Rock they are inrolled amoÌ„g those that lead a life hidden in Christ that when the brightnes of that life shall breake forth they may also send forth their light on euery sâ—de beholding the great glorie of the heauenly hoast not in darke resemblance or in a few traces of truth but cleere and manifest Truly and neatly spoken but specially where he tearmeth the wife which Religious people looke not after the Rib which coueteth the body of Man from whom it was taken pointing in a word at their happines who haue stolne themselues out of such allurements and combats But the same S. Gregorie doth speak yet more fully in another Oration of his 3. Doest thou behold these people bereft of reliefe and shelter these abiects these men of earth that ouertop all earthly things These who conuerse among men and haue out-growne all things which belong to man loaden with chaynes and yet are free in restraint and cannot be restrayned These who possesse nothing in this world and haue all things because they haue the world vnder their seete These men who by their mortification are become immortall by hanging-off from all things are vnited with God are cold in loue and burne with the loue of diuine things These to whom the fountaine of light doth belong who send forth their rayes and resplendent beames of lustre who sing psalmes like Angells stand Centinell by night whose soules departe vnto God before their death their minds being rauished into heauen These to whom it doth belong to purge others from imperfection and themselues are dayly purged because they do not stint themselues in their progresse towards heauen and in their endeauours to be like to God They are disdayned among men and troaden vnder foote and withall are seated vpon Celestiall thrones They are naked and clad with an incorruptible rayment in the wildernesse of this world they inioye the honorable Compagnies of the world to come they despise all pleasures and haue continuall and vnspeakable pleasure of the mind their tears are the deluge of synne the worlds satisfaction and purging the stretching forth of their armes doth quench flames of fire 3. Finally the same Saint in that most excellent Apologie in which he giueth account why he forsooke his Bishoprick fled into Pontus placeth this reason in the first ranke because of the goods without nomber which a Religious life doth coÌ„tayne styling it a quiet life voyde of trouble a Sanctuary And nothing sayth he moreouer could seeme vnto me more happie then a man that hath his corporall senses in custodie and at comaund who placed beyond the world and the flesh and retired within himself vndertaketh no humane affaire vnlesse he be driuen there vnto by extreame necessitie conuersing with himself and with God leadeth a life aboue all visible things his mind filled with diuine representations and with thoughts allwayes pure without mixture of terrene and wandering phancies A Seeing-glasse vnspotted representing God and things diuine dayly becometh more pure then other his trafficke is with the Angells and though he liue heere vpon earth he abandoneth the earth and in spirit is seated in heauen 4. S. Iohn Chrisostome doth handle this matter much more at large in many homelies in which he doth heap very many great prayses vpon this holy Institution but especially in three whole books which he wrot against the dispraysers of a Monasticall life in which bookes he maketh account that he hath made it a cleere case not only to a Christian Parent but which is more to be admired to any Heathen that if his sonne swimming in worldly wealth should leaue all and betake himself to the pouertie and abiectnes of a Religious life it were farre better for him And this he performed first by force of considerations drawne from the state of this present life not medling with the life to come of which the heathen hath little knowledge for he proueth that the riches of a Religious man are greater more reall and of a higher value his pleasures more solid himself better fortified both for defence of himself and offence of his enemies which is more hard to be beleeued that in this world he shall be more renowned This hee confirmeth by exaÌ„ple of heathen Philosophers sheweth that their pouertie want was is more famous after so many ages then the greate wealth and preeminence of kings Then turning his discourse to Christians and hauing so much the easier task in hand he doth reason so profoundly of the paynes to Hell of the ioyes of heauen of the latter day of iudgement of the snares and wiles of this world of the fowlenes of synne bringing proofe of all out of the ghospells and other books of Scripture that he giueth no man leaue to doubt of the matter 5. Climachus also an ancient substantiall writer hath many things to like purpose through his whole book but I haue made choyce of this one saying short in words but in substance pithy That a Monasterie is a kind of heauen vpon earth and therfore with what affection and reuerence we beleeue that the Angells wayt vpon God with the like we must minister vnto our Brethren 6. To which saying S. Ephrem hath another not vnlike who is an auctour of the same age and antiquitie When I consider sayth he this Angelicall kind of liuing I hold that all the wholesome orders of the same are very blessed for can we reckon him otherwise then blessed who liueth piously and vprightly in perpetuall chastitie in regard of the infinite riches without measure which are reserued for him wherfore let vs do our endeauour in this short stint of time to liue in the feare of God in this monasticall Religious Angelicall kind of life with all our strength cleaue to the holy Commaundements of our Lord and Sauiour with all Humilitie 7. S. Iohn Damascen also speaketh passing well in commendation of Religious people Assuredly sayth he they are happy thrice happy for being inflamed with the loue of God they did set all things at naught for his sake they powred forth teares and continued in sorrow night and day to purchasse eternall comfort they voluntarily debased themselues that in heauen they might be exalted they afflicted their bodies with hunger and thirst and watching that they might be intertayned with the delights of Paradise through cleannes of hart they were Temples of the holy Ghost that they might stand at the right hand of our Sauiour They girded their loynes with truth and had their lampes allwayes in a readynes attending the coming of the Immortall bridegroome for hauing their eyes open they did at all times foresee that terrible daye and had the contemplation of their future good of the punishments of the other life so ingrauen in a maÌ„ner in their very body that they could neuer be with-drawne from it They
were ready to take paynes heere that they might inioye eternall glorie and were free from all turbulent passion like the Angells of heauen they are happy and thrice happy because they discouered with the cleere steddy eye-sight of their mind the vanitie of all things present and the variablenes and vnconstancy of humane prosperitie and despising it they layd vp in store for themselues euerlasting riches and tooke hold of that life which neueâ— sets and is neuer cutt off by death 8. Eusebius Casariensis shall shut vp the ranke of the Greeke fathers who sayth that in the Church of God there be two manners of life ordayned The one doth stepp beyond nature and the common strayne of the life of man It looketh nâ—t after mariage nor issue nor goods nor abundance of wealth but is vowed to the sole seruice of God through excessiue loue of heauenly things such as haue imbraced this kind of liuing looke downe vpon the life of the rest of men as if themselues were seuered from this mortalitie and carying their body only heare vpon earth dwell in heauen with their mind and cogâ—tation as being consecrate to our great God in Feu of all mankind And certainly among Christians there is such a kind of perfect life there is also another kind more slack and which hath more of the man this is intangled in sober wedlock and breeding of children it groaneth vnder the care of howsehold busines and setteth downe lawes for those that follow a iust warre it alloweth also of trading in marchandise and husbandrie so that the seruice of God go with it These men belong to an inferiour degree of pietie 9. Now to come to the latin Fathers that which S. Cyprian sayth of vowed virgins is a notable commendation and is quoted by S. Augustin in his treatise of Christian doctrin for a singular speach It is sayth he the floure of the Ecclesiasticall branch the glorie and grace of spirituall graces The very lustre of honour and prayse a worke perfect and vnattainted the image of God answearable to his sanctitie the nobler part of the flock of Christ the glorious fruitfullnes of our holy mother the Church is filled with ioye by reason of these virgins and in them she doth abundantly blossome And by how much the number is greater of this glorious virginitie the more is the ioye of the mother increased 10. To him we may adde the worthy testimonie of S. Ambrose who in his booke of widdows vpon that document of our Sauiour when you haue done all things that are commanded you say we are vnprofitable seruants what we ought to haue done we haue done discourseth thus The virgin sayth not so he that hath sold all his substance sayth not so but doth looke to haue some recompence layd vp for him as the holy Apostle sayth behold we haue left all things and followed thee what therfore shall we haue He sayth not as an vnprofitable seruant I haue done what I ought but as profitable to his Maister and as one that hath multiplyed the talents which were committed to his charge by putting his money to profitt doth wayte for the reward of his trust and vertue knowing he hath done and deserued wel And in one of his Epistles the same S. Ambroise sayth This is an Angelicall trade of life to be allwayes praysing God by frequent prayer they endeauour to appease our Lord and craue his fauour they keepe their mind busied with reading and with continuall labour and liuing a part from the Compagny of woemen they are Mothers and Nurses to one another O what a life is this in which there is nothing which wee need to feare and very much which we ought to Imitate 1. Sainct Hierome hath many things to the same purpose in diuers places of his works and some whole Epistles of this matter as to Heliodorus and Iulian. In that which he writ to Marcella he speaketh thus Certainly the assemblies of Virgins and Monks are the flowre of the church and amidst the Ecclesiasticall ornaments a most pretious gemme And writing to Demetrias It is the height of an Apostolicall life and of perfect vertue to sel al and â—eale it among the poore thus lightned and disburdned to flie vp to heauen with Christ though in this euery one be left to his free will and choyce He sayth if thou wilt be perfect I do not force you I doe not comand you I propose vnto you the prize I shew you the rewards It is yours to choose whether you will bee crowned in the lists and combat In the Acts of the Apostles while the blood of our Lord and Sauiour was yet warme and the faith of the new beleeuers did yet boyle within them they sold their possessions and layed the price therof at the feete of the Apostles to shew that money was to be troden vnder foote they dealt to euery one as they had need 12. S. Augustine in the booke which he writ of the manners of the Church doth record the like prayses with an equall current of eloquence who can choose but admire sayth he and prayse those who forsaking and contemning the allurements of this world dwel al their life time in common togeather in a most chaste most holy manner of liuing occupied in prayer in reading in profitable discourses not swollen with pride not turbulent with contention not pale with enuie but sober modest and quiet they offer vp a life peaceable among them selues and most earnestly fixed in God an offering most gratefull to him by whom they haue deserued to be able to performe these things no man possesseth any thing as his owne no man is burthensome to the rest The fathers excelling not only in sanctitie of life but in heauenly doctrine voyde of all hautinesse prouide for them whom they cal their Children with a greate deale of auctoritie on their parte in commanding and a great deale of Willingnesse of their subjects in obeying And after many other prayses he concludeth thus If I should goe about to extol this trade this life this Order this Institution I should not be able to performe it as it deserues and may iustly feare that men will thinke me to be of opinion that it is not pleasing enough of it self at the first sight 13. To these let vs add S. Bernard who though he be generally more carefull to put fire into the Religious then curious in setting forth their prayses in many places of his workes hath left many things written to their Commendation and this among the rest I know not by what name I shal more deseruedly cal them Men of heauen or Angells vpon earth liuing on earth but hauing their Conuersation in Heauen And els-where he calleth Religion The castle or fortresse of God A castle strongly defended his Territorie or peculier possession out of which
casting themselues at his feete sayd We beseech thee Father that thou wilt not baptize vs for we are Christians and borne of Christian parents The Abbot not knowing what had been spoken by the Fathers of the Monasterie sayd vnto them Why Children who goes about to baptize you And they answered our Maisters the Fathers of the Monasterie tel vs that to morrow we shal be Baptized againe Then the Abbot vnderstood how they had spoken of the holie Habit and sayd They sayd wel my Children for if it please God to morrow we wil cloath you with the holie and Angelical habit 7. We haue S. Hierom's opinion also in this behalf which is of no smal weight who for this only reason dareth almost compare a Religious state with Baptisme For writing to Paula he comforteth her vpon the death of Blesilla her daughter in this manner It is very true that if vntimelie death had â—eazed her which God forbid should happen to those that are his in the heat of worldlie desires and in thoughts of the pleasures of this life she were to be lamented But now that by the mercie of Christ some foure moneths since she had as it were washed herself with the second Baptisme of her holie purpose and liued afterward so as treading the world vnder her feete she was resolued to abide in the Monasterie are you not afraid least our Sauiour say vnto you O Paula artâ—h â—angrie that thy daughter â— become my 〈◊〉 And to the same purpose he exhorteth Demetrius saying Now that thou hast forsaken the world and in the Second Step after Baptisme conditioned with thy Aduersarie saying vnto him Thou Diuel I renounce thee and the World and thy pompe and thy works keep the conditions which thou hast made But S. Bernard teacheth the same thing more playnly then any of the rest and hauing been asked the question by some giueth two reasons for it in these words You desire to know of me how it comes to passe that among al the courses of pennance a Monastical life hath deserued the prerogatiue to be styled a Second Baptisme I think the reason is in regard of the perfect renouncing of the world and the singular preheminence of a spiritual life the conuersation therof excelling al the courses which man is wont to take and making the louers therof like the Angels of heauen and farre vnlike to earthlie men it reformeth the Image of God in man configuring vs to Christ as Baptisme doth finally we are in a manner Baptized the second time in regard that mortifying our members which are vpon earth we put on Christ againe once more ingrafted to the similitude of his death And moreouer as in Baptisme we are deliuered from the power of darknes and translated into the kingdome of eternal glorie so in the second kind of regeneration of this holie purpose in like manner from the darknes not only of one Original sinne but of manie Actual sinnes we passe to the light of vertue accommodating that saying of the Apostle to ourselues The night is passed and the day is at hand Thus faâ—re S. Bernard 8. Al which may be confirmed with this one argument wherwith I wil conclude this Chapter as containing the substance of what hath been hitherto sayd For the reason why Baptisme blotteth-out al former offences is because in it we dye to our old life and are borne againe into a new life which is that which S. Paul doth euerie where teach when sometimes he sayth we are dead sometimes buried with Christ and reuiued againe with him and that our life is hidden in him so that to speake properly in the Lauer of Baptisme the same man that entred doth not come forth but quite an other man for he that entred is dead and another risen in his place so that the sinnes of that man that is dead cannot be layd to the charge of the man that is new-borne no more then my sinnes can be layd to another man or another man 's to me the self-same hapneth in Religion For we dye to the world to the works therof moreouer to ourselues and our owne wil in somuch that we cannot enioy the world nor make vse of the offers therof nor of our owne wil no more then if we were indeed buried Wherefore seing Religious people as in Baptisme leaue to be what they were before and begin to be new men in a new life and quite other thoughts and endeauours placing their contentment in other manner of pleasures and ends and intentions it is no wonder that the punishment of the offences to which the old man was lyable be blotted out and lye dead and that this other man cannot be charged with them 9. Which benefit if it be duly weighed breedeth inestimable contentment and ease of mind burying those scruples and vexations which the remembrance and remorse of our former offences is wont to bring Manie trauel into farre countries and â—ow long pilgrimages to Ierusalem Rome and Compâ—â—â—â—â—a and put their liues in manie hazards by sea and land to gayne Pardon and remission of their sinnes of which I spake before and they doe wel and deuoutly But yet their deuotion is mingled with manie inconueniences among which it is none of the least that generally they do not encrease their feruour and deuotion but rather leese it through the toyle and trouble of iourneying and oftimes fal vpon occasions of offending God more But this Indulgence giueth great encrease of sanctitie and moreouer as I sayd before doth not proceed from the power and authoritie of man which is limited and confined but from the meere wil and bountie of God and the excellencie of the work itself So that euerie Religious man may with great reason make account that our Sauiour speaketh those comfortable words vnto him which are in the Ghospel Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee goe in peace The second fruit of Religion that it is a state of Pennance CHAP. XIV AS Religion at the first entrance presenteth euerie one of vs with the bountiful welcome guift of Remission of al our sinnes and debts as our Sauiour calles them so it yealds manie soueraigne remedies to purge our soules and blot out the same offences and al the exercises therof are in a manner directed to no other end For it is a State of Pennance and so commonly called in regard the greatest part therof is spent in bewayling the sinnes of our life past and repayring the faults and negligences of former yeares as S. Thomas proueth at large in the Booke he writ against the Opposers of Religion Which though some may think a needles labour and time idely spent specially after that ful and perfect Remission of which euen now I spake yet it is not so but a very great and special benefit which we shal easily vnderstand if we giue care to that saying of the Holie-Ghost in Scripture Of the sinne which
