might inflame and lighten the children of light where might I better place it then amongst your Lilies Lilies where the Sonne of Iustice the splendour and candour of the eternall Light did so soueraignely recreate himselfe that he theâ—e practised the delightes of the ineffable Loue of his heart towards vs O well beloued mother of the well-be loued ô well beloued spouse of the well-beloued prone layed at thy sacred feete who bore my Sauiour I vow dedicate and consecrate this little worke of Loue to the immence greatnesse of thy Loue ah I coniure thee by the heart of thy sweete IESVS king of hearts whom thyne adore animate my heart and all theirs who shall reade this writing of thy all puissant fauour with the Holy Ghost so that hence-fourth we may offer vp in holocaust all our affections to his Diuine goodnesse to liue dy and reuiue for euer in the flames of this heauenly fire which our Sauiour thy sonne hath so much laboured to kindle in our hearts that he neuer ceased to labour and trauell therin euen vnto death and death of the Crosse VIVE IESVS THE PREFACE OF THE AVTHOVR THE Holy Ghost teacheth that the lipps of the heauenly Spouse which is the CHVRCH reseÌ„bles scarlate and the honie combe whence honie distilleth to th' end that euery one may know that the doctrine which she announceth consisteth of sacred Loue of a more faire vermilioÌ„ then Scarlate by reason of the Spouse his blood wherin she is dyed more sweete then honie by reason of the Beloued his sweetenesse who crownes her with delightes So this heauenly Spouse when he thought good to giue an entrie to the publication of his Law streamed downe a number of firie tongues vpon the Assemblie of his disciples which he had deputed to this office sufficiently intimating therby that the preaching of the Ghospell was wholy designed to the inflaming of hearts Propose vnto your selues a fine done amidst the Sunne rayes you shall see her change into so many diuers colours as you behold her diuersly because her feathers are so apt to receiue the light that the sunne spreading his spleÌ„dour amongst theÌ„ there is caused a number of transparences which bring forth a great varietie of alterations and mutations of colours but colours so agreeable to the eye that they put downe all other colours yea the enamell of richest iewells colours that are glittering and so quaintly guilt that the gold giues them more life In consideration hereof the Royall Prophet saied vnto the Israelites Although affliction rudly dâ—ght your face Yet shall your hew henceforth to men appeare As pigions plumes when siluer 's trembling grace And burnisht gold doe make their shine more cleare Truly the Church is adorned with an incomparable varietie of excellent documents sermons Treatises Spirituall bookes all very comely and pleasant to the sight by reason of the admirable mixture which the sunne of Iustice makes of his Diuine wisdome with the tongues of his Pastours which are their Penns and with their Penns which sometimes they vse in lieu of their toÌ„gues and doe compose the rich plumes of this mysticall doue But amongst all the diuers colours of the doctrine which she doth publish the fine gold of holy Charitie is especially discouered who makes herselfe be gloriously enteruiewed gilding all the sciences of Saints with her incomparable luster and raysing them aboue all other Sciences All is to Loue in Loue for Loue and from Loue in the holy Church But as we are not ignorant that all the light of the day proceeds from the Sunne and yet doe ordinarily saie that the Sunne shines not saue onely when it doth openly send out its beames here or there In like manner though all Christian doctrine consist of sacred Loue yet doe we not indistinctly honour all Diuinitie with the title of DIVINE LOVE but onely those parts of it which doe contemplate the birth nature properties and operations thereof in particular Now it is certaine that diuers writers haue admirably handled this subiect Aboue all the rest those auncient Fathers who as they did louingly serue God so did they speake diuinely of his Loue. O what a pleasure it is to heare S. PAVLE speake of heauenly things who learn't them euen in Heauen it selfe And how good a thing it is to see those soules that were nurced in the bosome of Loue write of its sweetenesse I For this reason those amongst the schoole men that discoursed the most and the best of it did also most excell in pietie S. THOMAS made a Treatise of it worthy of S. THOMAS S. BONAVENTVRE and Blessed Denis the Carthusian haue made diuers most excellent ones of it vnder sundrie titles and as for Iohn Garson Chancelour of the vniuersitie of Pâ—â—lâ— Sixtus Senensis speaks of him in this sort He hath so worthily discoursed vpon fiftie properties of Diuine Loue which are drawen here and there out of the Canticles that he alone may seeme to haue hit the number of the affections of Diuine Loue. Verily he was a man exceeding learned iudicious and deuote Yet that we might know that this kind of writing is performed with more felicitie by the deuotion of Louers then by the learning of the learned it hath pleased the Holy Ghost that diuers womeÌ„ should worke wonders in this kind Who did euer better expresse the heauenly passions of heauenly Loue then S. CATHARINE of Genua S. ANGELA of Folligni S. CATHARINE of Sienna S. MATILDA In our age also diuers haue wrote vpon this subiect whose workes I haue not had leasure to read distinctly but onely here and there so farre forth as was requisite to discouer whether this might yet find place Father Lewes of Granado that great Doctour of pietie left a treatise of the Loue of God in his Memoriall which is sufficiently commended in saying it is his Stella a Franciscan made a very affectiue one and profitable for Praier Christoph Fonceca an Austine put out yet a greater wherein he hath many excellent things Father Richeome of the Societie hath also published a booke vnder the title of the Art of louing God by his Creaturs and this Authour is so amiable in his person and in his singular writings that one cannot doubt but he is yet more amiable by writing of Loue it selfe Father Iohh of IESVS MARIA a discalced Carmelite composed a little booke which is also called the Art of louing God which is much esteemed The great and famous Cardinall Bellermine did also a while agoe giue into light a little booke intituled The little Ladder to ascend vnto God by his creaturs which cannot be but admirable coÌ„ming from so deuote a soule and so learned a pen which hath wrote so much and so learnedly in the Church her behalfe I will saie nothing of Parenetique that floode of Eloquence who flotes at this houre through all France in the multitude and varietie of his sermons and noble writings the straight spirituall consanguinitie which my soule
hath conâ—racted with his wheÌ„ by the impositioÌ„ of my haÌ„ds he receiued the Caracter of Episcopall dignitie to the great happinesse of the Diocese of Belley and to the honour of the Church besids a thousand bands of a sincere friendshipe which tyes vs together permits me not to speake with credit of his workes amongst which this Parenetique of Diuine Loue was one of the first sallies of the incomparable fulnesse of wit which euery one admires in him Further we doe see a goodlie and magnificeÌ„t Pallace which the R. Father Laurence Paris a Capucine Preacher erected in the honour of heauenly Loue which being finished will be a compleat course of the Art of louing well And lastly the B. Mother Teresa of IESVS hath written so accuratly of the sacred motions of Loue in all the bookes she hath left vs that a man is astonished to see so much eloquence masked in so profound humilitie so great soliditie of wit in so great simplicitie and her most learned ignorance makes the knowledge of many learned men appeare ignorant who after a great tormoile in studies blushe not to vnderstand that which she so happily puts downe touching the practise of holy Loue. Thus doth God raise the Throne of his Power vpon the Theather of our infirmitie making vse of weake things to confound the strong And be it my deare Reader that this Treatise which I now present come farre short of those excellent workes without hope of euer coÌ„ming nigh theÌ„ yet haue I such confidence in that paâ—re of heauenly Louers to whom I dedicate it that it may be some wayes seruiceable vnto thee and that there thou shalt meete with many wholsome coÌ„siderations which thou shouldst not else where so easily find as againe thou maist els where find many rare things which are not here Yea me thinkes my designe fals not in with theirs saue in generall in so much as the glorie of Diuine Loue is all our aimes But this you shall know by reading it Truly myne intention was onely simply and nakedly with art or