that yet are not very capable of making a good choice Hovveuer euen such as far as is allovved ought to vse their best endeauours hoping that God vvill blesse such their care for the aduancement of their Spirits Notvvithstanding such ought vvithall to take heed that from too nice a curiosity in chusing there doe not follovv any disquiet in the families vvhere they liue if seuerall Persons should be zealous each for a particular Directour as S. Hierome chides a Mother and a Daughter that vpon such an occasion separated from one another Therfore in such a case a good soule that vvill preferre peace before the contenting her mind may of all others rely vpon God assuring her selfe that He vvill in a speciall manner assist and conduct her supplying all other vvants And particularly such an extraordinary Diuine assistance may be most confidently expected by vvell-disposed soules in Religious Communities vvhere such freedome of chusing is not permitted For as Rusbrochius sayth God will rather send an Angell from heauen then that such humble obedient and sincere soules relying vpon him shall want due helpes Therfore such as forbeare a sollicitous searching after a Directour either for the preuenting inconueniences or out of an humble sincere apprehension of the danger of erring in the Choice or a Religious regard to the preiudice it might cause in a Community to peace and good order c such may vvell hope that God vvill not permit them to be loosers thereby Yea moreouer such as in the forenamed Cases thinke they haue a true occasion and that they may iustly doe it for the quietting of their Consciences resoluing of their doubts c had neede be very vvary that they proceede sincerely and that they really seeke their spirituall proffit and not naturall contentment For as our Venerable F. Baker in a certaine place aduiseth It is not sufficient to any Soules that it is permitted by the Lavves of the Church at certaine times to require a Speciall Directour vpon a consideration of the expedience and necessity that some soules in some circumstances may haue But they are to consider vvhether their case haue these circumstances and vvhether they doe truly make vse of the said Permission for the right end 41. A second Point in the same chapter supposed to deserue explication vvas that Assertion That a Deuout Soule once set in a good and proper way of Prayer after she has made some progresse in it ought not to haue recourse ordinarily to a Directour but that she should practise the following of Gods Directions c. On the Contrary it vvas supposed that till a soule haue made some considerable progresse in the Prayer of the Will she vvould not be subiect to Illusions and therfore had thence forvvard most neede of Aduice from a prudent Guide But this difficulty is cleared tovvard the latter end of the third Treatise vvhere is taught That in the case and perill of Illusion vpon an opinion of some extraordinary Illuminations c it is necessary that Soules though neuer so much aduanced should distrust their ovvne iudgment and neuer presume to adde beleife vnto and must lesse put in execution any thing suggested by any Illuminations true or pretended vvithout the aduice and consent of Superiours and Directours But as for the ordinary practises of an Internall Life as Prayer and Mortification c is is very requisite that soules should be taught as soone as may be to quit an assiduous dependāce on Externall Guides from vvhence vvould follovv nothing but sollicitudes distractions c. There is a parallell Aduice though in somevvhat a different Case in 3. Treat 4. Sect. 3. Chap. § 36. 37. vvhere in a Discourse concerning Rapts and the like extraordinary Fauours it is said of Perfect Soules that they may iudge of those matters by their owne supernaturall Light c. that they are not so absolutely obliged to resigne their iudgments and Wills to others as vtterly to neglect their owne proper Call receiued from God c. By vvhich vvords is not meant that any Soules though neuer so Perfect should be exempted from the obligation of submission to Superiours iudging or ordaining concerning any such Diuine Fauours But only that such Perfect Soules neede not so oft to haue recourse for Aduice about such matters but may proceede by that Diuine Light communicated to them Whereas the imperfect ought neither to yeild beleife nor execution further then they haue Aduice and Order for Now vvho vvould find fault vvith S. Teresa S. Catherine of Sienna c if they should forbeare consultations after euery Rapt or Reuelation hauing formerly bene sufficiently vvarranted by Superiours c 42. In consequence to the story of V. R. F. Balthazar Aluarez his Account giuen of his Prayer to his Generall mentioned in the 3. Treat 1. Sect. 7. Chap. at the latter End vvhere a relation is made of the Generalls Orders requiring all Superiours to direct and assist the younger Religious among them so as that they might high y esteeme and in their practise follow the manner of Prayer most suitable to their Institute prescribed in their Exercises I thinke my selfe obliged to acquaint thee deare Reader that by two Bookes published of late by two RR. FF of the Society and perused by mee since the vvriting and printing of that passage I doe find that the sayd Orders of the Generall are not at least of late so rigidely interpreted as formerly they vvere 43. The Authours of sayd Bookes vvritten in French are R. F. Ant. Ciuoré and R. F. Andr. Baiole In vvhich the vvhole Doctrine of this Booke especially concerning the Excellency of Affectiue Praier beyond Discoursiue is most copiously and strongly asserted yea and moreouer the Instructions concerning the necessity of attending to and following Diuine Inspirations as likevvise waies prescribed to distinguish them from false suggestions of the Deuill or corrupt Nature are so largely clearely and euen in the very Phrases of this Booke deliuered by the former of the tvvo in his Booke called