and especially such as did inuite him with a malitious minde, as if it had been but to eate with them, was a worke of supreme Benignity, whereby he shewed his [Page 117]most sweet loue; in the strength whereof, he had a meaning to cō ­fort and saue all the world.

Especially he shewed this vn­speakeable Benignity, in the time of his Passion. For being in the house of Caiphas, Matth. 23. Luc. 22. before that Councell of vniust Iudges, & they asking him whe­ther he wore Christ and the Sonne of God or no; & our Lord seeing that they asked it not with a de­sire of knowing the truth, or for the doing of Iustice, but onely from his answere to take occasion of blaspheming him, and con­demning him to death, and accu­sing him to Pilate, to the end that he might execute that vniust sen­tence, which they had giuen a­gainst him. And obseruing, that by reason they were so wicked, & so vaine, and proud, they were most vnworthy of any answere; [Page 118]yet neuertheles that soueraigne Maiesty of Christ, the Kinge of glory refused not to giue them answere, and disdained not to speake to them; but in very mo­dest wordes, was content to de­clare to them, who he was by say­ing thus; Herafter when my Pas­sion is at an end, the Sonne of man shall be sitting at the right hand of the power of God; which was as much as to say, that he was to raigne, & discouer his power, and authority as he was God, coequall to the eternall Father. And they enducing another que­stion hereupon, saying; Therefore belike thou art the sonne of God; he answered also to that, saying; your selues say that I am so, which was to answere truth: but with very modest, and humble words; whereby though he gaue to vn­derstand, that in very truth he [Page 119]was the Sonne of God, yet he af­firmed it not expressely, as it was fit not to doe to such as would not profit by it, though the answere had been more expresse & cleer. And by answering them after this manner, he also shewed his inclination to answere them more plainely, and directly to what they asked, if they would haue knowen the truth, to haue beleeued it. And this he signified by saying. If I tell you what you aske, you will not beleeue mee; and if I aske you any thing, to the end that I may teach you truth, you will not answere mee.

Our Lord by answering these questions, which were asked by Iudges so wicked, so cruell, and so vndeseruing of any respect at this hands, did shew how free his heart was from all passion, and choler; since he answered with so [Page 120]great serenity, & peace of minde; and therby he preuented that as­persion which they would haue cast vpon him, if he had been wholly silent; and he discouered the Benignity and sweetnes of his immēse charity towards his ene­mies, since he obeyed them, who had noe right of commaundmēt ouer him, and satisfied their de­mandes who were so vnworthy of all answere.

Let vs follow the example of Benignity, which here our most blessed Lord and Sauiour giues vs, and not onely let vs loue our enemies, as wee haue already shewed: but let vs also be benigne towards them; and let vs grant them, what they desire when it may lawfully be done; conde­scending to their disposition and inclination in lawfull thinges; and speaking to them humbly, [Page 121]and modesty, and shewing them the loue of our hearts, and the de­sire wee haue to giue them gust, and contentment, in such things as are agreable to the wil of God.

This doth our Lord himselfe expect, and aduise vs to, by Saint Luke saying; Loue your enemies, and do good to them: and if they desire to borrow money of you, or any other thing, affoard it without hoping after any inte­rest. And when there is need, giue with a free hand, without expe­cting any other reward, then of Almighty God; and so the reward which God wil giue you for such workes, will be very abundant and great. For you shall be the sonnes of the most high God, who is benigne, euen to men who are vngratefull and wicked; and though they be vnworthy of his benefits, and breakers of his cō ­maundments, [Page 122]& worthy of eter­nall torments, yet he ceaseth not to doe them good.

THe vertue of Benignity, re­quires that a man should be courteous, and well mannered in the wordes, he speaketh of his neighbour; and that both in pre­sence, and absence, he doe him honour by his manner of speech. For Benignity maketh a man sweet and ciuill in his discourse and cōuersation, sticking close to the end of charity, which is a spiri­tuall, and eternall good. And a [Page 123]principall part of this sweet con­uersation doth consist, in that the wordes be ciuill and cur­teous; whereby wee may honour our neighbour, according to the quality of his person and state: and for this reason, a man who vseth curtesy, is called benigne, and gentle, and he adorneth his neighbour with good wordes. There are men, who being gouer­ned by a spirit of this world, or els by their naturall condition (not corrected by reason,) vse to speake of their neighbours, with little estimation of them, & when there is a latitude of giuing thē a title more honourable, they giue him the least they can, so it be without offence to the quality of his person. And whereas they might treate them in better ter­mes, they proceed in such sorte, as to shew little estimation of [Page 124]them, and so they trouble and greiue them. And especially they speake of their neighbours, when they are absent, in wordes which shew they make little account of them; and thereby they thinke to exalt themselues, & to make thē ­selues more esteemed by others; but they are deceiued. For in that they do not the thing, which is re­quired by charity, which is benigne and sweet, they obtaine not that which they pretend, which is to be esteemed and honoured; but they are despised, and dispraised for it. For estimation springeth from loue; and if you loue a man, you esteeme him: and so on the other side, contempt springeth from hate; and to abhorre a man, is to despise him. And so when a man is wel conditioned, and cur­teous in his wordes, towards his neighbours, he is generally be­loued; [Page 125]and for the same reason all men respect, esteeme, and honour him: for they loue a man, who loueth them; and they esteem & honour, such as esteem, and ho­nour them. But when a man is discourteous in his wordes, and appeareth to make small account of his neighbours, he is abhorred by all men; or if they doe not ab­horre his person, yet they ab­horre his condition, & discour­teous language; and for the same reason, he is little accounted of, and despised by all.

This is taught vs by holy scripture saying; A sweet and gentle word, doth reconcile, and winne the hearts of men, and makes thē their friends, and multiplieth others, and doth sweeten & appease ene­mies; and a benigne and gratious tōgue doth abound in a good man. The meaning is; it produceth an abū ­dant [Page 126]fruite in the heart of others, mouing them also to be benigne, and to speake gently & sweetly, to such as speake gently & sweet­ly to them. The holy Ghost saith of the seruant of God, that he is well mannered, and curteous in his wordes; and this is that diuine fruite, which he produceth in his neighbours, to make them meek, and Benigne, as himselfe is. And of him, on the other side, who is rude, & discurteous in his words, the Holy Ghost also saith; The stroke of a whippe, maketh the flesh blacke, and blew; but the blow of an ill tongue, breakes the bones; that is to say; it doth many times hurt, and wound the soule, in such sort, as to cause is to fall into sorrow, and impatience, & hatred, wher­by the strength, and vigour of that grace and vertue, which it had, is lost. This hurt, doth a [Page 127]discurteous & vnmannerly word, which wanteth Benignity, produce in the soule of man.

Of this kinde of Benignity in speech Christ our Lord did leaue vs most excellent examples, in his holy Ghospell: They brought him one day, a man in his bed who was a paralitike, & breaking through the roofe of the house, they placed him before him; Mat. 9. and our Lord, behoulding the faith of them, who brought him, did him so particular a fauour, that he efficaciously moued him to a great sorrow for his sinnes, and to haue faith in our Lord, & confidence that he should be for­giuen. And being then in so good a disposition, he pardoned them, and so he declared himselfe to doe, by saying, Sonne, thy sinnes are forgiuen thee. This man being so miserable in his corporal state, [Page 128]and being so base of condition, as that he might without shame, carry his couch vpon his backe, and being a sinfull man besides, (for as Saint Hierome, notes he had contracted his disease by his sin­nes) and coming to the presence of our Lord with the vncleannes of those sinnes, by the waight whereof he was oppressed (for there they appeared to haue been takē from him by our Lord;) the same Lord being the creator of all things did yet call him Sonne; which is a title of great sweetnes of loue, and sheweth such equa­lity in condition, as runnes be­tween fathers, & sonnes. So high a Lord, doth honour and exalt so base a man, so farre; that in some sort he maketh him equall to his Angells, and Saints by gi­uing him the name, and title of his Sonne. For this is the great [Page 129]dignity & honour, which Saints and Angels haue, to be the sonnes of the most high God. So doth S. Hierome, note saying; O admirable humility of Christ our Lord, that to a contemptible and defeated man, without strength or health in any part of his body, whom the Priests of the lawe would haue despised, and disdained euen so much as to touch, our most B [...] ­nigne Lord was content to giue the name of Sonne▪

There came to Christ our Lord, Marc. 5. Luc. 8. a woman who had a fluxe of blood; she touched the skirt of his garment, and remai­ned whole; and our Lord hauing brought her forth to light; and she hauing confessed the benefit which she had receiued, our Lord said publickly to her; daughter thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace. He honoured her by calling her [Page 130]daughter, and by attributing her cure to her owne faith; & making her rich with Peace, and ioy of heart; which was an effect of the pardon of her sinnes, and of the grace he gaue her. And thus, by honouring the paraliticke, with the name of Sonne, and this wo­mā by the name of daughter; we see it was no particular priuiledge, which he gaue to this, or that per­son onely; but that it was the cō ­mō stile which our most benigne Lord vsed; honouring with this name such meane and poore mē and woemen, as came to him for any helpe.

His disciples being poore, and meane, and very full of defects, at such time as he conuersed with them in mortall flesh, sometimes he called Sonnes; yea and at some other times, he would call them, by that diminitiue whereby fa­thers [Page 131]call their sonnes, little chil­dren; to vnfould so much the more, that sweetnes of loue wher­with he called them Sonnes. At other times, he would call them Friends; and after the Resurrectiō, when the glory of his sacred Hu­manity, and the Maiesty of his Diuinity was more discouered, he called them his Brothers, when he spake of them to others in their absence. For once he said to S. Mary Magdalene; Goe tell my brethren, I ascend to my Father and to your Fa­ther. And againe he said to the Maries; Goe tell my brethren, that they are to goe into Galilea, and that they shall see mee there. All these are titles of great honour, and glory; and that our Lord should vse them towards men, who were so meane, and poore, and at a time, when still they were so imperfect; and especially that he did it after they [Page 132]had quite forsaken him, in his Passion, was an effect of extreme Benignity in him.

CHrist our Lord, preaching in a Sinagogue Luc. 13. they placed a woman, who was defor­medly bent downe to the groūd, by that diuell wherewith she was possessed. Now he hauing cured her, they calumniated him, in respect that he had done it vpon the Sabboth; and he defending his miracle, from that slander said; Which of you will not, vpon a Sabboth day, let your oxe, or asse be vntyed, and carryed to the waters? If this may well be done; [Page 133]how much more is it conuenient, to vntie the bond of sickenes, wherby Satan had bound vp this daughter of Abraham, although it were vpon the Sabboth day?

That title of the whole world, which was most honourable a­mongst the Iewes, and whereby they prised themselues, and wher­in they gloried most, was to be called the sonnes of Abraham; and so vpon a certaine occasion when they were disposed to magnify this honour, they said to Christ; Wee are the sonnes of Abraham. And whereas it had beene curtesy enough towards that woman, if Christ our Lord had said; It had been conuenient to free this affli­cted Woman, from that misery; or to deliuer this miserable creature from that infirmity: he could not content himselfe therwith; but was resolued to honour her with [Page 134]the most glorious name, which could be vsed, amōgst the Iewes, by saying; This daughter of Abra­ham; this woman, who according to the extraction of flesh and blood, is descēded of Abraham; yea and in the way of spirit also; for she is an imitatour of his faith.

When Christ our Lord receiued that message Ioh. 11. concerning the sicknes of Lazarus, and being resolued vpon his death (which succeeded within few daies after) to raise him vp againe to life, he said to his disciples; Our friend La­zarus sleepes, and I will goe waken him. It had been enough, and more then enough, for a Lord of so great Maiesty, to haue said, Lazarus sleepeth, or (since he would needes doe him honour to say) Lazarus my seruant, or Lazarus, whose guest I haue been, sleepeth; and with this, he had done him much [Page 135]honour. Yet his enamoured heart, could not content it selfe with this; but he would needes passe on, and say, our friend Laza­rus, which is a word of the greatest curtesy and honour. For if it goe for a point of high honour, to be accounted the friend of an earth­ly Kinge; and for a great fauour, and regalo to any vassaile, that a King should call him by that name; what honour must it be, for a mortall man to be accoun­ted a friend by Christ our Lord, the Kinge of heauen? and what kinde of felicity, and comfort must it be, to be called so, by Christ our Lord himselfe; and that not in complement, but from the very rootes of his heart? And so Christ our Lord honouring Laza­rus with this word of friend, did also honour his disciples; equal­ling them with himselfe, and ma­king [Page 136]them his companions in the friendship of Lazarus, and decla­ring that they were all his friends.

This Benignity, which Christ our Lord did vse both in word and deed, whilest yet he liued in mor­tall flesh, hath been also vsed by him, since he ascended vp to hea­uen, towards many seruants of his, to whom he hath seuerally appeared. And leauing many ex­amples of Saints, to whom he hath done it, sometimes in the forme of a childe, and sometimes of a most beautifull young man, & sometimes of a most glorious person; and hath honoured and comforted them, both with words and deedes, of must sweet loue: Wee will speake here, of one ad­mirable apparition, and that of great authority, whereof we haue made some mention elswhere, to another purpose; and in respect [Page 137]it was vouchsaffed to a person of very meane quality it doth so much the more disclose the Be­nignity of Christ our Lord, and makes vs the more confident of his goodnes. Saint Paulinus Bi­shop of Nola, relateth how cer­taine ships going from Sardinia towards Italy, grew into a great tempest, close by the Iland; and the rest of them breaking, and sinking there, one of them which was fraught with corne, did not split, but yet was extremely ill treated by the storme. The mar­riners, did all leaue her, and left also in her, an old poore man of Sardinia, who was yet no Chri­stian, but had begun to be cate­chised in that faith; and it was his office to clense, and pumpe the ship. When the mā obserued him selfe to be alone, and in a ship which had neither anker nor [Page 138]sterne, (for she had lost all, in the tempest:) he began with teares to recommend himself to Christ our Lord, and to beg remedy at his hands. He passed in this anguish, six whole daies, without eating any thing, and still continuing in this affliction, Christ our Lord appeared to him in great bright­nes and beauty, and comforted him and fed him, and commaun­ded him to cut the mast, which was the ordinary remedy, wherof the ship seemed capable, in that extremity. For though our Lord was resolued to deliuer the poore man, yet he was pleased withall, that he should also do his part. He put himselfe therfore, to cut the mast; and because he alone was not able to doe it, the Angells of heauen helped him in it. When this visit was at an end, and the man had disposed himselfe to [Page 139]sleepe, our Lord came againe and appeared to him, and gently tou­ching his eare with his hand, and gently pulling it, he waked him, and required him to goe about the doing of those things, which were necessary for his nauigatiō; and in that which himselfe could not doe, he had the assistance of the Angells. Another time, he appeared to him, sitting in the pupp of the ship, where the sterne is wont to be; letting him see that it was he, who gouerned her. The good man came to the feet of our Lord; and perceiuing, that he vouchsaffed to be so familiar and Benigne towards him; & that he did so cherish, and inuite him to himselfe, he tooke great cou­rage and confidence, and bent his head downe, sometime to­wards his sacred feet, and some­times reposed it in his bosome. [Page 140]Our Lord departed then, hauing both by word and deed, affoarded those great fauours and regaloes of so great Benignity, to this old Catechumenus. And the ship, being directed, and conducted by the fauour of heauen, sailed three and twenty daies by sea; and and passing by Africke, and Si­cily, and by the Faro of that Iland, he came at last to the coast of Lucana, which is the lower part of Calabria. There the inha­bitants did receiue him, and were all eye witnesses of the miracle; seeing him come safe in a ship, which was all defeated, without sterne, or men to gouerne her. From thence they conducted the old man to Saint Paulinus, who receiued him with great loue, and baptised him; and whereas first his name was Valgius, he called him now by the name of Victor. [Page 141]And the Saint affirmes, that this was a very well conditioned, and a sincere innocent kinde of man, and that he would recount this benefit, and apparition of Christ our Lord, with so great tēdernes, and deuotion, that whosoeuer heard him, could not choose but weepe from the heart.