care or trouble for it but that they remaine in those places What greater comfort therefore can we haue or desiâ—â— in this our pilgrimage or rather banishment 12. The Apostles came on a time to our Sauiour reioycing that in his name the Diuels did obey them Our Sauiour made answer Reioyce not in this but reioyce because your names be wâ—itten in heauen In my opinion the same may be sayd of Religious men let others reioyce in their wealth or in the fauour they are in wiâ—h men or in the preferments which they hope for or haue already gotten we haue a farre greater and better ground of reioycing that we haue so certain a signe token to perswade vs make vs verily beleeue as indeed we ought that our names are written in the Booke of Life drawne in the breast of Almightie God with the bloud of the Lamb which benefit is not reserued meerly for the world to come but is the verie fountaine and ofspring of al other benefits which in this life are bestowed vpon vs. For as the Apostle writeth whom God hath predestinated these â—e hath called and hauing called them he confirmeth and strengthneth them and multiplieâ—h his guiâ—ts vpon them he defends them from the assaults of the Enemie either keeping him quite off or giuing grace that they may make benefit of the temptation finally he ordereth al things that concerne them either inwardly or outwardly in that manner that they turne al to their good and it falleth out as our Sauiour a little before his passion sayd to his Father Whom thou hast giuen me I haue not lost of them because as another Scripture sayth the soules of 〈◊〉 lust are in the hand of God and no power vnder God can wrest them from him Wherefore seing Predestination doth comprehend al these things looke how much assurance Religion doth giue vs of our predestination so much also it giueth vs of al the rest 13. And as it worketh these things with God so on our part it maketh vs to loue God the more in regard he hath loued vs with so great and so ancient loue before the Creation of the world and from al Eternitie it maketh vs also contemne and loath al earthlie things as being fully possessed that the heauenlie glorie and those infinit treasures through the goodnes of God are due vnto vs. and layd vp for vs. For as a yong Prince that is bred vp to a Kingdome takes great pleasure in that hope to which he is borne and it breeds a kind of Maiestie in him and greatnes of spirit that he disdaynes al inferiour things so we also considering that we are ordained for that heauenlie kingdome must needs with a generous and noble hart disdayne al the fayre offers of the world as not beseeming our worth and so much the rather because a yong Prince may be cut-of from his hopes by manie chances but they that are chosen by God cannot be put by it by anie force oâ— misfortune The one and twentieth fruit God's special care and protection CHAP. XXXIII WE reade that S. Francis when he had founded his Order and that it began to spread being very careful to aduance it in al sanctitie of life and Regular discipline if anie thing hapned contrarie or that God did reueale vnto him anie sinister accident that was to fal out heerafter was wont to giue himself so to weeping and greef that it was like to cost him his life Wherefore being once at his prayers commending this his Familie with great earnestnes to God our Sauiour is sayd to haue spoken to him these comfortable words Francis why dost thou trouble and vexe thyself when anie of thy Friars doe leaue their Order or commit anie scandalous thing in it Dost thou take thyself to be sole gouernour of this flock and that I am not also gouernour of it higher then thou Who planted it but I or who calles men to penuance or giues them strength to perseuer when they are called but I I brought them hither I wil stay them and keepe them If they fal I wil rayse others in their place Wherefore I directly command thee that heerafter thou torment not thyself so much but know that I loue this Familie and if one returne to his vomit I wil rayse another in his place that shal haue his crowne and if he be not yet borne I wil cause that he shal be borne and if there remayne but three in it I wil not therefore euer leaue it but it shal be alwayes my Familie Thus spake our Sauiour to S. Francis and the like we may imagin and indeed ought to beleeue of al other Religious Orders their cause being the same Wherefore it must needs be a special commoditie of Religion that it is thus particularly guarded and protected by Almightie God from whose wisdome and knowledge nothing can be hidden whose infinit power nothing can withstand so that those whom he doth vndertake to protect must needs do wel 2. Now there be manie reasons which may moue God to vndertake the protection of Religious Families and first of al that which himself gaue to S. Francis thaâ— he is the Authour of them He layd the grounds of these Institutes he calleth euerie one that entreth into them he alone giues them their good desires and grace and assistance to perseuer Wherefore as a father doth loue and take care of his sonne and a workman of his work so God doth loue and take care of this so faire a fruit as I may cal it of his womb 3. Another cause may be the encrease of his glorie which by euerie Religious Order is greatly laboured and effected For as a gardener takes care of his vines and fruit-trees and a shepheard of his flock and shrinketh not for heate or cold or anie toylesome labour in regard of the commoditie he reapes therof so God hath a prouident care of these his flocks not only out of his infinit goodnes and meere mercie but if a bodie may be so bold to say so for respect of some commoditie and why may we not say so seing S. Paul tearmeth such seruants of God vessels sanctifyed for honour and proâ—itable to our Lord 4. A third reason is Vertue itself and Deuotion which is so very powerful with God that putting vs highly into his fauour it wil neuer suffer vs to be neglected by him Insomuch that the Royal Prophet sayth Thou hast receaued me for my innocencie and confirmed me in thy sight for euer And in another Psalme The eyes of our Lord vpon the iust and his eares in their prayers Manie are the tribulations of the iust and out of al them our Lord wil deliuer them And Ecclesiasticus The eyes of our Lord vpon those that feare him But that which Zacharie the Prophet sayth is most remarkable He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of my eye What could be
Now there be two sorts of Humilitie the one lasteth for a while only as for the time we are at our prayers which humilitie is so forcible to obtayne what we desire that is in a manner al in al as we find by the example of Achab that wicked king who notwithstanding his wickednes no sooner humbled himself in the sight of God as the Scripture speaketh but he obtained what he would Wherefore if this kind of humilitie be so forcible as to make sinners haue a fauourable hearing before that soueraigne Iudge certainly the humâ—litie which is to be seen in al our actions and in the verie manner of our life and the whole extent therof must needs be farre more effectual to giue the lust a more fauourable audience I say the humilitie of the course of life wherin Religious people liue which doth not only barre al pompe and state but placeth vs in the lowest place among the poore subiect to euerie bodie which in a worldlie eye is a great slauerie though in verie deed it be the greatest libertie and to be preferred before kingdomes 4. A fourth cause is that which we find in the Psalme Delight in our Lord and he wil grant thee the desire of thy hart which is the proper occupation of Religious people They haue debarred themselues of al other delights as of marriage children riches and such as rich men vse as hawking and hunting banckeâ—s playes statelie buildings rich attire and the like and in steed of them they haue placed al their delight in God whom they enioy by prayer meditation and reading and manie other wayes The state itself helpeth them heerin for being spiriâ—ual and wholy dedicated to the seruice of God it giueth them no occasion of desiring or askinâ— anie thing but that which is spiritual and pertayning to his seruice which makes that God is the more easily inclined oâ— care them because when he hearkneth to them in these things he hearkneth to himself and deales for his owne honour and benefit so much doth it in oâ—â— to haue the entercourse with God which Religious people hâ—ue and to deale in one and the same busines so that that which is good oâ—â—iâ— for the one is good or il for the other As when a seruant deales for his maister whatsoeuer he doth in that kind and whatsoeuer he asketh his maister concernes his maister more then himself and if hiâ— maister grant him anie thing it is for the maisters profit 5. And doubtles these reasons are very forcible to moue the infinit goodnes of God to giue vs a fauourable hearing yet there be two other things which in my opinion are more forcible then anie of the rest to wit the denial of our owne wil and the vnion and charitie which is betwixt vs. As concerning the first the Prophet Esay answering the complaynt which some did make that God did not hearken to their prayers nor their fasts nor their teares speaketh in this manner Behold in the day of your fasting your owne wil is found and promiseth them moreouer that if they forgoe their owne wil Then you shal cal vpon our Lord and he wil heare you you shal crye out and he wil say lo I am heer and he hath reasoÌ„ in it For as it were an vnciuil and vnreasonable thing among friends for one to desire alwayes to haue his owne wil and neuer to do as his friend would haue him in regard that in friendship there must be equalitie and that which pleaseth one must please another whereby they come to that confidence among themselues that they may freely aske and take by authoritie that which is their friend's In like manner in the friendship that is betwixt God vs nothing doth make him more friendlie towards vs then the resigning of our wil to him in al things great and smal And who is there that doth practise this resignation and conformitie more perfectly and more constantly then Religious people who by the Vow of Obedience haue quiete cut off their owne wil and in place therof ingrafted in their harts the wil of God So that in that measure that there can be right and equitie betwixt God and man a Religious man may in a kind of iustice require of God that seing he in al things doth the wil of God God wil do his wil in some thing that concernes also his seruice 6. Of vnitie and fraternal charitie we shal not need to say much seing we haue the promise of our Sauiour in these words I say vnto you if two of you agree vpon earth of whatsoeuer thing they shal aske it shal be done vnto them by my Father that is in heauen If therefore it go by consent what greater consent can there be then among Religious people among whom al things are common and what agreement can be more durable then theirs who are linked togeather by so indissoluble a tye as be their Vowes So that their prayers must needs be more gratâ—ful and more efficacious in the sight of God both in regard of the vertue itself of Charitie which cannot but be exceeding pleasing to God who himself is Charitie and for the participation which as I sayd before is betwixt them and the communion of al good works which makes euerie one of them more gratful and more powerful with God appearing in his sight inuested with the merits and good works of al the rest We reade that S. Dominick one day did fraÌ„kly coÌ„feste to a certain Priour of the Câ—stercian Order that was his great friend that he neuer asked God anie thing which was not granted him which the Priour wondring at sayd vnto him And why then do you not aske that God wil make Conradus the Dutchman enter into your Order which Conradus was at that time one of the learnedst men of Christendome S. Dominâ—ck answered it was a hard matter but yet he did not mistrust but if he should aske it God would grant it him And thervpon continued al that night at his prayers and behold early in the morning Conradus came to their Church cast himself at the seete of S. Dominick begging to be receaued into his Order and was receaued to the great ioy and astonishment of euerie bodie Al bookes of Historie and Deuotion are ful of the like examples and there is not almost the life of anie Religious person man or woman written wherin we shal not find that they haue obtayned of God manie great things either aboue the common course of nature which are the more remarkable or natural and ordinarie which were vsual with them but yet lesse noâ—ed and manie not noted at al. 7. And me thinks the lesser the things be which they aske and obtainâ— the more admirable is the goodnes of God in condescending in them to their prayers and desires of whâ—ch kind we reade of S. Scholastiâ—a that she fel to her prayers and God sent a very great rayne
and moreouer vse their vttermost endeauour to encrease in vertue and purchase new crownes of humilitie pennance mortification and the like whervnto Religion itself is a great spurre and help Which of these courses is the better and more profitable might be declared manie wayes which for breuitie sake I omit and wil content myself with this one saying of S. Hierome or whosoeuer was authour of the booke intitled to Demetrias where he sayâ—h thus It is not enough for thee to do no euil if thou do no good Euerie tree which bringeth not good fruit shal be câ—t downe and cast into the fire and yet we soothe ourselues if we be not charged with il fruit though we shal be condemned if we beare not good fruit so we reade that the Father wil cut off euerie branch that bringeth no fruit in his Sonne and he that hid the Talent which he had receaued in his handkereher is condemned by our Lord as an vnprofitable and naughtie seruant not only to haue diminished but not to haue encreased is damnable So sayth S. Hierome A Comparison betwixt the state of Religion and the Secular Clergie CHAP. XXXVII NExt aboue the Lay-men is the degree of the Secular Clergie much more perfect and neerer to God then that of the Lâ—ytie and withal somewhat resembling a Religious estate in regard they professe themselues seruants to God and are deputed thervnto by a sacred Character yet Religious men haue the aduantage of them in manie things of no smal importance And first Religious men are in a state of Perfection the Secular Clergie are not for the nature of a state is to be immoueable constant vnchangeable which cannot be without obligation of Vow and the Clergie make no Vow not only if they haue no Cure but though they haue for they may relinquish it and are not bound by anie kind of promise to retayne it S. Thomas handleth this matter learnedâ—y and at large in the Booke which he wrote of the Perfection of a Spiritual life by occasion of an errour of some vnlearned and wicked men that to depresse a Religious state were bold to compare the Secular Clergie with them and also to preferre them before Religious But their rash censure was expresly conâ—emned by a Decree of the Pope and cleerly confuted by S. Thomas in the Booke aboue named where among other things he sayth that when anie bodie is dâ—â—puted perpetually for an office or function the Church vseth certain rites and Ceremonies in it as when the care of a Church is committed to a Bishop he â—appoynted and a certain forme of prayer sayd ouer him the Crosier-staffe and bread and wine is giuen into his hand a ring put on his finger and manie such other things are done to shew that he is as it were espoused to his Church and tyed perpetually vnto it The profession of Religious men hath in like manner certain rites and ceremonies which are very ancient and are related by S. Denys who also deliuereth the reason and signification of them And these ceremonies are to this day practised some in one Religious Order some in another and some in euerie one But Secular Priests when they take a Cure vpon them vse no Ceremonie at al whereby we may gather as S. Thomas sayth that they are not only not in a state of Perfection but not so much as in a state 2. And moreouer we may vnderstand how farre their life is inferiour to a Religious state because it is not only lawful but laudable to passe from the bare life of a Secular Clergie-man into Religion whereas certainly no man is suffered to descend from the greater and better slate to that which is lâ—sse and the holie Canons haue so determined not only because a Religious state is more secure but also because it is more perfect and ordayned in a certain place that Clergie-men that desire the institute of Monks are not to be hindred from it because they desire to follow a better life and the Bishops must suffer them to haue free accesse thervnto And S. Gregorie giueth Desiderius a Bishop that held back one of his a fraternal admonition and it wil not be amisse to see in what weightie words he doth it We exhort sayth he that your Brotherhood be no hinderance to his earnest deuotion which he laboureth to haue in the holie purpose rather by Pastoral admonition inflame him with what exhortations you are able that the feruour of this desire waxe not cold in him in regard that he that seuering himself from the turbulent tumult of secular troubles hastneth to the hauen of the Monasterie out of desire of quiet ought not to be intangled againe in the troubles of Ecclesiastical cares but let him be suffered to remaine safe from al them in the prayses of God as he requesteth Thus sayth S. Gregorie very wel specially that a Religious life is a secure and quiet hauen and contrariwise an Ecclesiastical function ful of trouble and vnquiet with the tumult of secular cares 3. S. Anselme that holie and learned man wrote an epistle much to the same effect to Godfred Bishop of Paris in good manner yet withal grauely taxing him for hindring one of the Clergie that was desirous to take vpon him the yoak of Religion and proueth by manie reasons that he had neither reason nor warrant to do so 3. But that we may proceed the cleerer in this comparison which we haue in hand betwixt these two liues let vs consider the danger and difficulties incident to the life of a secular Clergie-man First in respect of the dignitie of his Order secondly in regard of the weightie charge of soules that lyeth vpon him and lastly by reason of his Church-liuings and possessions As for the dignitie of his Order who can deny but that it requireth great vprightnes of life and behauiour great sanctitie and integritie and that a little sault in him is so much the more fowle and vnbeseeming For certainly the degree of Priesthood is of that ranke and esteeme that no Princelie dignitie vpon earth nor of anie Angel in heauen is equal vnto it in regard that none of them haue power to consecrate the Bodie of our Sauiour to handle it to receaue and minister it to others This power and vertue is Diuine and maketh theÌ„ that haue it rather Gods then men What puritie therfore of life soule doth such an office require Whom must he not excel in puritie sayth S. Iohn Chrysostome that offereth such a Sacrifice What beame of the Sunne can be brighter then that hand ought to be which diuideth this flesh or the mouth that is ful of this spiritual fire or the tongue that is died red with this bloud which can neuer be reuerenced enough And S. Bernard doth with great reason bewayle the rashnes of men in this kind and his iust lamentation agreeth as fitly to our times as to his and
much I haue profited in this way of perfection yet God knoweth it better then I. And I exhort others al I can to the like course and haue companions in it in the name of our Lord who haue been perswaded by my meanes In an other place he setteth downe what the Hereticks sayd of him for this cause Petilian with his fowle mouth aduanced himself in disprayse of Monasteries and Monks finding fault also with me because I haue been authour of a course of life of this nature and yet he knoweth not what kind of life it is or rather maketh as if he knew not that which is knowne ouer al the world What therefore can be sayd of a Religious state that can be more for the honour and credit of it then that two so rare and excellent men haue embraced it with such loue and earnestnes as themselues expresse For if we speake of wit who was there euer more acute if of Learning who more learned If we seeke able Pennes and tongues where shal we find anie more eloquent and copious if Vertue who more holie Finally if we regard Authoritie none did euer carrie more sway in the Church of God then they two nor euer shal 14. S. Hierome in one of his Epistles giueth vs to vnderstand that S. Paulinus Bishop of Nola a Gascon by nation was also a Monk For writing to him as to a Monk and not as to a Bishop as yet he commendeth him for changing his coat togeather with his mind and for glorying in pouertie both of spirit and of works aduiseth him to auoide the companie of Secular people and particularly of great men For how sayth he can it be necessarie for you to behold the things often by contempt wherof you began to be a Monk His owne writings doe sufficiently testifye his learning and eloquence and his vertue is admirable in many things which he did but chiefly for selling himself to the Barbarians to redeeme a widdowes sonne which fact of his is highly extolled and not without great reason by S. Augustin and S. Gregorie 15. I haue cause to ranke that great S. Martin Bishop of Tours with the rare and excellent men of that Age for though he had not thaâ— Learning which people get in Schooles yet he was so stored with Learning insused from heauen that he did both preach and dispute and discharge al other parts belonging to the office of a Bishop with great applause which could not be done without Learning And first he began a Monasterie at Milan and being thrust out from thence by Maxentius the Arrian he erected an other at Poictiers and a third at Tours after he was Bishop Where notwithstanding he was Bishop as Sulpitius writeth who was inwardly acquainted with him he obserued Religious discipline to hiâ— dying day togeather with foure-score other Monks and in extreme rigour of pouertie wheras most of them were nobly borne and daintily bred 16. Iohn Cassian liued much about the same time a Scythian borne but for his style to be reckoned among the best Latinists First he was schollar to S. Iohn Chrysostome and afterwards built a monasterie at Marseils in the ordering and gouerning wherof no doubt but he put in practise al that which he had set downe in writing of the speaches and conuersation of the holie Fathers which euerie bodie knowes how much perfection it contaynes 17. Eucherius Bishop of Lions chosen out of the Monasterie of Lerin to that Pastoral charge was famous in his time which was about the yeare Foure hundred and fiftie and is yet to this day for the manie learned Books which he hath left written 18. Prosper Bishop of Rhegio liued about the same time and as Histories report of him was first a Monk and then Secretarie to Pope Leo the Great penned manie of his Epistles 19. Not manie yeares after to wit about the yeare Fiue hundred S. Fulgentius was renowned in Africk and throughout the whole world The passages of his life and his writings are ful of great learning which he shewed chiefly against Hereticks from whom also he suâ—lered manie things with great constancie and esteemed so highly of a Religious course of life that he stil practised it al the while he was Bishop 20. Cassiodorus was ful as famous as he once a Senatour of Rauenna and Chancelour to Thâ—odorick king of Italie but detesting his companie after that he had slayne Bâ—etâ—us and forsaking him and the world also he founded the Monasterie of Clasâ—is for the Benediâ—tin-Monks which were new begun and entred himself into the Order a man rare for al Secular learning while he was in the world and afterwards also for Diuinitie as his Works which are yet extant doe witnes He liued in the yeare Fiue hundred and fiâ—tie 21. Who can commend S. Gregorie the Great as he deserueth who liued some fiâ—tie yeares afâ—er or who can sufficiently admire his sanctitie or the abunâ—ance of his learning deriued to the benefit of al posteritie in so manie Books as he hath left written But we shal haue occasion to speake of him againe among the Popes 22. S. Gregorie of â—ourâ— liued also in his time and was placed in that Bishoprick out of a Monasterie and there be manie things yet extant which testifye his great learning 23. In Spayne Religion hath had the honour to haue Eutropius first consecrate to our Sauiouâ— Christ from his youth then Abbot afterwards Bishop of Valeâ—â— about the yeare Six hundred and ten 24. Isidorus also after he had spent much of his life in a Religious course was made Archbishop of Seuil S. Ildefonsus was his schollar and imitated his vertues with so great benefit to himself and others that he was created Archbishop of 〈◊〉 His learned writings are yet to be seen and among others his Booke of the Virginitie of our B. Ladie whose deare seruant he was and it is recorded of him that when he had written that Booke our B. Ladie appeared vnto him holding the Booke in her hand and thanked him for the paynes he had taken in setting forth her prayses 25. About the same time Caesarius was famous in France he was first a Monk then Abbot of Lerin afterwards Bishop of Arles a learned and a holie man and doubtlesse very eloquent 26. England also hath had rare men bred-vp in Religious Orders as S. Bede who dyed in the yeare Seauen hundred thirtie three From seauen yeares of age when he first entred into Religion til he was fourescore and twelue for so long he liued he spent his whole time in Learning and vertuous exercises and hath left so manie volumes so learnedly written that he is in a manner held to be another S. Augustin And we may gather what esteeme the world had of him by that while he was yet liuing his writings were read publickly throughout the Churches of England togeather with