varnish to represent the Historie of the Birth progresse decaye operations proprieties aduantages and excellencies of heauenly Loue. And if besids all this thou findest somwhat else they are certaine superfluities which are hard for such an one as my selfe who write amidst many distractioÌ„s to auoyd Howbeit I hope nothing therin shall be without some profit Nature her selfe who is so skilfull a work woman proiecting the production of grapes produceth withall as by a certaine prudent inaduertance such an abundance of leaues and vine-branches that there are very few vines which are not in the season to be pruined and cut Writers often are handled to harshly the Censures that are made of them being precipitated ordinarily with more impertinencie then they practised imprudence in taking vpon them to publish their writings Precipitation of iudgment doth greatly endaÌ„ger the Iudges coÌ„science and the innocencie of the Accused Diuers doe write foolishly and diuers also doe censure grosly The sweetnesse of the Reader makes his reading sweete and profitable And my deare Reader to haue thee more fauourable I will here render thee a reason of some passages which might peraduenture otherwise put thee out of humour Some peraduenture may apprehend that I haue saied too much aÌ„d that it was not requisite to bring downe the discourse euen from its heads But I am of opinion that heauenly Loue is a Plant like to that which we call Angelica whose roote is no lesse odoriferous then the bole and branches The 4. first bookes and some chapters of the rest might without doubt haue bene omitted to the liking of such soules as onely seake the practise of holy Loue yet all of it will be profitable vnto them if they behold it with a deuote eye While others also might haue disliked not to haue had the whole continuance of that which belongs to the Treatise of Diuine Loue. Certes I tooke as I ought into my consideration the condition of the wits of this age wherein we are It doth much import one to know in what Age he writs I cite the Scripture sometimes in other termes then are found in the vulgar Edition O good God my deare Reader doe me not therefore the wrong to thinke that I would goe from that Edition ah no for I know the Holy Ghost hath authorised it by the Holy Councell of Trent and that therefore all of vs ought to stick to it but contrariwise I make no other vse of the other versions but onely to serue this when they explicate and confirme the true sense therof For example That which the heauenly Spouse saieth to his Spouse THOV HAST WOVNDED MY HEART is wonderfully cleared by the other version THOV HAST TAKEN AWAY MY HEART or THOV HAST SNACHED AWAY AND RAVISHâ—D MY HEART That which our Sauiour saieth BLESSED ARE THE POORE OF SPIRIT is much amplified and declared by the Greeke BLESSED ARE THE BEGGARS OF SPIRIT and so of others I haue often cited the sacred Psalmist in verse and it was done to recreate thy mind and through the facilitie which I found in it by reason of the sweete translation of Philipe de Portes Abbot of Tiron which notwithstanding I haue not precisely followed yet not out of any hope I had to be able to doe better then this famous Poet. For I should be too impertinent if neuer hauing so much as thought of this kind of writing I should pretend to be happie in it in an age and condition of life which would oblige me to retire my selfe from it in case I had euer bene engaged therein But in some places where the sense might be diuersly taken I followed not his verse because I would not follow his sense as in the Ps 132. where he hath taken a latin word for the fringe of the garment which I apprehended was to be taken for the coler wherevpon I translated it to myne owne mind I haue saied nothing which I haue not learn't of others yet it is impossible for me to remember wheÌ„ce I had euery thing in particular But beleeue it if I had drawen any great peeces of remarke out of any Authour I would make a conscience not to let him haue the deserued honour of it and to deliuer you of a suspition which you may conceiue against my sinceritie in this behalfe I giue you to know that the 13. Chap. of the 7. booke is extracted out of a Sermon which I made at Paris at S. IOHN'S in Greue vpon the feast of the Assumption of our B. Ladie 1602. I haue not alwayes expressed how one Chapter followes another but if you marke you will easily find the connection In that and diuers other things I had a care to spare myne owne labour and your patience After I had caused the IntroductioÌ„ to a deuote to life be printed my Lord Archbishope of Vienna Peter villars did me the fauour to unite his opinion of it in termes
instructed in the truth made resistance against this so much desired establishment his Highnesse surmounted the first difficultie by the inuincible constancie of his Zeale to the Catholike Religiō and the secōd by an extraordinarie sweetnesse and prudence For he made the chiefe ād most obstinate be called together ād made a speach vnto thē with so louely ād pressing an eloquence that in a māner being all vanquished by the gētle violēce of his fatherly loue towards thē deposed the armes of their obstinacie at his feete and their soules into the hands of the Church Licence me my deare Reader I praye thee to speake this worde by the by one might praise many rich actions of this great Prince amongst which I see the proofe of his vnspeakable valour and militarie knowledge which he makes now admired through all Europe But for my part I cannot sufficiently extoll the establishment of the Catholike Religion in these three Bailiwikes which I haue euen now mentioned hauing discouered in it so many markes of pietie suted with so great a varierie of actiōs of Prudēce Cōstancie Magnanimitie Iustice and mildnesse Me thought I discerned in this little Peece as in an abridgment all that is praised in Princes who haue in times past with most feruour striuen to aduance Gods an the Church her glorie The stage was but little but the actions long And like as that auncient Artist was neuer so much prized for his great Peeces as he was admired for making a shipe of Yuorie stored with all her furniture in so little a forme that the wings of a bee did couer it So I esteeme more that which this great Prince did at that time in this small corner of his Dominions then many more specious actions which others extoll to the heauens Now by this meanes the victorious ensignes of the Crosse were replanted in all the wayes and publicke places of those quarters ād whereas a little before there had bene one erected very solemnely at Ennemassa neare vnto Geneua a certaine Minister made a little treatise against the honour therof containing a sharpe and venimous inuectiue to which therefore it was deemed fit to make answere And my Lord Claudius de Granier my Predecessour whose memorie is in benediction did impose the burthen vpon me according to the power which he had ouer me who beheld him not onely as my Bishope but also as a holy seruant of God I made therefore this answere vnder this Title A Defence of the Banner of the Crosse and dedicated it to his Highnesse partly to testifie vnto him my most humble submission and partly to render him some small thanksgiuing for the care which he tooke of the Church in those parts Now a while agoe this Defence is reimprinted vnder the prodigious tittle of PANTHALOGIE or Treasure of the Crosse a Title whereof I neuer dream't as in truth I am not a man of that studie and leasure nor yet of that memorie to be able to put together so many peeces of worth in one booke as it might beare the name of TREASVRE or PANTHALOGIE besids that I abhorre such insolent Frontispices A Sot or senselesse Creature we him call VVho makes his Portall greater then his Hall In the yeare 1602. the obsequies of the Magnanimous Prince Philipe Emanuel of Loraine Duke of Mercurie who had done so many braue exploits vpon the Turke in Hungarie that all Christianitie was bound to conspire to honour his memorie were celebrated at Paris I being there But aboue all the rest Lady Marie of Luxembourg his widowe did for her part all that her heart and the Loue of the dead could suggest vnto her to solemnize his funeralls And because my Father my Grand Father and great Grand Father had bene brought vp Pages to the most illustrious and most excellent Princes of Martigues his Father and Predecessours she eyed me as an hereditarie seruant of the house and made choice of me to make the funerall Sermon in this so great a celebritie where there were not onely diuers Cardinalls and Prelats but certaine Princes also Princesses Marshalls of France knights of the Order yea and the Court of Parleament in Bodie I made then this funerall Sermon and pronounced it in this so great an assemble in the great