By this example, and many o­thers, ouer which I passe for bre­uities sake; Christ our Lord hath discouered, that the Benignity, and and sweetnes of his condition, which he vsed towards miserable mē, whilest he liued in this world in mortall flesh, is still conserued by him, and still he vseth it to­wards such as will profit by it.

THis Benignity of speaking in sweet & ciuill words, which was vsed by Christ our Lord to­wards men, he commaunded his disciples in the Ghospell that they should also vse, towards their neighbours. And so when he sent them to preach to the people of Israell, he commaun­ded that as soon as they were en­tring into any house, they should instantly salute them, who were in it, saying, peace be to this house, desiring and begging of God, the most holy gift of peace for them all. And this was to teach them, [Page 143]that they were to be curteous and affable, and benigne to all them, with whom they conuersed. The Apostles obserued this order, very exactly. S. Peter the Prince of the Church, called the wicked Iewes his Brethren, who had cru­cified our Lord, saying. Act. 23. Brethren I confesse that you did it by ignorance; doe penance, and you shall be forgiuen. And such as were con­uerted, he called his fellowes, and equalls, 2. Pet. 1. in the faith, and grace of Christ our Lord. And the great Euāgelist Saint Iohn, called the faithfull, his much beloued chil­dren. And writing to a Christian woman called Electa; he saith in the letter, to the Lady Electa and her children, whom I truly loue. And wri­ting to another Christian called Caius, he saith, to my much beloued Caius, whome I doe very truly loue.

But what then shall wee say of [Page 144]Saint Paule? With what Benignity, with what curtesy, and good mā ­ners, and with what regalo, did he speake to all men? For speaking to the Iewes who still continued in their infidelity, he saith Act. 13. Men and Brethren, and the sonnes of Abraham, to you was that word sent from heauen, which giueth saluation. And speaking to the Christians, who had been conuerted from gentility he saith, Philip. 4. My bre­thren much beloued and much desired, who are my ioy, and my crowne. And in another place he saith, 1. Tim. 2. You are my hope, my ioy, and my glory. And speaking to Kinge Agrippa, who was a wicked Prince, by na­tion a Gentile, and by sect a Iew; he made him an exordium, full of estimation, curtesy, and good fashion, saying, I bold my self happy, ô Kinge Agrippa, in that I am to defend my selfe before thee, concerning those [Page 145]thinges, whereof I am accused by the Iewes; especially since thou knowest the customes and questions, which are a­mongst them; and therefore I beg thy patience in hearing mee. By these few wordes, so full of diuine sweetnes and eloquence, he made him so propitious, and gained so farre vpon his good will, as to make him gladly, and with great atten­tion, giue eare to a discourse, and sermon full of diuine mysteries. And speaking to Festus the Iudge, a Gentile and an Idolater; & ha­uing heard this word of iniury, from his mouth, Paule thou speakest like a madd man; too much learning hath put thee out of thy wits (for him selfe being blind, vnderstood no­thing but earthly thinges, and so the mysteries of heauen which S. Paule expressed, seemed madnes to him) he answered thus; Most excellent Festus, I am not madd; the [Page 146]wordes which I haue spoken to thee, are full of sobriety, and truth. What admirable Benignity was this, not to be offended or disgusted, nor a whit altered, by such a great af­front, as it was to be called, mad man; and to answer with so great serenity of minde, and so great sweetnes of wordes, so full of cur­tesy, and good manners, as to call him good or Excellēt who was an im­pious Idolater? and he might say so too with truth: for although he were not Good or excellent in his Religion, nor in that kinde of vertue which maketh a man iust in the sight of almighty God; yet he was very vertuous in conuer­sation, and morally vertuous, and so vsing a word of a double signi­fication in a true sence, he honou­red him as much as he could, yet still speaking truth. The Apostle did much declare his Benignity, & [Page 147]suauity by these examples, wher­by he honoured his neighbours, both in speaking to them, and speaking of thē: but much more he discouered it, in this instance which followeth.

Onesimus an Infidell, & a slaue, fled from Ph [...]emon his Master, and came to S. Paule being at Rome. The Apostle receiued him with much loue, and instructed him in the faith, and conuerted him by the grace of Christ our Lord, and baptised him, and returned him to his Master, and recommended him by his owne letter, wherin he wrote to this effect. I beseech thee for my some Onesimus, whom I haue engendred, for as much as concernes the spirituall life of grace, whilest I was in prison at Rome, and I embraced him as I would doe mine owne bowells. Which signifieth to this sence, I [Page 148]receiued him with much tender­nes of affectiō, as a sonne whom I loue with my whole heart, & with all the affections thereof. If thou houldest mee for thy friend, and if thou louest and respectest mee, as such an one; receiue him euen as thou wouldest doe mee, with the same affection of loue, and with the same estimation, and good vsage wherwith thou woul­dest receiue mee. And if he owe thee any thing, either for hauing runne away, or for taking any thing from thee, put it vpon my account, demaund satisfaction and paiment thereof at my hāds; for I offer to pay and satisfy it all, for him. Grant my suite, as I desire it, and I will reioyce with thee in our Lord, for this good worke of thine. Make my heart glad, by doing as much as I haue asked; which is to say, giue mee [Page 149]this comfort and this regalo, that thou receiue and treate Onesimus, as I haue begged at thy hands.

Who would not be amazed to read, and heare these wordes of Saint Paule? That an Apostle of Christ our Lord, a Prince and In­structor of the world, hauing been personally visited before by Christ our Lord himselfe, and raised by him vp euen to the third heauen; and chosen out to iudge all the Nations of the Gentiles, yea and the very Angells with them, in company of Christ our Lord; and being so employed, both day and night in preaching the Ghospell, and gouernment of the Church, as that in his brest he carryed the sol­licitude, and care of all the particular Churches thereof; that such a man I say as this, so venerable to the Inhabitants of heauen, and so reuerenced here on earth; should [Page 150]take so much to heart, and nego­tiate at so great leasure, the bu­sines of a fugitiue slaue, but new­ly conuerted to the faith; as that he should write a letter frō Rome to Phrygia, which was in Asia minor, where his Master was dwelling in Colossus, and recommend him to be receiued, to be pardoned, and to be treated well. And not being contented to performe this office of charity in ordinary wordes (which yet had been sufficient,) that he should honour Onesimus with termes of so great estimatiō, loue and sweetnes; and should re­commend him to his Master in termes, and with reasons, of so great exaggeration, as a Father would do, recommēding his only sonne, whom he did extreamely loue, to some great friend of his.

This was the Benignity and cur­tesy and suauity of speech, which [Page 151]the Apostles learned of Christ our Lord, and this must all faithfull Christians imitate, treating our neighbours with termes of cur­tesy, and good manners; and gi­uing thē the most honourable ti­tles, and names we can, according to the estate of euery one, and ac­cording to the custome of that people amongst whom wee liue, in speaking honorably of them, both in presence and absence.

In this sorte wee shall preuent many sinnes, which we vse to cō ­mit, for want of obseruing the rule of charity. We shall free our selues from detraction and mur­muring, which is a vice through which a man contemnes, and af­fronts his neighbour, speaking ill of him, and recording his defects and faults, whether it be with truth, or with falshood. But how­soeuer this is a vice much abhor­red [Page 152]by Almighty God, and very abhominable to them who feare him; which made Saint Paule say, detracters, who are abhorred by Al­mighty God. And the wise man in the Prouerbes, saith. The murmurer who speaketh ill of his neighbour, and maketh a scorne of him, is abhominable to men. And because when God hath abhomination towards a sinner, it is to wish him the euill of eternall paine; from hence it is that the murmurer is subiect to eternall malediction, and con­demnation, as Ecclesiasticus chap. 28. signifieth, saying. The murmu­rer, who secretly speaketh ill of his neighbour, and who hath two tongues, (because in the presence of his neighbour he speaketh well of him, and in his absence he infa­meth him by ill report) is accursed both of God and man; because he hath giuen trouble to many, de­priuing [Page 153]priuing them of the peace, and quiet of their hearts; and fil­ling them with grief and an­ger, and destroying that agree­ment and good correspondence, which they had with their neigh­bours.

Wee shall also deliuer our sel­ues by this meanes, frō the sinne of contumely and reproach; into which they fall, who face to face giue ill wordes to their neigh­bours; whereby they vnderualue, and affront them; and this is the vice of them who want iudgmēt, as the wise man affirmeth, say­ing; He who speaketh contumelious words to his neighbours, is a foole. And in another place, all fooles are apt to thrust themselues into suites, and strifes, and such other businesses, as tend towards the af­fronting of others; or els to the being affronted by others, with [Page 154]iniutious wordes. And this is so grieuous a sinne, and so worthy of punishment, as that Christ our Lord said; He who shal cal his neigh­bour foole, with a minde to affront him, is worthy of eternall fier.

Wee shall also thus excuse our selues from cursing others, wher­by men offer their neighbours to the diuell, that they may be dam­ned, or els, whereby they desire them any other euil. Which sinne is so grieuous, as that it excludes men from that glory, to which they were created, as the Apostle signified 1. Cor. 6. when he said; They who curse men (desiring the ac­complishment of that with their heart, which they say with their tongue) shall not possesse the king­dome of God.

We shall defēd our selues from these sinnes so pernitious to the soule, which are committed by [Page 155]the tongue, if we be well condi­tioned, and benigne in our words; whereby wee honour our neigh­bours in their presence, & speake not ill of them in their absence. And together with this wee shall, by the good vse of our benigne speech, giue great gust to Al­mighty God, and shall deserue much in his sight; and wee shall winne the loue of our neighbour, making them friendly, and kinde to vs; to the end that they may willingly receiue any good ad­uice, and counsell from vs, which wee shall thinke fit to giue. And wee shall conserue the peace, and strength of our owne soules, yea and of our estates also for the su­steining of our liues; which many times is lost, by the ill gouerne­ment of our tongues; and finally wee shall edify our neighbours, by the exāple of our good words. [Page 156]All this was signified by the wise man, when he said; The peaceable and quiet tongue, is a sweet tree of life. Which signifieth that it recrea­teth, and comforteth the hearts of men, and giues them spirituall life, and strength; and frees them from the mortall distempers of anger, and hatred, and other pas­sions. And this is wrought by that man, who giueth good language, thrōugh the much gaine and me­rit, which they get in the sight of Almighty God. And in thē also, who heare the good speech which is vsed by any man of his neigh­bours, worketh the like effect; for thereby they are edified, and in­duced towards a loue of vertue.

SOme Christians there be, who are very courteous, and well conditioned towards their neigh­bours, as long as those neigh­bours treate them with the same curtesy and ciuility; but if their neighbours faile towards them, they also faile; and then they treate thē with the same discour­tesy and disgrace, wherewith they are treated, and they vse the same ill termes which are vsed to thē. This is no good, but an ill spi­rit. For, that I should be well cō ­ditioned towards my neighbour, because he also is so to mee, is no loue of charity, but a loue of [Page 158]interest, and concupiscence; and that I should faile in curtesy, and good cōdition towards another, because he falles short therin to­wards me, is not the vertue of Be­nignity, but it is the vice of re­uenge. That which charity and Benignity requires, and which God exacteth at our hands, is that al­though another man do not what he ought, yet I doe; and that al­though another man should faile of vsing me with due curtesy, yet that I faile not thereof towards him. For by this meanes, it wil ap­peare that in the ciuility, which I vse towards my neighbours, I am not moued by humane res­pects; but for the loue of Almigh­ty God: and that I pretend not proper honour or interest, but the glory of Almighty God, and the profit of my soule, and the edification of my neighbour. And [Page 159]in this sorte I being of good con­dition, and shewing curtesy tow­ards him, who doth not so to me, I shal please almighty God much the more: for I shall moue more purely for the loue of him, and shall exercise more vertue, and encrease merit, and gaine more reward in the sight of God. For, together with the Benignity, which I shall exercise, by carrying my selfe sweetly towards my neigh­bour, I shall also exercise patiēce, and humility, in bearing with his ill condition: and I shall exercise more charity, by pardoning the iniury which he doth me, in trea­ting mee ill. This was taught vs by the Apostle Saint Paule with a kinde of heauenly inuētion; asso­ciating Benignity and Patience in suffering iniuries, with Charity in pardoning thē; for thus he saith; Colos. 3. Cloathe your selues spiritually, [Page 160]as it becometh iust men, and the elect of God, with the bowells of mercy, and Benignity; that so you may be affa­ble, and sweetly conditioned to­wards your neighbours; and with humility, modesty, and patience also; enduring, for the loue of God, the ill treating and peruerse condi­tion of one another, and pardo­ning also the iniuries of one an­other. And so also, if it happen that any one be offended, and affronted by any other, and that he haue reason to complaine, yet let him pardon it in imitation of Iesus Christ our Lord, who when wee were wicked, and as enemies of his had done him wrong; did forgiue our sinnes and the offen­ces, which we committed against him; and did free vs from them by meanes of Baptisme, and Pe­nance; without taking that ven­geance of vs, which we deserued. [Page 161]This is the substance of S. Paules discourse, & these are those rules of Charity and Benignity, which we are to keep, that so we may com­ply entirely with the will of Al­mighty God in this behalfe.