Les Secrets de la Science des Saincts Tr. III. cap. IX from p. 402. to p. 486. that it not being credible that he had seene our V. F. A. Bakers Writings vvee may rationally in ferre that vvhat he vvrites vvith such extraordinary exactnes proceeded from a deepe and experimentall knovvledge of these Internall and secret pathes of Contemplation 44. So that no doubt there are many Deuout Persons in the Society vvhich not being engaged in many externall Employments and enioying consequently both a Solitude and Liberty of Spirit greater perhaps then vvill be afforded in many Communities by Profession purely Contemplatiue doe permit themselues to the Diuine Conduct make vvonderfull progresse in these Diuine Wayes 45. True indeede it is that the other Authour F. Ant. Baiole seemes to maintaine that the Spirituall Exercises according to the intention of S. Ignatius vvill by practise become a Praier of Contemplation and Mystick Vnion An Assertion in
spirituall Authours intending to recommend certeine Duties necessary to be practised for as much as concernes the substance of the Duties as an entire selfe-abnegation Purity of intention c. they doe vrge the said duties in the greatest perfection vniuersally vpoÌ„ all vvith such phrases of absolute necessity as if vpon any defect in practising that vertue so by them extended to the full to the end to preuent all the most secret vvayes shifts in vvhich nature is apt to seeke her ovvne satisfaction all the vvhole designe of an Internall life vvere ruined they doe by this ouermuch exactnes care instead of exciting the courage of their Readers to the serious practise of so necessary a Duty quite dishearten them yea perhaps they make them suspect the state of their soules vvho being conscious of their present infirmity imperfections loose all heart to aduenture vpon an attempt so vnproportionable to their vveake abilities Wheras if Instructions had bene tempered vvith regard to the capacity of each practiser they vvould haue gone on vvith courage good successe 13. Voluntary Reading must giue place to Prayer vvhensoeuer the soule finds herselfe inuited therto 14. The vertue of Mortification may sometimes ought to be practised in Reading in this manner When any booke or subiect is very gustfull to a soule she must be vvatchfull ouer herselfe not to povvre herselfe vvholly vpon it vvith an intemperate greedines nor to let curiosity or delight too much possesse her but let her novv then stop the pursuit of reading lifting vp her mind by interruptions to God afterwards continue at least in a vertuall attention to him so mortifying qualifying the impetuosity of nature And by no meanes let her giue way to an vnwillingnes to quitt Reading for performing her appoynted Recollections or other exercises of obligation 15. To conclude whosoeuer in Reading c. doth not cheifly obserue his owne spirit Diuine Call makes not the bookes sayings examples of others to serue the said spirit Call but on the contrary makes the diuine Inspirations subiect to bookes c it were better for him neuer to read such bookes or receiue humane Instructions but that he should cleaue only to God who in case of necessity vvill most assuredly supply all other wants defects 16. And the same Liberty that I haue recommended to soules in the Reading of other bookes I aduise them to vse in these instructions also that is to apply to their owne practise only such Directions as their spirituall Instructour and their owne experience reason enlightned by Grace shall shevv them to be proper for them Indeed in all this booke I knovv scarse any one Aduice vvhich I can confidently say to be properly belonging to all soules that leade an Internall life generally except this That they who aspire to perfection in Contemplation must not content themselues nor rest finally in any inferiour degree of Prayer but following the Diuine light inuitation without obliging themselues to any formes or methods they must from the lowest degree of Internall Prayer which is ordinarily Meditation proceed to a more sublime Prayer of immediate Affections Acts of the will from thence ascend to the Infused Prayer of Aspirations 17. Yea I dare vvith all confidence pronounce That if all spirituall bookes in the world were lost there were no externall Directours at all yet if a soule sufficiently instructed in the essentiall grounds of Catholick Faith that has a naturall aptnes though otherwise neuer so simple vnlearned being only thus farre well instructed at first will prosecute Prayer Abstraction of life will resignedly vndergoe such necessary Mortifications as God shall prouide for her obseruing God his Call exteriourly interiourly so forsake herselfe propose Almighty God his will Loue honour for her finall Intention the which she wiâ—l certeinly doe if she attend vnto his Inspirations Such a soule would walke clearly in perfect light with all possible security would not faile in due time to arriue at Perfect Contemplation These are the tvvo externall meanes by vvhich God teaches soules discouering to them his vvill to vvit Instructours and Bookes And to these vve might adde another to vvit Lawes precepts of Superiours for God teaches vs also this vvay neuer commands contrarily But of these vve shall speake herafter CAP. IV. § 1. Of the 3. most principall way by which God teaches internall liuers viz. Immediate Diuine Inspirations The Order of particular considerations followingt â—ouching them § 2. First of the necessity of them the ground of such necessity § 3. 4. 5. 