perfect it is the mâ—re it doth shine abroad Which if it be true in euerie particular man that is vertuous how much more true is it when manie vertuous men ioyne togeather and make one Corporation and cittie We may iustly therefore say that Religion is a Cittie placed vpon a hil both because it is compounded of seueral persons as a Citâ—ie is wherof we haue spoken alreadie at large in the precedent Chapter and it is seated in an eminent and loftie situation to wit in in the top of Euangelical Perfection which al that haue not arriued to so high a pitch but remaine in an inferiour estate must needs admire and lift-vp their eyes as to people that are aboue them And consequently the Cittie itself being so noble and seated moreouer vpon a hil so that it cannot be hidden but must needs be in the eye of euerie bodie al the glorie and commendation and worth which it hath must also redounde to the glorie and commendation of the whole Church wherof it is a part For which consideration S. Gregorie Nazianzen calleth Religious people the first fruits of our Sauiour's â—lock pillars and crownes of Faith and preâ—ious margarits And S. Hierome Certainly the Order of Monks and Virgins is the slâ—wer and as it were a pretious stone among the ornaments of the Church He sayth a Religious course is both a Flower and a Pretious stone declaring in the one the beautie of that state and in the other the great esteeme and value which is moreouer to be made of it and the holie Church partaketh of them both For the dignitie and beautie of this life doth both exceedingly comfort and delight and encourage the Faithful and confound the Aduersaries therof Insomuch that that great Champion of the Catholick Faith S. Augustin in the booke which he wrote of the Manners of the Church among other arguments which he brings to disproue the errours of the Manichees against whom he penned that Treatise he insisteth mainly vpon this that in the Church there shal be such multitudes both of Heremits leading a solitarie life and Monks liuing in common togeather and describing their manner of conuersation at large at last he concludeth as it were brauing the Manichees in these words Oppose yourselues if you can you Manichees against these behold them wel and name them if you dare without lying and with shame enough Compare their fasting with your fasting chastitie with chastitie cloathing with cloathing sare with fare modestie with modestie charitie with charitie and that which in poâ—teth most orders with orders 2. S. Laurence Iustinian a man renowned for learning and sanctitie handleth this selfsame subiect yet more copiously and deserueth to haue his whole discourse set downe at large He sayth thus Among other things which aduance the glorie of God and make Infidels haue a good esteeme of the Catholick Faith is the liuing of the Faithful in common togeather and specially the life of them that contemning the vanities of this transitorie world and abandoning the pleasures of the flesh and promises of wealth and honour dedicate themselues to God in the Cloisters of Monasteries by perpetual vow of a voluntarie seruitude For who can doe otherwise but prayse and extol the Diuine goodnes and wisdome vnspeakable beholding innumerable people of both sexes in the flower of their youth in perfect health and proportion of their bodie swimming in abundance of earthlie substance happie in the possession of lands and vinyards and houses and seruants and honoured with manie noble friends and kinsfolk willingly to renounce the world and spurne at the pride therof to forsake al their kindred and to put themselues into the seruice of our Sauiour Christ by exercise of obedience vnder the conduct of a man that in a maÌ„ner is a stranger vnto them For this certainly is beyond that which men ordinarily doe and beyond the common fashion of liuing For the natural affection which we haue as children doth not suffer vs to contemne them that begot vs brought vs into the visible light of this world The law I say which is naturally inbred in the harts of men doth not perswade vs to leaue our owne cittie al our kindred al our play-fellowes al our friends and acquaintance and to goe dwel with strangers to trauel into farre countries citties and villages not for a yeare or two or three but al our life-time of our owne free choice to suffer hunger and thirst cold and nakednes to punish our bodies also with watching and fasting and other labours to bring it vnder with daylie abstinences and that which is greater then al this to fight against the inclinations of ouâ— owne wil. For nature itself inticeth custome teacheth humane frayltie vrgeth loue of good companie draweth common curtesie perswadeth and the sweâ—â— conuersation of people at home and specially of our kindred doth compeleâ—â—rie bodie that hath anie spark of reason to keep where he was borne to enioy the companie of his kindrâ—d to take care of his owne possessions and take his pleasure in them and to follow the inclinations of his owne wil. But when we see the quite contrarie acted it proceedeth either out of feare of death or certain knowledge of the ficklenes and falshood of the world or out of an assured and strong hope of future happines which hope we cannot taste of but by the light of Faith which is giuen vs before And we come not to the possession of this Faith of which we speake by our owne free wil but by the guift of God who hath mercie on vs and draweth vs and preserueth vs. The glorious Martyrs enlightned with the splendour of this Faith haue with most ardent charitie endured for Christ fire imprisonment chaynes stripes torments reproaches exile losse of goods and death The holie Anchorets endued with the cleernes of this Faith haue filled the deserts walked the wildernesses builded Monasteries therin to attend to the glorifying of God to giue themselues to often prayer to labour with their hands at conuenient times and to assemble togeather the children of God dispersed euerie where abroad and to ouercome the secret attempts of their inuisible enemies Inspired certainly by God they vnderstood that this world is ful of concupiscence of the flesh allurements of the eyes and other pleasures and of pride of life They saw that men did dayly cast themselues headlong vpon vice neglect the Law of God contemne his commandments follow the pleasures of present delight and giue themselues wholy to earthlie lucre transitorie honour hurtful dishonestie and secular cares which make the louers of them strangers to God to themselues and breed an auersion from al vertue For light and darcknes vanitie and truth vertue and vice the loue of God and of the world the works of the flesh and of the spirit the ioyes of this life and of the life to come cannot meete in one nor stand togeather Wherefore to the
Happines of man consisted in being free from payne and grief and al kind of trouble For thereby we may conclude that it was alwayes held to be no smal good to be free from al euil But yet no man can throughly enter into the importance of it vnlesse he first vnderstand how infinit the miseries and calamities of the world be so grieuous and so different and so frequent and obuious that we may sooner behold them with our eyes thâ—n declare them by word of mouth and in respect therof may iustly say the world is another Aegypt when as we finde recorded in Exodus there was not a house in it which did not ring with most lamentable cryes at the death of their first-begotten And though as I sayd this be a thing which we may sooner see with our eyes then learne by discourse yet manie of the ancient Fathers hane handled this point at large and very eloquently 2 In particular S. Iohn Chrysostome to shew the happines of Virginitie which he had vndertaken to commend doth lay togeather so manie misfortunes of married people that it is a horrour to reade them For he proueth that before their marriage and when they marrie and euer after al is trouble and vexation and ful of a world of miseries and that if they haue anie touch of delight it is not comparable to their griefes because it is drowned in their present calamities and in those that hang ouer their head for the future 3. S. Gregorie Nyssen is so large in his discourse of the self-same miseries that as he sayth himself it were matter enough to make a Tragedie For not to repeate al that goes before the paynes of child-bed are intollerable because not only the wombe of the mother is most pittifully torne in pieces but the husband if he haue anie feeling must needs be exceedingly grieued at it When this is ouer and the danger past togeather with the paine and the child borne which was so long desired the causes of lamenting are not lesse but â—reater For then begins the care of bringing-vp the child the continual feare least it come by some mischance which chances al ages and states are subiect vnto but specially the tender age of an infant then they are iealâ—us 〈◊〉 it catch a feuer or fal into some other disease Finally sayth he the miseries which come of marriage are very manie for children bring 〈◊〉 wâ—en they are borne and before they are borne while they are aliue anâ— when they are dead If a man haue cause to ioy in the number of his children he hath cause of sorrow because he hath not wherewith to maintaine them Another perhaps hath laboured much to scrape a great deale of wealth togeather and hath not an heyre to whome to leaue it So that one man's happines is another's misfortune while neither of them would haue that befal him wherat he sees an other tormented This man 's sweet child is dead the other 's liues deboisht both certainly are to be pittied one grieuing at the death the other at the life of their owne child Who can number the distempers the troubles the branglings which rise euerie foot betwixt them vpon true causes and false suspicions This and much more to the like effect is the discourse of S. Gregorie Nyssen which almost word for word S. Basil takes vp and enlargeth himself in it with a great deale of Rhetorick in the Booke which he wâ—ote of true Virginitie And S. Hierome no lesse copiously and effectually repeates the same against Iouinian 4. For my part I am of opinion that S. Iohn Chrysostome sayd very truly of this world of miseries which married people are subiect vnto that no man can conceaue the greatnes of them vnlesse he haue tryed them and they that haue had the experience be the onlie men that truly find that there is farre more sorrow and bitternes in the delights which people make account they shal haue then pleasure and contentment Besides that it is to be obserued as a certain truth that both these and al other sorrowes seeme much lesse when we only reade or imagine them then when we feele them For no grief can go so neare vs when we imagine it afarre off specially if it concerne not ourselues as when we actually feele it in our owne person 5. These therefoâ—e are the general miseries common to al Secular people and from which they that â—iue most at ease and meddle not with anie pubâ—ick busines at al but attend only to the menaging of their owne priuaâ—e estate bringing-vp of their children which people commonly account a happie kind of life are not exempt But there be others that labour toyle in 〈◊〉 of the world like horses For what shal we say of the life of a Sâ—â—â—diâ— in the midst of so manie dangers of life and limmes and incommodities of wind and weather heat and cold and the like Or of Marchants that spending their whole time in thinking of their aduentures in writing and casting-vp their ends togeather take as much toyle as if they were day-labourers and there is litle difference betwixt them but that the one labours in the sunne the other in the shade for as for care and solicitude and anxietie and feare the marchant hath farre greater stil taking thought what may be come of his ship whether it be cast-away or no whether the plentie of corne be like to pul downe the market or least some other mischance of thousands befal him sweep al away in an howre which he had so long sweat for 6. What shal I say againe of them that aspite to preferrement Doe they not bereaue themselues altogeather of their libertie and out of a greedie desire of command ouer others which God knowes whether they shal euer attaine vnto or how long they may enioy it make themselues verie slaues in present to other mâ—ns humours wayting vpon them like pages and putting themselues vpon a necessitie of obseruing euerie turne of their head euerie change of their countenance What doe they not endure by day and what pensiue nights must they needs haue What fire would they not runne-through to compasse their ends And when they haue gotten that which they aymed at they burne with a greater fire within them and make S. Augustin's words good Riches and the shadowes of honour and al other things of like nature wherin men think themselues happie being voyd of true happines what comfort can they bring seing it is farre more honourable not to stand in need of them then to be eminent in them and the feare of leesing them doth torment a man more then the burning desire did of getting them Which kind of miserie S. Paulinus also expresseth excellently wel in a long Exhortation which he wrote in verse to Licentius a yong man that followed the Court of Rome for preferrement-sake labouring to draw him from
of Reason and Faith it is lesse subiect to errour and more like to last and as they also obserue more noble because Reason and Vnderstanding is that wherin man differs from a beast and excelles al corporal creatures Wheras the slownes and backwardnes of our wil may be holpen diuers wayes and manie motiues and incitements there are to quicken it if we reflect vpon them and cast them seriously in our mind 7. By which also we may see that they are likewise in an errour that think they are neuer called of God vnlesse they feele such extraordinarie motions towards Religion in their minds that they burne with desire of it and find themselues carried towards it without anie trouble or difficultie For the luâ—â—pish and earthlie condition of our nature wil not suffer vs to mounâ— so high without labour and difficultie and the Diuine wisedome is not wont to destroy nature but to help it nor to kil our enemies outright that we may haue no bodie to fight withal but to giue vs grace and strength to ouercome by fighting because this is a more beneficial for vs manie wayes and more wholesome 8. Agreed therefore that we must vse the discourse and iudgement which God hath giuen vs thereby to find out his wil the way and meanes which directours of spirit tel vs we must take in it is this First as I sayd we must lay before vs the end for which we were created which is but one to wit by louing and seruing God to come to euerlasting happines Secondly we must present to our consideration al the courses of life which are sitting to be aduised vpon and examine and search diligently into euerie one of them what help what inconuenience is in it compared with the final end we ayme at and resolue vpon that which both in it self and for vs is absolutly the best as they that are to take a iourney choose the easiest the shortest and the most commodious wayes Thirdly we must beare in mind that most certainly the day wil come when we shal die and giue a strict account to God of al our negotiations and consequently in reason we must now doe that which then we would with we had done and choose that which then we would giue anie thing we had chosen For what follie were it in a busines of such weight to carrie our selues so as we know we shal repent it at last in vayne 9. A third thing which they that desire to know the wil of God and 〈…〉 to what he calleth them vnto must vnderstand is that they mâ—st not tâ—iâ—k to come to the knowledge of it in the midst of the vanities and distractions and multiplicities of busines of the world But let them withdraw themselues a litle out of that noyse that they may haue thâ—â—â—ares free and heare what their Lord their God speaketh to them and first of al if there be no reason to the contrarie let them purge their soule by a general confession of al their sinnes for that wil be a great help for the light of God to come more freely into them al cloudes of darknes being dispersed Then let them giue themselues somewhat more then ordinarily to prayer and meditation to rayse their harts from earthlie to heauenlie things and finally present themselues before the Throne of God as a schollar before his Maister pliable attentiue desirous of this heauenlie doctrine For what wonder is it if we heare not the voice of God when our mind and soule is otherwise busied and taken vp with the cares and delights and loue of earthlie things buzzing continually in our cares To which effect S. Bernard writeth to oâ—e Thomas that was in the like consultation about leauing the world O deerely beloued if thou prepare thy inward eare to the voyce of God sweeter then honie and the honie-combe fly the cares which are without that hauing thy inward senses free and vacant thou also mayst say with Samuel Speake ô Lord because thy seruant heareth This voyce doth not sound in the market place it is not heard abroad A priuate counsel requireth priuate audience it wil certainly giue ioy to thy hearing and gladnes if thou harken vnto it with a indicious eare 10. And yet we must adde one thing more to wit that whosoeuer desireth this light must not only as S. Bernard aduiseth come neare to God but come with a mind resolued absolutly to do whatsoeuer God shal say vnto hâ—m For there be those that do not deale vprightly and sincerely with God but desire of curiositie to know his wil not to performe it but to know it and to be thought in some sort to haue done their dutie but they are so farre wide from being discharged of their dutie by it as they incurre a greater fault as a seruant â—hat knoweth his maister's wil and doth it not And moreouer this verie thing is a meanes that God doth not giue them that light which he would because he sees that it wil be in vayne to giue it them and to their preiudice which is that which we reade in the Psalme Good vnderstanding to them that do it because God giues a good vnderstanding to them that do or are resolued to do that which they vnderstand as S. Gregorie noteth in these words He that wil vnderstand what he hath heard let him hasten to fulfil by work that which hitherto he hath been able to heare 10. A fourth thing which we must beare in mind and must needs be a great setling and comfort vnto vs in this consultation is that euerie instinct which moues a man to a Religious course of life cannot be but of the Holie-Ghost This is a posiâ—ion of S. Thomas both in the booke which he wrot against them that withdraw people from Religion and in the second part of his summe of Diuinitie where he sayth that he that cometh to Religion cannot doubt but that he is moued therunto by God whose it is as the Prophet speaketh to leade into the right way supposing he knowes in his coÌ„science he hath no sinister end in it but comes out of a desire of vertue and of the seruice of God Wherefore when the scripture saith vnto vs Try the spirits if they be of God it is to be vnderstood of spirits that be doubtful is to be practised by them that haue the charge of admitting others into Religion for they not knowing with what mind and inteÌ„tioâ— people offer themselues do wel to try their spirits And he saith further that if it should happen that Sathan traÌ„sfiguring himself into an Angel of lâ—got should moue vs to Religion we haue no cause to be afraid first because as long as he suggesteth that which is common for good Angels to put into our mind there is no danger for we are not forbidden to benefit ourselues by our enemie specially when we know not that it
his so worthie and great a work These are the reasons why of long time I haue been of opinion that to declare according to my abilitie the Excellence of a Religious State and the vnspeakable profit therof would proue an employment wel deseruing my paynes and labour and be vseful both to set forth the great wisdome of God in so eminent a work as is a Religious life and to abate and suppresse the malicious practises of the Diuel against the same For to this the Prophet Esay doth seeme to exhort vs saying Make knowne his inuentions among the people For certainly as I sayd in the beginning among al those things which haue been by God most aduisedly and most louingly inuented and accomplished for the help and saluation of mankind this manner of liuing vnder Rule and order is to be accounted the cheefest And I haue been the rather induced to vndertake this labour hoping that besids other commodities arising therof the Religious themselues wil be benefited and enabled the better to vnderstand the good which they possesse and to embrace it the more ardently For it may happen that their mind may be sometimes as it were glutted with the riches and greatnes of this benefit or carried aside with attention to other matters or dulled by daylie handling the same things so that themselues shal be strangers to their owne happines and in a manner hunger-starued at a ful board of dainties as it falleth out with country-people that haue gardens and vineyards in occupation and dwelling al their life-time in that delicious sweetnes of ayre with which others are so vehemently taken that they come from places farre distant only to haue a view of them and cannot satisfie themselues with recording the prayses and feeding themselues as it were with the shaddow and remembrance of the pleasure these poore snakes contrariewise take no heed thervnto as if they had euen lost the sense of their eyes which fault were the more fowle in a Religious man because he hath no other busines to attend to but this or at the leastwise he ought to leuel and direct al his other thoughts and employments to this alone for otherwise he debarres himself not only of the pleasure of the place as those countrey-clownes I spake of but of very manie rich commodities and cannot possibly beare towards God so mindful so thankful and so louing a hart as becomes him to do These men therefore as I sayd are al to be rowsed vp so much as we may and encouraged to hold their eyes open vpon the great benefit which they haue receaued that beholding it they may frame their life and behauiour sutable to the great worck therof THE FIRST BOOKE OF THE HAPPINES OF A RELIGIOVS ESTATE TESTIMONIES OF THE ANCIENT Fathers in commendation of a Religious Estate CHAP. I. TWO things among men are of great force in perswading to wit Reason and Auctoritie Reason is grounded in the light which it hath within it self Auctoritie in the light which is in others Which is so farre from diminishing the credit it ought to carrie that it doth rather strengthen assure it For if we thinke it fit to giue assent to things which we haue found out by ourselues and which ourselues haue throughly examined because we dare trust our owne wit and iudgement much more trust and assurance ought we to repose vpon the cunning abilities of such men as we know haue had excellent guifts of vnderstanding and wisedome and whom we acknowledge to be farre aboue vs. Wherefore those verie scieÌ„ces which canuasse truth vpon the point of Reason do not lay Auctoritie aside but each of them haue their authours and soueraigne teachers whose positions they defend with tooth and nayle which in sciences which ayme at the direction of manners ought much rather to be practised because to make a right estimate of these things besids sharpnes of wit we must haue a will good and vpright which by vertue alone is engendred oftimes also we stand in need of experience in that which we are to resolue on wherefore as euery one doth think it reasonable in whatsoeuer art or science he doth meanâ— to study to make choyce of some prime man vpon whom he may rely and allow as warrantable whatsoeuer that man hath plainely set downe in writing or couertly giuen to vnderstand as for the precepts of Rhetorick we Choose Cicero or Demosthenes Aristotle or Plato in Philosophie In the Mathematicks Euclide or some other writer of note So in the schoole of Christ we haue some heads and leaders whose sayings ought to beare the greater sway with vs because themselues were so eminent in learning and vertue that we may iustly perswade ourselues that they did not only by the strength of their owne wit discouer great matters but were also particularly inlightned by God Wherfore in this subiect which I haue vndertaken to handle touching the Happines of a Religious life I haue thought good to lay downe first of all the sayings of some such prime Auctours and Saints plainly and as they haue been deliuered by themselues without any discourse or glosse of my owne vpon them hoping that they will carie the greater weight with euery body in regard that all of them one or two perhaps excepted haue bestowed all or the best part of their whole life and labour in the practise of that which they haue coÌ„mended so that their Auctoritie doth not want experience to strengthen it of which I spake before These men therfore we shall place in the very front vant of the battaile as the strongest fence of our Cause 2. S. Gregoire Nazianzen shall be the formost He esteemeth Religious men to be the most choyce and the wisest part of the Church for those sayth he are to be accounted wiser then the rest who haue seuered themselues from the acquaintance of the world and consecrate their life to God our Nazareans I meane And in another place he stileth them such as haue raysed themselues aboue the earth liue free from the bands of Mariage haue litle traffick with the world haue ordered the course of their life so as daye and night they prayse God with godly Hymnes They hate the goods of the earth with which the Prince of this world is wont to inveigle the harts of people which he changeth very often from one to another and the hoâ—e of those riches which neuer forsake their owners they esteeme equiualent to all manner of wealth They long not after that Rib which foolishly loueth the body they repose not their hopes vpon a new ranck of Children they place not their trust vpon their brethren and kinsfolk or vpon their CoÌ„pagnions that is vpon flesh and blood which shall shortly perish neither doe they couet the glorie of this world which doth quickly vanish but they fixe their mind wholy vpoÌ„ God and fasten their Cables to him as to an immoueable