IT is much to be noted concer­ning this vertue of Benignity, which Christ our Lord taught vs, both by his word, and by his ex­ample; that there are some, both sayings and deedes of Christ our Lord in the Ghospell, which to ignorant persons might seem cō ­trary to this Benignity; but which yet are not contrary, but very a­greable [Page 162]thereunto. For Charity, which teacheth vs, that for the glory of God, and good of sou­les, we must vse this Benignity to­wards our neighbors, of speaking to them in kinde & gentle words; the same teacheth vs also, that when wee haue authority in our hands, wee may vse words so se­uere, and pricking in some cases, towards publicke and obstinate sinners, and who by their ill ex­ample are pernitious to others, as may discouer the grieuousnes of their sinnes, and may disgrace, and condemne them as they de­serue: that so if it be possible, they may be reformed, or at least that others may feare to follow their ill example. And now wee will goe declaring some instances, which Christ our Lord left vs of this truth, in the holy Ghospell.

Saint Luke chap. 13. relateth, [Page 163]that our Lord being then, as it seemed, in Galile, which was the iurisdiction of Herod, some of the Pharisees came and said to him; Auoid this country for Herod hath a minde to kill thee. Our Lord made them this answere; Go tel that foxe, that he may see I cast diuells both out of bodies and soules, to day and to mor­row, and that the third day I shall dy, and by ending my life giue end and per­fection to these workes of mine. By these three dayes, our Lord vnder­stood the time of his whole life; and sometimes he called that, one day, and some other times three daies; to signify the shortnes of this life; and to signify also, as wee said before, that as no hu­mane inuention or meanes was able to make the natural day one minute shorter then it is; so nei­ther was there any meanes to shorten his life, by one minute. [Page 164]And therefore the substance of what he said was this. During all that time of my life, which is gi­uen mee by the determination of my eternall Father, I shall con­uerse in this world, and doe those workes, for which he sent mee; which is to teach truth, & to cast diuells both out of bodies and soules, and to bestow both cor­porall and spirituall health vpon men: and as long as this time shal last, neither Herod, nor any other power vnder heauen, shall be able to take my life from mee. But when the houre shall be come, which is determined by my Fa­ther, I wil offer my selfe to death, to giue perfect life and health to the world. Yet this I will not doe in Galile, but in Ierusalem. For as it is not fit, that any Prophet dy out of Ierusalem; so especially is it decreed of this Prophet (who for [Page 165]his eminency and excellency is called The Prophet which is the Messias) that he shall dy in Ieru­salem. And as for the rest of the Prophets, it hath ordinarily been true, and so also it will bee, that they haue been put to death and are to dy in Ierusalem; because in that Citty, the wickednes of thē who gouerne the people doth a­bound.

Now Herod, who was called An­tipas, was a very wicked Kinge, and very scandalous. He was an adulterer, and an in cestuous per­son; for he tooke his owne bro­thers wife from him. He was a murtherer, & a sacrilegious man; for he had taken away the life of the great Saint Iohn Baptist; and as it should seem he also went a­bout to murder Christ our Lord secretly; least the people, being instructed by his holy doctrine, [Page 166]might growe to abhorre Herods wicked life. He was also a most vaine, giddy creature; for to re­ward the dance of a girle, he pro­mised the one halfe of his king­dome, if need had been; and he paid the life of Saint Iohn for it. He was moreouer a false and dis­sembling person, for he preten­ded that he murdered Saint Iohn for the complying with his oath; whereas indeed that was not the cause, but for the contenting of a wicked woman, and for the set­ling and securing of his owne wic­ked life.

Now Christ our Lord, resoluing to discouer the authority of the Kinge of heauen and earth, and of the Lord of al creatures, which himselfe had in his hand, for the reproofe, and punishment of all the powerfull men of this world; and to shew how free he was from [Page 167]all humane feare; and to giue an example to the Prelates of his Church, of that holy liberty, which in such case they were to vse, towards the Kinges of the earth; and to discouer also, how vile, and contemptible, sinnefull men are, in the sight of God, how rich, and noble, and great Lords soeuer they might chance to be, and particularly meaning to de­clare to them, who bad him take heed of Herod, that he knew well enough all the fetches and de­signes of that crafty man, & that he had no need to be tould ther­of by any other: I say to declare and discouer all these thinges, he spake this word; Tell that foxe &c. Which was to say vnder a meta­phor; Tell that crafty, and dis­sembling man, who by the wic­kednes of his life, giues a pesti­lent odour of ill example, that [Page 168]whatsoeuer ēdeauour he may vse, he can take no part of my life frō mee, till my selfe shall volunta­rily part with it; as I will do, when the time ordained by my eternall Father, shall arriue.

Being therefore most conue­nient, for these ends which wee haue touched, that Christ our Lord should speake with this autho­rity of a Lord, he did yet obserue great modesty and Benignity ther­in. For he might well haue said; Tell that wicked man, that adul­terer, that murderer, and sacrile­gious person; yea or tell it to that diuell (for all this had fitted him, & he deserued it well:) but Christ our Lord would not vse any of these termes, but fell vpon a more moderate word, as this was; Tell that crafty and dissembling man, that he hath no power to stop the course of my life. And so shewing the autho­rity, [Page 169]and holy liberty which the Prelates of the Church are to vse towardes the great men of this world; and discouering also, his owne diuine wisedome; he did joyntly teach vs that moderatiō, wherewith we are to exeroise that authority and liberty.

Other examples; which may breed the like difficulty in the mindes of ignorant men, are the reprehensions which Christ out Lord gaue to the Scribes and Pha­risees of the people of Israell, in very seuere wordes, which did greatly confound, and grieuously wound them; for he would say sometimes, as Matt. 12. You genera­tion of vipers, you can not speake well being so wicked. This wicked & adulte­rous generatiō asketh signes: At other times he would say, as Matt. 23. Woe be to you Scribes and Pharisees you hipoctites. Wo be to you, who are [Page 170]blinde, and guides of the blinde. And Ioh. 8. You are of the diuell, and him you haue for your Father, and you coo­perate to his wicked ends.

Now let vs see the mystery of these words of Christ our Lord, & how they were not contrary to that Charity and Benignity, which he taught vs, but full of confor­mity to the same. And let vs also see, who they be, who may vse such wordes; and to what kinde of persons; & for what ends they may be vsed.

The Scribes and Pharises, who were the Doctours, and should haue been the true Religious mē of Israell, were at that time, not onely wicked, but wicked they were in all extreamity, and their sinnes were very publicke, & very contrary to all Religion. And with being so wicked, they yet would needes sell themselues for [Page 171]good, and holy; and they accom­panied their wicked life, with ill precepts, which were most per­nicious to the people. For by their wicked life, and peruerse di­rections, and with their pretences and deceits, they corrupted the manners of ignorant people; and they were blind & obstinate. And besides these sinnes, which were ordinary in them, they harbou­red that supreme wickednes, of hindering the saluation, which Christ our Lord came to worke, in the soules of men; calumniating his most holy life, and attribu­ting to Belzebub, those most eui­dent and expresse miracles, which he wrought by diuine power; and persecuting him to whom they should haue carryed all venera­tion, and exhibited al obedience, as to the true Messias; and yet desi­ring and procuring by all the [Page 172]waies they could, to put him to death, who came to giue thē life.

These men being such as I haue said, it was necessary that Christ our Lord, (who was sent by his Father to giue testimony to the truth, and to take scandalls out of the world, and to giue remedy to soules) vsing the authority, which he had, of Sauiour of the world, & King of heauen, should reprehend vice; and that concer­ning publicke sinnes, he should reprehend them publickely; and that concerning grieuous & very hurtfull sinnes, he should repre­hend them grieuously, according to the quality and perniciousnes of the same: that so they, who were faulty, might well feele the great hurt they did; and all the rest of the people, might be disabused, and not haue cause to follow ei­ther the ill exāple, or ill precepts [Page 173]of their wicked Teachers and go­uernours. And now that Christ our Lord might execute this so im­portant office for the saluation of soules, which was ordeined to the ends of true Charity, such re­prehensions of his were necessary, as might declare the grieuousnes of the hipocrisy, and other sinnes of those Teachers, and the hurt they did to the people; and the damnation which they prouided for themselues, by committing such sinnes: and he tould them, who was the principall Author thereof, namely the diuell, whom they obeyed; and the necessity which they had, of making re­course to strong remedies; for they were sinnes which were inhe­rited from their predecessors, who had been wicked, and they were deeply rooted in their hearts.

Christ our Lord, did especially [Page 174]make such seuere and sharpe re­prehensions, when they did falsly sooth, and flatter him. For many times, when they darted out in­iurious words against him, he re­prehended thē not; but answered them with all sweetnes, shewing his humility, and meekenes, and teaching vs to suffer wrongs, with patience. But when they flattered him, he reprehēded them indeed: as when with counterfeit hearts, they said, Master, wee desire a signe of thee from heauen; for then he an­swered them thus. Matth. 12. You wicked and adulterous generatiō. And when they said, Master wee know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God according to truth. For then he said, why doe you tempt mee, you hipocrites? discouring therby, that he vnderstood their hearts, and that he would not pay him­selfe with their flatteries, & con­terfeit [Page 175]praises; and teaching all the world, that wee were not to take gust in being soothed, nor to desire to be praised by men. So did S. Chrysostome obserue vpon these wordes, Master wee desire that thou giue vs a signe frō heauen. Where he saith, that first they iniured him, saying, he had a diuell; and that then they flattered him, cal­ling him, Master. And therefore it is, that he reprehendeth them with vehemency, saying, that they were a wicked generation. So that, when they affront him with ill words, he answereth them with meekenes; and when they flatter him with a false heart, he giues them sharpe wordes. Our most blessed Lord discouering to vs thereby, that he was free from all passion; and that neither he was put to impatience by affrōts; nor that he was inueigled by flat­teries.

BEsides these reasons, why Christ our Lord did so sharply reprehend the sinnes of the Scri­bes and Pharises, there is yet an­other; and it is for the instructing of the Prelates of the Church, af­ter what manner they are to re­proue the sinnes of publickē, ob­stinate and rebellious sinners, which are of the more grieuous sorte, and more preiudiciall to o­thers; and that they are to doe it publickly, with great weight, and [Page 177]force of words, to the end that obstinate sinners may finde how wicked they are; and that they may reforme themselues, and that others may feare, and take warning by their ill exam­ple; and that all sinnes, and sinners are not to bee repro­ued after the same manner, but some gently and sweetly; and o­thers with seuerity and rigour, according to the quality of the sinne, and the obstinacy of the sinner, & the hurt which he doth thereby to others. And that these seuere reprehensions, which are made in punishment of delin­quents, must not be vsed by all, but by Superiours, who haue au­thority for the same; and that the end which such mē haue, must not be the affront, nor the trouble of the sinner, but the reformation both of him, & others. And ther­fore [Page 178] Charity, which teacheth vs to be sweet, and benigne, towards some kinde of sinners, (because that course is fit for the good of their soules) the selfe same Cha­rity teacheth vs, to be seuere and strict towardes others; because that also is conuenient, to the and that others may be warned, and they reformed. Saint Gregory noteth this, in these words. Some offences are to be reprehended with vehemency, to the end that the delinquent, who of himselfe perhaps, vnderstāds not the grie­uousnes of his sinne, may come to finde it by the wordes of him who reprehends; and that he may growe to feare the committing of that sinne, which he thought to be but light, by the very seue­rity wherwith it is corrected. And it is the duty of the Superiour to correct with great seuerity those [Page 179]offences of their subiects, which are not gently to be endured; but he must not doe it out of anger, but out of a holy zeale; for feare, least if he correct not faults as he ought, himself grow to be faulty; and that the punishment which was due to the offences of his sub­iects, doe fall vpon himselfe through his negligence. And the same Saint saith in another place; that their sinnes who haue not lost shame, are to be reprehended after another sorte, then theirs who haue lost all shame. For se­uere reprehēsion is necessary for the reformation of them, who are growne impudent; but such as are still ashamed of their sinnes, are vsually better reformed, by some milde exhortation.

This stile, of seuerely repre­hending the more griouous; and pernitious sorte of sinnes, which [Page 180]haue been cōmitted by the pow­erfull men of this world, and by the false guide of soules, hath been obserued by the auncient Saints, who were mooued to it by the Holy Ghost; and the Saints also of the Euangelicall Lawe, haue vsed the like, being instructed by the example of Christ our Lord; though it be true that these later, haue obserued it with greater mo­deration, and more mixture of suauity then the former; for so the Lawe of grace requires.

The Prophet Nathan, 2. Kings. 12. chap. reproued Kinge Dauid; and hauing first propounded him a parable, he concluded saying; Thou art that man, who hath cō ­mitted so great wickednes, as to take the wife of another: and for this sinne, the sword shall neuer faile to hang ouer thy house, as a punishment both of thee, and thy [Page 181]descendents.

The Prophet Elias, 2. Kings. 18. chap. hauing heard that imputa­tion which King Achab layed vpō him, in these wordes; Art thou that man who troublest Israel? did reproue him for that wickednes, which he had committed against God, and his Prophets; and made answere to him, after this manner. I am not the man who trouble Israell; but thou and the house of thy Father, are they who trouble it: because thou hast forsaken the lawe of our Lord.

The Prophet Elizeus, 4. Kings. 3. chap. reprehending the sinnes of King Ioram, who was in company with Kinge Iosaphat, when he de­sired the Prophet to obtaine of God that he would send downe water to the army, for that it was ready to dy of thirst, made him this answere; What hast thou to doe with me? goe to the Prophet [...] [Page 182]of thy Father, and of the mother; and if it were not for the respect of Kinge Iosaphat, who is present, for my part I would not so much as looke vpon thee.

The man of God, who was sent by him to Samaria, 4. Kings. 13. chap. and found King Ieroboam, who was in Bethelle, offering sa­crifice vpon an Altar like a Priest, did addresse his speech as to the Altar, and thereby reprehended him, after this manner. A sonne shall be borne of the house of Dauid called Iosias, and he shall kill those Priests vpon thee, who are now offering incense on thee.

The great Baptist of our Lord, Matth. 3. reprehending the Scri­bes and Pharises & Saduces, who came to his Baptisme, said thus to them. O you generation of vipers. You men full of the venime of sinne, and that so inueterate, as [Page 183]that you haue inherited it from your Fathers; who hath forewar­ned you to fly from the wrath & iust vengeance of God? What wō ­der, what strange thing is this, that men so hard to be cōuerted, by reason of your errour and the false opinion you haue of your owne sanctity, should come to re­ceiue my Baptisme, and doe pe­nance, and so fly from eternall damnation? And Saint Peter, Act. 8. reprouing Simon Magus said. Thy money perish with thee; in that thou thoughtest, that the gift of God, which is imparted by the Holy Ghost, was to be bought with money. I see that thou art full of the bitternes, and gall of sinne, & that thou art bound fast ther­by to euerlasting torments. And Saint Paul, Act. 13. said to Elimas the sorcerer. O man full of falshood, and deceit, thou sonne of the diuell, and [Page 184]enemy of all Iustice, who forbearest not to doe thy vttermost, to peruert the straight waies of the lawe of God. And Saint Steuen said, to the Scribes, and Pharises. Act. 7. O you stiffe nec­ked men, and who haue not cut a­way the wickednes of your hearts, and of your cares, with the sword of the word of God: You haue euer resisted the holy Ghost, as your forefathers did be­fore you.