6. The said necessity proued by the testimony of S. Benedict in his Rule c. as also by his example § 7. A further demonstration of the said necessity 1. THE third forementioned of all other the most principall Meane by vvhich God instructs directs Internall liuers in the secret Paths of his diuine loue vpon vvhich doe depend the tvvo former are Interiour Illuminations inspirations of Gods holy Spirit vvho is to be acknovvledged the only supreme Maister concerning vvhich Inspirations it hath already bene shevved in generall vvhat they are hovv distinguished from the lights motions of common Grace vvhat are the obiects about vvhich principally they are exercised c. I vvill novv treate more particularly of them in this follovving Order viz. 1. There shall be further shevved the necessiâ—y of them 2. That soules are obliged to dispose themselues for the receiuing of them hovv this is to be done to vvit by remouing the impediments 3. Hovv God communicates to the soule his light grace for her instru ion direction 4. That it is not hard to discerne them very secure to rely vpon them 5. That by the vse of them no preiudice at all comes to Ecclesiasticall or Religious Obedience 2. Touching the first Point to vvit the necessity of them in an Internall Contemplatiue life There is none that vvill deny or doubt but that Diuine Inspirations are necessary for as much as concernes the proper essentiall Actions of Christian vertues the vvhich receiue all their meritoriousnes from the said Inspirations But some there are that vvill not allovv the same necessity of expecting Inspirations Calls for Actions or omissions of themselues indifferent or of lesse moment But surely since it is generally agreed vpon by Diuines following S. Augustin S. Thomas c. that there are no actions done in particular circumstances vvhich are simply to be esteemed indifferent but since they must haue some end if the end be good they are to be esteemd good if euill they are euill hovveuer vniuersally considered they are in their ovvne nature indifferent because according to the intention end vvhervvith they are done they may be good or euill Againe since there are no actions so inconsiderable but may yea ought to be performed
that vvhich is Affectiue For as for Discoursiue Prayer or Meditation the vvorld is but euen burdned vvith bookes vvhich vvith more then sufficient nicenes prescribe Rules methods for the Practise of it and vvith too partiall an affection magnify it The Authours of such bookes neglecting in the meane time or perhaps scarse knovving vvhat true Internall affectiue Prayer is the vvhich notvvithstanding is the only efficacious Instrument that immediatly brings soules to Contemplation perfect Vnion in spirit vvith God 3. Some there are that because they doe not find in the vvritings of the Ancient Fathers Mysticall Doctours such exact Instructions touching the practise of Internall Prayer as are novv common abounding in the Church doe therfore vndervalue despise it as a mere humane inuention not at all necessary but rather on the contrary subiect to great inconueniences exposing soules to Illusions Errours c And therefore they in opposition to it doe only recommend exact Vocall Prayer a solemne protracted performance of it 4. Notvvithstanding to any one that shall heedfully read the writings not only of the Ancient Solitaries but likevvise of S. Augustin S. Basile S. Gregory Nazianzene others it vvill euidently appeare that they both knevv and practised most profound Recollected deuotions internally yea exhorted soules to a continuall attendance to God his Diuine presence in the Spirit Sufficient Proofes vvhereof shall occasionally hereafter be inserted 5. True indeed it is that they haue not deliured any exact methods for the practise of such Prayer the vvhich in those times vvere not at all necessary or at least not at all needfull to be communicated to the vvorld For to soules that liued as anciently they did entirely sequestred from all vvordly busines or conuersation in Continuall laborious penitentiall Exercises hauing no Images of creatures to distract their minds and much lesse any inordinate Affections to creatures to depresse them from mounting to spirituall vnion vvith God it vvas more then sufficient for such to knovv that their duty the end of their solitude vvas to liue in a continuall conuersation vvith God suffring themselues to be conducted and managed by his holy Spirit To such all other more nice or particular Instructions vvould haue proued but distractiue intangling And therfore vvee see that our holy Father though he ordained dayly Conuentuall short recollections for the exercise of that vvhich he calls Pure Prayer yet he neither interprets vvhat he meanes by such Prayer for all his Disciples vnderstood that sufficiently much lesse does he deliuer any instructions hovv to exercise it 6. But in these dayes in which Religious Persons and others that aspire to spirituall Contemplation doe either vvant the meanes to enioy or haue not the courage and strength to support such solitude and Austerities least the spirit of Contemplation should faile in the vvorld God raised vp first in Germany Maisters of Contemplatiue Prayer as Suso Harphius Eschius Thaulerus c. in former times and more lately in Spaine S. Teresa B. Iohn de Cruce c. vvho no question by the direction of Gods Spirit as the grace of miracles conferred on them may vvitnes haue iudged it necessary to supply the vvant of the foresaid aduantages by adding a certaine obligation to the daily practise of Internall Recollected Prayer prescribing orders times for the performance of it They haue likevvise more exactly discouered the degrees and progresse of Prayer And in a vvord most earnestly doe they exhort soules to a diligent pursuance of it professing that vvithout it it is impossible to comply vvith the essentiall Designe of a spirituall or Religious life 7. I vvill content my selfe in this place to expresse the grounds summe of the Exhortations of those other Illuminated Persons the glorious Instruments of God for the reuiuing of decayed Spirituality in the vvorld by producing a passage of Cardinall Bellarmines vvhich may be applied to this purpose taken out of one of his Sermons in fer 2. Rogat vvhich is this Ego illud mihi videor verissime posse affirmare c That is This I beleiue I may most truly confidently affirme