we might partly touch with our hands and see with our eyes and perceaue with other senses Both which reasons may be applyed to our case concerning Religious people For in regard that our bodie is one part of vs it was fitting we should be gouerned and directed by men that haue a bodie as we haue not by God only or by his holie Angels who are meerly Spirits and it belonged to the sweetnes of his Prouidence of which we spake before so to ordaine it Besides that in this life and no man must maruel that I often cal it darknes where nothing is more hard and difficult then to vnderstand what in verie deed is the wil of God there could not haue been contriued a better thing and a thing more beneficial for our soules saluation then this being thereby put into a readie way not only to conceaue but to heare and see his wil a way so plaine and euident that we can neither mistake it nor doubt of it nor haue any cause to make anie stand in the busines 8. These are the commodities and fruits of Obedience from which al Secular people are wholy excluded and I do not speake of them that giue themselues ouer to this world and take no thought for their soule and spirit but of those who pretend to be spiritual but yet order their vertuous practises as they think good themselues for they must needs go on with more labour and payne and more slowly and be alwayes doubtful and vncertain in their resolutions and proceedings and ful of rubbes and demurres and so much the more the better they are disposed because on the one side they are desirous to follow punctually the wil of God and on the other side they haue so manie mists before their eyes that it is very hard for them to vnderstand what his wil is and must needs often mistake it and though they do not mistake it yet they haue cause to be troubled as much as if they did because they know not when they hit vpon it That al Christians are bound to Perfection and not only Religious people CHAP. XII HAuing spoken of the profit in general both of Religion and of euerie Religious Vow we shal heerafter declare manie particular commodities and special fruits of this state of life But before we begin it wil be necessarie to take in hand and root-out a common errour which is among men esteeming the case of Religious people to be much heauier then it is and that they stand in much harder tearmes then others in regard that their Profession binds them to al perfectioÌ„ and sanctitie wheras secular people say they haue no such obligation but may freely be imperfect which certainly is most false for absolutly al men in regard meerly that they are Christians and haue subiected themselues to the lawes of the Ghospel haue put themselues vpon a very great obligation to be perfect And whosoeuer shal think this strange may reflect and perceaue thereby how much Christianitie is decayed from that which was first instituted by Christ our Sauiour and degenerated from the feruour of their forefathers Wherefore I wil bring nothing of mine owne to proue this point but what I shal say shal be wholy out of holie Scripture and the ancient Fathers and specially out of two of them who haue cleerly and at large which is the principal of see purpose handled this subiect that they that oppose it must either absolutly reiect their authoritie or admit of their Conclusion 2. First therefore S. Bâ—sil in that learned and eloquent Homilie which he wrote of Relinquishing al things discourseth how God to condescend to the weaknes of mankind hath distributed the life of man into two ranks states the one of Wedlock the other of CoÌ„tinencie that whosoeuer should not find himself with strength sufficient to vndergoe the one might betake himself to the other yet so as in the state of Marriage they must make account to liue as the holie men did liue of whoÌ„ we reade in the Old TestameÌ„t specially Abraham who though he heard not the Ghospel preached nor could learne out of it to sel what he had giue it to the poore yet his deuotion feruour was so great that his house purse was euer open to pilgrims straÌ„gers he refused not to lay hands on his owne onlie sonne at the verie first word of God commanding it And hauing disputed these and the like things to and fro he sayth further thus Dost thou not think that the Euangelical law was made for married people also Dost thou not perceaue that an account wil be taken not only of Monks but of those that haue wedded wiues whether they order their liues according as is prescribed in the Ghospel For he that is married sinneth not in that he vseth his wife but al other coÌ„mandments being set downe equally for al they that doe against them are in equal daÌ„ger whosoeuer they be For Christ when he proclaymed the Precept of his Father spake to those that were in the world and followed an ordinarie course of life And if sometimes vpon a question moued by his disciples he deliuered anie thing in priuate he plainly told them That which I say to you I say to al. Thou therefore that hast chosen a wife hast no ground to giue thy self to idlenes as if thou mightst freely follow the world but rather hast need to labour watch and striue the more to saue thy soule because thou hast seated thy self in the midst of al the snares and in the hart of thy Enemie's kingdome where the allurements of sinne are coÌ„tinually before thy eyes to the desire wherof the whole inclination of thy Sense is perpetually violently carried Thou must therefore vnderstand that thou canst not possibly auoyd wrastling with the Diuel nor go away with the victorie without much labour For how is it possible to shunne this fight with thy Aduersarie being already shut-vp togeather with him in the pit ordayned for it This pit is the earth coÌ„passed round with the circle of the heaueÌ„s which as we reade in the Historie of Iob he doth walk round and passe through and through like a mad dog seeking whoÌ„ he may deuoure Wherfore if thou wilt not ioyne battail with this Enemie thou must get thy self into an other world where he is not for so thou mayst scape without fighting and bid the precepts of the Ghospel Farewel without danger But if this be impossible it remayneth that thou learne the art to fight cuÌ„ningly with him This is the discourse of S. Basil. 3. Let vs see what S Chrysostom sayth who in the Booke which he wrote against the dispraysers of Monastical life disputing this matter very cleerly hath these words Thou beguilest thyself certainly and art mightily deceaued if thou think that one thing is required of Secular people and another thing of Monks For there
the Authour of that Treatise of the Single life of the Clergie sayth wel that the farther a man is from aduersitie the lesse he feeles it and he that comes not where there is much pleasure is lesse stirred to pleasure and he that sees not riches is lesse tempted with auarice To me it seemes too violent a thing for a man alwayes to haue his eye vpon that which is delightful and pleasing and stil to striue and ouercome himself in abstayning from it and it cannot last long for it is an old Saying receaued euen among Philosophers that No violent thing is euerlasting We see it with our eyes and experience it dayly within our selues in the combat which we suffer in ouercoming our appetite and delight in meate For if we be at a ful board set-forth with varietie of dayntie distâ—es curiously dressed they set such an edge vpon our stomack that we haue great difficultie to temper ourselues find it very hard to eate with that moderation that we exceed not the limits of temperance sobrietie But if a man come not to board then it is easie to abstayne because the thought of the selfsame things doth not so whet our appetite as doth the sight of them the same may be sayd of al other things for the nature of our desire passion is the same the force of Sense is alike in al. 8. S. Augustin in his Confessions relates of Alipius a passage expressing liuely that now we speake of This Alipius in former times was much taken with an itching desire of seing the sword-fights or fencing-games and such like sports and being reclaymed from that madnes by S. Augustin continued his good resolution a long time til once falling vpon some of his companions he was lead by them with a friendlie kind of violeÌ„ce to the fencing-game yet he went with purpose to keep his eyes shut al the time and not to behold anie thing that passed He did so for a while but vpon some accident or other of the game the people gaue a great shout and he could hold no longer but lifted-vp his eyes to see what it was thinking within himself to contemne it whatsoeuer it should be But it hapned farre otherwise for as S. Augustin speaketh he beheld it and gaue a shout and was transported and from thence carried away that madnes with him which netled him to returne not only with those by whom he had been drawne thither but more eagerly then they himself drawing others also after him 9. This which deceaued Alipius at the swordplayes hath deceaued and doth deceaue manie others dayly in farre worse things it is more then the weaknes of man can wel away with to abide the shock of the allurements which do confront vs specially if the fight continue any thing long for though we abide the brunt for a while yet either we grow negligent and lay aside our armour or we grow wearie of the battail and cast al quite away and so are easily ouercome Wherefore the aduise of S. Basil is none of the worst to wit not only to bridle our inward passions and desires but to auoyd the meeting with those external things which may rubbe vpon our desires and darken our iudgement and vnderstanding and so rayse trouble and warre within vs. For it is il but pardonable to be ouercome in a warre which an other rayseth against our wil but to bring trouble voluntarily vpon ourselues and to thrust ourselues vpon mischief when we need not scarce deserues either pardon or pittie 10. By al which as we may euidently discouer the danger of a Secular life so we plainly see the happines of a Religious state in that it is sequestred from possession vse and traffick with anie earthlie thing and consequently neither the creatures themselues which they haue casheered nor the Diuel who workes vpon vs by meanes of creatures can haue accesse to defile their harts Wherefore S. Macarius sayd wel that this general renunciation of al things doth not only inuite but constrayne vs to seeke heauenlie things and that this is the chief reason why Christ aduiseth vs to forsake our kindred and to sel al and giue it to the poore because knowing that the Diuel doth vse these things as instruments to withdraw our thoughts to earthlie things he bids vs leaue them al to the end we may perforce seeke heauenlie things and keepe our harts fixed vpon God The Fift fruit of Religion Commoditie of seruing God CHAP. XVII ANother great benefit of a Religious state much importing vs towards the eternal welfare of our soules is the commoditie of attending to the knowledge and due consideration of al that which may concerne the wel-ordering of our life and attayning of Saluation There be those that liue in the world as if they had no soule to saue so wedded to things present that they do not so much as dreame of what is to come heerafter nor take anie care of future things they neuer consider who they are and from whence or what wil be their end they think not of the way they walk and whither at last it wil bring them if they continue to liue after the manner they haue begun though it import them more to consider it then anie other busines they haue in hand And liuing thus in perpetual ignorance of Spiritual things and of whatsoeuer belongeth to the seruice of God and the good of their owne soules they runne headlong into most grieuous sinnes and see it not poore soules nor feele it not Insomuch that the Prophet Hieremie doth with great reason make this the sole cause of al the mischief which is in the world The whole earth is vtterly desolate because no bodie doth bethink himself in his hart the frame and building of our Saluation depending in a manner vpon the attentiue and diligent consideration of those grounds of our life which I mentioned For consideration breeds knowledge knowledge loue loue a desire and endeauour to prosecute those things which we know and loue and to shunne the contrarie And if we be desirous to vnderstand the manifold fruits of Consideration S. Bernard doth set them downe at large in the Bookes which he wrote of that subiect to Pope Eugenius where among manie other things he sayth thus Consideration purifyeth the fountaine that is the mind from which it springeth it moderateth our affections it guideth our actions it reformeth excesses it giueth stayednes to our behauiour credit and order to our life and encreaseth knowledge of Diuine and humane things It distinguisheth things which are confused vniteth them that are distracted gathereth them to eather that are dispersed diueâ—h into secrets searcheth-out truths discusseth that which is probable discouereth that which is fayned and counterfet It fore-casteth what is to be done iâ— examineth that which is done that nothing may remayne vncorrect in the mind or wanting reformation In prosperitie it
Maiesty and the more because it is so coupled with vertue that Religion without vertue cannot subsist so much as in the thought of man 7. And in some sort a Religious course of life hath somewhat more then vertue because euery body cannot discouer the worth and dignity of vertue some are so dul as they conceiue nothing at al of it but a Religious course hath not only inwardly wherwith al to delight the eyes of the spiritual but outwardly it hath that also which draweth the vulgar into admiration and in my iudgment euen for matter of worth and nobility it is not only equal in greatnes with the world but farr aboue it This second booke therefore by the help of God shal be spent in declaring the dignity of Religion a subiect in it self pleasant and wherin a Religious man hath particular reason to reioyce 8. And it is no smal testimony of the dignity therof that we find such an infinit company of men that haue so ioyfully spurned at the honours and wordly prefer◠〈◊〉 which they might haue had and forsaken them which they had or at least-wise infinitly desired to forsake them to enioy the happines of a Religious life For the desire of honour being so natural to man as I haue saied it cannot be thought that the bare consideration of profit could put so much Zeale and feruour into them but that togeather with profit they saw great honour and worth in the busines 9 And among many strange examples in this kind we shal hardly meete with one more signal then that of S. Gregory the Great who hauing lead a Monastical life from his youth and being afterward made Deacon of the Church of Rome was notwithstanding so taken with the loue of his former Religious course that being sent Legate by the Pope to Constantinople he would not put himself vpō his iourney but in company of some of his Monkes that because he could not himself remaine in his Monastery be might as it were carry a Monastery along with him 10. And which is more to be admired when he was chosen Pope in that height of honour then which there is not a higher vpon earth he did so continually mourne out of desire of Religious quiet that almost al his writings are ful of his teares And particularly in his Dialogues he speaketh thus My vnfortunate mind goared with the wound of excessiue busines calleth to remembrance what a life it lead once in the Monastery how farr al transitory thinges were beneath it how farr it was aboue al thinges that passe away how it was not wont to think but of heauenly thinges how confined within the body it did passe the boundes of flesh by Contemplation and death which to euery one most commonly is a greiuous paine was welcome to my mind as an entrance to life and a reward of the labour past But now by occasion of my Pastoral charge it is moyled with busines of secular people and after the comelynes of so goodly a quiet which it had it is disfigured with the durt of terrene actions I weigh what I suffer I weigh what I haue lost and while I behold what I haue forgone that which I endure is more greiuous vnto me For behold now I am tossed in the waues of open sea and in the ship of my mind am beaten with the stormes of a mighty tempest and remembring the state of my former life as it were casting my eyes back I sigh at the shoare which I see behind me 11. Thus spake S. Gregory and much more else where to the same effect and with like inward feeling And by this his complaint giues vs sufficiently to vnderstand that out of his owne practise he discouered something in ◠Religious life so beautiful and excellent that in that height of promotion he would haue been glad of it and was sorry that he wanted it And his example ought to weigh the more with euery body because he was so great a man and hauing had experience in his owne person of both kindes of life could not notwithstanding quench the loue and desire of the one which he had not with the great greatnes of the other in apparence which he possessed THE SECOND BOOKE OF THE HAPPINES OF A RELIGIOVS ESTATE HOVV BASE ALL EARTHLY THINGES ARE. CHAP. I. THAT which a Religious life aymes at and the Essence therof is vtterly to abandon all earthly things I do not say the loue of them only for that all must do but the very vse of them so much as may be which all are not obliged to forgoe To vnderstand therfore the benefit of a Religious course and much more the worth and dignitie therof nothing can be more necessary then throughly to conceaue and establish as a certaine ground how imperfect and abiect all things of this world are by nature and how vnworthy the loue and care of man For so a Religious man wil be easily persuaded to be content to want that by the absence wherof he sees he shal suffer no great losse and secondly that which heere we intend wil be playne to euery body to wit what makes a man truly honorable and wherin true worth doth consist 2 First therfore all earthly things let them carry neuer so fayre and magnificall a shew are in deed but bare and slender and of little value which we shall finde the sooner to be true if we looke not vppon the particulars seuerally but comparing them with the rest of the world For if we take the whole earth and consider wel what it is compared with the other Elements and with the large circumference of the heauens we shall find it is the least of them all and indeed of no great compasse great part of it is hidden vnder water part of it taken vp with hills and mountainous places the remaynder diuided into Prouinces and kingdomes kingdomes againe into citties and townes townes into houses and demaines and the seuerall possessions of particular men what a smal parcel now God wot falls to the share of euery particular 3. Socrates the Philosopher hath a graue and witty saying to this Purpose For as it is recorded of him perceauing that Alcibiades tooke great pride in hi◠wealth and large possessions he drew him a side to a mappe of the whole world and desired him to shew him Attica which was his countrey in the mappe and when he had readyly pointed at it he prayed him to shew him where his lands and possessions lay in it he answered they were not set downe in the mappe Wherfore then replied Socrates art thou so prowde of thy possessions seeing they are 〈◊〉 part of the earth But the errour is that men think gold and syluer and wealth and possessions great not because the things are great but because themselues are little as Emitts make account of their little neasts as if they were large pallaces and bestow as much labour and