After this manner haue the Saints (with that authority, which they had from God for this pur­pose, and to comply with the duty of that office which God had gi­uen them) reprehēded those men with sharpe and seuere wordes, who by their wicked life, and the deceit and falsehood of their per­uerse doctrine, had corrupted soules. And they were moued to reprehend them thus, by their great charity, in their loue to God, [Page 185]and their neighbours; and by a most ardent zeale to the glory of God, & the good of soules. And it is a thing very worthy the being considered, that whereas the Saints doe sometimes vse such wordes in their reprehensions, as haue been expressed, they are not indeed affronting or iniurious wordes, when wee consider the heart, and end wherewith, and for which they are spokē; though yet they may seeme so be to, be­cause they are the very same, which passionate men are wont to vse, when they affront others, and reuēge themselues of their neigh­bours. Whereby wee may be sure, that these holy mē did not speake those words with passion, and de­sire to giue disgrace, as these o­thers doe; but with zeale of cha­rity, and desire to doe good. And by this rule which followeth wee [Page 186]shall discerne it plainly.

If they, who reprehend their neighbours, ouer whō they haue authority, with sharpe words, in cases when there is necessity to doe it; if they, I say, (abstracting from those cases of necessity, and in all things els, which they doe and say) shew themselues hum­ble, meeke and full of pitty both louing, and doing good to their neighbours, and despising them­selues, and suffering the iniuries and ill treaty, which they receiue from others, with patience; wee may cleerly see, that when they speake sharply to sinners, they do it not out of pride, or passion, or to put disgrace vpon them; but only out of a charitable desire to recouer, and cure their soules. For the men, who when they re­proue sinners, speake words with inward passion, and out of re­uenge, [Page 187]doe the like when that is not the case, & they shew them­selues reuengefull, angry, and proud: but holy men proceed not so; but when that necessary occa­sion ceaseth, they vse al men with much humility, and charity; and especially those very persons, whom they reprehended. Wee see this by the examples which wee produced before.

Though Nathan reprehended Dauid with so great liberty; yet when he sawe him reformed, he went in to him, and cast himselfe vpon his knees, & spake to him, and treated him with great reue­rence. Though Elias reprehended Achab so sharpely, yet after, when the Kinge was in his chariot, Elias himselfe went running be­fore him, in his company, with much humility, as if he had been a meer seruāt of his. And though [Page 188] Elizeus confounded the pride of Ioram with so great a reprehen­sion; yet instantly with great cha­rity, he did miraculously obtaine water of God, both for him, and all his army.

Though the man of God did so seuerely reproue, and threaten Ieroboam; yet seeing that the King had one of his handes dried vp, he besought God with great de­uotion, and obtained health for him. Though the great Saint Iohn Baptist, did with so vehement words, declare the malice of the Pharises, and Saduces; yet he did it but by way of admiration, and praise of the power, and goodnes of God, who had moued such ob­stinate, and blind sinners to make some change of their liues; and instantly with great charity, and zeale, for the saluation of their soules, he exhorted and animated [Page 189]them, to doe workes, worthy of penance, to the end that their cō ­uersion might proue solid and with perseuerance. And though Saint Steuen did sharply reproue the Scribes, and Pharises; yet in­stantly he prayed to Almighty God for them, with a most ar­dent affectiō of loue, euen whilest they were stoning him. And though S. Peter, did with wordes full of weight, detest the Simony of Simon Magus, yet instātly being full of pitty, he admonished him to doe penance, to the end that God might pardon that great wickednes of his. And though S. Paule did checke those great de­ceits, and the peruerse life of Eli­mas, the sorcerer, yet instantly he vsed much charity towards him. For obtaining first, that God would strike him blind, he would not haue that blindnes to be per­petuall, [Page 190]as the wicked man de­serued; but onely that it might last for a while: that so, being in­duced by that punishment he might come to vnderstand his owne sinne, and so doe penance for the same.

In this sort haue the Saints dis­couered cleerly, that those sharpe reprehensions, whereby they cor­rected grieuous finnes, were vsed by them with great tendernes, & sweetnes of loue; and that, whilest in the exteriour, they shewed thē ­selues so strict, and free in their reprehensiōs, they did euen then, in the most interiour of their own hearts, humble and despise them­selues, as Saint Gregory noteth in these wordes. Holy men doe not shew themselues so resolute, and free, when they reproue the pow­erfull men of this world, as pre­suming vpon themselues, nor to [Page 191]the end that men should render and submit themselues to them through the feare of man; but the great rectitude of heart, which they haue, makes them vse that holy liberty; & euen whilest they vse it, they conserue themselues in humility; and reprehending the crimes of sinners, with great strength of mind, they iudge thē ­selues, examining their owne faults with great curiosity and care, and they place themselues in their owne account below all others. This is said by Saint Gre­gory. And by this true explication which wee haue made, it remai­neth very cleare, that the serious and seuere reprehensions, wher­with Christ our Lord & his Saints haue corrected the great crimes of sinners, are not cōtrary to that Benignity which he taught vs, but are full of the dearnes & sweetnes of true Charity.

ONe of the principall things (besides those whereof wee haue spoken) which belong to the vertue of Benignity, and the sweet manner of conuersing with our neighbours is, to be glad of their good, and to praise them; yet with that moderatiō, which pru­dence requireth, and to that end which Charity seeketh. For this maketh a seruant of God to be amiable and sweet, and thus he augmenteth Charity, towards his neighbours, & he groweth more [Page 193]able to be of vse to soules. For by this meanes, his instruction and admonition, will be the better re­ceiued, and the example of his good life better allowed: and he will haue more efficacy to moue others. So saith the worthy Do­ctor, and Bishop Guiltelmus Pari­siensis. Benignity is the loue of an­others good; and wee call those men Benigne, who as soon as they discouer a good thing in their neighbours, doe instantly loue it, and loue him for it; and from hence it growes, that they praise, and set him forth in wordes.

For the exercise of this vertue, there is need of great considera­tion, and much discretion, and light from heauen. For as by the vse therof with moderatiō, being directed to the right end, it is of great profit, and edification to­wards the encrease of vertue; so [Page 194]vsing it without moderation, and without rectitude of intention; it is both very hurtfull to his soule, who praiseth, and to his also who is praised. For this reason, Saint Bonauenture approueth this saying of Seneca, praise that with mode­ration, which is praise worthy; & dispraise that, which is blamable, with more moderation. For super­fluity of praise is liable to re­proof, as well as tēperate dispraise.

Well then, let vs goe on de­claring the errour, which is com­mitted, and the hurt which grow­eth, by inordinate praise and the manner & intention which praise must haue, to the ēd that it may be truly giuen according to vertue.

For a man to praise his neigh­bour, for that which is naught, is a great sinne; and not onely doe they fal into it, who praise a man for some reuenge, which he may [Page 195]haue taken of an enemy; or for hauing affrōted that person, who did him iniury by some word, or for hauing vttered some carnall speech, performing some actiō of that kind: but they also who praise sūptuous buildings, superfluous humours & gifts, curious & rich cloathes, delicious & costly dyet; and all that which hath any tin­cture of vanity and pride, and the regalo of this flesh & blood, and the loue of the world. For all these thinges, are ill, and hurt­full to the soule of a Christian; who, to the end that he may get to heauen, must deny himselfe, and imbrace the Crosse of Christ our Lord. To all these flatterers who praise that which they should reprehēd, Esay chap. 5. saith, Woe be to them, who praise wicked thinges, as if they were good; and who hould the dark­nes of errour for the light of truth; and [Page 196]true light for darkenes; and who esteem the bitter life of sinners, to be sweet; and the sweet life of vertue, to be bitter.

In like manner, it is vitious for a man to praise temporall, & naturall thinges, as if they were the greatest, & principall gifts of God; as riches, nobility, strength, and beauty of the body. For these are blessings of little value, and they make not a man to be bet­ter in himselfe, or more estimable in the sight of God: & such praise breeds much hurt to the soule, for it makes a man greatly loue and praise those thinges which he should despise, & from which he should estrange his heart. The holy scripture condemneth this vice saying, doe not praise men for the corporall beauty which they haue; nor despise them for their poore, & meane apparance. Consider that the Bee, being but [Page 197]a very little creature, giueth so excellent a fruite, as that it is the most sweet of all sweet thinges; for there is nothing more sweet, then hony. The meaning is, that as the little Bee, hath efficacy to produce such a fruite; so may a little body, & a meane presence, haue much vertue. And that which the Holy Ghost saith of the beauty of the body, he will haue vs vnderstand of all other naturall, and temporall gifts, which are of so little value, that a man is noe further worthy of estimation or praise for them, thē if he had them not; but onely so farre forth, as there may result some profit to the soule thereby. This was taught vs, both by the example, and diuine wordes of Christ our Lord: For a certaine de­uoute womā, hauing seen his mi­racles, and hauing heard his do­ctrine, [Page 198]was not able to conteine herselfe, but that she must needes praise that Mother aloud, who had brought forth such a Sonne, say­ing; Blessed is the wombe, which have thee, and the brests which gaue thee sucke. But Christ our Lord gaue her this answere; Nay, rather bles­sed are they who heare the word of God, and keepe it. By which wordes he discouered to vs, how that free & gratuite blessing, whereby the most sacred Virgin was made Mother of the naturall Sonne of God, did not alone, and of it selfe make her happy or blessed, nor worthy of the reward of heauen: nor more great in the sight of God; but the vnspeakeable ver­tue, and suauity, and grace, wher­by Almighty God did exalt, and dignify her, for such an office: & that which afterward he gaue her, in regard of so high a dig­nity, [Page 199]was the thing which made her so truly happy.

If then so admirable a gift, as that was, did not deserue great praise for it selfe alone, but for that vertue and sanctity which went in company thereof: how much more, must all temporall blessings, and gifts of nature, which in themselues are so poore and perishing, be vnworthy of praise; but onely so farre forth, as they may be found to assist, and concurre towards the good of the soule?

So saith Saint Chrysostome, de­claring these wordes of Christ our Lord. By this sentence, Christ our Lord did make vs know, that it would not haue profited the Vir­gin, to haue brought forth the Sonne of God, if shee had not withall, been endowed with that faith, and incomparable sanctity [Page 200]which shee had. And therefore, as I said, if so great a dignity, would not haue profited the blessed Virgin, without the vertue, and sanctity of her soule; how much more clear is it, that it will serue vs to little purpose, before Almighty God, to haue Saints to our Fa­thers, or sonnes, or kinred, or such other externall gifts; if withall, wee haue not goodnes and ver­tue, and doe not lead a spirituall life? For this is that which ma­keth men to be of value, & wor­thy of praise, in the sight of God.

It is also an errour, and fault of flattery, to praise our neigh­bour for any vertue, which he may haue, and thereby to delight and comfort him principally, for the temporall gaine and profit, which he hopeth to receiue of him. For the praise of true ver­tue, which principally is to be or­deined [Page 201]to some spirituall good, and to the seruice of God, is or­deined by him to his owne pri­uate interest, which is a sinnefull thing; & so much the more grie­uous it will be, as there is more inordinatenes in the thing. And when it is very great, that will be fulfilled in their persons, which is spoken of by the Psalmist, Psal. 2. God will defeare and destroy, the strength and authority of them, who desire and procure to please, and giue gust to men: and haue that for their end, not look­ing vp towards God, but downe vpon their owne priuate interest and humour. Especially they who procure to please worldly men, forbearing to doe those thinges which they owe to God, in respect of them: these indeed, shall be confounded, and put to shame, by Almighty God. For both in [Page 202]this life, euen all their temporall hopes shall prooue vaine; and be­sides, in the other life, they shall be fulfilled with shame, and deli­uered ouer to eternall torments.

Besides it is a defect, and the fault of soothing, to praise a man either for his wit, or learning, or for the talents, and parts which he hath: yea or euen for his true vertue; when it is likely, that through his weakenes, or vnmor­tified ill inclination he may fall into pride, and vaine complacēce in himself, or into any other pre­iudice of his soule. Saint Augustine obserued this, in these wordes. A hard thing it is, that some little impurity of errour, doe not stick to the hart of a man, (euē though it be cleane) vpon the praises of another; vnles indeed he should haue it so very cleane, as that be should take no gust in them, nor [Page 203]be touched by any vapour of thē; and vnles the praise which they giue him, should more content him for the good of them, who praise him, then for the comfort, or honour, or estimation, which may growe thereby to himselfe. And thē he may know, that their praise of him, is profitable to thē, if in their life they honour not him, but God; not fastning their mindes vpon him, by the praise, & honour, which they giue him, but rising vp by him, towards Al­mighty God, whose most sacred temple euery man is, who liueth well. So that it may be fulfilled in him, which is spoken of, by the Psalmist; My soule shall be prai­sed by such, as are good; not in it selfe but in our Lord; that is to say, for the gifts which it hath of our Lord, and for the glory of the same Lord.

[Page 204]This is the danger to which they are ordinarily subiect, who are much praised by men; vnles they be possessors of true and so­lid vertue, whereby they may re­sist vaine complacence, and refer the praise to the Author of all good thinges, which is God. For so saith the holy Scripture; Better is it, to be corrected by a discreet and wise man, then to be praised by an im­prudent man, who with his smooth kinde of praising leaues vs in errour. And declaring the danger wherin man is, when he who praiseth, doth not obserue the moderatiō, and end which ought to be kept. Saint Hierome said; There is no­thing which doth so easily infect, and corrupt the hearts of men as flattery; and the tongue of a flat­terer doth more hurt, then the sword of a persecutour.

Another fault is also commit­ted [Page 205]in praising some, when it is for the dispraise of others. A man will not dare expressely to speake ill of his neighbour, especially to one who hath auersion from hea­ring it; and therefore to doe it the more couertly, he doth it by meanes of praising another man for the same vertues and gifts of his, and then the detracter would haue it thought, that the man whom he meaneth to dis­praise, doth want those vertues, or else is subiect to the contrary defects. Saint Chrysostome noteth this vice, in these wordes: We doe many good thinges; but not all­waies with a good minde. Wee praise many; but not to the end, that we may speake well of them, but to detract and speake ill of others. Now that which wee say is good, because we praise vertue in another; but the minde, wher­with [Page 206]with wee say it, is infected with sinne, and set on worke by Satan: for wee pretend not to doe him good, whom wee praise, but hurt to him whom wee dispraise.