Church of Paris And for so much as it contained a true abridgment of the heroicall feats of the deceased Prince I did easily cause it to be imprinted at the request of the widowe-Princesse whose request was to me a law Now I dedicated that Peece to Madame the Duchesse of Vandome as yet a girle and a very young Princesse yet one in whom was alreadie apparently seene the straines of that excellent vertue and pietie which at this day shine in her worthy of the extraction and and breeding of so denote and pious a mother While this Sermon was in the presse I heard that I was made Bishope so that I came presently hither to be consacrated and to begin my Residence and vpon it was proposed vnto me how necessarie it was to aduertise the Confeslariouses of some important points for this reason I wrote 25. aduertisments which I caused to be printed to get them more esily dispersed amongst those to whom I directed them but since they haue bene reimprinted in diuers places Three or foure yeares after I put out the Introduction to a deuote life vpon the occasion and in the manner which I haue put downe in the Preface thereof touching which I haue nothing to saie to thee my deare Reader saue onely that though this little booke haue generally had a gracious and gentle acceptance yea euen amongst the most graue Prelats and Doctours of the Church yet escaped it not the rude censure of some who did not meerely blame me but bitterly taunted me in publicke for that I tell Philothe that dauncing is an action indifferent in it selfe and that for recreations sake one may make Quodlibets and I kowing the manner of these censures I praise their intention which I thinke was good Yet should I haue desired that they had pleased to haue considered that the first proposition is drawen out of the cōmon and true doctrine of the most holy and learned Diuines which I put downe for such as liue in the world and Court that withall I doe carefully incultate the extreame dangers which are foūd in dauncing and touching the second proposition it is not myne but that admirable king's S. Lewis a Doctour worthy to be followed in conducting Courtiers to a deuote life For I beleeue if they had weighed this their Charitie and discretion had neuer permitted their Zeale how rigorous and austere soeuer to haue armed their indignation against me And to this purpose my deare reader I coniure thee to be gracious and fauorable vnto me in reading this Treatise and though thou shouldst find the style a little and a little onely I assure my selfe it shall be different from that which I vsed in writing vnto
feeblenesse and tendernesse of the one doth exalt and make more apparant the prudence and assurance of the other and euen this dissimilitude is agreeable on the other side children loue olde men because they see them buisie and carefull about them and that by a secret instinct they perceiue they haue neede of their directions Musicall concord stands in a kind of discord in which vnlike voices doe correspond making vp altogether one sole Close of proportion as the dissimilitude of precious stones and flowres doe make the gratefull compositiō of Imbosture and Diaprie so Loue is not caused alwayes by Resemblance and Sympathie but by Correspondance and Proportion which consisteth in this that by the vnion of one thing to another they may mutually receiue one anothers perfection and so be bettered The head doth not resemble the bodie nor the hand the arme yet they haue such a Correspōdance and are seated so neerely together that by their mutuall neighbourhood they doe meruelously enterchāge perfection so that if these parts had each one a distinct soule they would haue a perfect mutua◠Loue not by Similitude but by Correspondance which they haue in their mutuall perfection For this cause the melancolie and ioyefull soure and sweete haue often a correspondance of mutuall affection by reason of the mutuall impressions which they receiue one of an other by which their humours are reciprocally moderated But when this mutuall Correspondance meetes with similitude Loue without doubt is engendred more efficaciously for Similitude being the true picture of Vnitie when two like things are vnited by a proportion to the same end it seemes rather to be an Vnitie then an Vnion 11. The Sympathie then betwixt the Louer and the Beloued is the first source of Loue and this Sympathie or Conueniencie consisteth in a Correspondance which is no other thing then a mutuall aptitude making things proper to be vnited and mutually to communicate their perfections but this will be cleared in the processe of this booke That loue tends to vnion CHAPTER IX 1. THe great Salamon in a delitiously admirable ayre doth sing our Sauiours loues and those of the deuote soule in that diuin worke which for it's excellent sweetnesse is instyled the Canticle of Canticles And to rayse our selues in a more easie flight to the consideration of this spirituall loue which is exercised betwixt God and vs by the correspondance which the motions of our hearts haue with the inspirations of his diuine Maiestie he makes vse of a perpetuall representation of the loues of a chaste Shepheard and shamefast Shepheardesse Now making the Spouse or Bride first begin the parlie by manner of a certaine surprise of loue he makes her at the first onset lance out her heart in these words let him deigne me a kisse of his mouth Doe you marke THEOTIME how the soule personated by this Shepheardesse doth pretēd no other thing by the first expression of her desire thē a chast vnion with her spouse protesting that it is the highest ayme of her ambition and onely thing she breathes after For I pray you what other thing would this first sigh intimate Let him deigne me with a Kisse of his mouth 2. A Kisse from all ages as by naturall instinct hath bene imployed as a representation of perfect loue that is the vnion of hearts and not without cause we send out and muster the passions and motions which our soule hath common with brute beasts by our eyes eye-browes forehead and countenance in generall by his face a man is knowē saieth the Scripture and Aristotle giuing a reason why ordinarily great mens faces onely are pourtrated t' is saieth he that the countenances teach what they are 3. Yet doe we not vtter our discourse nor the thoughts which proceede from the spirituall portion of our soule called reason by which we are distinguished from Beasts but by words and in consequence by helpe of the mouth in so much that to poure out ones soule and scatter ones heart is nothing else but to speake Poure out your hearts before God saieth the PSALMIST that is expresse and turne the affections of your hearts into words And SAMVEL'S pious Mother pronouncing her praiers allthough so softly that one could hardly discerne the motion of her lips I haue poured out saieth she my heart before God in this wise one mouth is applyed to another in kissing to testifie that they desire to poure our one soule into the other reciprocally to vnite them in a perfect vnion and for this Reason in all times and amongst the most saintly men the world had the kisse hath bene a signe of loue and affection and such vse was vniuersally made of it amongst the auncient Christians as the great S. PAVLE testifieth when writing to the ROMAN'S and CORINTHIANS he saieth Salute mutually one another in a holy kisse And as diuerse doe witnesse IVDAS in betraying our SAVIOVR made vse of a Kisse to discouer him because this diuine SAVIOVR was accustomed to kisse his Disciples when he met them and not onely his Disciples but euen little Children whom he tooke louingly in his armes as he did him by comparison of whom he so solemnely inuited his APOSTLES to the loue of their Neighbours who as IANSENIVS reporteth was thought to haue bene S. MARTIAL 4. Thus then the Kisse being a liuely marke of of the vnion of hearts the Spouse who hath no other pretention in all her endeuours and pursuits then to be vnited to her beloued let him kisse me saieth she with a kisse of his mouth as if she had cryed out so many sighes and inflamed grones as my heart incessantly sobs out will they neuer impetrate that which my heart desires I runne alas shall I neuer gaine the prise for which I lance my selfe out which is to be vnited heart to heart spirit to spirit to my God my Spouse my life when will arriue the happie houre in which I shall poure my soule into his heart and that he will turne his heart into my soule that we may liue inseparable in that happie vnion 5. When the holy Ghost would expresse a perfect loue he alwayes in a manner makes choice of the word Vnion or Coniunction amongst the multitude of the faithfull saieth S. LVCKE there was but one heart and one soule our SAVIOVR praied for all the faithfull that they might be but on same thing SAINT PAVLE doth aduertise vs to conserue vnitie of minde by the vnion of peace These Vnities of heart soule and spirit doe signifie the perfection of Loue which ioynes many soules in one for so it is saied that IONATHAS his soule was glewed to DAVIDS that is to saie as the Scripture addeth He loued DAVID as his owne soule The great APOSTLE of FRANCE as well according to his owne Dictamē as that of HIEROTHEVS who he citeth writeth I thinke a thousand times in one Chapter OF DIVINE NAMES that Loue is of a Nature vnifying vniting referring recollecting