continually hunting after something which you haue not and the desire of hauing is neuer quenched by that which you haue gotten what rest do you finde in your glory If there be any yet the pleasure soone passeth neuer to returne the trouble remayneth and wil neuer leaue you 12. But nothing doth more plainly discouer the natural condition and qualities of euery Creature and shew vs more euidently how base imperfect al of them are then if we compare them with their Creatour For as a poore countrey fellowâ— borne and bred in some out village wil euer thinke his cottage and his cloutâ— something til he come into a Citty and there behould the state and magnificence of the Nobility in their buildings and retinew and al other things so as long as a man rests in these inferiour things he shal neuer arriue to the perfect knowledge of them But if we desire to see thoroughly into them we must rayse our selues to the consideration of the greatnes and maiesty and infinitie of God For if the whole earth as I insinuated before be but a point in comparison of the heauens and the heauens themselues if they were as many more and more vast then they are were yet farre lesse then a point in respect of God what is the earth in comparison with God And if the whole earth be nothing compared with God what is a smal parcel of the earth or a handful of money or any thing els that can be named 13. Wherein we may consider moreouer the existence of euery thing and the manner or measure of their being in this world For doubtlesse they haue so poore and so weake a consistence that they are euer neerer not being then being specially if we set the being of God and the euer permanent existence of his Diuine essence in comparison with them In regard of which excessiue distance Iob sayth of God He only is Which S. Gregory expoundeth in these words Are there not Angels and men heauen and earth sea and land the aire and al flying fowle foure footed beasts and such as creep vpon the earth Al these thinges are but principally they are not because they subsist not of themselues and vnlesse the hand of God that gouerneth them do maintaine them they cannot be Wherefore in al thinges he is only to be regarded who is principally and he that sayd to Moyses I am who am so thou shalt say to the Children of Israel He that 〈◊〉 hath sent me vnto you Al which put togeather wil easily persuade a man of reason and iudgement that not only one feild or one house or any priuate mans possessions which are often but smal in euery bodies eye are not much to be valued or rather to be accounted in a manner nothing but that the whole world with al that is in it or if it were possible that there were worlds without number in one mans possession are al of them nothing and as such to be contemned WHERIN TRVE HONOVR AND nobilitie doth consist CHAP. II. THIS ground supposed it wil be easy to vnderstand wherin true Nobilitie doth consist and what maketh a man truly honorable Commonly men think it is wealth or preferment or greatnes of descent which makes them honorable because as S. Gregorie teacheth people shut their eyes to internal and inuincible things and feed themselues only with things visible And therfore they respect a man not for that which he is but for that which is about him 2. This errour may be easyly layed open and confuted if we do but consider that we value al other things by that which is in them Who esteeme of a howse as it is most fit for habitation of an oxe or a horse as they are most seruiceabâ—â— either for the plough or for the race or saddle and so in smaller things we commend a sword or a knife if they be for the vse for which they were made What folly is it then to honour man only for things which are without him and farre inferiour to himself and lesse deseruing honour For wealth apparel a good howse and such like are not onely outward but inferiour to man and consequently farre from adding any honour or ornament vnto him And in fine both the good which is in them is smal and of meane value and not for a man to glory in seeing himself is greater and more noble And secondly be it what it wil it is wide of him that possesseth it For as it were a ridiculous thing for me for example to brag of your learning or you of myne iust so it falleth out with them that brag of their gold and syluer and possessions For that which is good or glorious in these things beloÌ„gs to the gracing of the thing it self not of man For that which S. Bern. sayth truly of one kind may be applied to al. Esteeme it an vnworthy thing to borrow beautie of mousefurre or of the labours of wormes The true ornament of euery thing is that which is in it of it self nothing els 3. Wherfore the qualities of the mind only are the proper ornament of mankind and only able to giue a man true honour and worth These are his owne stick by him and are great indeed and deserue accordingly to be highly esteemed of euery body Which S. Ambr giues vs to vnderstand in the exaÌ„ple of Noë in the booke which he wrot in prayse of him poÌ„dering how in the holy Scripture he is coÌ„mended not for Nobilitie of descent but for Iustice perfection The descent of a good man sayth he is the progenie of vertue For as men descend from men so the linage of soules is vertue S. Hierom sayth as much in other words Our Religion hath not respect to persons nor standeth vpon the natures of men but considereth euery ones mind It iudgeth a man to be of noble or seruile condition by his manners Not to be a slaue to time is the only libertie with God the greatest Nobilitie is to be conspicuous in vertue For otherwise a man doth but in vayne glorie of the nobilitie of his descent seeing al that are redeemed with the same blood of Christ are of God equally prized and honoured It maketh no matter in what state a man is borne seeing al are equally regenerated in Christ. 4. This was the sense and opinion of holy Fathers as we find by what they haue left written and a Christian that hath good grounds wherby to discerne what is truth and what is falshood what is vayne and what is solide and substantial can think no other The answer which S. Agatha virgin and martyr made to Iudge Quintian was pertinent in this kind For he casting it in her teeth as a disgrace that being horne as she was of noble parentage she was not ashamed to lead the base and seruile life of a Christian Shee replied that she esteemed it the greatest freedome
wordes That which we shal be hereafter you haue now begunne to be Now in this world you haue attained the glory of the resurrection you passe through the world without thought of the world and perseuering chast in virginity are equal with the Angels of God Which wordes of S. Cyprian concerning the equality of virgins with the Angels giue vs occasion to reflect vpon a farther dignity of this vertue to wit that it teacheth vs to liue in mortal flesh as if we were as Angels not in flesh For to be in flesh is of it self no vn worthy thing but to do the commaunds of the flesh and obey the lust thereof that is vnworthy Wherefore they that liue spiritually and performe not the desires of the flesh but constantly mortify the workes thereof they liue as the blessed Spirits that haue no flesh Whereupon S. Ambrose discoursing of a single life speaketh thus It is not contained within the boundes of nature who then is able to comprehend it or who can expresse with wordes of nature that which is aboue the straine of nature It brought from heauen that which it imitateth vpon earth neither without reason doth it seeke in heauen a forme of liuing hauing found itself a spouse in heauen surmounting the cloudes the aire the starres the Angels it found the Word of God in the bosome of his Father and entertained it with open breast And who would haue let passe so great a Good hauing once found it Finally it is not my saying only they that do not mâ—rry nor are giuen in marriage shal be like the Angels of God in heauen Let no man therefore wonder if they be compared to Angels seing they are coupled to the Lord of Angels Cassian hath the like discourse in no lesse eloquent tearmes To dwel in flesh saith he to be compassed round a bout with brickle flesh and not to feele the motions of flesh is as it were to go out of flesh and passe the boundes of nature And therefore it is impossible for a man to raise himself with his owne wings as I may say to so lofty and so heauenly a reward vnlesse the grace of God by the guift of Chastity pul him out of thâ— earthly slough For by no vertue are men of flesh so properly equalized with the spiritual Angels by imitation of their conuersation as by the grace and merit of Chastiâ—y by which liuing as yet vpon earth they are according to the Apostle Denizens of heauen possessing heere now in mortal flesh that which hereafter is promised that the Saints shal haue when they haue shaken off this fleshly corruption Let vs heare S. Gregory Nazâ—anzen also so great a Diuine speaking to the same purpose He saith thus You see the excellency and sublimenesse of this vertue is such as can hardly be conceaued or apprehended For is it not a thing surpassing the frayltie of flesh that that which is borne of flesh should not breed of flesh Is it not euidently an Angelical kind of life to be confined in flesh and not to liue according to flesh but to crow ouer nature Flesh blindes vs to the world reason rayseth vs to God Flesh holdes vs downe Reason lifts vs and in a manner giues vs wings Flesh imprisoneth vs but Loue settes vs free 5. Wherefore vnlesse we wil wilfully shut our eyes and not giue way to Reason we must needes admire the great splendour of Chastity which ranketh vs not with Kings and Princes an honour so much hunted after by men but with the celestiâ—al Powers and Principalities And yet S. Bernard steppeth a degree further beâ—ng bold to say that he that liueth chast is to be commended aboue the Angels And his reason is cleare What is more beautifull sayth he then Chastity which cleanseth him that is conceaued by vncleane generation and maketh a familiar friend of an enemie a man an Angleâ— A man that is chaste dissereth somewhat from an Angel but in happinesse not in veâ—tue â—f the Angel's chastity be more happy man's is more heroical Chastity is the onlie vertue which representeth vâ—to vs the state of immortal glory in this time and place of mortality Chastity alone amidst the solemnities of marriage challengeth as a glorious thing the life of that happy countrey where they sâ—al neither marry nor be marryed giuing vs in earth a taste of that heauenly conuersation Chastity preserueth the frayle vessel which we beare about vs which of en is in hazard of breaking and preserueth it as the Apostle speaâ—eth to sanctification and serues vs as a most odoriferous balsame to keepe our bodies incorrupted It refraineth our senses it bindeth our members from loosse idlenesse from corrupt desires from the rotten pleasures of flesh that it be not with vs as we read of some that they were as rotten as beastes in their dung Saint Chrysostome iumpeth with S. Bernard in the commendation of this vertue and expresseth himself in these words In what did Elias Elizeus Iohn true louers of integrity differ from the Angels Truly in nothing but that they were by nature mortal as for the rest if a man looke narrowly into it he shal find them no otherwise affected then those blessed Spirits and that their nature was of an inferiour mould turnes rather to their greater commendation For to the end that earth-dwelling and mortal men should by the strength of their endeauour arriue to so great a vertue with what fortitude must they be endewed What rare course of life must they necessarily hold We may adde S. Basil who in the booke aboue moÌ„tioned of Virginity discourseth after this manner They that preserue themselues continent are certainly Angels in corruptible flesh and do excessiuely honour the mortal life which they leade They are Angels of no meane ranke but most glorious and most noble they that are in heauen free from the encumbers of flesh preserue their integrity because both by nature and by their place they are impregnable seated neare to the soueraigne King of al our God But the others vpon earth striue many yeares with the pleasures and allurements of flesh and by their continual endeauours ouercoming the temptations of the Diuel with rare courage and constancy liue in the sight of their Creatour in incorruption equal in purity with the Angels 7. Thus you see how these holy Fathers extol Continency and Chastity to the dignity of Angels Others lift it yet higher and place it in the next degree to the Diuine purity Climacus amongst the rest aduentureth to say that Chastity is the nearest similitude which man can possibly haue with God who as he is neyther corporal nor corruptible delighteth much in integrity and incorruption Contrary-wise the Diuels delight in dishonesty and there want not wise men that say they reioyce in no vice so much as in that But S. Basil goeth more profoundly to work Virginity sayth he is a rare and excellent thing
prayse of Philo and of the title of his Booke writeth thus First he recordeth that they who did enter vpon this kind of Philosophie did forsake their possessions and yeald-vp the right of that which did belong vnto them and sequestred themselues from al the cares of this life and forsaking the citties liued solitarily in the fields and gardens perswading themselues for certain that the companie of them that followed an inferiour course of life would be vnprofitable and hurtful vnto them that at that time endeauoured in that course as they ought When the aforesayd Philo had sayd thus word for word he addeth This kind of men is in manie parts of the world dispersed for it was fit that both the Grecians and the Barbarians should be partakers of so perfect a good thing but in Aegipt they abound in euerie Prefectship as they cal them and most of al about Alexandria 6. Then describing the fashion of their dwellings he sayth thus of the Churches of that Countrie In euerie one there is a holie house which they cal a Monasterie where they remayne celebrating the mysteries of holie life and they carrie nothing in thither neither meate nor drink nor anie thing that belongeth to corporal sustenance but the Lawes and the Oracles of the Prophets and Hymnes and other things of like nature whereby knowledge deuotion is encreased and perfected And a litle after he sayth Al the time which is from morning to euening they bestow in exercise For reading the holie Scriptures they discourse vpon them and handle their National Philosophie Allegorically For they make account that vnder the manifest sense of Scripture there be certain mysteries of hidden nature signified by the figures And they haue also Commentaries of ancient Writers who as they were principal men of their owne profession left manie worthie Monuments after them in figure of things Allegorically deliuered 7. He seemes to speake as if himself had been a Schollar to them that expounded the holie Scriptures And it is likelie that the Commentaries of those ancient Writers which he sayth they had were the Ghospels and Writings of the Apostles and some Expositions of the ancient Prophets such as the Epistle to the Hebrewes is and manie other Epistles of S. Paul And much more he sayth in that Booke of them of whom now we speake but I haue thought good to make choice of those things by which he giueth vs a scantling of this Ecclesiastical conuersation Thus therefore he writeth Continencie they place as the first foundation in their Soule and vpon it they build other vertues None of them doe either eate or drink before sunne-set For they make account that the studie of Philosophie is worthie of the light the neceâ—sities of the bodie may be supplied in darknes therefore they bestow the day vpon the former and a smal parcel of the night vpon the latter Some of them remember not to eate in three whole dayes as hauing a more earnest desire of knowledge then of corporal sustenance Some of them are so delighted and ouer-ioyed with the food of Wisdome furnishing them with abundance and plentie of documents that they double this time of abstinence and for six dayes togeather doe hardly take anie necessarie sustenance And he sayth moreouer that there be certain women among these people of whome he speaketh most of them ancient virgins obseruing Chastiâ—ie not of necessitie as the Vestals among the Gentils but of their owne accord for the zeale and desire of wisdome and attending diligently therunto they contemne the pleasures of the bodie desiring rather immortal children which a Soule louing God may of itself bring forth then anie mortal of-spring What shal we need to say further how they meete in conuersation togeather the men by themselues and the women by themselues apart and what their exercises be which continue to this day and are practised by vs specially about the Feast of the soueraigne Passion in fasting and watching by night and in reading of the Diuine words which the foresaid Authour hath carefully set downe after the same manner as with vs they are hitherto obserued describing their exercises with the Hymnes which we are wont to say and how while one sings a Verse the rest harken in silence and make an end of the Hymne singing the clause therof al togeather with him He addeth moreouer how they to whome the Ecclesiastical functions are committed doe gouerne among them which if anie one desire to know more fully he may reade it in the foresayd Historie of this Authour So Eusebiâ—â— out of Philo. 8. And doubtles Religion continued the self-same course and manner of liuing not only in those first times of the Apostles and Apostolical men but three hundred yeares after and more For Tertullian who liued next vnto the times of the Apostles wrote a Booke of Veyling of Virgins which is yet extant And we find moreouer to this day an ancient Decree of Pope Pius the First made in the yeare of our Lord one hundred fourtie seauen of the Ceremonie to be obserued in the Consecration of Virgins which Ceremonie S. Ambrose in his Booke of the Institution of a Virgin and Eusebius in the life of Constantine doe deriue from the Primitiue Church And in the writings of most of the ancient Fathers we find often mention of Virgins accustomed euen in those dayes to be solemnely veyled and consecrated the Spouses of God and they speake of it as of a thing very ancient and much vsed As in S. Iustin the Martyr in his second Apologie which he wrote in behalf of Christians S. Clement of Alexandria in his second Booke of Stromata in one of S. Ignatius his Epistles who was disciple to S. Iohn the Euangelist S. Cyprian and Origen and manie others Russinus and Theodoret doe also relate that S. Helen when she went to Hierusalem to seeke-out the wood of the holie Crosse found Virgins there consecrated to God And S. Hierome in manie places of his Works but specially in the life of Malcus whome he knew a very old man when himself was very yong doth often make mention of Monasteries and Fathers of monasteries and of the liuing of manie Brethren togeather Finally there is scarce one of the ancient Writers in whome we shal not meete with certain marks or rather with most euident testimonies and proofes of this kind of course 9. If a man aske whether the manner of liuing of Religious people in those ancient times were the self-same which now is held there is no doubt to be made but that they are both alike and altogeather the same and to denye it were Heresie or very neer vnto it For in those dayes they did not only professe Pouertie and Chastitie Obedience to their Gouernours as we haue shewed out of Philo but al of them or in a manner al did oblige themselues by Vow so as to go back from that state was
the spiritual vnderstanding which is hidden vnder them we shal easily fal vpon the happines which is in Religion though we may better know what it is by experience and by tryal of it then we can by hearing or reading vnderstand it 12 Hauing therefore discoursed in the precedent Bookes of the Commodities and of the Excellencie and dignitie of a Religious life in this third Booke we wil declare the Pleasure which is found in following it that euerie bodie may see that al kind of happines and perfection attends vpon it as I proposed in the beginning And we haue some more reason to enlarge ourselues in this subiect of the sweetnes of a Religious state because it is generally lesse knowne and Secular people hardly beleeue there is anie pleasure at al in it They wil easily grant that a Religious life is an excellent course of life and much more easily that it is a profitable and safe kinde of course for a man's soule but as for pleasure they vtterly denye there is anie in it and rather apprehend it to be extreme harsh and ful of vnsufferable difficulties This errour we haue heer vndertaken to confute and to proue that this State is not only a pleasant state but much more pleasant then a Secular life S. Iohn Chrysostome doth often spend his eloquence in commendation of a Religious course and particularly in one of his Homilies vpon S. Matthew he preferreth the sweetnes of it farre before the pleasures of the world and before al those iollities and pastimes and delights which are esteemed greatest among them before the curious sights and pageants which were wont to be represented publickly in the Theaters with great cost and state and before whatsoeuer pleasure can be thought-of in intemperate lust shewing euidently that there is as much difference betwixt these two kinds of life and delights as betwixt the harmonie of the Quires of Angels sweetly singing and hogs in their filth confusedly grunting And because the cruel stinking Pharao whome I paynted-out before doth neuer cease to pursue molest those that flye from the seruitude of the world into the Desert of Religion either by himself or by his followers armed with weapons of his owne forging we wil dis-arme him and them and take away al the weapons we can from them and shew that the deceiptful reasons and fallacies with which they are wont to labour to peruert mens iudgements are of no force or soliditie to the end that drowning our enemies againe in the Red sea al deâ—out soules that either purpose to get out of Aegypt or haue alreadie got loose and forsaken it and arriued in the Desert and this happie Land of Promise may enioy the pleasures therof with more satisfaction of minde and more setled assurance THE THIRD BOOKE OF THE HAPPINES OF A RELIGIOVS STATE That the pleasures of the Mind are farre greater then the pleasures of the Bodie CHAP. I. AS in the precedent Booke to proue the excellencie of a Religious State we first searched and setled wherin true Honour and Excellencie did consist so heer we must lay the like foundation and consider what is true Pleasure wherof we are to treate For manie and perhaps I may say most men know no pleasure but that which is the obiect of their tast or touching or other senses and consequently make account that indeed there is no other or at least that these are the principal and most to be stood vpon A perswasion befitting rather beasts then men For they speake and passe their iudgement of things as if they had not a reasonable Soule but a bodie only If they did reflect that they are reasonable creatures and haue a Soule and vnderstanding in them they would conceaue also as the truth is that their Soule so farre surpassing the other part of them which is their bodie hath also functions and pleasures proper vnto it 2. Aristotle though he were a Heathen and wanted the light of Fayth which by the grace of God we haue was of a farre other opinion and in his Seauenth Booke of Morals writeth much more aduisedly to this purpose that al men by instinct of Nature desire pleasure because al haue as it were a sparke of Diuinitie instilled into them which inclineth them to that which in best But because the pleasures of the bodie are most knowne and euerie bodie hath a natural inclination vnto them they haue in a manner engrossed the name and title of Pleasure to themselues as it were by heredâ—â—â—rie prescription insomuch thaâ— manie are perswaded that no other thing can be delightful And in his Tenth Booke he sayth that dishonest and filthie pleasure is not properly and absolutly to be called Pleasure because no man takes it for such but they are intemperate That is to be taken for true pleasure which an honest and vertuous man accounteth pleasure for such an one is the rule of al the actions and pleasures of men and that is only true pleasure which is an honest man's delight That others finde pleasure in other things comes by corruption and consequently those things are not absolutly in al respects pleasant but to them only that are accordingly disposed For as when children take a fancie to a thing and loue it they think for the present that it is the excellentest thing that can be and yet when they come to be men they make no account at al of it so good people take delight in some things and wicked people in others but they only leane to the pleasures of the bodie that haue not the right tast of sound and vncorrupted pleasure 3 â—l this is Aristotle's discourse and S. Thomas enlarging himself vpon the same ground sayth that Pleasure requires three things first some thing that is good which may be conioyned secondly the thing to which it is ioyned and thirdly the coniunction itself and the more perfect these three things be the greater the pleasure must necessarily also be Now certainly a spiritual good is greater then the good of the bodie and man naturally loues it more and makes more account of it as we may plainly see because there is no man that wil not rather choose to want the sight of his eyes then the light of his minde and to be as a beast or a mad man Besides that the knowledge of the minde is more noble and more searching then that which we haue by Sense as euerie bodie knowes And as for the coniunction it is certainly more inward more firme and more perfect more inward because Sense reacheth no further then the outward accidents and rests in the tast and colour and such like a man's vnderstanding searcheth and diueth into the Essence and substance of euerie thing It is more perfect because Sense cannot be ioyned with the obiect without motion which is an imperfect action and therefore also no sensible pleasure can be al of it togeather but part of it must passe away