These are the defects, and vi­ces, which growe by praisinge o­thers, when it is done without discretion and moderation; and without that end to which it ought to be addressed; and so it leaueth to be vertue, as is turned into the vice of flattery. And now wee will declare, how praise is to be vsed, to the end that it may be a fruite of the vertue of Charity & Benignity. And wee will produce some examples, which Christ our Lord shewed vs, concerning the manner and intention, which we were to hould in praisinge our neighbours,

IT is a thing both lawfull and very pleasing to Almighty God, for a man to praise his neighbours, for the good he hath done; to the end that being prai­sed, they may loue vertue so much the more, and be animated to the exercise thereof; and not be dis­maied by the troubles, and diffi­culties, to which a vertuous life is subiect. And this is principally to be done, towards men, who are but beginners in the way of vertue; and who are weake, and of little heart; for such persons [Page 208]haue the greater need of helpe. Yet euen this praise must be gi­uen with the moderation afore­said; in such sort, as that it may profit, and not hurt the party praised; but may edify, and in­duce him to a loue and estima­tion of vertue, and not to a pre­sumption in himselfe, and a loue of vanity. For the obtaining of this end, the praise must be giuen in words, which may not greatly exaggerate, or amplify the ver­tue; but plainly declare the truth, and his approbation thereof. Let vs see some exāples, which Christ our Lord gaue of this. Nathaniell came to Christ our Lord, Iohn 1. being brought to him by Saint Philip. This Nathaniell, was a man full of vertue, & very obseruant of the lawe; and came in doubt, whether or no Christ our Lord were the true Mestias, as S. Philip [Page 209]had said he was. And drawing, neer, our Lord looked vpon his disciples, and said in the hearing of Nathaniell: Behould here a true Israelite, in whom there is no guile. As if he had said; Behould here a man truly good, not dissembling or counterfeit; but that vertue which he sheweth in his exte­riour fashion, and publicke con­uersation, which is subiect to the sight of men, is possest by him in the secret, & most interiour part of his heart, which is seen by Al­mighty God.

This was a true, and moderate praise, and much good grew to Nathaniell by it; for therby he vn­stood, that Christ our Lord knew the secrets of his heart, and he was certified of it so much the more, by the further answere of Christ our Lord. For saying to him, where knew you mee? he answered, [Page 210] I sawe thee, when thou wert vnder the sigtree. It should seem that Natha­niell, had retired himselfe vnder that tree to pray, or to doe some other good worke; and so he in­ferring thereby, (as a wise man might well doe,) that Christ our Lord knew all thinges, he belee­ued perfectly in him, and tooke him for his Master. Let vs deli­uer another example of the same truth.

Christ our Lord, Luke 19. came into the house of Zaccheus the Pu­blican; and he mooued him by his wordes, and by his presence, to so great pennance, and change of life: that not onely he resolued to giue ouer all those sinnes into which he had fallen, & to restore all that, to the restitution wherof he was obliged; but to render it foure fould; thereby giuing sa­tisfaction for the fault he had [Page 211]mitted, by voluntarily vnder­going the paine, which the lawe imposed vpon such persons, as tooke away the goods of others; and besides all this, he gaue halfe his substance to the poore. Christ our Lord perceiuing so good be­ginnings of a holy life in Zac­cheus, did praise him: by saying of him, to the standers by; This day, is true saluation wrought in this house; For the Master and owner of it, is already a true sonne of Abraham: not only now by the ex­traction of flesh and blood; but by the imitation of his faith, and vertue. In this sorte therefore, did Christ our Lord praise Natha­niell, who was a new beginner in his schoole of vertue and good life, and so also did he praise Zac­cheus. And the praise was true, and moderate; & it did no more then declare in plaine wordes, that the [Page 212]one of them, was a man truly good, and the other truly peni­tent & by meanes of these words, he strengthned and encouraged them, both to perseuer and grow in the good course which they had begunne.

But not only did Christ our Lord praise them, who had good in­tentions, & who were truly good; and vpright and well meaninge soules, as Nathaniell already was before, and Zacchaus was growne to be; but he approued, and prai­sed also that good which was said, or done, by such as came to him, euen with an ill minde. There came a man, Luc. 10. who was lear­ned in the Lawe, to tempt him, asking what he was to doe, for the obtaining of eternall life? Christ our Lord demaunded of him, how it was written in the Lawe? He answe­red, It is written that thou shalt loue [Page 213]the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbour as thy selfe. Our Lord thē said to him, (by way of allowing & praising what he had formerly said;) Thou hast answered well: doe as thou hast said, and as the Lawe commaundeth, and thou shalt obtaine euerlasting life.

There came, another time, a Pharisy to our Lord, Mat. 22. Marc. 12. in name of all the rest, to see if he could draw some such an­swere from him, as whereby he might calumniate him; and he asked him, which was the greatest commaundment of the law? And Christ our Lord, hauing answered him, that it was to loue God with all the heart; the Pharisy approued the answere of our Lord, and added thereunto these words: that to loue God with all the heart; and the neigh­bour as ones selfe, was a better worke and more acceptable to God, then all [Page 214]the Holocausts and other Sacrifices of the Lawe. Then our Lord liking the speech of this man, did praise him saying; Thou art not farre from the kingdome of God. Which is as much as to say; Thou art not farre from beleeuing, and obey­ing the Ghospell, and obteining true saluation. For the knowing of a diuine truth so important, and the approouing it by the su­pernaturall gift of God, was a disposition for the being conuer­ted to him: and to acknowledge Christ himselfe, who was sent into the world to saue it.

Christ our Lord, if he would haue encreased his Iustice, vpon these two learned mē in the Law, might haue seuerely reprooued the ill mind, wherewith they were come to him; and he might haue discouered the craft, and ma­lice, which they carryed in their [Page 215]hearts; for so also they would haue vnderstood, that he knew all things, and thereby he might haue put them to confusion and shame. Yet this he would not do; but he heard them with admira­ble meekenes, and answered their questions with supreme Charity. And he approoued that which they had said well, though it were very little, and very imperfect; and he praised it with strange Be­nignity: that so he might remooue that peruersenes of minde from thē, which they brought to him; and encourage them to encrease in the knowledge and loue of truth, till at length, they might grow subiect to it. And so by this true Benignity, he changed their hearts, and sent them bettered from him; and he taught vs with­all, that not only we are to praise good men, for the true vertue [Page 216]which they haue, but that we may also praise with moderation, euen in imperfect and wicked men, the good they doe or say; to the end that they may growe to take af­fection to vertue, and may so de­test and driue out of their hearts, the wickednes which they haue, and goe encreasing in the good way begunne; as also to gaine their good will; & to make them beneuolous and kinde; which is a very good disposition, towards the inducing them to receiue in good part the doctrine, which we shall deliuer, and the reprehen­sions, which we may haue cause to vse. And therefore Saint Gre­gory aduiseth, that when they who are endowed with authority, and wisdome for this purpose, re­proue sinners, who are pusillani­mous & weak, they shal do wel to mingle some sweetnes of praise, [Page 217]the sharpenes of correction; that so they may the better admit of the doctrine and reproofe, which is giuen them. The Saint expres­seth it in these words. Wee shall better drawe such sinners, as are not peruerse & proud, but weake and poore of heart, to the way of heauen, if whilst we reprehend the euil thinges, which they haue done, wee ioyntly praise those good thinges, which wee know to be in them; to the end that by this meanes, such praise may con­firme and strengthen thē in their weakenes, who were humbled by that reproofe. Thus did S. Paule proceed with those Christians of Thessalonica. For they, hauing fal­len into the fault of giuing cre­dit to certaine false Prophets who taught thē that the day of iudg­ment was then to come very sud­denly, (whereby they were put [Page 218]into much disorder and trouble) before he reprehended this light­nes of theirs, he praised them say­ing, 2. Thess. 1. Wee must giue many thanks to God, for the great encrease of yours faith, which is growing euery day; and for the encrease also of your fraternall charity, which aboundeth its euery one of you; and encreaseth daily, both by your louing, and doing good to one another. But when he had prai­sed them in these & other words, he benignely reprehendeth them saying, chap. 2. Wee beseech you brethren, by the coming of Christ our Lord to iudgment, and by the glorious and blessed vnion which wee are all to haue toge­ther at that day, that you depart not so easily from giuing credit to vs; and from hauing the true sence of those thinges which you haue learned of vs; and that you be not troubled, or frighted by [Page 219]what others tell you; and in a word that none may haue power to deceiue you; By this diuine ar­tifice, the sacred Doctour of the na­tions, did reprehend them; when first he had comforted and encou­raged thē by recording that ver­tue, which he knew to be in them, and the good opinion which he had of them; to the end that, ha­uing cōpunction to, see that they had failed of the good which they had begunne, they might the better accept of the reproofe he gaue them; and so might reforme themselues thereby.

WEe must also praise the vertue of good men, to declare how great a good that is; and how that which seemeth lit­tle and of meane value in the sight of mē, is indeed very great, and hath a most high reward in the sight of God; to the end that other men may esteem greatly of it, and carry much affection to it, & labour hard to acquire it. Let vs deliuer some examples hereof.

Saint Peter Matt. 16. confessed to Christ our Lord that he was the true Sonne of God saying; Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God. [Page 221]It seemed a small matter, and of no merit, that Saint Peter, hauing conuersed so long with Christ our Lord, & seen with his owne eyes, so great and so euident miracles, and heard such doctrine, & con­templated such an exāple of life; that he should piously incline his heart to belieue, that he was the true Messias, & the naturall Sonne of God. For this did not cost him the shedding of his blood, nor the tormenting of his body with affliction, and penance; but only to produce a pious affect of the will, and to performe an act of obedience in the vnderstanding. But Christ our Lord praised him, and gaue testimony that this in­ward act of his was of supreme value and estimation, in the sight of Almighty God; and that on earth he should receiue admi­rable fauouurs from God for the [Page 222]same; & that in heauen, he should enioy an immēse reward of glory. And that frō that instāt, he might begin to be happy by that certen hope, and pawne, which was gi­uen him of that infinite good, which he was afterward to pos­sesse, and enioy during all eter­nity. All this he declared by say­ing; Blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Ionas. for men who are made of flesh and blood, were not able, with al the humane wisdome they haue, to teach thee this truth. My celestiall Father it is, who hath reueiled it to thee, & vpon thee, will I build my Church, and to thee will I giue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen.

By these words, Christ our Lord praised by faith and deuotion of Saint Peter; and declared to the world, of how soueraigne value before Almighty God, and how [Page 223]richly to be rewarded with cele­stiall and eternall blessings, one single act of vertue may be, which is performed by a iust mā, though it be easily produced, and in a short time, and how little soeuer it may cost; and especially an in­teriour act of liuely faith, which a iust man hath no difficulty at all to performe.

Christ our Lord, being in the Atrium of the Temple Marc. 12. Luc. 21. behoulding thē who were easting almes into the chest, which was to serue for the repa­ration of the Temple, for the maintenance of the Priests, and for the relief of the poore; amōgst the rest of them who cast in their almes, which without doubt was then done both by many and in plentifull manner (for it was neer Easter, at which time there came much people to Ierusalem, from [Page 224]all parts;) there cometh a very poore widow, and casteth into the chest, two of the least little peeces of money or mites. Our Lord seeing her and being pleased to praise her much, for the act which shee had done, and the almes which shee had giuen, called his disciples, and pointing out the woman said thus to them. This widow hath cast a greater almes into the chest, and made a greater pre­sent to the Temple, then all the rest, who haue giuen almes this day. And our Lord shewed diuers rea­sons, why shee had giuen more then any of them. First, because in proportion of her poore con­dition, it was more for her to giue a mite, then for others to giue store of crownes. And because the rest gaue the almes out of that which did aduance beyond their necessary maintenance; and that [Page 225]they gaue not all, but a part ther­of; but this widow gaue that which was necessary to her selfe, and shee gaue it all. But the prin­cipall reason which he was plea­sed to signify vnder this was, for that shee gaue her almes, with a greater affection and desire to giue, and with more ardour of charity then al they; which he de­clared by her hauing giuen all that she had, being in precise ne­cessity thereof, for her owne re­liefe.

In this sorte did Christ our Lord praise the almes of this poore wi­dow, and by praising her, he ma­nifested to all the children of his Church, how highly the good worke of a iust person is valued, in the sight of Almighty God; & the great account he makes ther­of, and how he will reward it in heauen; and how he meanes not [Page 226]to giue the reward according to the quantity of the worke, but according to the good will and loue of God and our neighbour, wherewith it is performed. He will also haue vs learne frō hence, first to esteem greatly of the good works, which our neighbours do, how litle soeuer they may be; and and approue them and praise thē, before men, for their edification; and much to value those good men, who doe them, though they be poore, & of meane condition and estate; since God, who sees their hearts, doth prize them much. And secondly, he will haue vs learne by this, to be animated towards the doing of good works, and to exercise the acts of Reli­gion and charity, with much affe­ction, and desire to please God; and to doe more then wee doe; al­though by reason of our weaknes, [Page 227]and our little talent, either of vertue, or goods, or power any other way, our workes be very small; since God hath regard to the good will, wherewith they are done, & to the pious heart, from whence they proceed.

The Apostle Saint Paule fol­lowed this example of Christ our Lord. Who (to animate the Corin­thians, to giue almes to the Chri­stians, who were in want at Ieru­salem; and that none of thē should omit to giue according to his power, how little soeuer that might be) did praise the vertue and charity, which they of Mace­donia had shewed to the same Christians, assisting them libe­rally with almes, according to the power of euery one. And he praiseth them in these wordes, 2. Cor. 8. Wee giue you brethren to vn­derstand, the gratious, and liberall [Page 228]gift which God communicated by his goodnes, to the Churches of Macedonia, who receauing many grieouous persecurions from the Gentiles, (who afflicted, and af­fronted, and robbed them of the goods they had) did yet abound with ioy in their very tribula­tions, and they did not onely ac­cept of them with patience, but with interiour ioy, yea and that a very great ioy, for the loue of Christ our Lord, for whom they suffered; and through the hope of celestiall blessings, which God promiseth to them who suffer for the loue of him. And being poore they were all, according to their weake power and strength, so li­berall in giuing, that they did very abundātly discouer the pure intention which they had therin, and their great promptitude, and euen hunger and thirst to giue, [Page 229]& to please God by doing all the good, that possibly they could, to their neighbours. And I giue te­stimony to this truth, that not only they gaue willingly all they could, but more then they could; for not onely gaue they of the superfluity, and that which they could conueniētly spare, but they gaue part of those very thinges, which were euen necessary for the very support of their liues.