saith he that without a diligent pursuit of Internall prayer none will euer become truly spirituall nor attaine to any degree of Perfection Wee see many which often times in the yeare doe aproach to the Sacrament of pennance as far as humane fraylty infirmity will permit doe with sufficient diligence endeauour to purge away all the staines vncleanenes of sin And yet they make no progresse but are still the very same that they were And hauing bene at Confession if a weeke after they come to the same tribunall againe they bring neither fewer nor lesser faults then such as were formerly confessed Yea without offending against truth I may adde some what more strange then all this to wit That wee see sometimes Religious Persons not a few Preists which by their vocation habits professe sanctity moreouer doe assiduously reade Diuine Scriptures bookes of Piety they doe often if not dayly celebrate the most holy Sacrifice they haue neither wiues nor children but are free from all cares sollicitudes which may distract them from a continuall attendance to Diuine things And yet after all this they are so veyd of all Deuotion the spirit of God so cold in diuine loue so earnest in the loue of secular vanities so replenished with impatience enuy all inordinate desires that they seeme not one iott to differ from secular persons wholly engaged in the world Now the only cause of all these disorders is that they doe not seriously enter into their owne hearts by Exercises of Introuersion but only esteeme regard the exteriour c Thus far are the vvords too iust complaint of the learned pious Cardinall 8. The vvhich vvith very great reason may be further extended euen to those Religious vvho by their profession ought to Aspire to Contemplation being mistaken in the true vvay thereto erroneously beleiuing that by an exact performance of outward Obseruances the solemne saying of the Office adioyning the Exercises of such internall discoursiue Prayer doe yet find but little fruit as to any interiour reformation or simplification of their soules by reason that they rest in such Actiue Exercises vvhich in a short time to Solitary liuers loose all their vertue doe not from them proceed to the truly enlightning Exercises of Internall affectiue prayer vvhich is a prayer of the heart or vvill by good Affections quietly calmely produced not vvith the vnderstanding a Prayer made vvithout those distracting methods or that busying of the Imagination vvearying of the soule by laborious discourses vvhich are only inferiour Imperfect preparations to true Prayer 9. Novv to a consideration of the necessity of Internall affectiue Prayer vvee vvill adde certaine Vertues Benefits Preeminences therof compared vvith all other sorts of
and proffitable Recollection And therfore such Elegant and sprighâ—ly expressions as are to be found in many places of S. Augustins Confessions Soliloquies c or in S. Bernard S. Teresas Exclamations c though they be more full of life and more apt to enflame affection being read out of times of Recollection yet they are not so proper to be vsed in the Recollection because the pleasingnes and exquisitenes of the expression giues too much exercise and contentment to the Fancy and by that means distracts and enfeebles the actuation of the Will This I say holds most generally true yet if soules do find their proffit more by the vse of them let them in Gods name make choyce of such 18. The more impetuous that the operations of the vvill are in this exercise Immediate Acts the more still quiet peaceable and profound that they are so there be no vvillfull negligence the more effectuall and proffitable are they and the more efficacious to still Passions as also to compose and settle the Imagination 19. There may come much harme to a soule by cessation from Internall working and from all tendance to God in her Recollections if so be the motiue of such cessation be a desire and expectation to heare God speaking after any vnusuall manner vvithin her and telling her some nevv thing or other For by giuing vvay to such a foolish presumption she vvill deserue and pu herselfe in a disposition to receiue diabolicall suggestions or at least vainely to conceiue and interpret her ovvne Imaginations to be Internall speakings of God And this may proue very perillous if a Soule giue credit to such fancies as probably such soules vvill But they ought to consider that if Gods pleasure be such as to communicate his vvill internally after an extraordinary manner he vvill speake and vvorke vvhether the soule vvill or no and vvhether shee vvill or no shee must heare and suffer And therfore let her abstaine from such indiscreete inuitations or expecting such Diuine Conuersations let her continue quietly her exercises and not cease till God force her to cease them 20. The Custome practised by some spirituall Directours of requiring from all their Disciples an account of their Internall Prayer formerly iudged to be inconuenient as causing Distractions and too frequent Reflections vvith sollicitude vpon their present Actuations to the End they may remember them so be able to relate them The sayd custome I say is moreouer besides this inconuenience vselesnes of extreme difficulty in this exercise The vvhich being simple plaine acted only or cheifly by the vvill cannot well be explicated inasmuch as the Acts leaue scarce any sensible impression in the memory And lastly they are exercised directly to God vvithout any Reflections Now it is by the meanes of Reflections that a soule takes noude of and remembers her Actuations 21. Where there is a good propension in the Interiour to Introuersion an Act produced by the vvill to God is not only much more prompt facile profound but also far more efficacious then any other vvithout such a propension can be though the party be neuer so learned employ neuer so much the faculty of Reasoning Yet doe I not deny but that euen soules of the greatest propensions may sometimes find themselues obliged to make vse of some Meditation But vnlesse their Directour misleade wrong them they vvill not tarry long therin but vvill presently breake forth copiously into good Affections CHAP. II. § 1. 