deuotion hauing their mind fixed not vpon earthly but vpon heauenly things with a kind of Indiuisible diuision of those heauenly riches among theÌ„selues al euerie one are partakers of them Moreouer resembling the forme fashion of a heauenly life state through the commendable maÌ„ner of liuing which they lead in coÌ„moÌ„ they foretast the future happinesse of the kingdome which is prouided for vs. They obserue Pouertie most strictly accounting nothing their owne but al things coÌ„moÌ„ to al. They giue vs playnly to vnderstaÌ„d how many how great benefits our Sauiour Christ hath obtayned for vs through the flesh which he tooke vpon him in that they recoÌ„cile to God restore to the former integritie as much as lieth in them humane nature mangled by sinne torne into a thousand pieces For the chiefe businesse which our Sauiour did in flesh was to renew the nature of man bring it home to God and to the state it had at first curing the wounds therof to make it sound perfect as it was before as a most skilful phisitian to knit vp againe with wholesome plasters other remedies the body dismeÌ„bred broken 19. I do not speake these things to the end to amplifie in words the vertues priuiledges of those that haue imbraced this manner of liuing in common or to make them greater then they are for my Eloquence is not so rare as to ad lustre to things which of themselues are noble excellent But rather I may iustly feare least the brightnesse which they haue be obscured by my slender style my Intention is only to shew the worth of this noble trade of life and the esteeme which we ought to haue of it for what is there in comparison of this which ought not iustly seeme farre inferiour vnto it They haue one father amoÌ„g them imitating the heaueÌ„ly father And they are many sonnes striuing to surpasse one another in al kind of louing dutie towards their Maister and Teacher They are many sonnes liuing peaceably together and by their honest and vertuous behauiour they giue their father great contentment neither do they ground this loue and frendship vpon any band of Nature but Reason a tye more strong then nature is the beginner and fosterer of this Coniunction and the band of the holy Ghost doth hold theÌ„ togeather What liknesse can there be found vpon earth sufficient to expresse the greatnesse of this noble Institution Vpon earth there is none We must mount vp to heauen The Heauenly Father is impassible not moued with any perturbation of mind This father resembling that vnmoueablenes doth winne al vnto him by the strength of Reason The birth of that Heauenly Sonne is void of al corruption Heere also the study of Incorruption hath bred these adoptiue â—hildren al things in heauen are linked togeather by Charitie Charitie also hath coupled these togeather Certainly the diuell dares neuer come against this fowr-square Armie knowing that he shall neuer be able to make his partie good against so many Champions in regard they are al so wel prouided against him and fight so close fencing themselues round with abundance of spirit fighting so thick vnder their Targatts of mutual Charitie that they easily resist al his atteÌ„pâ— Of these Dauid doth sing in his Psalmes Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Bâ—â—thren to dwel togeather Where by the word Good he expresseth the vprightnesse of their life by the word Pleasant he declareth the ioye and gladnesse which the concord and vnion of their minds doth breed wherfore they that follow this kind of life do seeme to me to expresse in themselues al heauenly and perfect vertue Thus farre S. Basile with whom I wil conclude the sayings of the Ancient Fathers concerning a Religious life in general For in the Course of this treatise I shal haue occasion to bring many other sentences of theirs in commendation of euery part and fruit of Religion in their proper places What Religion is and how many kinds of Happinesse it doth contayne CHAP. II. IN the examining and discussing of any thing by way of argument and dispute it is vsual and necessarie first of al to define and determine what the thing is about which we are to reason Which I wil also obserue in this treatise of Religion to the end we may not mistake the matter And because this very thing wil turne to the Commendation of this holy course of life Many therfore not vnfitly are wont to declare the nature of Religion by the name which it beareth And some deriue it from the Latin word Relego which signifieth to read or to gather againe Meaning that those were first called Religions who did often and carefully handle the things which pertaine to the seruice of God and as it were gather them vp together and often repeate and read them Others and among them cheefly S. Austin deriue it from the word Religo which signifieth to tye againe or to bind fast which S. Thomas declaring more at large in the beginning of the booke which he writ against the Opposers of ReligioÌ„ discourseth in this manner We are sayd to hind a thing when we tye it to an other so that it hath not libertie to budge a way from it but when we bind it againe and againe to the same thing to which it was bound before and from which it began to shrinke then we say we haue bound it fast againe Now euery Creature was first in God before it was any thing in it selfe and when it proceeded from God by Creation it was in a manner set a looffe from him Wherefore they that are able and haue capacitie thereunto must returne and conioyne themselues to God againe And the first bond wherwith man is ioyned and fastned to God iâ— Faith which faith expresseth the dutie it owes to God by externall Action Whence it is that the prime and head-signification of this word Religion betokneth al seruice Ceremonie by which in the true worship of God we outwardly testifie our faith But because God is not worshiped by Faith alone nor by the external Acts of Faith only but by other vertues as by Hope and Charitie therfore the Actions of these vertues also are sometimes termed Acts of Religion as to visit the â—atherlesse and widdowes in tribulation as S. Iames speaketh The first signification therfore of Religion is common to all Christians for al of them in that profession which they make at the very first in baptisme doe bind themselues to God and vow to performe their dutie towards him The later signification expressing a tye or obligation to some particular works of Charitie is proper and peculiar to certaine people obliged to some certaine actions of vertue belonging to the Contemplatiue or to the Actiue life And looke how many seuerall kinds there be of these vertuous works so many seueral Religions there may be
to our kindred is so forcible it must needs follow that our loue wil be so diuided and distracted among them that none of it can come to God or if he also haue part of it it wil be so litle and so cold that it cannot but be a great wrong to that Infinit Goodnes whose wil is and certainly he doth deserue it that we loue him with our whole hart our whole soule our whole strength 8 These euils are auoyded by Chastitie and they that embrace it haue none of these hindrances but may powre-out their whole loue vpon God To which purpose S. Augustin sayth that by Continencie we are gathered in and brought home againe to that One from which we were distracted and fallen-of inâ—o manie things which One thing is God the onlie Soueraigne Good by whose loue we are good and by enioying him eternally blessed And S. Gâ—egorie Naâ—â—anzen in commendation of Chastitie sayth that as the water which is conueyed close in conduits of lead spouteth higher then the weight therof doth naturally allow because it is much prest and driuen thick togeather so if as â—uled â— gather al her loue togeather and do not suffer it to runne out vpon creatures but powre it forth vpon God it wil stil â—ise vp-wards and neuer fal downe vpon earth Wherefore S. Basil was not much awry when hauing reckned-vp the incommodities and infinit cares for so he speaketh of a coniugal life at last he addeth concerning the happines of Religious people to whom he wrote that whosoeuer desiâ—eth to be freed from the bonds of this world must auoide wedlock as playne fetters and consecrate his life to God professing Chastitie For he that so doth hauing resolued with himelf to loue God alone and longing to taste of that puritie and traÌ„quillitie of his which is voyd of al trouble and of the ioy and gladnes which riseth therof seeketh nothing but how he may perfectly withdraw his mind from al affinitie with anie material thing and from al alteration rising from the bodie and contemplate things Diuine with a clear eye free from obscuritie receauing light from heauen vnfatiably 9. But there is yet an other thing in this busines wel to be considered For of al Christian vertues which our Lord and Sauiour hath specially commended vnto vs two are of greatest note to wit Euangelical Pouertie of the commodities wherof I haue already spoken and Fraternal Charitie of which I shal speake heerafter at large These two as great and as beneficial as they are are not to be found in a Coniugal state but in a Religious state they are in-bred and essential For how can Pouertie be where wife and children and familie and al things els do put vs vpon a necessitie of hoarding to vse the word of S. Paul And I find that S. Iohn Chrysostom doth reckon Pouertie for a special coÌ„moditie of a single life For in the Booke which hâ— wrote of Virginitie hauing brought the exaÌ„ples of Helias Helizaeus S. Iohn Baptist he sayth If these men had had wife children they could not haue endured to liue in the desert forsaken their families not prouided things necessarie for 〈◊〉 sustenaÌ„ce but now free froÌ„ al these tyes dwelling on earth as if they had been in heauen they wanted neither house noâ— bed nor shed nor table nor anie such kind of things but heauen was their couering the earth was their couch the wide wildernes was their board and the verie barrennes of the desert which famisheth other solk did furnish those holie men with plentie of al kind of things they stood not in need of vineâ— or wine-presses or corne or haruest but the fountaines and riuers yealded them abundance of sweet drink and for one of them and Angel furnished a table with wonderful prouition farre beyond that which men do vse Thus sayth S. Iohn Chrysostom concluding that Pouertie is very easie when we are not bound to wayte vpon a wife and haue no charge of children 10. The like we may say of Fraternal Charitie and mutual conuersation for where women are there is no liuing To which purpose S. Augustin relateth of himself a thing worthie obseruation that when he was yet a Manichee he and diuers other friends of his being wearie of the turmoils of this world plotted togeather a kind of life resembling somewhat a Religious course for they resolued to withdraw themselues from companie and to meddle with nothing and whatsoeuer anie of them had they should bring it forth and put it in common that no bodie might say this was his or the other an other 's but that which came from al should belong wholy to euerie one of them and al of it to euerie bodie Now when this proiect was very much applauded by euerie one and al of them did think themselues happie in such a kind of life the busines was instantly dashed by occasion of the women which some of tâ—em had already and some of them were desirous to haue and so breaking-of they turned themselues as S. Augustin speaketh to groanes and sighs and bent their course to the bread and troden paths of the world Therefore they that enter vpon marriage depriue themselues of this and much more wheras in Religion nothing is more in force or more common 11. But Chastitie hath yet an other commoditie which may be worthily esteemed one of the greatest For there is no questioÌ„ but al pleasure belonging to the bodie and most of al that which is ordayned for generation doth much abaâ—e the edge of the mind and pul it downe from the constant vpright manlie state which doth become it and the reason is because for as much as concerneth the bodie and specially that action of the bodie we do not greatly differ from beasts so that whensoeuer the mind doth stoope to that action it becometh in a manner flesh and of so base and brutish a disposition as the action itself is vile abiect and earâ—hlie and by often vse it groweth so dul and lumpish that it cannot think of anie higher matter or rayse itself to things more generous and Diuine because it hath abased itself to a thing so abiect and contemptible which dulnes and obscuritie groweth vpon the mind not only by vse of vnlawful pleasure but also by that which is lawful and in this kind they are alike hurtful Whervpon S. Augustin sayth I do not find anie thing that doth so much pul downe the courage of man from the top of Vertue as the dallying with women and that nearnes of bodies without which a wife cannot be had so that nothing can be more to the commendation of Chastitie or more glorious then that as the functions of Matrimonie do prostrate the mind and abase it so Continencie and puritie doth rayse and perfect it and the lesse communication it hath with flesh the more liuelie it is the spirit of man remayning fully
of them Thus much I can testifie of our Father Founder S. Ignatius that in a note-booke which I haue seen written with his owne hand it was found recorded that when he was penning the Constitutions he hung manie dayes doubtful in one point for manie difficulties which did occurre concerning it And in that Booke he noted day by day the lights rapts visions which had hapned vnto him of our B. Ladie the B. Trinitie and others Whence we may conclude that not that point alone of which we find this written but al the rest of the Constitutions were penned by Diuine instinct and not by humane wit inuention and the same we vnderstand of al other Religions with so much the greater reason by how much ours is inferiour vnto them in worth and sanctitie 10. S. Gregorie writeth that the same day S. Benedict dyed two of his Monks did seeme to see a large and strayt way strowed with mens garments and ful of lights and an ancient man stood by saying This is the way by which the beloued of our Lord Benedict ascended to heauen S. Bernard interpreteth that this way is no other but the Rule which he left written by obseruance wherof as himself went to heauen so might others doe that would follow it For it can no wayes be doubted sayth he but that this manner of conuersation is altogeather holie ordered rather by diuine inspiration and instinct then by human prudence and inuention whereby S. Benedict came to so great grace of sanctitie in this life and so much glorious happines after his departure And this which S. Bernard speaketh of that Rule euerie Religious person ought to belieue anâ— pronounce of his and if he walk the way it leades him he shal without sayle in regard of the great light which is in it with continual pleasure and delight arriue at his heauenlie Countrey which is ful of al delight and pâ—easure The fourteenth fruit Good example CHAP. XXVI THere is no man but finds by experience the force which Example hath to incline vs to vertue or to vice insomuch that the Holie-Ghost in the Prouerbs writeth that he that walketh with a wise man shal be wise a friend of fooles shal be made like vnto them Religion therefore must needs be in this respect also wonderfully beneficial barring as it doth euil example wherof a worldlie life is so very ful and furnishing such store of good examples which are worthily esteemed one of the greatest incitements to vertue that a Soule can haue that desireth heauenlie perfection S. Antonie the Great is witnes heerof of whom S. Athanasius a special good authour writeth that he chose of purpose rather to liue in companie of others then to leade a solitarie life that he might haue occasion to draw some good thing out of euerie one of those with whom he liued and expresse in himself al their prerogatiues being as it were watered from the spouts of vertue deriued from euerie one of them which as he practised so he alwayes wished others to doe the like And Cassian doth relate it of him more at large in these words It is an ancient and a wonderful good saying of S. Antonie that a Monk that hath chosen to liue in a Monasterie with others and aymeth at the heighth of great Perfection must not think to learne al kind of vertue of one man For one man is decked with the flower of knowledge another more strongly prouided of the vertue of discretion another is grounded in constant patience another excelleth in humilitie another in continencie another hath a special grace in simplicitie one is renowned for magnanimitie another for charitie and compassion one for watching another for silence another for labour and paynes taking and therefore a Monk must like a prouident bee gather the spiritual honie which he desires from the partie in whom he sees that vertue most naturally grow hiue it vp carefully in his breast Thus speakes Cassian from S. Antonie's mouth 2. Let vs therefore see how and in what manner Religion doth teach vs al kind of vertue by example of others First wheras the way of Vertue is dark and obscure both in regard that Spiritual things are of their owne nature hidden from Sense and the Prince of darknes doth continually endeauour to obscure them more and more casting mists before our eyes Religion doth guide vs by the light of example in the way of Vertue Wherefore as we vse to say that pictures are the books of vnlearned people so are examples also books written with great Roman letters which a bodie cannot choose but see and reade be he neuer so negligent and carelesse 3. Seneca in few words pithily expresseth two other fruits of Example One word of a man's mouth sayth he and daylie conuersation wil benefit thee mâ—re then a whole Oration penned first because men belieue their eyes before their eares secondly because it is a long busines to goe by precepts example is a shorter way and more effectual He calles it a shorter way because we vnderstand the nature of vertue not by definition and diuision and a long circumstance of words such as people vse in Sermons and disputations but beholding it in natiue colours acted and represented before vs as if a bodie should goe about to tel vs what kind of man Caesar was he must vse manie words and tel a long storie and yet not be able to expresse him as he deserues but if he shew you the man you instantly conceaue more certainly and cleerly what he was So when S. Francis washed the sick man that was ful of leprosie and S. Catherine of Siena did so diligently tend a froward il-toungued woman that was half mad they gaue farre better and more compendious documents how we ought to loue our neighbour and hate ourselues and exercise humilitie and patience then if they had vndertaken to declare the same with long circumstance of words 4 It is also more effectual as Seneca sayth first because whatsoeuer the matter is when we see a thing done by an other we learne that it is not so hard but we likewise may doe the same That which we reade in bookes or is preached vnto vs instâ—nâ—teth our mind yet most commonly it bringeth with it such a shew of hardnes that they that haue not experienced it think it harsh vnpleasing and when they see it ordinarily practised by other men like themselues they think otherwise of it as if there should be questioÌ„ whether ther be anie passage ouer a high hil there could not be a more certain proofe of it thea to shew that manie haue passed already and to see them stand on the top of it S. Gregorie confirmes this doctrine writing vpon those words of Iob Thou renewed thy witnesses against me These witnesses as he sayth are iust men who giue testimonie to the commandments of God and