by which we consider him as source of Grace so will he bestow vpon vs the LIGHT OF GLORIE by which we shall contemplat him as fountaine of Beatitude and eternall life but a fountaine THEOT which we shall not contemplate a farre off as we doe now by faith but we shall see it by the LIGHT OF GLORIE being couered and swallowed vp in it The Duckers saieth Plinie who fishing for precious stones diue into the water doe take oile in their mouthes that by scattering it they might haue more day to see in the waters where they swime THEO the Blessed hauing diued and plunged themselues into the Ocean of the Diuine essence God will poure into their vnderstandings the sacred LIGHT OF GLORIE which will giue them day in the Abisse of this inaccessible light that so by the LIGHT OF GLORIE they may see the LIGHT OF THE DIVINITIE In God the fountaine is Of Life and heauenly blisse His brightnesse shall appeare To vs in th'-rayon cleare Of his day which shall be Our day of IVBILIE That there shall be different degrees of the vnion of the Blessed with God CHAPTER XV. 1. NOw this light of Glorie THEO shall be the measure of the sight and contemplation of the Blessed and according as we shall haue lesse or more of this holy splendour we shall see more or lesse clearely and consequently more or lesse happily the most holy Diuinitie which as it is beholden ād diuersly looked vpō so it will make vs diuersly glorious Certes in this heauenly Paradise all the SPIRITS see all the Diuine Essence yet no one of them nor all of them together doth or can see it entirely No THEO for God being most singularly one and most simply indiuisible one cannot see him without seeing all But being infinite without limite without bounds or measure at all in his perfection there neither is nor can be any capacitie out of himselfe who can euer totally comprehend or penetrate the infinitie of his Goodnesse infinitly essentiall and essentially infinite 2. This created light of the visible Sunne which is limited and finite is in such sort all seene of all those that doe behold it that it is neuer totally seene of any one of them nor of all together It is in a manner so with all our senses Amongst many that heare excellent musike though all of them heare it all yet some heare it not so well nor with so much delight as others according as their eares are lesse or more delicate MANNA had all tasts to all that eate it yet differently following the diuersitie of their appetits who tooke it yet was it totally tasted of none for it had more different tasts then the Israelits had varietie of gusts THEO we shall see and taste in heauen all the Diuinitie but neuer any of the Blessed nor all together shall euer see or taste it totally This infinite Diuinitie shall still haue infinitly more excellences then we sufficiencie and capacitie and we shall haue an vnspeakable content to know that after we haue satiated all the desire of our heart and fully replenished the capacitie thereof in the fruition of an infinite good which is God neuerthelesse there will remaine in this infinitie infinite perfections to be seene enioyed and possessed which his diuine Maiestie knowes and sees it onely comprehending it selfe 3. So fishes enioye the incredible vastnesse of the Ocean but neuer any fish nor yet all the multitude of fishes euer sawe all the armes of the Sea or wet their sinnes in all its waters Birds doe sport in the open aire at their pleasure but neuer any birde nor yet all the flok's of birds together did euer beat with their winges all the regions of the aire or arriue at the supreame region of the same Ah THEO our soules shall freely and according to the full extēt of their wishes swime in the Ocean and soare in the aire of the Diuinitie reioycing eternally to see that this aire is so infinite this Ocean so vast that it cannot be measured by their winges and that enioying without all reserue or exception all this infinite Abisse of the Diuinitie yet shall they neuer be able to equalize their fruition to this infinitie which remaines still infinitly infinite beyond their capicitie 4. And at this the Blessed SPIRITS are rauished with two admirations first at the infinite beautie which they contemplate secondly at the Abisse of the infinitie which remaineth to be seene in this same beautie O God how admirable is that which they see but ô God how much more admirable is that which they see not And notwithstanding THEO the most sacred beautie which they see being infinite it doth entirely satisfie and satiate them and enioying it with content according to the rancke which they hold in heauen because God's amiable prouididence hath so determined it they conuerte the knowledge they haue of not possessing or not being totally to possesse their obiect into a simple complacence of admiration in which they haue a soueraigne ioye to see that the beautie they loue is so infinite that it cannot be totally knowen but by it selfe For in this doth the Diuinitie of this infinite Beautie or the Beautie of this infinite Diuinitie consist The end of the third Booke THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF THE DECAY OR RVINE OF CHARITIE That while we are in this mortall life we may loose the loue of God CHAPTER I. I. WE make not these discourses for those great soules of Election whō God by a most speciall fauour doth so maintaine and confirme in his loue that they runne no hazard of loosing it We speake for the rest of mortalls to whom the Holy Ghost doth addresse these aduertisements he that stands let him take heede that he fall not hold what thou hast be carefull and labour that by Good workes you may assure your vocation in sequele whereof he makes them make this Praier doe not cast me from before thy face doe not take from me thy SPIRIT and leade vs not into temptation to th' end they may worke their saluation with a holy trembling and sacred feare knowing that they are not more constant and strong to conserue Gods loue then was the first Angell his followers and Iudas who receiuing it loosed it and in loosing it loosed themselues for euer nor then Salomon who hauing lost it holds the whole world in doubt of his damnation nor then ADAM EVE DAVID S. PETER who being children of Saluation fell yet for a space from the loue without which there is no saluation Alas THEO who shall then haue assurance to conserue sacred loue in the nauigation of this mortall life sith as well in earth as heauen so many personages of incomparable dignities suffered so fearefull shipwrakes 2. But ô eternall God how is it possible will you saie that a soule that loues God can neuer loose it for where loue is it resisteth sinne and how comes it to passe then that sinne gets entrie there sith
this kind of fauour one could desire no more and as the sunne-beames remaine Sunnne-beames notwithstanding that they are reiected and repulsed by some obstacle so God's signified will remaines the true will of God though it be resisted true it is it hath not the effects which it would haue being seconded 4. The conformitie then of our heart to the signified will of God consisteth in this that we should will that which the diuine goodnesse doth signifie vnto vs to be his intention beleeuing according to his doctrine hoping according to his promises fearing according to his threats louing and liuing according to his ordinances and aduertissements to which all the protestations which we make thereof in the holy Ceremonies of the Church doe tend Hence we stand while the Gospell is red as being readie to obay the holy signification of Gods will contained therein Hence we kisse the booke at the Gospell side in adoration of the sacred word which doth declare his heauenly will Hence many Saints meÌ„ and women carried in the old time in their bosoms the Gospell written as an Ephitheme of Loue as it is reported of S. CICILE And indeede S. MATHEWES Gospell was found vpon S. BARNABIES breast written with his owne hand Wherevpon in the auncient Councells in the midst of the assemblie of Bishops they erected a Throne and put vpon it the Booke of the holy Gospells which represented the person of our Sauiour king Doctour Directour Spirit of all the Councells and of the whole Church so much did they