2. 3. c Touching certaine formes of Immediate Acts c adioyned to the End of the Booke how they are to be vsed § 15. 16. c Great variety of Acts there are Some directed to the pure Diuinity some to our Lords Humanity some to Saints some to the soule herselfe c what vse is to be made of them § 24. 25. 26. To what soules one forme of Exercise without variety may be proper § 27. Of exercising vpon the Pater Noster The Excellency thereof § 28. 29. Soules are not to bind themselues to certaine formes § 30. 31. 32. What vse is to be made of the vsuall Reading in Preparation to Recollection § 33. 34. c How soules that cannot make vse of Images are to behaue themselues § 37. 38. What order is to be obserued in the change of Acts. § 41. Soules must not bind themselues to these or any sett formes of Exercises but they must chuse for themselues 1. AT the end of this Booke I haue adioyned a Collection of seuerall Patternes of Exercises by Acts of the will holy Affections for the vse practise of those vvhom either in the vvorld or in Religion God shall call to an Internall life of Contemplation I did not not conceiue any necessity to annexe any Exercises of Meditation Partly because it vvas not my designe to treat of that degree of Prayer but only passingly in order to affectiue Prayer to vvhich it is but a remote preparation And besides there are Patternes of such exercises abundantly obuious to euery one the vvhich may suffise any Internall liuer being practised according to the instructions here formerly giuen And as for the Supreme Degree of affectiue Contemplatiue Praier to vvit perfect Aspirations I haue contented my selfe vvith selecting a few vvhich are added in the conclusion rather to shevv to imperfect soules the forme manner of them then for the vse of Perfect Soules ripe for the exercise of them For such are conducted immediatly entirely by a Diuine Light haue no need of humane prescriptions Neither indeed can they proffitably make vse of any other Affections then only such as Gods Holy Spirit shall suggest to them 2. As touching therfore the foresaid Exercises of forced immediate Acts of the Will affections I haue compiled a sufficient variety of them proper for all states dispositions of soules as Acts of Remorse Feare Contrition c. vvhich belong to the Purgatiue way And likevvise Acts of Adoration Glorification Humiliation Resignation Loue which belong to the Illuminatiue Vnitiue Wayes I haue moreouer made some distinct Exercises of Affections more proper for some soules then are those vvhich I call Acts of the Will Besides I haue set dovvne most copiously Patternes of simple Acts of Resignation as being generally the most vsefull proper for most soules And lastly seuerall Exercises there are mixed interlaced partly vvith Acts partly vvith Affections those not of one but seuerall kinds Because many soules there are that cannot content themselues vvith being tyed to any one kind of determinate exercise And therfore my desire vvas to comply vvith all tempers to the end that euery one might find an Exercise proper proffitable for him or at least might be put in the way hovv to fâ—ame for himselfe such an one 3. A soule that after a sufficient time diligently spent in the practise of Meditation is maturely called conducted by God
and proffit in their exercises yea and come to such a passe that they find an impossibility to introuert themselues by reason that to their seeming they find not God so present as at other times 17. Therfore in such cases it not only may be permitted but ought to be enioyned vnto a soule to giue ease vnto herselfe by quitting for a time such painfull introuersions and addresses to the Pure Diuinity and instead therof exercise herselfe in producing other Acts lesse painfull because lesse introuerting as Acts or Affections to the Humanity of our Lord to Angells Saints c yea she may sometimes addresse her Internall speech to her owne soule or to some persons or creatures absent yet all with reference to God for othervvise it vvould not be an Act of Religion nor proffitable to the soule 18. The truth is that for the attaining to Contemplation it is not necessary speaking of precise and absolute necessity that the Acts vvhereof the Exercises consist should immediatly be directed to the Pure Diuinity Though it cannot be denied but that such are the most Perfect and most efficacious because the most introuerting And therfore a soule must giue ouer all other addresses either to the Humanity of our Lord or to any Angell or Saint c vvhensoeuer she is interiourly moued or enabled to actuate immediatly tovvards God himselfe vvho is likevvise the end vltimate obiect of all other speakings and Actuaâ—â—ons 19. To the end therfore to comply with the seuerall Dispositions of soules I haue in many places in the follovving Exercises intermixed seuerall other Acts for the most part addressed to our Lords most sacred Humanity likevvise to our Blessed Lady c and sometimes soliloquies to the soule herselfe 20. And such Acts and Affections as these are frequent in the Psalmes and other Scriptures so Dauid speakes to his ovvne soule Nonne Deo subiecta eris anima mea O my soule wilt thou not be subiect and resigned to God And againe Quare tristis es anima mea c. O my soule why art thou sad and why dost thou so disquiet thy selfe in mee Hope still in God for c. Againe sometimes he speaks to Persons absent Venite narrabo quanta fecic Deus animae meae Come hither and I will tell you hâ—w great things God hath done for my soule Sometimes in Scripture the soule imagins that she heares God speaking to her as Veni electa mea ponam in re thronum meum O my Chosen beloued soule Come and I will place my throne in thee S. Augustins