al Religious Orders Truly in ours though it be the last and the least partly I myself haue seen manie and partly haue had by relation of others that haue seen them as of one who being told that he was to looke shortly for death did for verie ioy embrace him thrice that told him of it Another hauing had the like message did what he could to sing the Hymne Te Deum with great signes of ioy though his voice and strength were almost quite spent Another when he was giuing vp the ghost began to sing that verse of the Psalme I haue reioyced in the things that haue been sayd vnto me we shal goe into the house of our Lord. I might relate manie more but because I wil not be tedious I wil content my self with one 16. William Elsinston borne in Scotland of good extraction rare for vertue and wit was admitted into our Societie a verie youth Not a ful moneth after he fel into a burning feauer which brought death into his face but yet was alwayes wonderful chearful and shewed it in his speaches and countenance and in whatsoeuer he did thinking he could neuer thank God enough that he dyed in Religion When he began to draw on his Brethren flocked into the roome where he lay and seing them he cryed out O glorious death attended by so manie Angels And expressing exceeding ioy he sayd further Doe you not see doe you not see the Angels And calling vpon is good Angel he spake with him for a while as if he had beheld him with his eyes and related that he told him he should passe through Purgatorie but not stay long there Whervpon one asked him in what shape he saw his Angel and he pointed at a youth that stood by and sayd He was like him Soone after his soule was so ouerioyed that his bodie did as it were leape vpon the bed as he lay weakned as he was with a deadlie sicknes to the great admiration of the standers by who had neuer seen the like and turning his eyes back to the beds head with chearful countenance and muttering something which could not be vnderstood he shewed that he saw something that did giue him great contentment amidst wherof suddenly stopping he gaue vp the ghost as if he had layd himself downe to sleepe What can be more happie or more desireful then such a death Or who is there that were he to choose had not rather dye such a death then as Princes are wont to dye in their Royal pallaces in their Beds-of-state in their silks and purple garments amidst their seruants and retinue And certainly this yong man being but a Nouice came not to so sweet an end and so easie a combat with the enemie and so happie a passage out of this life by long exercise of vertue and strong habits therof but if anie cause can be giuen therof it must needs be the force of Religion itself and the grace of God chiefly-bestowed vpon him in that plentie in regard of Religion so that by this one example we may euidently see how farre more securely and more sweetly this last act of warfare as Iob doth cal it is shut-vp in a Religious state The twentieth fruit that it is a signe of Predestination CHAP. XXXII THE Kingdome of Heauen is so infinit a happines and the paynes of hel so infinit a mischief that whosoeuer belieues them should in reason haue no other care nor feare then least he leese the one and fal into the other specially seing they so necessarily follow one vpon the other Insomuch that if God had reuealed that among al the men that are or euer were and shal be one among them al should be damned to hel-fire euerie one might iustly liue in continual feare and trembling least he might be that vnhappie and vnfortunate man vpon whom that dreadful lot should fal But now seing God hath so often and so certainly and so plainly told vs that manie walke the broad way of perdition few find-out the way of saluation what care and circumspection and feare ought euerie one to stand in 2. In which so iust occasion of feare we cannot in this life haue a greater comfort then to light vpon some signes of our eternal saluation and predestination For S. Bernard sayth truly When doth God leaue his Elect without some signe or what comfort could they haue standing doubtful betwixt hope and feare if they were not worthie of some testimonie of their Election God knoweth who are his and he alone knoweth whom he hath chosen from the beginning but among men who is there that knoweth whether he be worthie of loue or hatred Wherefore seing it is certain that we can haue no certaintie in this kind if we may at least meet with some signes of our Election wil not al things be more delightful to vs For what rest can our spirit haue so long as it hath no hope of predestination 3. This then is the fruit of a Religious state and truly none of the least that it giues vs so certain a hope and so cleere a signe of our predestination that without expresse reuelation we cannot haue a greater For first we haue the signe which our Sauiour himself giueth when he sayth He that is of God heareth the words of God Whervpon S. Bernard els-where speaking to the Monks of his Order biddeth them be of good cheere hauing reason to belieue they are of the number of the Elect because they heare the word of God so willingly and with so great fruit And this is natural to the state of Religion For their chief and continual food is whatsoeuer proceedeth from the mouth of God receauing it by prayer meditation and reading of good books and principally by giuing eare to that word of God which called them out of Aegypt to his Diuine seruice For the hearing and obeying of this word alone is a great signe of their predestination by that reason of our Sauiour My sheep heare my voice though indeed they did not then only giue eare vnto it and follow it when they forsooke the world but doe continually hearken vnto it remayning in Religion vpon command of that voice and spending al their life in doing according to his voice deliuered vnto them by obedience so that none can haue more right then they to that saying of our Sauiour Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it 4. There be other signes of Predestination wherof S. Bernard discourseth at large speaking to his Brethren and draweth them at last to these three heads If sayth he thou refrayne from sinne if thou doe worthie fruits of pennance if thou work works of life Al which three can they be better more perfectly or more plentifully performed then in Religion or where are they to be found if not in Religion And of euerie one of them I haue spoken sufficiently heertofore 5. Another
same effect among other prayses he commends her for that as he speaketh transcending the decrees of the law of Moyses she vowed an vndefiled sanctitie of bodie and soule which inuiolably-grounded purpose is proued by her resolute answer to the Angel that promised her a sonne How shal this be done because I know not man 2. Wherefore seing likenes breeds loue and there be such plaine traces of a Religious life in the Blessed Virgin who can doubt but she doth behold and embrace al and euerie Religious person and euerie Order and Famiâ—ie of them with particular loue and care S. Bernard giues vs to vnderstand as much saying that our spiritual marriage doth please her much more then the carnal marriage at which we reade she was present with her Sonne in regard that in carnal marriage one man is coupled with another but in spiritual marriage our soule is coupled with Christ her Sonne 3. This wil appeare more plainly if we consider the beginnings of manie Religious Orders for finding them to haue proceeded from the goodnes charitie of this most glorious Virgin by those of whom we find it so recorded we may gather that the like hath hapned to others of whome there is no such thing extant in writing and that absolutely al Religious Orders haue been founded by her help and continued by her assistance 4. We find vpon record that when the ancient noble Order of the Charterhouse-Monks was first founded in Grenold manie things were obiected against that holie Institute by instigation of the Diuel specially at the time that S. Bruno their Founder was absent from them whom Pope Vrban the SecoÌ„d had commanded to stay in Rome and a great storme of temptation fel vpon that little flock On the one side the extreme hardnes of that kind of life was represented vnto them the hideousnes of the place they were seated in it being very solitarie that they were but few which of itself is irksome and tedious On the other side the spirit of God had taken root in their harts and the eminent men who as so manie starres were their guides and the fearful end of the Doctour of Paris made great impression in them And while they were thuâ— stumbled in their mind a venerable old man with curled haire a bald crowne stood in the midst of theÌ„ and promised them in the name of Almightie God that our Blessed Ladie mother of God should alwayes protect them in that solitarie place and be their Patronesse and Aduocate if they would euerie day say their Primer in her honour and when he had spoken these words he vanished out of their sight but left in their harts great confidence and ioy Whervpon making no doubt but that the old man was S. Peter the Apostle they presently by common consent and agreement chose our Blessed Ladie for their particular Patronesse and Aduocate and we may plainly see by the euent how faithfully she hath performed her promise For they haue not only perseuered til this day in that solitarie place but made it very famous and from thence forward encreased euer in number and opinion of sanctitie 5. We may say the same of the Cistercian Monks the Founders of which Order were two S. Robert that began it and S. Bernard that augmented and encreased it Whosoeuer hath read the Works of S. Bernard or heard anie thing of him can make no doubt but his Order was exceedingly fauoured by the Blessed Virgin were it but for his owne liuing in it that was so great a Fauorit of hers and being such was placed by her in that Order S. Robert Founder as I sayd of that Order was ordayned by the Mother of God for that course of life before he was borne For we find that she appeared to his mother while she went with child of him and holding a gold-ring in her hand spake thus vnto her Engardis For so was her name I wil espouse the boy thou goest with to myselâ— with this ring When she awaked she reflected vpon it with exceeding ioy and that she might be the more assured of it the same Vision appeared vnto her the second time and by the euent it proued true For the Espousals were his Entring into Religion and his Vow of Chastitie the ring Of the Carmelit-Friars we reade that while they were petitioning Pope Honorius the Fourth to confirme their Institute our Blessed Ladie appeared vnto him in the night-time and bad him entertaine the petitioners and their petition fauourably and yeald to their request 6. The Order of the Seruites is principally dedicated to the seruice of our Blessed Ladie and beareth her name Their beginning was thus They were a kind of Sodalitie or Congregation gathered togeather in her honour In one of their meetings vpon the feast of her Assumption while they were at their prayers moued by a voice from heauen they al forsooke the world and vowed themselues to the seruice of God and particularly of our Blessed Ladie in the manner they had already begun and are called Seruites as it were her special seruants Some seauen yeares after our B. Ladie appeared to euerie one of them seuerally in the night accompanied with a great and glorious troup of Angels she had in one hand a russet Habit in the other a Booke open commanding them euer after to weare that Habit vnder that Rule which she sayd was S. Augustin's When it was day they al met togeather and related the Vision which they had had and resolued to the excessiue contentment of their soules to do as the B. Virgin and Queen of Heauen had commanded them 7. But that which is recorded to haue hapned to S. Dominick concerning his owne Order and the Order of S. Francis togeather is more memorable then anie of the rest While he was one night in his prayers in S. Peter's Church in Rome at the time when he was framing in his mind such a course of life he thought he saw the Heauens open and that Christ our Sauiour with an angrie firie countenance stood vp threatning the world with three darts that he had in his haÌ„d the one to destroy the proude the couetous people with the other those that were lasciuiously giueÌ„ with the third no bodie did oppose himself against his wrath only the B.V. Mother of mercie falling downe at his feet beseeched him to spare those whoÌ„ he had redeemed with his pretious bloud And when Christ made answer that Iustice required that so great offences should be no longer left vnpunished she replied that she had some of her seruants that would willingly bestow their labour to reclaime the people and bring them to pennance Our Sauiour appeased with her speeches desired to see them and she brought forth S. Dominick himself that saw the Vision and S. Francis S. Dominick had neuer seen S. Francis before yet meeting him by chance the next day he
with al our faults and negligences and of his owne accord offers to cure vs of them of whom S. Ambrose sayd truly and wisely that he neither feared to die nor reâ—â—â—d to liue because he serued a good Maister 8. This one consideration of 〈◊〉 great dâ—fference which is betwixt seruing men and seruing God duly weighed hath been often the occasion that manie haâ—e â—eâ—t the one to betake theÌ„selues to the other S. Aâ—â—uâ—tin relateth of two seruing in no meane place in the Emperour's Court that falling vpon the Life of S. Aâ—thoniâ— and â—â—ading it were so changed that presently they forsooke the preterment and hopes which they had aâ— Court and their wiues which they had lately wedded and finally al other things which they had in the world and as S. Augustin expresseth it encouraging one another in this busines they reasoned thus among themselues Tel me I pray thee what do we pretend in al there labours of ours what do we ayme at to what end do we beare these Colours Our vtmost hope at Court is it not to be in fauour with the Emperour And how fickle is this and ful of hazard And by how manie dangers do we come at last into more danger and how long wil it last But if I wil behold I am now presently the friend of God Doubtles it was the Holie-Ghost that put this consideration and light into their mind And certainly they were in the right specially where they fel vpon the account that by manie dangers of wayting and flattering and vndermining others ofâ—â—â—es by slanderous reports they come at last to get the eare of their Prince wherin is the greaâ—est danger of al and for this they take a great deale of paynes manie yeares togeather stil vncertain wheâ—her they shal euer compasse it But the sauour of God is most assured if I wil I presently put my self into it and I shal nor need to feare that after long seruice I shal be cast off without reward Wherefore as discoursing of marriage we sayd that if a bodie must needs be bound it is better to be bound to God who cannot but be good vnto vs then to man who is oftimes il and though he be good may become euil so now we may say of seruice if one must be tyed to do another's wil it is much better to subiect ourselues to the wil of God as Religious people do then to the wil of man The wil of God cannot but be good and honest and profitable for vs to performe the wil of man is oftimes yea rather most commonlâ— wâ—â—â—â—ed and vniust and which is chiefly to be considered alwayes bendeth to the profit and commoditie of him whom we serue And this is briefly as much as we shal need to speake concerning the courses of this world in particular 9. In general we may say truly of al that a Secular life must needs be ful of a great deale of mischief because self-wil which is the source and fountain of al mischiâ—f doth beare al the sway in it for our wil being so corrupt and vitiously bent as it is it cannot hold it self from running headlong now inâ—o one thing now into another and being withal to blind and infirme and the passions of anger and hatred and lust so violent and headstrong and so little endeauour vsed to bridle them and keep them in awe that rather by giuing them continually the raynes they grow so strong that they beare al before them infinit mischief must needs come theroâ— both to soule and bodie For where reason and counsel are shot out and rash head ougâ—es taketh pâ—ace al must needs be vncertain and ful of miserie nothing constant and safe Heervpon we see in the world so manie suddain and rash determinations so manie passionate resolutions for as occasion serueth and oftimes without anie occasion at al they enter vpon nâ—w counsels of warre of trading and other businesses and alter them as rashly as they were rashly vndertaken and no streight no gulf hath more alterations of waues and billowes then they haue of their proceedings whereby oftimes themselues and their families come to vtter ruine and destruction Religious people being lead by advise of others are free from these inconueniences specially seing as I haue sayd before and must often say it or rather we must continually haue it before our eyes not man but God doth gouerne them so that there is no danger least blinded with self-loue they fayle in their choice For in verie deed they are not at their owne choice but others choose for them and so the whole course of their life is gouerned after one constant certain and vniforme manner 10. Moreouer in a Secular life there be two other most dangerous rocks and scarce anie bodie buâ—â—usheth against one of them to wit sloath and idlenes or els too much busines The first is most commonly the fault of the richer sort the second of â—he poorer kind of people or of those that would fayne be richer then they are of which kind the world is ful Idlenes as S. Bernard writeth very truly is the sinck of al temptation and of al vnprofitable and naughtie thoughts finally the height of malice And as for the danger of too much busines the same S. Bernard doth describe it to a haire in the beginning of the Books which he wrote to Eugenius of Consideration saying that it doth so harden the hart of man that it can neither be rent with compunction nor softned with compassion nor yeald to threats nor be moued by entreaties but is vngrateful for courtesies receaued shamelesle in dishonest dealings headlong in dangers finally it neither feareth God nor respecteth men And S. Gregorie vnderstanding that the anxietie of a secular life was figured in Esau and the quiet of a Religious life in Iacob of which one was giuen to hunting and husbandrie the other was a playne man liuing at home in his tent therevpon discourseth in this manner What was designed by Esau's hunting but their life that follow the flesh in outward pleasures And he is also sayd to haue been a husbandman because the louers of this world do the more earnestly labour in exteriour things the more they leaue the interiour vncultiuated But to dwel in tents as in a house is to restrayne ourselues in the inward of our mind and not to spend ones-self outwardly in desires least gaping after manie things abroad they depart wandering from themselues in their thoughts 11. Finally to maxe an end of this comparison secular Lay-people as times go now adayes either runne headlong into al manner of vice or if anie liue more reseruedly honestly they think they do wel enough if they abstayne froÌ„ sinne if they do not steale if they do not kil in brief if they offeÌ„d not God if they can do this they are held rare men and pointed at as the best men in the world Religious people do this
deliuered by S. Thomas that Religious men performe the offices of greatest perfection in the helpe of heir neighbour more then other Clergie-men because most commonly by their Institute they trauel in those charitable functions not our of iustice as others of the Clergie but out of charitie assisting Bishops in the cure of soules by preaching hearing Confessions publick and priuate exhortations and as manie other wayes as there be meanes in this kind as euerie one may see with his eyes that so they do 6. A third burthen of the Secular Clergie is their Church-liuings which most yet think no burthen but rather labour al they can to encrease them which they would not do iâ— they felt how heauie they lye vpon them One day they wil vnderstand both that they are a but then and in how holie and pious vses these pensions bought by the bloud of our Sauiour and consecrated vnto him alone by the deuotion of the Faithful should haue been employed Al Diuices and holie Writers handle this matter at large therefore because I wil be short I wil content myself with the onlie authoritie of S. Bernard who in one of his Sâ—rmons vpon the Canticles sayth thus The Clergie ought to feare the Ministers of the Church may be afraid who in the lands of Saints which they possesse deale so vniustly that they are not content with the stipend which ought to suffice them but wâ—â—kedly and sacrilegiously retayne to themselues the superstuous things wherewith 〈◊〉 needie were to be maintayned and are not afraid to consume the liuing of the poore in vses of their pride and luxurie offending doubtles with double iniquitie both because they take that which is not their owâ—e and abuse holie things in their vanities and filth And I shal need to say no more of this point For the reason is euident which to my knowledge hath conuinced some and perswaded them to become Religious discoursing thus with themselues To what purpose shal I goe seeke to enrich myself by the Church For when I haue gotten something if I doe no make the poore partakers of it I liue in continual sinne if I giue them part I liue in perpetual care and trouble and why should I goe make myself steward to the poore with so much dommage to my self This consideration as I sayd hath moued manie to leaue al and embrace the nakednes of Religion But let vs conclude with this short argument 7. In the Church of God there be men of three conditions which compared among themselues wil easily shew what iudgement we are to make of each of them The first are Secular Lay-men who haue this incommoditie annexed to their manner of life that they haue in matter of perfection few helps and manie hindrances but withal they haue this commoditie that they haue no obligation to greater perfection then the law of the Ghospel doth lay vpon al Christians in general The second are Religious men who are obliged not so much to be perfect as to desire and endeauour to be so haue so manie so great helps thervnto and are withal so fâ—ee from being hindred that they may not only attayne it with easâ— and facilitie but with a great deale of pleasure and sweetnes The third is the order of the Secular Clergie of which we speake which if we weigh things right suffers in a manner the incommodities of both the other Sâ—ates and wants the commodities of them For first they haue the same obligation to Perfection which Religious men haue and are certainly somewhat more bound vnto it then Religious men are both in regard of the dignitie of their office and of the diuinenes of the Sacraments of which they are Ministers of the Cure of soules and yet haue not those helps which Religious men haue noâ— that particular pâ—eÌ„â—ful influence of grace of which I haue spoken at large before And againe they may seeme to be in worse case then Lay-men because they are in a manner clogd with al the impedimeÌ„ts of PerfectioÌ„ which Lay-men haue and cannot pretend the excuse which they may if they be lesse perfect for liuing as they doe in the world pel mel among them and sayling as I may say the same seas they must needs be tormented and tosted with the same winds and waues of auarice ambition and luxurie which they are which vices being in-bred and ingrafied in euerie man's nature are also dayly inflamed more and more by the presence of delightful obiects by the occasions and commoditie of sinning by libertie itself For how is it possible to auoyd the itching desire of vaine glorie liuing in the midst of honours Or not to be taken with the loue of riches when we administer them for ourselus and others Or how can a man's honestie be long in safetie that beholds with his eyes the self same allurements as Secular people doe pampers his bodie with the self same fare and attire and is oftimes farre more cutious and delicious then they 8. S. Bernard therefore had great reason to speake as he doth among other things of this degree of the Church to Pope Eugenius in his books of coÌ„sideration What is the meaning sayth he that the Clergie wil be one thing and seeme another to wit souldiers in attire and Clerks for gaine But indeed performe neither for neither do they fight as souliders nor preach as Clerks O'miserable Bride intrusted to such attendance as feare not to turne into their owne coffers that which is assigned her for her wearing And in one of his Sermons Holie Orders are made an occasion of for did lucre and they esteeme gayne to be piâ—tie they are most wonderfully deuout in vndergoing yea rather in taking the care of soules but it is the least care they care for and the last thought they haue is of the saluation of soules Could there a heauier persecution then this fal vpon the Sauiour of soules In S. Bernard's opinion therefore the greatest fault of that degree is that attending to their priuate interest they neglect the care of soules the aduancing of the honour of God the function of preaching and teaching that liuing of the Altar their last and least thoughts be of seruing the Altar but are wholy bent towards themselues and their owne priuate ends And if there be anie that refuse not these Church labours but employ themselues in preaching and exhorting the people where shal we find a man that doth it with the intention It ought to be done That bestoweth his paynes and labour in this vinyard of our Lord God of Hoasts gratis That truly aymeth at the seruice of God and reflecteth nothing vpon himself A rare matter and a hard peece of busines to preserue ones-self in the world from the world that is from al touch of secular desire and contrari wise it is too too easie and obuious for the desire of honour or some Eclesiastical presentment or