reuerence the signification of Gods will expressed in this holy booke Certes that great Myrrour of Pastours S. CHARLES Archbishop of Milau neuer studied the holy Scripture but bare head and vpon his knees to testifie with what respect we are to reade and heare the signified will of God Of the Conformitie of our will to the will which God hath to saue vs. CHAPTER IV. 1. GOd hath signified vnto vs so diuersly and by so diuerse meanes that his will was that we should all be saued that none can be ignorant of it to this purpose he made vs to his owne Image by Creation and himselfe to our Image and likenesse by his Incarnation after which he suffered death to ransome and saue all mankind which he performed with so much loue that as the great S. DENIS Apostle of France racounteth he saied vpon a day to the holy man Carpus that he was ready to suffer an other passion to saue maÌ„kind and that this would be pleasant vnto him if it could be done without any mans offence 2. And although all are not saued yet is this will the truâ— will of God who doth worke in vs according to the condition of our and his nature For his Bountie moues him liberally to communicate â—nto â—â— the succours of his grace to bring vs to the felicitie of his glorie but our nature reqâ—â—â— that his liberalitie should leaue vs in libertie to make vse of it to our saluation or to neglect it to oâ—r damnation 3. I haue demanded one thing saied the Prophet and it is that which I will demand for euer that I may see the delightes of our Lord and visite his temple But what are the delightes of the soueraigne Goodnesse but to poure out and communicate its perfections Verily his delightes are to be with the children of men to showre his grace vpon them Nothing is so agreeable and delightfull to free Agents as to doe their owne will Our Sanctification is the will of God and our Saluation his good pleasure nor is there any difference at all betwixt good pleasure and Good liking or consequently betwixt good-liking and goodwill yea the will which God hath to aduantage man is called good because it is amiable propitious fauorable agreeable delicious and as the Grecians after S. PAVLE saied it is a true PHILANTROPIE that is a beneuolence or a will entirely affectionate to men 4. All the celestiall Temple of the TriumphaÌ„t and Militant Church doth resound on euery side the delicious Canticles of God's loue towards vs. And the Sacred bodie of our Sauiour as the most holy Temple of his Diuinitie is wholy adorned with markes and tokens of this Beneuolence so that in visiting the Diuine Temple we behold the louely delightes which he takes to doe vs fauours 5. Let vs then a thousand times a day behold this louing will of God aÌ„d grounding ours therein let 's deuotely crie-out O Bountie infinitly sweete how amiable is thy will How desirable thy fauours Thou created vs for an eternall life and thy motherly breast swolen in the sacred dugges of an incomparable loue abounds in the milke of mercy whether it be to pardon sinners or perfect the Iust Ah why doe not we then glew our wills to thyne as a child is locked to the nible of his mothers dugge to lucke the milke of thy eternall benedictions 6. THâ—O we are to will our Saluation in such sort as God will's it and he wills it by way of desire must not we then following his desire incessantly desire it Nor doth he will it onely but in effect enables vs with all necessarie meanes to attaine it we then in sequele of the desire we haue to be saued must not onely desire but in effect accept all the graces which he hath prouided for vs and presents vnto vs. It is sufficient to saie I desire to be saued yet it is not sufficient to saie I desire to embrace the meanes conuenient to the attaining of saluation but we must with an absolute resolution desire and embrace the grace which God bestowes vpon vs for our will must necessarily correspoÌ„de to God's And whereas Gods will giues vs the meanes to saue our selues we ought to receiue them as we ought to desire saluation in such sort as God desires it and vs. 7. But it fals often out that the meanes to come to Saluation considered in grosse and in generall are according to our hearts liking but considered by peecemeale and in particular they are dreadfull to vs for haue we not seene the poore S. Peter prepared to vndergoe all kind of torments in generall yea death it selfe to follow his Maister and yet when it came to the deede doing and performance waxe pale tremble and at the word of a simple maide denie his Maister Euery one deemes himselfe able to drinke our Sauiours CHALICE with him but when indeede it is presented vnto vs we flie and forsake all Things proposed in particular make a more strong impressioÌ„ and more sensibly wound in the Imagination And for this reason we gaue aduice in the INTRODVCTION that after generall affections one should descend to particular ones in holy Meditation Dauid accepted particular afflictions as an aduancement to his perfection when he sunge in this wise O Lord how good it is for me that thou hast humbled me that I might learne thy iustifications So also did the Apostles reioyce in their tribulations in that they
to wrake Were it not for the nerues muskles and sinewes the whole bodie would be entirely defeated and without Charitie the vertues can neuer stand together Our Sauiour doth still tie the performance of the commandements to Charitie He that hath my Commandements saieth he and doth obserue them he it is that loues me He that loues me not keepes not my Câ—mmandements He that loues me will obserue my words which the disciple whom our Sauiour loued repeating he that obserues the Commandements of God saieth he the Charitie of God is perfect in him and this is the Charitie of God that we keepe his Commandements And he that had all vertues would keepe all the Commandements for he that loued the vertue of Religion would keepe the three first Commandements He that had Pietie would obserue the fourth He that had the vertue of mildnesse and gentlenesse would obserue the fift by the vertue of Charitie one would obserue the sixt by Liberalitie one would auoyd the breach of the seauenth by Truth one would effect the eight by frugalitie and puritie one would obserue the ninth and tenth And if without Charitie we cannot keepe the Commandements much lesse can we without her haue all the other vertues 2. True it is one may haue some one vertue and liue some small time without offending God though he want Charitie But euen as we sometimes see trees rooted out of the ground growe as it were yet fadingly and for a short time so a heart seperated from Charitie may indeede bring forth some acts of vertue but that cannot continew for any long time 3. All vertues separated from Charitie are imperfect since they are not able without it to arriue at their end which is Beatitude Bees in their birth are little groubs and wormes without feete wings forme or fashion in tract of time they change and become little flies but afterwards waxing strong and being come to their groth then they are saied to be perfect and accomplish't Bees as being furnished of all necessaries to flie abrode and make honie Vertues haue their beginnings their progresse and their perfection and I doe not denie but without Charitie they may both be borne and growe but that they should come to their perfection and beare the name of formed fashioned and accomplished vertues is a worke of Charitie which giues them the force to flie home to God to gather vp his mercy the honie of true merite and the sanctification of the heart wherein they are found 4. Charitie is amongst the vertues as the SuÌ„ne amongst the Starrs she distributs to them all their luster and Beautie Faith Hope Feare and Penance doe ordinarily come before as Herbingers to take vp her Lodging in the soule and vpoÌ„ her arriuall they with all the traine of vertues doe obeye and waite vpon her and she with her presence doth animate adorne and quicken them all 5. The other vertues can mutually aide and excite one another in their labours and exercises for who sees not that Chastitie doth call vpon and stirre vp sobrietie and that obedience doth moue vs to liberalitie Praier and humilitie Now by this communication which they haue amongst themselues they participate one of anothers perfections for Chastitie kept by obedience hath a double dignitie it s owne and that of obedience yea it hath euen more of the dignitie of obedience then of its owne for as ARISTOTLE saieth he that robbeth to th' end he may commite fornication is more a Fornicatour then a Thiefe because fornication was his affection's onely ayme he made vse of stelth onely as of a passage thither euen so he that keepes his chastitie through obedience is more obedient then Chast since he makes