soliloquies and Thomas à Nempis are full of such kind of Acts by any such change the soule vvill receiue some refreshment be enabled to produce some good affections to God 21. Novv as I said that the forme of the act is not of absolute necessity so neither is the nature or matter of it as vvhether it be of Contrition Humiliation Adoration Resignation c performed to God or of Congratulation to the Saints Veneration of them or imploring their intercession so that such Acts be vltimately terminated in God for it is perseuerance in any exercises of Religious Acts vvhich is the principall if not only meanes to attaine to Contemplation 22. The truth is vvhatsouer kind of Acts or Deuotions a soule vseth if they be constantly practised they will all end in God so that euen the most ignorant among those that God calls to CoÌ„templation Praier though they knovv no other practise of deuotion but the Rosary cannot begin their Recollections any other vvay then by turning their thoughts tovvards the blessed Virgin vvhose protection intercession they craue yet being by that meanes become profoundly introuerted they quickly leaue all direct expresse addresses to her are lead vnavvares perhaps to themselues to the vnknown obscure Obiect of the Diuinity in vvhich they plunge loose themselues For perfect Introuersion cannot consist vvith a continuation of direct expresse Internall Acts made to any creature 23. The generall Rule Aduice therfore in this matter is that accordingly as soules vpon experience obseruation doe find themselues disposed to any kinds of Acts or affections vvhether of one kind only or seuerall kinds mixed together so they must order their exercises recollections preferring the sauour proffit that their soules find in them before any Rules methods or authority of Examples 24. Some fevv soules there are to vvhom one only Exercise vvithout any change or variety may suffise for their vvhole life till they arriue to perfect Contemplation So that their aduancement vvill consist only in the degrees of Purity recollection vvith vvhich they performe the said exercise Novv these are such soules as 1. are fitted naturally for Acts of the will not for meditation Because in discoursiue Prayer change of matter vvill be necessary in as much as the same motiue vnuaried vvill not haue the efficacy to produce sensible affections And againe soules vvill be apt to be cloyed to haue an auersion from an affection or desire after they haue fed vpon it for some reasonable time 2. such as vvithall haue a very strong vrgent Call from God to seeke him in his internall vvayes ioyned vvith naturall aptnes to an internall life The vvhich aptnes consists in a stability of the imagination a quietnes of Passions 25. For such soules as these it vvill be best that they should be confined to one exercise such an one as that is vvhich Blosius in his Institutions hath framed professeth that by a diligent prosecution thereof together vvith mortification a soule may attaine to Perfection mystick Vnion A patterne of such an Exercise conformable to the direction of Blosius vvho seemes to haue practised it himselfe I vvill set dovvn among the follovving Formes of Exercises 26. And indeed one singular Benefit that such soules vvill reape by being constant to one exercise is this that they will neuer be to seeke for it nor stand in need of bookes because after a little practise they vvill haue it in their hearts memories Only good care must be had to fit the exercise to the soule giuing a scope atitude sufficient to it that it may comprehend in it Acts suitable to seuerall states of the soule that is both Acts of Contrition likevvise of the exercise of the principall Vertues among all vvhich the most efficacious proffitable lasting are the Acts of Resignation In the Exercise of vvhich it vvill be good for the soule to abide till she be fitted called by God to Pure Aspirations for then all manner of prescribed Exercises must cease because then a soule doth not pray by her ovvne Election but by an Internall impulse of the Diuine Spirit 27. Some Spirituall Writers for this purpose recommend our Lords Prayer for a constant Exercise in dayly Recollections aduising such soules to exercise separately euery Petition as a seuerall Act dvvelling on each as long
as they can find relish in it And so doing they shall be sure not to omit any thing that a soule can or ought to pray for And this Aduice is suitable to the teaching of an Ancient holy Hermite vvhose vvords recorded by Cassianus 9. Conf. c. 25. are these Haec oratio licet omnem videatur Perfectionis plenitudinem continere vtpote c that is This Prayer of our Lord although it may seeme to containe in it the fullnes of all perfection as being either begun or established by our Lords owne Authority yet it doth promote those that are familiarly exercised in it to that far more sublime state which wee mentioned before conducting them to that inflamed Prayer that far more supereminent actuation of soule known or experienced by very few yea to speake more properly altogether inexpressible The which transcending all humane sense or knowledge is not distinguished by any sound of speech or motion of the tongue nor any pronunciation of words But it is a degree of sublime Braier which the Spirit illustrated by an Infusion of heauenly Light doth not designe or expresse by humane language but hauing all the senses faculties vnited conglobated it doth plentifully gush it forth but of the heart as water out of a copious fountaine ineffably powreth it out vnto our Lord in that one short moment of time sending forth so many so great desires as the soule herselfe making a reflexion on her owne operations is not able to declare nor euen conceiue 28. But it is not ordinary to find soules so composed in their imaginations resolute in their vvills as to content themselues vvith one only exercise And for this reason I haue made a Collection of seuerall kinds vvith