The Apostle, hauing praised in these wordes, the Charity and mercy of the Macedonians, inui­teth the Corinthians by the indu­cement of this example, to doe the like; and he saith, that consi­dering what the Christians of Macedonia haue done, I haue per­swaded my self to sēd Titus to you, that this grace which he begun in you, may be finished and per­fected by his exhorting, & mo [...] ­uing [Page 230]you to giue almes to the Christians who suffer in Ierusalem; and by procuring, that all men may giue what they can; & that it may be put all together, and sent to Ierusalem, as was done by thē of Macedonia. And he wisheth them moreouer, that euen they, who haue but little to giue, should yet giue some what euen of that little, with a ready minde, and a desirous good will, to giue more if they could. And he affir­meth, and testifieth, on the part of God, that the litle, which they should giue with such affection & good will, would greatly please God, and be much esteemed by him; and be also rewarded accor­ding to the good will where with they gaue. For he saith, if the will be ready and efficaciously prepa­red to doe good, it is very accep­table and pleasing to God, if they [Page 231]worke & giue according to what they haue, or can performe; and God doth not require, for the making men acceptable to him, that they should giue or do, what they cannot giue or do.

ANother way, which makes our praising others to be very profitable for vs, and plea­sing to almighty God, is to praise the vertue, and good workes of them, from whom no such thing had been expected; and thereby to conuince and confound those others, who were not so vertuous, and did not worke so well, not­withstanding that they had grea­ter helpes, and were in greater [Page 232]obligations then the former. Let vs declare this by an example.

There was a Centurion (that is to say a Captaine of a hundred soul­diers) in Capharnaum, Matt. 8. Luc. 7. placed there by the Romans; and a Gentile he was, who descen­ded not from Patriarches, & Pro­phets, but from Gentiles & Ido­laters, and from people who had noe knowledge of the true God. This man, by meanes of conuer­sation, which he had with the Iewes, came to know this truth, that there was one God; and he had taken an affection to his holy Lawe, and to his people of Israell; and he loued & cherished them, and built a Sinagogue for them, vpon the vnderstanding which he had, that of all the men in the world, these were the professors of true Religion. This Centurion, had a seruant whom he greatly [Page 233]loued, who fell sicke of a pleurisy, & was growne to the very point of death. And the seruant being in those termes, and the Master hauing heard of the miracles which had been wrought by Christ our Lord, he conceiued a great confidence and faith, that if he desired remedy for that seruant, he should obtaine it; and he be­lieued with great assurednes, that Christ was a Lord so powerfull, that euen in absence, he could giue him the life, and health of his seruant, by the onely com­maūdment of his word. Not pre­suming therfore to appeare in the presence of Christ our Lord, (as holding himselfe vnworthy ther­of) he interposed the auncient, and prime men of the Iewes, for intercessours. These men ther­fore, in the name of the Centu­rion, desired that he would goe to [Page 234]his house, and cure his seruant: instantly our Lord put himselfe vpon the way, to doe as much as they desired. As soon as the Cen­turion knew that Christ our Lord was comminge to his house, he tould him, by meanes of the same intercessours, that in no case he was to doe it; for that himselfe was vnworthy of so great ho­nour, but he onely prayed, that from thence, he would commaūd by some one word of his, that his seruant might be cured; and that that would serue for his recouery. And this he confirmed by the ex­ample of his owne person; for if he, being a weake man, and sub­iect to the commaūd of another, (who was the Generall of the Ar­my) could yet commaund his sol­diers, to dispose themselues here or there, and that accordingly, and instantly the thing was done; [Page 235]how much more could Christ our Lord, being so absolute, and of so great power, commaund from wheresoeuer he were, that sicknes and death should be gone, and that health and life should come; and that they would not faile to obey him.

This man, discouered great hu­mility in not presuming once to to appeare in the presence of Christ our Lord, but to negotiate by meanes of the Iewes, whom he held for better then himselfe; and by those wordes, he also shewed a great faith. And so Christ our Lord, hauing heard this message, shewed to be in admiration, to see so great faith in a Pagan soul­dier. And turning his countenāce to the troupe of Iewes, who fol­lowed him, he said; Verily I say to you, I haue not found so great faith as this, in Israell. And many shall come [Page 236]from the East, and from the West, and from all the parts of the world, out of the nations of the Gentiles, and by meanes of faith; and obedience to my Ghospell, shall sit in company of Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, and the rest of the Patriarches; and shall raigne with God: and on the other side, they who be the children of the kingdom, which are the Iewes, who descēd from the Patriarchs, and to whom the promise of the Messias and of his celestiall king­dome was made, shall the most part of them be excluded from that Kingdome, and shut vp into eternall torment.

Christ our Lord praised the faith of the Centurion, for the reproofe of the infidelity of those Iewes, who belieued not in him at all; & of the weak faith of some others, who belieued in him; and to con­found them by this example; and [Page 237]to mooue them to penance for their fault, and to perswade with them, who belieued not; and to encrease their faith who belee­ued. And so he was pleased to ex­presse himselfe to this effect; This Centurion being a Gentile, and not hauing read the Prophets, nor hauing been brought vp in the Lawe of God, nor in any dis­cipline, but of the warre, and not hauing seene my workes and mi­racles, but onely heard relation of mee; hath beleeued my truth, and my power, with so great and so firme a faith; and on the other side, the children of Israell, who are descended from the Patriar­ches, & who haue read the Scrip­tures, and know the Prophecies, which speake of mee; and who were looking for mee, and haue seen my miracles, and heard my doctrine, some of these, haue not [Page 238]belieued in mee, nor will receiue my truth, but persecute the same; & others haue beleeued it so im­perfectly, that none of them hath arriued to so great a Faith as this man hath, and as he confesseth in honour of mee. They I say, not­withstanding the many causes & motiues, which they haue had, to beleeue my truth with a perfect faith, haue not beleeued it, as they ought: and this man hauing had so few motiues, as he had to beleeue in me, hath beleeued with so great perfection, that he hath farre outstripped all the rest. And therefore this man, though but a Gentile; and all the other Genti­les also, who throughout all the parts of the world, shall be con­uerted to mee, and shall be like this man in his faith, and obe­dience to my word, shall be ad­mitted into the Kingdom of hea­uen, [Page 239]in company of the holy Pa­triarches, whom they haue imi­tated; and on the other side the children of Israell, who according to the extractiō of flesh & blood, descend from Patriarches; if they doe not penance, and reforme their infidelity and disobedience, by true and constant faith, and reall subiection to my com­maundments, shall be excluded from the Kingdome of heauen, and condemned to eternall tor­ments.

In this sort did Christ our Lord praise the faith of the Centurion; and thereby did he correct the in­fidelity, or at least the weake faith of the Iewes. And he did it with much reason; for the faith of this man was so great, that some of the Saints conceiue, that he did truly know, and beleeue the diui­nity of Christ our Lord; and that [Page 240]it was couered with the veile of his sacred humanity. For thus saith Saint Hierome. The wisdome of the Centurion is discouered, in that with the eyes of faith, he saw the diuinity which lay hid vnder that veile of humanity. And the same doth Saint Augustin confesse, saying, in the person of the same Centurion; If I, being a man sub­iect to others, haue yet power to commaund; how much more hast thou it, ô Lord, whom all the powers of the earth obey and serue?

Wee are to profit by this ex­ample of Christ our Lord, in prai­sing such seruants of God, as liue in a more eminent degree of ver­tue, then the state and condition of their life seemeth to exact at their hands; for the admonishing and correcting of others, who, by reason of their vocation, and of [Page 241]the parts and gifts which God hath bestowed vpon them, were obliged to greater vertue. As when, for the correcting of some Prelate, who may be straight han­ded in giuing almes, and negli­gent withall, in the gouernment of his subiects, we may praise some Lord, who being a secular man, is yet most liberall in gi­uing almes, and most vigilant in procuring that his seruants and vassailes may be vertuous. And as if, for the reproofe and amend­ment of a Religious man, who were remisse in making Prayer, and doing Penance, and were full of tepidity in the exercise of ver­tue, and imperfect in the perfor­mance of his Obedience, we should praise a secular Cauallier, for being much giuen to prayer, and diligent in the mortification of himselfe, and full of feruour in [Page 242]the exercise of vertue, and very obedient to his Ghostly Father. For we frame the reason after this manner; If a Lord or a Caual­lier, being a secular man, be of so great recollection, so great vertue, such purity of life, such diligence in the doing of good workes, his vocation not seeming to bind him altogether to it; how much more reason is it, that a Prelate make himselfe a possessor of these vertues, whom his state obligeth to be a perfect man; and a Religious person, whom his Re­ligion obligeth to procure to be perfectly vertuous?

And so to reforme some very wise and learned man, who wan­teth spirit and deuotion, we may praise a man who is wholly igno­rant, but yet full of the spirit of God, and of true deuotion say­ing: If this rude creature hauing [Page 243]so little knowledge of God, and of his workes, and mysteries, and being able to vse so little dis­course of reason, haue yet so great loue of God, and so great feeling of his goodnes, and of his mysteries, and workes, & so great gust of diuine things, and maketh so great estimation of vertue, and spirituall blessings; how much more is it reason, that a wise and learned man, to whom God hath giuen so great wit, & knowledge, for the comprehending of truth both diuine and humane, and so great light of reasō to discourse, and passe by meanes of visible thinges to the knowledge of such as are inuisible, and by the crea­tures, to come to the knowledge and loue of the Creatour, haue such deuotion, as was said before, or at least procure to haue it?

In this sort did the Apostle S. [Page 244] Paule, following this example of Christ our Lord, cōmend the Gen­tiles who were conuerted, for the most excellēt vertues which they had, and the admirable workes they did, and for those most high gifts, which God had communi­cated to them, by meanes of their faith; to the end that so the Iewes, who were in their infidelity, might know their errour, and be in confusion, for their wickednes; and might be awaked by the ver­tue of the Gentiles, and encou­raged to the incitation thereof. This did he signify by saying, Rom. 11. For as much as I am an Apo­stle of the Gentiles, and during the whole time that I shall be so, I will honour this ministery, taking paines, and suffering for them, to bring them to the faith who are not yet come to it, and to confirme and perfect them with [Page 245]vertues, and the gifts of God who haue already receiued it. And by this meanes, I will procure the conuersion of the Iewes, who are of my kinred according to the flesh, to the end that they, be­houlding the most abūdant fruite which is produced in the Genti­les, and the most pretious gifts which God cōmunicated to them by meanes of their faith, may be moued to a holy emulation, and imita­tion of them, and so some of them may be saued.

ANother very iust reason, for which wee must praise our neighbours, and commend their [Page 246]vertues, and good workes, is to defend them from some slaunder, or false testimony, or some detra­ction or affront, wherewith their reputation is vniustly spotted, & their good name and the opinion of their vertue obscured. Let vs deliuer an example, which Christ our Lord left vs of this truth.

Christ our Lord being in Betha­nia, at supper in the house of Simon the leaper, Ioh. 12. Matth. 26. Mary Magdalen came with an Alablaster box, full of very odoriferous and pretious ointment, & she anoin­ted the feet of our Lord with it, & filled the whole house with the sweet odour. Now Iudas began to murmur at this worke, and to speake ill of the holy woman, in that she had wasted the ointmēt, which was of so great value, that it might haue beē sould for three hundred peeces of money, and [Page 247]been giuen to the poore. And the rest of the disciples, seeing the in­dignation and murmuringe of Iudas, and not vnderstanding the root of malice, from whence it grew, like good simple men con­ceiued that he had reason, for what he said; and were induced by his example, to murmur too, and to reproue that good worke, which Mary with so great deuo­tion, had done.

Now our Lord saw well how the disciples murmured against this holy woman, without all rea­son; esteeming that to be vitious, which was an act of vertue, and speaking ill of that, which was well done. For being a custome of the coūtry, as it was, to anoint the feet of their guests, with pre­tious ointmēts, if they were emi­nent men; it was no euill, but a good worke to doe that, which [Page 248]was in vse for some good and ho­nest end. For an indifferent actiō, such an one as this was, is made good by addressing it to a ver­tuous end. But then to this is to be added, the pure intention, and great deuotion, wherewith Mary did this worke: for she did it as being moued by piety and reli­gion, to exhibite honour and ve­neration to our Lord, whom she knew to be worthy of all possible reuerence and respect.

Our Lord therefore on the one side seeing the goodnes of the worke & considering moreouer, the mystery which himself mēt to signify thereby, who had moued her to it; and on the other obser­uing the rash iudgment & mur­muring of the disciples, and es­pecially of Iudas, who was the spring of all that ill, he began to defend the woman, and to praise [Page 249]the good worke which she had wrought, and to discharge the slaunder, whereby they thought to doe her wrong; saying after this manner; Why are you trouble­some to this woman? Why are you enraged against her? Why thinke and speake you ill of her worke? leaue her free frō your reproach, and giue her leaue to keep this ointment, for my buriall. His meaning was to say, the bodies of dead men, are according to our custome, to be anointed be­fore they be interred; and this woman would be glad to anoint my body, when I shall be dead; & then will not be able, because that office will be first performed by others, before I be buried; and after that buriall, she shal be pre­uented by my resurrection. But suffer her to doe that now, which she would doe them; and that she [Page 250]may signify by this vnction that I am to dy; and that my body will be soon laid in the graue, and she in the meane time, doth but per­forme that office of piety, which is performed to other dead bo­dies.

Our Lord said further, she hath wrought a good worke towards mee; and it was conuenient that shee should doe it although by doing it, the price of this ointment were thereby not giuen to the poore. For the poore you shall haue all­waies with you, and so shall you euer haue oportunity, and occa­sion to doe good to them: but as for mee, you shall not allwaies haue me with you, in this visible forme; for I am quickly to leaue this world, and to goe to my Fa­ther. And I tell you for certaine, that in whatsoeuer part of the world, the good newes of this [Page 251]Ghospell shall be preached, the worke of this woman shall be re­counted, and celebrated in her memory, and for her glory in all the parts of the world. And by these words did Christ our Lord defend the Magdalena, and praise her good worke.

From this example we are first to fetch this fruite, to make great estimation of good workes, how little, how light, and how easy so euer they may be. How easy a thing is it, for a rich woman to buy a pound of pretious ointmēt, for three hūdred peeces of siluer, and to anoint the feet of a holy man therwith; especially of such a Saint as Christ our Lord was? For in that he, who was anointed, was so great a Lord, the worke became more sweet, and easy to be performed. Well then, so light and easy a worke as this, for ha­uing [Page 252]been performed by a person who was in the state of grace, and with a pure intention, to serue and please Almighty God, was esteemed so highly, as wee see by Christ our Lord, and praised with such Maiesty of wordes; and re­warded with such a high reward, both in heauen and earth. Such value and dignity and excellency haue those good workes, which are done for the loue of God.