Chastitie serue obedience howbeit from the mixture of Chastitie and obedience a perfect and accomplished vertue cannot issue being they both want their last perfection which is Charitie so that if it were possible that all the vertues were put in one man and that he wanted onely Charitie this assemblie of vertues should indeede be a most perfect and compleate bodie in all its members as Adams was when God with his omnipoteÌ„t hand had formed him of the slime of the earth yet should it be a bodie wanting motion life and grace till God breathed into it the breath of life that is holy Charitie without which nothing doth profit vs. 6. For the rest the perfectioÌ„ of diuine Loue is so soueraigne that it doth perfect all the vertues and can receiue no perfection from them no not by obedience it selfe which yet is that which is most able to giue perfection to the rest For although loue be commanded and that in louing we exercise obedience yet so that loue drawes not its perfection from obedience but from the goodnesse of that which it loueth loue not being therefore excellent because it is obedient but because it loues an excellent Goop Truely in louing we obeye as also in obeying we loue but that this obedience is so extreamely louely is because it tends to the excellencie of Loue nor doth its excellencie consist in this that in louing we obeye but in this that in obeying we loue So that euen as God is as well the last end of all that is good as the first beginning eueÌ„ so Loue that is the source of euery good affection is likewise the last end and perfection therof A digression vpon the imperfection of the Pagans vertues CHAPTER X. 1. THe auncient SAGES of the world made of old glorious discourses in the honour of morall vertues yea euen in the behalfe of Religion but that which Plutarke obserued in the Stoicks is yet more proper for the rest of the Pagans We see ships quoth he which beare famous inscriptions Some are called VICTORIE others THE VALOVROVS others THE SVNNE yet are they not for all that exempt from their subiection to the winds and waues So the Stoicks bragged that they were exempt from passions that they were without Feare Griefe or Anger being people immoueable and vnuariable yet are they in effect subiect to troubles disquiets boisterousnesse and other impertinences 2. I beseech you for Gods loue THEO what vertues could those people haue who voluntarily and of set purpose ouerthrew all the lawes of ReligioÌ„ SENECA wrote a booke against SuperstitioÌ„ wherein he repreheÌ„ds the PagaÌ„ impietie with a great deale of libertie But this libertie saieth S. AVGVSTINE was fouÌ„d in his writings not in his life since he aduised that in affection one should reiect superstition yet practise it in action for marke his words Which superstitions the Sage shall obserue as commanded by the law not as gratefull to the Gods How could they be vertuous who as S. AVGVSTINE relates were of opinion that the wiseman was to kill himselfe when he could not or ought not longer to endure the calamities of this life and yet would not professe that calamities were miserable nor miseries full of calamities but maintained that the wiseman was continually
call them firie of fire burning coles or Carbunkles because in light and splendour they resemble fire but they are called without flame or if we may so saie vnflamie because their light is not onely no wayes hote but they are not euen capable of heate there being â—o fire that can heate them So did our old Fâ—rthers terme the Pagan vertues VERTVES and â—OT-VERTVES both together Vertues because they carried the luster and apparence of vertues NOT-VERTVES because they wanted not onely the vitall â—eate of the Loue of God which alone could perfect them but they were not euen capable of it because they were in subiects wanting faith there being in those times saieth S. AVGVSTINE two Romans famous for their vertue CAESAR and CATO Cato's vertue came much neerer to the true vertue then Caesars did and hauing saied in some passage that the Philosophers who were destitute of true pietie had yet shined in the light of vertue he doth vnsaie it in the first booke of his Retractations esteeming that too great a praise to be giuen to imperfect vertues as those of the Pagans were which in truth are like vnto shining night wormes that shine onely by night and the day being come loose their light For euen so those Pagan vertues are onely vertues in comparison of vice but in respect of true Christian vertues doe not at all deserue the name of vertue 6. Yet whereas they containe some good they may be compared to greene Aples for both their colour and that substance which is left them is as good as that of entire vertues but the worme of of vanitie which is in the midst of them spoyles all and therefore he that would make profit of them must culle out the good from the bad I will easily grant THEO that CATO had a resolute courage and that this resolutnesse was laudable in it selfe but he that would make profit of his example it must be in a iust and laudable subiect not by slaughtering himselfe but by suffering death when true vertue shall exact it not by the vanitie of glorie but by the glorie of veritie as it happened to our Martyrs who with inuincible courages did so many miracles of constancie and resolution that those CATO'S HORACES SENECA'S and LVCRECE'S are in comparison worthy of no consideration witnesse those LAVRENCES VINCENTS VITALISES ERASMVSSES EVGENIASE'S SEBASTIANS AGATHAS AGNESES CATHARINS PERPETVAS FELICITES SYMPHOROSAS NATALESES and a thousand thousand others who make me dayly admire the Admirours of Pagan vertues not so much in that they doe inordinatly admire the imperfect vertues of the Pagans as for that they doe not admire the most perfect vertues of the Christians vertues a thousand times worthy of admiration and they alone are worthy of imitation How humaine actions are without worth being without Gods Loue. CHAPTER XI 1. THe great friend of God ABRAHAM had onely by SARA his principall wife his most onely deare Isaac who also was his onely vniuersall Heire and though he had Ismael by AGAR and diuers other children by CETVRA his seruants and lesse principall wiues yet bestowed he vpon them certaine presents onely and Legacies whereby to put them off and disinherite them because not being allowed off by his cheife wife they could not be his successours Now they were not allowed because as for the children of CETVRA they were all borne after SARA'S decease and concerning Ismael though his mother Agar conceiued him by the permission of SARA her Mistresse howbeit perceiuing her selfe with child she despised her and brought not forth this child vpon her knees as Bala brought forth hers vpon Rachel's THEO the onely children that is the onely acts of holy Charitie are God's Heires Coheires with IESVS CHRIST and the children or the acts of which the other vertues conceiue and bring forth vpon her knees by her command or at least vnder the winges and fauour of her presence But when morall vertues yea euen supernaturall vertues doe produce their actions in the absence of Charitie as they doe amongst Schismatikes according to S. AVGVSTINS relation and sometimes amongst euill Catholikes they are of no value towards the purchace of Paradice no not euen Almes deedes though we should distribute therein all out Substance to the poore Nor yet Martyrdome though we should deliuer our bodie to the fire to be burnt No THE without Charitie saith the Apostle all this were worth nothiÌ„g as we will more amply shew hereafter Now againe the will doth sometimes prooue disobedieÌ„t to her mistresse which is Charitie in the production of morall vertues to wit when as by pride vanitie temporall respects or by some other bad motiue the vertues are turn'd out of their owne nature and then those actions are reiected and banished out of ABRAHAMS house and from Sara's companie that is they are depriued of the fruit and priuiledges of Charitie and consequently are left without worth or merite For those actions strayned in that sort with bad intentions are indeede more vicious then vertuous hauing onely vertue on their outside their interiour belonging to vice which serues them for a motiue witnesse the fastings offerings and other actions of the Pharisie 2. But furthermore as the Israelits liued peaceably in Egipt during Iosephs life time and the life time of LEVI and presently after the death of LEVI were tyrannically reduced into seruitude whence the Iewes tooke their Prouerbe ONE OF THE BROTHERS BEING DECEASED THE OTHERS ARE OPPRES'T as it is registred in the Hebrewes great Chronologie which was published by the learned Archbishop of Aix Gilbert Genebrard whom to his honour I name with consolation whose scholler I was though an vnprofitable one while he was the king's reader at Paris and explicated the Canticle of Canticles so the merits and and fruits as well of morall as Christian vertues doe in a most sweete tranquillitie subsist in the soule while sacred Charitie liues aÌ„d raignes therein but as soone as heauenly loue dies all the merits and fruits of other vertues doe also die vpon it and these are they which the Diuines call DEAD WORKES for that hauing beene borne aliue vnder charities protection and as another Ismael in Abrahams house they doe afterwards loose life and the right of inheritance by the disobedience and rebellion which proceeded from their mother the will 3. O God THEO what a misfortune it is if the iust man forsake his Iustice and turne to iniquitie his workes of iustice shall be no longer held in memorie he shall die in this sinne saieth our Lord in Ezechiel so that mortall sinne doth ouerthowe all the merite of vertues for touching those which are practised while sinne raignes in the soule they are borne so dead that they are vnprofitable for euer to the pretentioÌ„ of life euerlasting and as for those that were practised before the sinne was committed that is while sacred loue liued in the soule their value and merite doth perish and die iust vpoÌ„ its arriuall not being able to