sufficient variety mixture These I haue gathered out of seuerall Bookes vsing mine owne liberty and iudgment in altering them so as to make them more proper for those that prosecute internall affectiue Prayer for that purpose oftimes leauing out many discourses considerations intermingled vvith them in the bookes out of vvhich they haue bene extracted 29. Novv I doe not pretend nor desire that soules practising Affectiue prayer should oblige themselues to these particular Exercises or to the order obserued in them They may if they conceiue it for their purpose frame other exercises for their ovvne vse Either by selecting here there out of these or out of any other bookes such acts or Affections as they shall find agreeing to their spirit But hauing framed such a collection I vvould seriously aduise them to practise according to the aduices here set downe especially in this Chapter 30. The reading of some pious Discourse before Recollections vsually practised in Communities is a good proffitable practise but especially proper for soules that are not aduanced beyond Meditation vvho may doe vvell to attend to the Mystery read that after they may make it the matter of their prayer Yet better it vvere they should haue the matter of their Meditation prepared before-hand because it is to be feared that by once Reading ouer the poynts of a Mystery they vvill not be sufficiently imprinted in the memory so as to be made vse of 31. But as for soules that are in the practise of immediate Acts of the will I should not require of them the like attention But rather that they vvould employ that time in chasing away distracting Images in placing themselues in the diuine presence in begging Gods assistance directing their follovving Recollection to his glory And if in their priuate Recollections they shall premise some competent Reading I conceiue that S. Augustins Confessions Soliloquies The Imitation of Christ such other bookes affectuously vvritten vvill be most commodious for them or aboue all certaine passages of the holy Gospells containing some vvords spoken by our Lord himselfe will likely be a most proffitable effectuall Preparation But no certaine Rules can be prescribed for these things Euery one therfore is to chuse that Booke subiect that he finds most proper for him 32. When the preparation by Reading is past let the person applying himselfe to his recollection looke vpon the matter of the Act or Affection that he intends to employ his Praier vpon And after this vvithdrawing his eyes from the booke let him thinke awhile vpon it framing a spirituall image or conception of it And vvhen that is done let him forthvvith produce an Act or Affection to God answerable to the matter resting thereon as long as the vertue thereof lasteth And so proceede to the follovving Acts in like manner 33. Some soules there are that through a secret naturall Quality in their Internall senses cannot so worke vvith the imagination as to produce an Image that may become a matter of Prayer to them Such persons consequently are not fit for the exercise of immediate acts of the vvill much lesse for meditation They are therfore to apply themselues to the exercise of pious desires or Amorous Affections But generally soules are so disposed as to be rather enabled for Acts of the vvill then affections yet so that sometimes also they vvill find Affections more flovving then Acts And therfore accordingly they are to giue vvay to them 34. It may happen sometimes to deuout soules that they may find themselues disabled to either of them In such case I vvould aduise them to vse a discreet violence on themselues to exercise some good Acts most relishing to them for vvhere force is to be vsed there Acts to be exercised by the superiour vvill are rather to be chosen then Affections But if after triall they find that they are not able to continue in so constrained an Exercise so are at a stand likely to spend the time appoynted in an vnproffitable Idlenes let them try if a more imperfect exercise vvill fit them either speaking to God in the third person as if he vvere absent or vvould not heare them Or addressing themselues to Angells Saints or to their owne soules c. And if they cannot performe euen this mentally that is neither vvith attention nor gust let them doe it at least vocally vvithall exercising as much patience stillnes quietnes as may be And doing thus let them assure themselues that therby they vvill afford vnto their spirits a good vvholesome proffitable though tastles repast 35. But if after all this it should happen vvhich vvould be very strange that they should find all these vvayes insupportable to them so that they can doe nothing at oll both the vndestanding vvill failing them Then since no Actiue vvorking Externall or internall vvill helpe them they may conceiue it to be the case of an extraordinary desolation desertion So that their only recourse must be to pure suffring with patience Resignation exercising these the best they can in such circumstances The vvhich if they vvill doe then vvill this afflicting desolation really prooue more proffitable then a state Prayer