If the Magdalena had spent, not three hundred peeces of siluer, but three hundred thousand, in the seruice of the world, as in bra­ueries, and vaine dressings, in cu­rious and delitious bankets, and in making some feast, & triumph to giue delight and gust, as louers of the world are wont to doe; all that expence, had been lost, and she had not pleased Almighty God therby; nor had merited any [Page 253]thing is his sight; and there had been no honorable memory ther­of continued amongst men. And not reaping any profit by them, shee would haue incurred many faultes, as ordinarily there are, in these thinges, which would haue condemned her, either to the tē ­porary paines of Purgatory, or els to the eternall torments of hell. But now, for hauing spent a little money vpon the seruice of Christ our Lord, and for vnder­going that light & sweet labour, in performing that work of piety, with her owne hands, she pleased Almighty God so much, and me­rited so greatly in his sight, & ob­tained so much honour through­out the world, that as long as it lasts, she shall be praised, & had in veneration for this worke, by all faithfull Christians; and for all eternity shall be made happy [Page 254]amongst the Angells in heauen, with a most high crown of glory. And so will that be fulfilled which was said by the wise man; The me­mory of iust persons wil remaine amōgst men, after their death, and they shall relate their heroicall deedes, and exhibite praise, and veneration to them; whereas the memory and fame of wicked persons, shall be full of reproach, and it shall perish.

Secondly, we are to draw from this example of Christ our Lord, that when wee see vertuous peo­ple suffer hurt in their reputatiō, or good name, whereby their neighbours were to be edified, & whereof they are depriued, by the slaunders, and lies of wicked peo­ple, wee must defend them by gi­uing testimony to the truth, and by praising their good life. And when men murmur against them [Page 255]in our presence, wee must excuse their innocency, & declare their vertue. And if it so fall out, that we haue any credit with the mur­murers; we must procure to mend them, and stop the discourse; and if our aduice by way of speech will not serue, we must shew both by our silence, and by our coun­tenance, that such murmuring is displeasing to vs. This is that which the holy Ghost doth ad­monish saying, that as the sharpe cold winde coming from the North, hindreth raine, and per­mits not, through the coldnes thereof, that the cloudes should easily dissolue thēselues into wa­ter; so doth the reserued and sad countenāce, of him who heareth, ty vp the tongue of the murmu­rer. This saith the Wise man in the Prouerbs, who was instructed by the Holy Ghost. And the rea­son [Page 256]is, because when the murmu­rer sees, that they who heare him looke cheerfully vpon the mat­ter, he thinkes he pleaseth them, & that they giue him a glad eare; and he taketh so much the more heart, and liberty to murmur: but whē he findeth, that they shew him an ill countenance, he vnderstāds by that, that the discourse plea­seth not; but that they are vnwil­ling to heare it, & this he markes, and so he begines to giue ouer murmuring.

BEsides those reasons before expressed, there is yet an [Page 257]other of great force, why wee ought to praise the seruants of God; and it is, to the end that our neighbours hauing notice of their vertue and parts, may pro­fit more, both by their doctrine, and by the example of their life. This praise belongeth chiefly, to persons who are much knowne, and haue authority, or publicke office, as Prelates, Iudges, Prea­chers, Cōfessors, Religious men, Priests, and rich and noble per­sons; for vpon the vertue, & pru­dence, and wisdome of such as these (who are as the heads, and hearts) dependeth the vertue of the people: and so the good life, and incorrupt doctrine of these seruants of God, being generally knowne, and commended, the rest of men doth profit by it so much the more, and are more edi­fied by their good speeches, and [Page 258]vertuous examples; and therfore to praise such persons, with that discretion which is fit, is a thing very acceptable to God, and very profitable for the gaining of soules. Let vs relate an example, which Christ our Lord gaue vs hereof.

The disciples of Saint Iohn Bap­tist, came to Christ our Lord in their Masters name, Mat. 11. Luc. 7. to know if he were that Christ, who was to come; that is to say, if he were the Messias, who had been promised by Almighty God, for the saluation of the world. And our Lord hauing answered this question, by the workes he did, which was by working the mira­cles which were prophecied of the Messias, and by preaching that do­ctrine which belonged to him to teach, and publish, he dispatched them away saying; Tell Iohn what [Page 259]you haue and heard. When the disciples of Saint Iohn were gone, our Lord began to celebrate the diuine praises of the same Saint Iohn, and to proclame his admi­rable vertues, saying; What went you out to see in the desert? Went you perhaps to see some reed, or cane, which is shaken with euery winde? or some man set forth in soft, and delicate ap­parell? He meāt as followeth; you went not out to see a light, or vn­constant person, who is mooued by euery passion, or interest; but a most constant man, and who perseuereth with admirable reso­lution, in the truth, which he preacheth; and in that holy life which he began to lead. And you shall euidently see, that incon­stant and light persons, who are mooued with passions, or by the interests of this world, be allwaies in loue with regaloes, and delica­cies [Page 260]in their food, their cloa­thing, and their habitation, and are desirous of wealth, and haue recourse to the houses of great men, where these things are foūd in abundance. But in Iohn, you shall see nothing of this, but a life of great penance and austerity, & very abstinent, & estranged from all manner of regalo, and wholly depriued & destitute of all earth­ly goods. For his habitation, is in the dry and horrid desert: his bed, is the hard ground: his gar­ment is a sharpe hairecloth, made of camells haire: his food is dry locusts: his drinke running water; and his continuall exercise, is to pray, and contemplate in that de­sert, and to baptise and preach penance, in the riuer of Iordan. He saith moreouer of him; And what went you out to see in the desert? Was it perhaps some Prophet? Verely [Page 261]I say to you, that he is more then a Pro­phet. For this is he, of whom the eter­nall Father said, whilest he was speak­ing to his sonne, as is recorded in Ma­lachias; Behould I send my Angell be­fore thy presence, to prepare the way for thee. I tell you for a most certaine truth, that there was not borne of woe­men a greater, then Iohn the Baptist; but yet he, who is the least in the king­dome of heauen is greater then hee. Which signifieth, according to the best exposition; He who for his age, & the office of humility which he exerciseth, and in opi­nion of the people is the poorest member of the Church, (which was our Lord himselfe the true Messias) is both in dignity, and sanctity, greater then he.

Saint Iohn had preached pe­nance to the people, and exhor­ted men to the exercise of all ver­tue, and had giuen expresse testi­mony [Page 262]mony of Christ our Lord, affir­ming that he was the Messias. And now, to the end, that by sending this message, whereby they asked of Christ our Lord, if he were the Messias, the people might not suspect that he made any doubt, as some inconstant might doe, of that which formerly he had testi­fied, and of that which now he questioned, but only in regard both of his owne disciples, and of al that people (that so they might forsake the ignorance, wherein they were, & remain more confir­med in their faith; & not thinke that he demaunded it in regard of the ignorance wherein him­self was) for this reason, did Christ our Lord extoll him afterward, with so illustrious praises, and testified with so great asseueratiō, the constancy and purity of his life, and the eminency of his per­son [Page 263]and dignity. And he proued this, both by the experience of what they sawe, and by the testi­mony also of a Prophet: to the end that they might be settled in the great belief, which they ought to haue of his truth, and sanctity; and that so, they might profit by the doctrine, which he had prea­ched, and the example of life which he had shewed.

In this sort are wee to praise men for their vertues, after the example of Christ our Lord: be­cause their life and doctrine con­cerne the good of the faithfull, to the end that their wordes of counsell, may be more effica­cious, and their example more profitable to all men. Thus did Saint Paule proceed; who, resol­uing to send Timothy, a most faith­full instrument of the Ghospell, to preach and administer holy [Page 262] [...] [Page 263] [...] [Page 264]thinges, at Philippos a Citty of Macedonia, doth praise him first in a letter, which he writeth to the Philippians, wherin he testifieth his vertues, saying, I hope in the mercy of Christ our Lord that I shall very shortly be able to send Timothy to you. And I haue designed to send him in particular, because I haue none other, who is so agreeable to mee, and so of one heart with my selfe, and who with so pure loue and true charity, hath so particular a care of your good.

These and other praises, did S. Paule deliuer of Timothy; to the end that the Philippians, might receiue him with great estimation of his sanctity, and zeale, and might profit by him. And he did the like, when he resolued to send Titus a seruant of Christ our Lord, and a preacher of the Ghospell to them of Corinthus: for first he prai­sed him, saying to this effect; I [Page 265]giue great thankes to God, for inspi­ring the heart of Titus with the same desire, that I haue, and for hauing kin­dled him with the same loue and en­dewed him with the same desire of your spirituall profit, which he gaue to mee. With these & other wordes, Saint Paule praised Titus, to the end that his labours might prooue of greater spirituall profit to the Corinthians. And after this man­ner, are we also to praise Prelats, Preachers, Gouernours of Cit­ties, Pastours of soules, Religious men, and Priests, and all such as haue publicke office, and autho­rity ouer the people, when they clearly expresse true vertue in their liues. For when they are knowne for-such, and that they are wise, and diligent in doing their duties, they shall profit the people more, and especially such families thereof, as conuerse with [Page 266]them Let vs praise (saith Ecclesia­sticus) such men as are excellently glo­rious, aboue the rest.

BVt in affoarding this praise, wee must obserue these dire­ctions, and rules of discretion. That whē we praise another man, not to the end of encouraging him, or moouing him to the pra­ctise and proceeding in vertue, or for the perswading him to the doing of some good worke, but for the good, and profit of others, that so his vertue and wisdome being knowne, and much estee­med, his neighbours, who heare, [Page 267]and discourse thereof, may profit by his example, instruction, ad­uice and gouernment (which is the case wherof we are speaking;) we must not then praise the party in his own presēce, nor yet before his familiar friends, who already know his parts, and who are likely to tell him what they haue heard; but onely before such others, whō it may concerne to know his ver­tues and parts, to take profit by him. So did Christ our Lord, whē he praised Saint Iohn; for he did it in his absence; and he staied for the doing of it, till the disciples of Saint Iohn were gone.

This rule must wee also hold, that so we may take from the ser­uant of God, whom we praise, all occasion of vaine complacence, and estimation of himselfe, espe­cially when the praises happen to be great, in respect that the par­ties [Page 268]vertues, and parts are greatly worthy to be praised. For al­though it be true, that many ser­uants of God, who haue laid the rootes of humility very deeply in their hearts, and who, by long experience and much light from heauen, haue wel vnderstood and penetrated the weakenes of man, are free from this danger, & take no occasion of vanity by it, but contemne themselues so much the more; yet this is not euery bodies case. How soeuer we see in­deed, that it happened in the case of Saint Ambrose, when once a di­uell (speaking by the mouth of a possest person) had a minde to cry out thus aloud, Ambrose tor­ments mee; For then the Saint vn­derstood the diuells craft, & what he pretended by praising him. But he did not onely not growe [Page 269]proud by occasion thereof, but he humiliated himselfe so much the more, and said; Hold thy peace, thou diuell, for it is not Ambrose who torments thee, but the faith of the Saints in God, and thine owne enuy. Know that Ambrose will not growe proud, vpon thy praises. This passed with Saint Ambrose, and the like happened to Saint Marcellus, the Abbot. For this man, had a gift from God, to cast out diuells; and they brought diuers possest per­sons to him; and the diuells desi­ring, by their infernall craft, to hoise vp the Saint, into pride with praise, they cried out thus aloud, Marcellus, doe thou commaund vs to de­part out of these bodies, for thou hast power ouer vs; and this they repea­peated often. The Saint vnder­stood the malice of the diuells, & would not send them out vpon their commaundmēt; but taking [Page 270]occasion from that speech, to humble him selfe so much the more, and lifting vp his eyes to heauen, he begged of Christ our Lord, that he would cast them out saying thus; O Lord, preserue this worke of thy hands; & he continued praying so long, that the diuells departed out of the bodies.

Though this be so, and that many great seruants of God, are settled so firmely, and solidly in the truth of humility, that hu­mane praises moue them not at all, but rather they humiliate themselues the more by occasion thereof; yet there are others, who though indeed they be the seruāt of God and haue very excellent vertues, and gifts from heauen, and are worthy to be praised; yet notwithstanding they haue some weaknes this way, and are subiect to the danger of growing proud [Page 271]vpon humane praise, and espe­cially whē they are praised much. And this is the vsuall case, and which ordinarily happeneth, that euen good men are subiect to this weaknes, and are exposed to this danger. And a man may clearly see, what force those praises haue to make men giddy, & how much occasion they minister of making them fall into vaine complacēce and pride. First, in that the di­uells, who are so great and wise Masters in doing ill, did take the meanes of praising, and publi­shing the power which Saint Am­brose, and Saint Marcellus had ouer them from Almighty God, as the likeliest way to make them fal into pride. And this truth may bee also seene, by the great dili­gence, which the Saints haue euer vsed, in flying from the praises of men, for the dāger which they [Page 272]knew to be therein, and the feare they had to fall thereby.

Surius doth relate in the life of the blessed and most holy man Iohn, who was a Prior of Chanons Regular; that fearing the danger of praise, he fled from it after an extraordinary manner. He went to do a certaine office of charity, to certaine woemen the seruants of God, who were retired from the world; and one of them, who was there shut vp, receaued a Re­uelation of his going thither; and therein, our Lord had declared to them, the great sanctity and merit of that seruant of his. Now there was here no necessity to re­count that reuelation in praise of his sanctity: for it was not made to her for the profit of the Saint, but to the end that they might profit by his coming thither, so much the more, by how much [Page 273]more they were certified of his sanctity. And therefore, as soon as the Saint heard her begin to speake thereof, he found that there was danger of conceiuing some vaine complacence, or esti­tion of himselfe; and it troubled him much to heare such praises of his vertue; and he made her a quicke answere, and concluding the busines in few wordes, went imediatly away. For the danger that he found, to heare humane praise, made him resolue not to stay, where there was so great estimation of the holy manner of his life.

Saint William, who of Duke of Aquitania, came to be a most holy Monke, and a Father of many Monkes, was much praised by men, for his many vertues, & the great miracles which he wrought. This put him to extreme paine, [Page 274]and he would faine haue auoided the working of miracles, through the feare he had of being praised. And Theobaldus the Bishop, saith in his life; That in regard he was not able to ēdure humane praise, he went into a solitary place, & and betooke himselfe there to a little cottage in company of a disciple of his, doing penance there, and leading a celestial life, till he made a most holy end.

The Saints therfore haue well vnderstood; the danger which or­dinarily there is in human praise; especially when they are giuen with great honour, and estima­tion of sanctity. And for this rea­son, when we praise the seruants of God, for the benefit of others, wee are to doe it, if wee can, in their absence.