its vâ—rtue and beare its influence vpon the actions which we practise afterwards but so farre forth as in the exercise of them we applie the motiue of Loue in particular by dedicating them in a speciall manner to the glorie of God Yet doe all confesse with SAINT BONAVENTVRE who hath the generall approbation of all in this behalfe that if I haue determined in my heart to giue an huÌ„dred crownes for Gods sake though afterwards I make the distribution of this somme at leasure hauing my mind distracted and without attention yet is all the distribution made through Loue because it proceedes from the first proiect which Diuine Loue made me make of giuing the whole 6. But I praie you Tâ—EO what difference is there betwixt him that offers an hundred crowneâ— to God and him thâ—t offers to him all his actions truly there is none at all but that the one offers a somme of money the other a somme of actions And why I praie shall they not then be doth esteemed to make the distribution of the parcells of the somme in vertue of their first purpose and fundamentall resolutions And if one that distributs his crownes without attention be not depriued of the influence of his first purpose why shall not the other in the distribution of his actionâ— enioye the fruit of his first intention He that purposely hath made himselfe a louing seruant of the Diuine goodnesse hath by consequence dedicated all his actions to the same goodnesse 7. Grounding vpon this truth euery one should once in his life make a good recollection thereby to cleane his soule from all sinne and vpoÌ„ it to make an inward and solide resolution to liue wholy to God as we haue giuen instructions in the first part of the Introduction to a deuote life And afterwards at least once euery yeare to make a suruey vpon ones conscience and a renouation of the first resolution which we haue put downe in the fift part of the same booke to which in this behalfe I remit you 8. Certes SAINT BONAVENTVRE doth auoutch that a man that hath gotten so great an inclination and custome of well doing that he doth it frequently without any speciall intention looseth not the merits of such actions which are enriched by Loue from whence they spring as from their roote and originall source of thire blessed habit facilitie and promptitude Of certaine other meanes whereby we may applie our workes more particularly to the Loue of God CHAPTER IX 1. VVHen the Pea-hen hatcheth her egges in a white place her youÌ„g ones are also white And when our intentions are in the loue of God when we proiect some good worke or vndertake some certaine vocation all the actions which doe issue thence take their worth and deriue their nobilitie from the Loue whence they descended for who doth not see that the actioÌ„s which are proper to my vocation and requisite to my designe doe depend of this first election and resolution which I made 2. Yet THEO one must not staie there but to make an excellent progresse in deuotion we must not onely in the begining of our conuersion and afterâ—ards once euery yeare addresse all our life and actions to God but we must euen offer them vnto him euery day following the morning exercise which we haue taught Philothie for in this dayely renewing of our oblation we spread the vertue and vigour of our loue vpon our actions by a new application of our heart to the Diuine glorie by meanes whereof it is still more and more sanctified 3. Besides this let vs an hundred and an hundred times a day applie our life to Diuine Loue by the practise of iaculatorie praiers eleuations of the mind and spirituall retreats for thâ—sâ— holy exercises casting and bearing vp our minds to Gâ—d doe also in the end draw all our actions thither and how should it come to passe I praie you that a soule which doth euery moment dart vp herselfe at the Diuine Goodnesse and which doth incessantly breath words of Loue to th' end she may keepe her heart continually lodged in the bosome of her heauenly Faâ—her should not be thought to doe all her good workes in God and for God 4. She that saieâ—h ah Lord I am thyne my beloued is wholy myne and I am wholy his My God thou art my all O IESVS thou art my life ah who will doe me the fauour that I may die to my selfe to th' end I may liue onely to thee O to loue to goe to die to a mans selfe ô to liue to God! ô to bee in God! ô Lord whatsoeuer is not thy very selfe is nothing to me She I saie doth she not continually dedicate her actions to her heauenly Spouse ô how blessed is the soule who hath once stripped and perfectly resigned herselfe into the hands of God Almightie whereof we spoke before for afterwards she will onely neede one little sight aÌ„d view of God to renew and confirme her stripping resignation and oblation together with her Protestation that she will haue nothing but God and for God and that she neither loues herselfe nor any other thing in the world but in God and for the Loue of God 5 The exercise then of continuall aspirations is very proper for the application of all our works to Loue. But principally it is abundantly sufficient for the small and ordinarie actions of our life for as for heroicall workes and maters of consequeÌ„ce it is expedient if we intend to make any great profit to vse the ensuing methode as I haue alreadie giuen a touch elsewhere 6. Let vs in these occurreÌ„ces eleuate our heart aÌ„d spirit to God let vs burie our consideration and exteÌ„de our thoughts into the most holy and glorious eternitie let vs behold how in it the Diuine goodnesse did tenderly cherish vs preparing all conuenient meanes for our saluation and progresse in his Loue and in particular the commoditie to doe the good which doth at that present presente it selfe vnto vs or to suffer the euill which befalls vs. This done displaying if we may so saie and eleuating the armes of our consent let vs embrace dearely feruently and most louingly as well the good which presents it selfe to be done as the euill which we are to suffer in consideration that God willed it so from all eternitie to please him and to obeye his prouidence 7. Behold the great S. CHARLES when his Diocese was infested with the plague he lifted vp his heart to God and beheld attentiuely that in the eternitie of Gods Prouidence this scourge was determined and prepared for his flocke and that the same Prouidence had ordained that in this their scourge he should take a most tender care to serue solace and cordially to assist the afflicted sith that in this occurrence he chanced to be the Ghostly Father Pastour and Bishope of that Prouince Wherevpon representing vnto himselfe the greatnesse of the paines toyles and hazards which he was necessarily