of light and comfort The vvhich proffit is scarce perceptible because the spirit of God vvorkes more intimely in the depth of the spirit but therfore is more efficacious to the soules aduancement 36. In this case I should scarce allow the suffring soule to diuert ease her mind by reading much lesse by any corporall exercise during the time appointed for her Recollection Or if so as soone as euer she finds by a little glancing on a booke an affection to be raised let her pursue the said affection quit reading presently for Reading at such times being allovved merely for necessity ought to be vsed no further then necessity shall require 37. No certaine Rules or determinations can be assigned for the time that soules are to be detained in the exercise of certaine kinds of Acts as of Contrition others of the Purgatiue way before they passe into those of Resignation or loue vvhich are of the vnitiue vvay Only in generall it may be said that the longer deeper that soules haue bene plunged in vicious habits the longer probably vvill it be before they be ripe for such a passage yet that time may be contracted by feruour in prayer mortification To some fevv months vvill suffise to remaine in Acts of Contrition c To some not many dayes yea some soules as tender innocent virgins c are so vvell affected to God so vnacquainted vvith vicious customes that they may at the first be put into Acts of Resignation or loue 38. But herein euery one is to regard the state of his soule conscience obseruing vvhether he find therein quietnes competent satisfaction In vvhich case he may reasonably iudge that he may relinquish the Acts of the Purgatiue way 39. But as for giuing ouer the Acts of Resignation loue c from thence to passe to the exercise of Aspirations God knowes a much longer space of time is required euen in soules the most innocent For this sublime exercise arising out of a setled habituall Charity fixed in the soule through long constant practise of forced Acts of the vvill cōtrary to the teaching of Barbanson vvho saith that soules may from Meditation immediately passe to Aspirations it does not depend on mans choyce vvhen he vvill Exercise Aspirations of vvhich God alone is the mouer Directour And vvhatsoeuer industry in Prayer a soule shall vse it is very vsuall that she should be enabled to arriue to this Exercise in Youth before the boyling heat actiuity of nature be vvell qualified 40. Notvvithstanding in vvhatsoeuer exercise a soule shall be if such Aspirations doe offer themselues she is to giue vvay vnto them as long as they continue she is to cease all other forced elected Acts. 41. To conclude these Instructions it is to be considered that the follovving Patternes of Exercises of Acts c are to be made vse of only for a necessity such as commonly beginners haue yea most soules euen after they haue for a good vvhile pursued this Internall Prayer But as for those vvhose Interiour vvithout seeking abroad doth minister sufficient matter vnto them of Resignation loue c either suggested by occasion of occurring difficulties or coming of it selfe into their minds such soules being enabled to pray vvithout any formes prescribed as long as they are so sufficiently furnished from within are not to make vse of exercises in bookes And this may be the case euen of some imperfect soules which may be preuented much holpen by God for the matter of their Prayer But howeuer it is good that they should haue a Booke in readines to helpe them in case they come to stand in need least for vvant of matter so suggested they should be idle at a stand For such must not rely vpon their first sensible feruour but vvhen that ceases as they are to expect that it vvill they must not scorne to descend not only to make vse of Bookes but also to apply themselues to inferiour Exercises helpes suitable to their imperfect state CHAP. III. § 1. 2. More speciall Aduices touching the exercise of Assections of Diuine Loue. § 3. 4. c. Likewise touching Acts of Resignation the great proffit and excellency of the said Acts. § 9. Seuerall Obiects of Resignation § 10. 11. 12. c. Farther instructions concerning the exercising of the said Acts. § 22. All Acts whatsoeuer must giue way to Aspirations 1. VVHERAS all Internall Affectiue Praier consisteth either 1. Of such Affections as are apt to cause suitable motiōs in corporall nature 2. Or of Acts of the will produced by and residing in the Superiour soule As among holy Affections the principall is Loue the source and mouer of all the rest so among all immediate Acts of the will the most vsefull and considerable are those of Resignation or submission to the Diuine vvill 2. Novv hauing in the Second Treatise spoken sufficiently concerning the nature and qualities of Diuine loue I shall not need to giue more particular Instructions hovv to employ that invvard affection of Charity immediately to God in the exercise of Internall Prayer the vvhich is to be regulated according to the Precepts formerly giuen But as for the Exercise of Resignation vvhich is indeed an exercise of Loue too but so as that it regards externall difficulties as the occasion or matter about vvhich such loue is expressed it is an exercise that deserues to be more particularly treated of aboue all others most to be recommended as being generally the most secure proffitable of all other Exercises 3. For though Acts of pure melting Loue to God in vvhich all Images of creatures yea all direct representations of God are excluded be in themselues more perfect Vnitiue then are Acts of Resignation vvhich inuolue in themselues images of externall things to vvit the speciall difficulties in vvhich the soule intends to resigne herselfe Notvvithstanding to recompence this disaduantage there is in Acts of Resignation far more security and lesse danger of propriety or selfe-interest then in Acts of immediate Loue the vvhich being apt to cause stirrings and pleasing motions in corporall nature very fevv soules can practise them purely and vvithout propriety except they be exalted to a supreme degree of spirituall Diuine Charity Againe there is in Resignation exercised more directly true Mortification and Contradiction to selfe Loue interest then in any other kind of internall Prayer and consequently it is a Prayer more purifying and considering the daily and hourely vse that vvee haue thereof in vnauoydable occurring difficulties it is of all other the most proffitable And though Acts of Resignation vvhich are also the immediate fruits of diuine Loue doe inuolue in themselues images of externall things yet this is only in the beginning of the Act so that the soule doth not tarry in such images but presently passes from and out of them into God 4. Good Lord vvhat millions of questions debates