Wee are also to doe so, for an other reason, which is, to secure [Page 275]our selues from the note and sus­picion of being flatterers. For when wee praise our neighbour, for the profit of his soule, namely to deliuer him from pusillani­mity, and to animate him to ver­tue, the necessity which then ther is of praising him in his presence, will free vs from being suspected to doe it out of flattery: but when wee praise him for the good of others, if wee doe it without ne­cessity in his presence, it draweth the suspicion of flattery with it; and therefore as much as we may, wee must procure to giue such praise in absence. And this also did Christ our Lord teach vs, in this praise of Saint Iohn. For vpō this reason, he staied till the dis­ciples of the Saint were gone, to auoid all suspicion of flattery. So said Saint Chrysostome; Therefore did Christ our Lord praise Saint [Page 276] Iohn, whē his disciples were gone, that so it might not seeme to be flattery.

ANother rule which wee are to obserue in these praises, is to praise some in such sorte, as that we giue no offence to others, by diminishing the vertues and parts of some, to encrease those of other folkes. And therefore we must procure as much as we may, not to make cōparisons between some and others; telling the faultes of this man, and the abi­lities of that other; abasing and [Page 277]vilifying some, and exalting and magnifying other men; and of this we must especially take heed, when they of whom wee speake, are aliue.

Christ our Lord gaue vs an ex­ample of this rule, in the praise which he vttered of Saint Iohn; for he said not of him that he was the greatest of all them who had been borne of woemen; but that no man had been borne before that time, greater then hee; thereby leauing men in liberty, to thinke that others, might be equall to him. And out of this general sētēce, he brought that exception which was fit, say­ing, that the least of the kingdome of heauen was greater then he. And al­though some vnderstand thereby the least of the Angells, who are blessed in heauen; yet the more certaine exposition is (as we haue said before) that he vnderstood [Page 278]him who was the least, by humi­lity, which is, that Saint of Saints; and he who is the fountaine of all sanctity, of whom Saint Iohn Bap­tist himselfe said, that he was not worthy to vntie the latchet of his shoo.

Wee also must follow this rule of prudence in praising men, who are praise worthy. For if we praise men for the loue of God, & being moued by charity as wee ought; the same charity will tell vs, that we must doe it without offending any body, and that so wee must comfort, and honour some with our praise, as that wee doe not offend, or dispraise others by sleighting their vertues.

The last rule which wee are to hold is that wee praise men, euen although they be Saints, with moderation, and temperance, & in modest wordes; in such sorte that wee exceed not the limits, [Page 279]either of truth, or of necessity, by our enforcing, or exaggeration thereof. For if wee praise a man, either to make him friendly, or to animate him to the doing of good, or to perswade him to the beleefe of any truth, or to the practise of any vertue, or to gaine credit for him with other folkes; it will be fit to speake so well of him as is necessary, for the obtaining of that end, which is pretended, & to worke that good effect which is desired; and this is sufficient, laying other praises and exaggerations aside, which neither are necessary, nor profita­ble to the edification of others.

This moderation which wee ought to vse in praising men, is taught vs by the holy Scripture saying, doe not praise a man, till he be dead. He doth not here prohi­bite all praise of such as liue; for [Page 280]it is clearly lawful, and necessary, and pleasing to God, to praise men, whilest they liue, as we haue declared already; and the Scrip­ture it selfe saith; The faithfull man, shall be much praised. But he mea­neth, that wee must not praise such as are still liuing, with a cō ­pleat and perfect praise, as if they were secure, and confirmed in the state of grace, as they are to be, in heauen. And so that, doe not praise, doth signify as the Greeke letter sheweth; do not beatify or pr [...] ­clame any man for blessed before his death: which sentence grew into this Prouerbe; Let no man coūt him­selfe happy before he dy. And therfore wee are admonished by this sen­tence, not to praise any man, as absolutely blessed, or entirely happy in this life: but when was say he is happy, wee are to vnder­stand it with this condition or li­mitation; [Page 281]that he is happy accor­ding to the present iustice, wher­in he liues; or happy according to his present state and disposition: and, in fine, that he is happy in hope. For as long as a man liueth, it is euer fit for him to be affraid of falling, and to be in doubt of perseuering. Yet this takes not from vs, but that wee may praise good men; but onely that our praise of thē must be moderate, as of mē who may faile in the course of vertue, wherin they are; & may fall vpō that sinne in which they are not; til the good ēd of a happy death, doe secure their vertue, & ratify their good life. This did S. Ambrose declare in these words; He is not instantly happy, who hath now no sinne in his soule; for it is not said without cause, that we must praise no man before his death. And it is cer­taine that whilest a man liues, he [Page 282]may faile; and therefore till he dy, he must not be celebrated with any praise, as determinate and certaine, and which cannot be reuoked. He, who after the end of a good life, hath died well, may be iustly termed happy: for al­ready he enioyeth the society of the blessed, with a security, which is perfect.

THey who praise others, are to obserue those rules, wher­of I haue spoken. Let vs now say somewhat, of the rules which are to be kept by them, who are prai­sed; remitting the rest to some [Page 283]other place.

The first rule is, that a man (for as much as concernes him­selfe, that is to say, his owne ho­nour, his estimation and his com­fort) must not desire or seeke the praise of men. For to desire praise vpon these reasons, and for this end is a vaine and vitious thing, which spotteth, and defileth the heart of man, and disquieteth and disturbeth it, and maketh it sub­iect to euery change. For as all human thinges are subiect to al­teration; and one man praiseth, and another man dispraiseth; one exalteth, and another abaseth; one honoureth, and another dis­honoureth his neighbour: from hence it groweth, that the mise­rable heart, which loueth praise, is now cheerfull, and then sad; now refreshed & them dismaied; and neuer doth enioy strength or [Page 284]rest. On the other a mā who cares not for the praises of men, but despiseth and auoides them; and, for his part, desireth onely to be approoued, and praised by Al­mighty God, whose iudgment is right, and vpon whose approba­tion and praise, our saluation de­pendeth, and who contents him­selfe with this testimony, doth proceed like a iust man, who lou­eth true iustice, and not vanity; and so keepes his heart quiet, and firmely set vpō goodnes, because he resteth himself vpon God, who is not subiect to any change. So saith Saint Chrysostome. The wic­ked man is delighted with the praises of men, and though he haue not the vertue, for which he is praised, yet he holds his peace, and is glad of it. But the iust man flies from praise, and though he haue that vertue for [Page 285]which they praise him, & though he know thereby, that he who praised him, said true; yet still he hath no minde to be praised. And in another place, the same Saint saith; Nothing makes men so vaine, and light, as the appetite of glory, & of the praise of men, and so nothing maketh them so firme and constant, and strong, as the cōtempt of all the honour, and praise of this world.

But now since it is not lawfull to like the praises of men for his owne honour, and temporal com­fort; let vs see, whether it be law­full for him to like, and desire them for the animating, and en­couraging himselfe thereby, to the exercise of vertue. We ther­fore say first, that this may bee lawfull in some case, and with some moderation; as namely for a man, who is in affliction, or de­solation [Page 286]to desire that men may comfort him; putting him in minde of the good he hath done, or of the fruite which hath fol­lowed vpon his actions, or by his example or instruction: that so he may not be dismaied with his af­fliction; and if he be dismaied, that he may take heart: not ad­mitting of that praise with any meaning to dwell therein; but as a receipt of physicke, wherewith to cure his infirmity, and weak­nes; and to induce himselfe the better to serue God, for what God is, and for the accomplish­ment of his holy will. As King Ezechias did, who being in the ex­treamity of sicknes, and much afflicted with the approach of death, did for the increase of his confidence in God, and for the comfort of his soule, and the re­dresse of his desolation, comme­morate [Page 287]to God himself, the good deedes he had done, saying thus; I beseech thee, ô Lord remember how I haue liued, and conuersed before thee, with truth, and with­out all hypocrisy or dissimula­tion; & how in all things which concerned thy Religion, I haue serued thee with the intire affe­ction of my heart; not honouring any other God, but thee, who art the true God; and how I haue per­formed these good workes which thou hast commaunded. In this sort the good afflicted King, ac­knowledging that all the good things which he had done, were the gifts of God, and referring them all to him, reduced them to his memory, and presented them before almighty God; not resting and relying vpon them; but vpon the mercy and grace of God; by meanes whereof he had wrought [Page 288]them: & he did it to the end that he might erect himselfe to some good hope; and to comfort his sad heart. And so it may be law­full for an afflicted man, with the same intention, and to the same end, to like and accept of being assisted by this meanes of the pious, and confortable speech of his neighbour.

Secondly we say, that although this manner of praise may be law­fully accepted with this modera­tion: yet it is not conuenient to desire, or procure it; because there are many better meanes thē this, whereby to be animated, and in­duced to vertue; and by reason of danger which there is, in louing humane praise, and the honour which growes therby; and of ma­king value, and taking compla­cence in himselfe, and so grow to do well for the honours sake. And [Page 289]because this inconuenience and hurt groweth ordinarily vpon them who desire to be praised for this end; Saint Gregory condēnes it, saying; It as a thing which be­longeth to arrogant persons, and giuen to vanity, when they de­sire to be animated to doe well, by the praises of others. And preachers and instructers of o­thers, who for this reason desire praise, are dismaied, when they are not praised; and being ambi­tious louers of humane honour and fauour, they will defend and excuse themselues saying, that it is lawfull for them to desire it, for the good which they receiue by humane praise; and for this, they shew their abilities, and will be praised for them, to the end that by meanes of this praise, they may growe more in vertue. Whereby certainly they deceiue [Page 290]themselues, and so by meanes of this errour, that distēper increa­seth in them, by which they loue and desire the praise of men. But the true seruants of God, are free from this vanity; for although they labour by their vertues, to equal the praises, wherewith men celebrate the same, yet they de­sire not to be praised by men, but they despise praise, with their heart; and for asmuch as concer­neth themselues they flie from it with great earnestnes. Thus saith Saint Gregory. Whereupon it fol­loweth clearly, that it is not con­uenient, for the end of profiting our selues, to desire the praise of men, by reason of the deceit, and danger which lyeth hid therein, that wee may not perhaps doe it for any true necessity, but for va­nity; and not for the true profit of our soules, but to the preiudice [Page 291]thereof.

The intention & end for which wee may lawfully desire, or admit of praise, is for the good of our neighbours; to the end that by the conceit, and good opinion, which they haue of our life and doctrine, they may grow the bet­ter by vs; edifying themselues by our good example, and inducing themselues to the loue of vertue, by meanes of our aduice and counselle, or of our gouernment, or doctrine. So saith the glorious Saint Augustine. He who worketh according to vertue desireth not praise: but yet praise ought to follow him, who worketh well; to the end that it may profit thē, who praise, by encouraging thē ­selues to the vertues, which they praise. But howsoeuer it be law­full to desire praise for this end, because in this case, it is not [Page 292]praise which is loued and desi­red, but the profit of their neigh­bours; yet the better and more secure way, and that which hath been vsed by the Saints, is; not to procure or desire, euen for this very end, to be praised by men; nor that men should publish his vertues and celebrate him for the same, least some vanity or othe [...] giue it selfe to his soule [...] but that he leaue it to Gods prouidence, that so he may doe therein, as he shall thinke most fit, and desiring (for as much as cōcernes himself) that he be not praised.

The thing which he is to doe, is that he labour hard, and bee watchfull in doing good & holy workes; & in giuing good exam­ple in all thinges, and vsing holy discourse, & teaching sound do­ctrine, and giuing wholsome ad­uice, and desiring, that the men [Page 293]who shall happen to see his good workes, and to heare his good wordes, may be stirred vp to know, that God is the Author of them, and may praise him for them, and be induced to serue him, performing not onely those workes which he doth and tea­cheth, but others which may be much better. And when he shall find or vnderstād, that men praise him, for what he doth, let him enter into his owne heart, and despise himselfe through the knowledge he hath of his sinnes; for which he deserueth all con­tempt; and let him hold him­selfe vnworthy of such praise, for hauing offended God, who was the principall Author of those good workes. And let him desire, that men, forgetting or despi­sing him, as he deserueth, may giue the praise and glory of those [Page 294]good workes of God. To this are wee aduised by Saint Augustine, in these wordes. The praise which is giuen to a iust man, for the good he doth, he must instantly referre to God; desiring that his diuine Maiesty, who is the Authour of that good worke, may be praised for it; for the men who are good, haue not their being so, from thē ­selues, but from God. And when mē praise vs, let vs reforme those praises, giuing all to God, who gaue vs that goodnes, which is praised by men. And in an other place, the same Saint saith, when thou shalt be praised, despise thy selfe, and desire that he may be praised in thee, who worketh in thee, the good thou doest; and so thou must not doe good thinges for thine owne praise, but for the praise of that Lord, of whom thou didst receiue the good thou doest. [Page 295]And heerwith wee will conclude the rules which are to be obser­ued, both by such as praise, and such as are praised.

And so also will wee conclude our discourse, concerning those thinges which belong to the most sweet vertue of Benignity, and which in summe are these. To do good to our neighbours with li­berality, & with a willing minde; To graunt them with ease, what they aske; To condescēd to them in things lawfull; To cōuerse af­fably and sweetly; and both in countenance and wordes, to be cheerfull; To indure meekly the defects of others; To reprehend them with loue; To pardon them with mercy; To impose com­maundments vpon such as are subiect, which they may obey with gust; and to impose burdens on them which they may carry [Page 296]with ease; To be curteous and wel mannered; And to praise the ver­tue of others for the comfort, & edification and spiritual profit of our neighbours.

By the practise of this vertue, wee shall growe most like to God, who is most Benigne; and we shall become acceptable to his most pitteous heart, and moreouer we shall prooue pleasing and agreea­ble to good men, for their edifi­cation; & more tolerable to wic­ked men, for the conuersion and winning of their soules to God. And hereby wee shall also mor­tify those inclinatiōs in vs, which are contrary to Benignity, and so obtaine victory ouer our selues; and we shall exercise many most excellent acts of other vertues, which carry relation, and respect to Benignity; and wee shall obtaine great peace & quietnes of heart, [Page 297]wherby we may the better be dis­posed to communicate with Al­mighty God, by meanes of Pray­er, and Contemplation.

And finally, if wee will exer­cise Benignity towards our neigh­bours, we shall haue more [...] experience of the Benignity of God, through the abundant gift of spiritual graces and comforts, which he will impart to vs. And aboue all thinges, wee shall be enabled heerby, to performe his holy wil; therby doing that which he comaundeth vs, by his Blessed Apostle saying, Ephes. 4. Be you Be­nigne one towards another; Be merci­full, hauing compassion of one anothers misery; and pardoning all iniuries to one another, in such sort as God hath pardoned vs, by the vertue and merit of Christ our Lord.