when it dies to it selfe nor euer so much death as when it liues to it selfe 8. We haue freedome to doe good or euill yet to make choyce of euill is not to vse but to abuse our freedome Let vs renounce the accursed libertie and let vs for euer subiect our free-will to the rule of heauenly Loue let vs become slaues to Loue whose seruants are more happie then kings And if euer our soule should offer to imploye her libertie against our resolutioÌ„s of seruing God for euer and without reserue ô in that case for Gods sake let vs sacrifice our freewill and make it die to it selfe that it may liue to God He that in respect of selfe loue will keepe it in this world shall loose it in respect of eternall Loue in the other world and he that for the loue of God shall loose it in this world shall coÌ„serue it for the same loue in the next He that giues it libertie in this world shall find it a slaue in the other and he that shall make it a seruant to the Crosse in this world shall find it free in the next where being drunk vp in the fruition of the Diuine goodnesse libertie will be conuerted into loue and loue into libertie but libertie of an infinite sweetenesse without violeÌ„ce paine or repugnance at all we shall vnchangeably loue the Creatour and Sauiour of our soules Of the motiues we haue to holy Loue. CHAPTER XI 1. SAINT BONAVENTVRE Father Granado Father Lowis of Poâ—t Stella haue sufficiently discoursed vpon this subiect I will onely somme vp the points which I haue touched in this Treatise 2. The Diuine Goodnesse considered in it selfe is not onely the first motiue of all but withall the greatest the most noble and most puissant For it is that which doth rauish the Blessed and crowne their Felicitie How can one haue a heart and yet not loue so infinite a goodnesse This subiect is in some sort proposed in the 1. and 2. chap. of the 2. booke and from the 8. chap. of the 3. booke to the end and in the 9. chap. of the 10. booke 3. The 2. motiue is that of Gods supernaturall Prouidence creation and conseruation towards vs according as we haue saied in the 3. cha of the 2. booke 4. The 3. motiue is that of Gods supernaturall Prouidence ouer vs and of the Redemption which he prepared for vs as it is explicated in the 4. 5. 6. and 7. chap. of the 2. booke 5. The 4. motiue is to consider how God doth practise this Prouidence and Redemption giuing euery one the grace and assistance which is requisite to their Saluation which we handle in the 2. booke from the 8. chap. and in the 3. booke from the beginning till the 6. chap. 6. The 5. motiue is the eternall glorie prouided for vs by the diuine goodnesse which is the accomplishment of Gods benefits towards vs and is in some sort touched from the 9. chap. to the end of the 3. booke A profitable methode whereby we may imploy these methods CHAPTER XII 1. NOw to receiue from these motiues a profound and powerfull heate of loue we are after we haue once considered one of them in coÌ„mon to applie it in particular to our selues For example O how amiable this great God is who out of his infinite goodnesse gaue his sonne for the whole worlds redemption alas I for all in generall but also for me who am the first of offenders Ah he hath loued me yea I saie he hath loued euen me yea euen me my selfe such as I am and deliuered himselfe to death for me 2. Secondly we must consider the Diuine benefits in their first and eternall source O God Tâ—â—O what loue can we haue sufficiently worthy of the infinit goodnesse of our Creatour who froÌ„ all eternitie determined to create conserue gouerne redeeme saue and glorifie all in generall and in particular Ah what was I then when I was not my selfe I saie who now being some thing am yet but a simple and poore worme of the earth while yet God from the Abisse of his eternitie thought thoughts of benediction in my behalfe He considered and designed yea determined the houre of my birth of my baptisme of all the inspirations that he would bestow vpon me in a word for all the benefits which he would doe and offer me alas is there a sweetenesse like to this 3. Thirdly we must consider the Diuine benefits in their second meritorious source for doe you not know THEO that the high Priest of the law wore vpon his backe and bosome the names of the children of Israel that is the precious stones vpon which the chiefe of the Israelites were engraueÌ„ Ah behold IESVS our High Priest and consider him from the very instant of his conception how he bore vs vpon his shoulders vndertaking the charge to redeeme vs by his death and death of the Crosse ô THEO THEO this soule of our Sauiour knew vs all by name and surname but especially vpon the day of his passion when he offered his teares his praiers his blood and life for all he breathed in particular for thee these thoughts of loue Ah my eternall Father I take vpon me and to my charge all poore THEO sinns to vndergoe torments and death that he may be freed from them and that he may not perish but liue Let me die so he may liue let me be crucified so that he may be glorified ô the soueraigne Loue of IESVS his heart what heart can euer blesse thee so deuotely as it ought 4. So within his fatherly breast his Diuine heart foresaw disposed merited and obtained all the benefits which we haue not onely in generall for all but also in particular for euery one and his sweete dugges prouided for vs the milke of his motions draughtes inspiratioÌ„s and sweetenesse by which he doth draw conduct and nurish our hearts to eternall life Benefits doe not in â—â—ame vs vnlesse we behold the eternall will which ordaines them for vs and the heart of our Sauiour that merited them for vs by so many paines especially in his death and passion That the Mount of Caluarie is the true Academie of Loue. CHAPTER XIII 1. NOw in finall conclusion the death and PassioÌ„ of our Sauiour is the sweetest aÌ„d yet most violent motiue that caÌ„ animate our hearts in this mortall life And it is the very truth that mysticall Bees make their most excelleÌ„t honie within this Lyon's wouÌ„d of the Tribe of Iuda but chered rent and torne vpon the Mount of Caluarie and the children of the Crosse glorie in their admirable Probleme which the word vnderstaÌ„ds not Oâ—t of all deuouring death râ—se the life of our consolation and out of death which is the strongest of all things the honie sweetenesse of our loue did issue O IESVS my Sauiour how amiable is thy death since it is the soueraigne effect of thy Loue. 2. And indeede aboue in heauenly glorie next to the motiue of the diuine goodnesse knowne aÌ„d coÌ„siâ—erâ—d in it selfe that of the death of our Sauiour shall be the most powerfull to rauish the hearts of the Blessed with the loue of God in signe whereof MOYSES and HELIE in the Transfiguration which was a scantling of glorie spoke with our Sauiour of the Excesse which he was to accomplish in Hierusalem but of what excesse if not of that excesse of Loue by which life was forced from the Louer to be bestowed vpon the beloued So that in the eternall Canticle I imagine that ioyfull acclamation will be iterated each moment Lâ—ue IESVS liue whose death doth prooue What is the force of heauenly loue 3. THEO the mount Caluarie is the mount of Louers All loue that begi s not from our Sauiours Passion is friuolous and dangerous Accursed is death without the Loue of our Sauiour Accursed is Loue without the death of our Sauiour Loue and death are so mingled in the passion of our Sauiour that one cannot haue the one in his heart without the other Vpon Caluarie one caÌ„not haue life without Loue nor loue without the death of our Redeemour But out of that all is either eternall death or eternall Loue Christian wisdome consisteth in making a good choice and to assist you in that I vndertookâ— this Treatise my THâ—O While this short day doth last Make choice ô man thou mayst To liue eternally Or else for ere to dye It is the Heauens Decree There should no middle be O eternall Loue my soule doth desire and make choice of thee eternally ah come ô holy Ghost and inflame our hearts with thy Loue Either loue or die die or loue To die to all other Loue to liue to that of IESVS that we may not eternally die but that liuing in thy eternall loue ô Sauiour of our soules we may eternally singe VIVE IESVS I loue IESVS liue IESVS whom I loue I loue IESVS who liueth and raigneth for euer and euen Amen 4. These things THEO which by the grace and helpe of Charitie haue bene written to your Charitie I beseech GOD they may take roote in your heart that this Charitie may find in you the fruits of holy workes not the leaues of prayses Amen God be blessed Thus I shut vp this whole Treatise in the words with which S. AVGVSTINE ended his admirable sermon of Charitie made before an illustrious assemblie The end of this present Treatise ERRATA Pag Lin Faults Coâ—rectâ—â— 9 28 it being desired if being desired 28 7 Hâ—rodiadas Herodias 45 16 this in this 51 22 Alliance Couenant 58 23 expired breathed out 63 33 Principale prâ—nciple 64 9 soules soule 88 33 peace peece 128 8 her herselfe 169 14 or where 188 21 begiues giues 109 4 light a True God Light true God 209 18 their his 237 28 Seeing a Seer 266 17 owes ewes 293 11 deseased deceased 332 3 for for we neuer loue that which 334 8 uen heauen 359 14 exteriour interiour 381 27 Pallas Pallace 393 32 And to it this And this is it 430 1 Maisters Maisters Passion 461 12 Epthitheme Eâ—itheme 479 19 Pipins Kernells 546 18 at and 568 30 to Gods submissioÌ„ to God submissioÌ„ 592 24 Sauâ—our out Sauiour brought him out 603 6 God good 660 13 honie oyle 694 7 Charitie Chastitie 788 17 word world