themselues into a perfect kind of nakednesse of al things They part not with few things onely or with many which yet were very commendable and much to be admired but they forsake al they bereaue themselues of euery kind of thing and that for euer 4. A man would think this were enough and that no more could be added because he that saith al excludeth nothing and yet in Religious Pouertie there is somthing which is yet more to be admired viz. that not only they haue nothing but haue put vpoÌ„ theÌ„selues vpon such tearmes as absolutly they can haue nothing haue cut off froÌ„ themselues both al dominion and the very power of euer returning to haue any dominion ouer any thing Diuines are wont to declare this point by a familiar example of a labouring beast which expresseth it very naturally For as a horse for example vseth the stable and hay and litter and cloath's and such like and cannot be sayd to possesse any of them becausâ— he hath not vnderstanding reason which is the ground of dominion but is himself possessed by man So Religious people vse the cloathes and the meate and other necessaries which be in the howse but they vse them not as their owne they haue but the bare vse of them and cannot say they are maisters of any thing because by the vow of Pouertie which they make they are altogeather as vncapable of true and lawful Dominion ouer any thing as the horse I spake of And that which Cassiâ—s commended in the Monks of his time is common to all They durst not say any thing was theirs and it was a great fault to heare a Monk say my booke my paper my garment What more perfect Pouertie can there be or to what higher straine can it rise 5. The difficultie which doth accompanie it doth not a litle commend the Excellencie and dignitie of it The difficultie I say which both the nature of the thing it self doth at the very first sight offer to our eyes and which may be gathered moreouer by the scarcitie of this kind of pearle for so I may iustly tearme it Blessed is the man saith Ecclesiasticus who is sound without spot and hath not gone after gold nor hoped in treasure of money who is he and we wil praise him for he hath done wonders in his life He asketh who is he as if none were to be found and giueth this high commendation to a man that desireth not wealth nor laboureth for increase of his riches and is not continually hoarding but Religious people go higher for they cast away that which they haue and bring themselues to the perfect nakednes which I spake of and consequently that which they do in their life is a farre greater wonder 6. But let vs consider a little how many wayes the desire of hauing is subiect to be inflamed in this world for when we shal find that Euangelical Pouertie doth barre all those wayes and subdue so many fieâ—y Enemies we shal see more plaâ—nely the Excellencie of it First therfore there is a kind of poise or inclination and desire to haue many things naturally ingrafted in vs which Saint Augustin deriueth from the likenes which we haue with God so deeply imprinted in vs that eueâ— when we sinne we retaine a resemblance of him for as God hath all things so man desireth to resemble him by hauing as many as he can The beautie of the things of this world much whetteth our desire of them as the shining colour of gold the sparkling of gemmes and pretious stones the glorie of gay and costly apparrel the state of large buyldings and the like Besides the many commodities which riches bring with them releeuing vs in al or in most of the miseries of this life and yeilding plentiful meanes of pleasure and pastimes dayntie face pleasant gard us abundance of furniture and whatsoeuer is choyce and sumptuous Pouertie on the other side bereaues vs of al thiâ— which nature cannot choose but feele it sinks the deeper because it is to last all our life time and puts vs in a manner in feare of our liues because it takes away the helpes by which life is maintayned So that naturally we hate and shunne Pouertie almost as much as we tender our owne life the loue whereof commandeth all other loues as euery body feeleth in himselfe 7. If we adde the point of honour which men are so naturally taken with what is more in reputation then riches what more disgraceful then Pouertie This is the general persuasion of al men euer from their Cildhood with this we grow and in this the vogue and fashion of the times doth settle vs the familiar discourses of euery body at home and abroad tend to nothing else but to perswade vs that there is not a happier thing in this world then to haue large possessions great reuenewes gold and syluer at wil and plenty of all kind of wealth How noble a spirit therefore and how resolute a mind must in needes bee that spurneth and treadeth vnder foot at once all that which nature so much desireth and is taken with and coÌ„trariewise doth so louingly embrace that which men by nature do so much abhorr To which purpose Blessed Nilus as auncient Father hath a diuine saying commending the excellency both of Pouerty and Chastity in regard as he speaketh beautye and riches are much alike desireful and it must be a resolute minde that is not takeÌ„ with either of them But they that haue vndertaken to possesse nothing are worthyly much more to be admited because the esteeme in which riches are held could take no hould of them nor bring them to intangle their minde in such idle cares For though there be many thinges in this world pleasing to sense which easily entice a man vnto them yet riches are much more forcible in this kinde because they are so vsefull both for attayning of honour and pleasure and because long custome hath taught fooles to account them happy that are rich in regard of the glory and pleasure they liue in They therfore are worthyly to be esteemed rare men that striuing with themselues haue ouercome the thoughts of their minde mouing them to yeild to the opinion which the vulgar hath of riches as if they were truly good and which in the iudgment of all men are thought to be of high esteeme These are the very wordes of Nilus 7. It cannot therfore be denyed but that to be voluntarily poore is a token of a noble spirit and of a high mind soaring aboue whatsoeuer is in the world and contemning it as base and abiect And yet it is the more to be admired and valued in regard it freeth vs from all that base vnworthines which they are necessarily subiect vnto who seeke after wordly wealth S. Iohn Chrysostome in his last homily vpon Saint Matthew doth lay it before our eyes in this excellent comparison A
and actions of them The proper act of our wil is libertie the proper act of our vnderstanding is to passe our iudgement vpon a thing Wherefore euerie man doth so naturally and so violently desire to haue his owne saying and his owne wil in euerie thing which is more apparent when as oftentimes it hapneth the thing itself is but a trifle but it pleaseth vs to haue it so because we wil be free If a thing be forbidden the very forbidding of it doth whet our desire for no other reason but because as I said the sweetnes of libertie doth of itself delight vs. Wherefore seing these things beare such swey in vs the difficultie must needes be the greater in breaking the violent course of them and so much the greater then in ouercoming anie other natural propension by how much we are carryed towards them by a more violent current If therefore we put al these things togeather the greatnes of the oblation comprehending in it self so manie things the worth of these two things which we offer the labour and difficultie which is in offering we shal easily vnderstand the excellencie of Religious Obedience and how farre it doth surpasse the bounds of Nature seing it cannot possibly be accomplished but by perfect ouercoming and subduing Nature In which sense S. Gregorie doth interpret that saying of the Wiseman The Obedient man shal speake victories because saith he while we humbly subiect ourselues to an other's voice we ouercome ourselues within our harts 6. But that which doth shew the magnificence of Obedience more then anie thing els is that not only things which are euil or such as are but meanely good but things very specially good cōpared with Obedience doe leese of their light and beautie as the starres in presence of the Sunne It is S. Gregorie's saying who in my opinion among al the holie Fathers did best vnderstand and 〈◊〉 best declared the nature of euerie vertue and he doth not intend to carrie it by his sole authoritie but he proueth it by holie Scripture Better is obedience then sacrifice You may see saith S. Gregorie in what height of perfection the vertue of Obedience is placed the Prophet beholding it in a higher eleuation then the diuine oblations And if we wil follow the spiritual sense Sacrifices haue relation to great austeritie of conuersation Holocaustes to the compunction of a retired life Better therefore is Obedience then Sacrifice and to harken rather then to offer the fat of rammes because it is of farre higher desert alwayes to subiect our owne wil to the wil of another then to pinch our bodyes by extremitie of fasting or to kil our selues by compunction in a more priuate Sacrifice For what is the fat of rammes but an inward and oylie deuotion But yet Obedience is better because he that hath learned perfectly to fulfil the wil of his directour doth passe in the heauenlie Kingdome those that do fast and weep Thus saith S. Gregorie 7. Finally in my iudgement the greatnes of the often Miracles which haue been wrought by Obedience are a most certain proofe euident confirmation of the excellencie of it For as if a man doe manie things aboue the course of Nature we take it for a signe of great sanctitie in him so among vertues we may vse the same argumēt as I may say canonize them the rather esteeme them worthie of veneratiō the more their gratefulnes to God hath been shewed by miracles But who can reckon the miracles which haue been wrought by Obedience Al books are ful of them especially the Liues of the ancient Fathers who haue giuen good proof to the world how highly this vertue is to be esteemed S. Paul disciple of great S. Antonie is much renowned for it For as he was greater then his maister in the power of miracles as to whom S. Antonie was wont to send those that himself could not cure so by S. Anthonie his owne confession there was no other cause of it but Obedience which he was euer wont to point at as a patterne for others to imitate manie notable facts of his in this kind are to be seen vpon record to this day Iohn is also very famous in this kind who being by his Abbot in ieast bid to bring a lionesse vnto him taking it as spoken in earnest did not only not feare least she should fal vpon him but following her when she fled and crying after her in his Abbot's name to stand tooke her and brought her bound to the Monasterie What shal we say of him that by command of his Abbot cast his sonne into a burning furnace and tooke hi◠out againe whole found He certainly imitated Abraham in offering his sonne but in the greatnes of the miracle he went beyond him when he receaued him safe againe An other Iohn for 3. yeares togeather watered a dry stake euerie day as he was commanded and fetched his water a great way of At last it bore greene leaues and fruit which his Maister gathering brought to the church and said to the Bretheren Behold the fruit of Obedience No lesse wonderful is that which Climacus recordeth of a yong man called Innocentius This man in his life-time was much deuoted to the vertue of Obedience and after his death and burial being called vpon and asked whether he were dead or no he answered with a loude voice That the obedient man could not dye That which is related of S. Columbanus is also very memorable that coming to the Monasterie of Luxouium which himself had founded and finding almost al sick he vsed no other physick but called them al into the court to thresh the corne in the heat of the sunne A hard task especially for some of them that were so feeble that they could hardly stand on their legs Some of them that thought themselues wiser and warier then the rest kept themselues in their beds others desirous to obey came downe to their worke al these were presently so perfectly cured of their disease that they felt not so much as any grudging of it the others punished for their slacknes and distrust had their agues al the yeare long as S. Columban reprehending and blaming them had foretold 8. In the histories of the ancient Fathers we reade of an other strange accident wherein also we may see what Obedience is compared with other vertues Two natural brethren liued in one Monasterie one of them practised Obedience very much the other gaue himself to much austeritie This last to try the other's sanctitie commanded him to goe into a riuer that was ful of crocodiles which he did without delay and the cruel serpents came fawning vpon him and licked his feete Not long after they hapned both vpon a dead man's bodie and falling ioyntly to their prayers the man came to life Which the Monke that was giuen to fasting secretly in his thoughts attributed to himself but his Abbot chid
Vertue to sel al and deale it among the poore and thus lightned and disburdened to fly vp to heauen with Christ though in this euerie age and euerie person is left to his free wil and choice He saith If thou wilt be perfect I doe not force you I doe not command you I propose the prize I shew the rewards it is yours to choose whether you wil be crowned in the lists and combat And yet more plainly and copiously writing to Iulianus This I exhort thee vnto if thou wilt be perfect if thou ayme at the heighth of Apostolical dignitie if taking thy Crosse thou wilt follow Christ if laying hand on the plough thou looke not back if placed in a high place at the feast thou contemne thy old cloathes and let goe the cloake of this world to escape the Aegyptian Ladie For Elias making haste to the heauenlie kingdomes cannot go vp with his cloake but letteth his vncleane garment fal to the world that is vncleane Thou wilt say This is for men of Apostolical dignitie and such as wil be perfect Thou that art first in the world why shoudst not thou be first in the house-hold of Christ And a little after If thou giue thy self to God and perfect in Apostolical vertue begin to follow our Sauiour then thou wilt perceaue where thou wert and how in the armie of Christ thou holdest the lowest place S. Hierome stileth the place in which Iulianus then was when he wrote this Epistle to him the lowest place because he was stil in the world a man not euil and vitious but a good man and among secular people rare for his vertue and pietie leading a single life and being one who as S. Hierome writeth of him mayntayned whole companies of Monks vpon the large possessions which God had giuen him And yet he doth not doubt to rank this man that was so rich in good works with the last in the armie of Christ. 4. S. Augustin speaketh to the same effect in manie places but chiefly in the Booke which he wrote of holie Virginitie where he sayth thus When the professours of perpetual Continencie comparing themselues with married people shal find that according to holie Scripture they that martie are farre inferiour to themselues both in the labour and in the hire belonging to it in their desire and in the reward let them instantly cal to mind that which is written The greater thou art humble thyself the more in al things 5. There is also an excellent Epistle of his extant where he enlargeth himself very much in commendation of this kind of life and among other things he sayth that to leaue al is a noble resolution a more excellent perfection then the only keeping the Commandments of God finally that they who entertayne this Counsel of Perfection to sel al and distribute it among the poore to the end that easing their shoulders of the burthen of this world they may be the freer to take vp the sweet yoake of our Sauiour Christ vpon them doe it out of a kind of generositie of a noble Spirit and they that arriue not to this perfection are the more infirme and not thought fit for so glorious an enterprise though if they keepe the Commandments and vse their wealth as if they had it not they may be saued 6. S. Gregorie particularly vpon those words of holie Iob I haue despayred now I wil no longer liue hath this excellent saying There be some iust men that ayme at heauenlie things yet so as not to breake with the hopes which they haue in their earthlie substance they reserue the inheritance which God hath giuen them to supply their necessities they retayne the temporal honours and preferments which doe befal them they couet not that which belongs to others they vse their owne within compasse of Iustice and equitie There be other iust men that buckling themselues to the attaining of the heighth of Perfection while they inwardly ayme at the highest forsake al things which are without they bereaue themselues of the things they did possesse they depriue themselues of the glorie of worldlie preferments they refuse the comfort of al outward things and the nearer they approach in their mind to the inward ioyes the more absolutly doe they kil within themselues the life of corporal delight For to them S. Paul addresseth his words when he sayth You are dead and your life is hidden with Christ in God And Truth itself in his owne words admonisheth vs saying If any wil come after me let him deny himself And againe Vnlesse a man renounce al that he doth possesse he cannot be my disciple 7. Origen an Authour much esteemed for his learning and antiquitie speaketh thus If a man haue vowed himself to God if he entangle not himself in secular businesses to the end to please him to whom he hath engaged himself if he be seuered and parted from the rest that liue carnally and are tyed to worldlie affayres not seeking the things which are vpon earth but those which are in heauen such a man is deseruedly called holie For while a man remayneth in worldlie companie rolling vp and downe in the multitude of vnquiet people not attending to God alone nor seuered from the vulgar he cannot be holie Thou therfâ—re that hearest these things when the law of God is read to whome the Word of God himself doth speake saying Be holie because I your Lord God am holie vnderstand with discretion what is sayd that thou mayst be blessed when thou hast performed it This is that which is sayd vnto thee Departe not only from euerie other man but euen from thy brother that walketh vnquietly seuer thyself from earthlie dealings from the concupiscence of the world vow thyself to God as the first-fallen calf be holie and layd-aside for the vse of the Priests only giuen ouer to their vse as the first-begotten of euerie liuing creature seuer set thyself apart as a holie viol-glasse as holie censers to be vsed only in the Temple and attending to the seruice of God be holie and seuered within the temple of God as the holie Vestments of the high Priest Finally the verdict of S. Bernard must not be forgotten when speaking in commendation of a Religious State he giues it a singular preheminence of a Spiritual life for so he speaketh excelling al other kinds of humane conuersation and making the professours and louers of it like Angels and farre vnlike to men and reformeth in man the image of God conforming vs to Christ. 8. Moreouer we may vnderstand the perfection of a Religious vocation by that the ancient Fathers doe vsually stile it an Apostolical life and calling which is to place it in the very top of al Sanctitie For no man can doubt but that the Apostles did excel in al Euangelical perfection as being Christ's owne disciples and Maisters of the whole world and as S. Paul speaketh
yet finished the image itself if it had sense and vnderstanding would grieue and desire that it might be brought to perfection so this yong man hearing how much he yet wanted in reason he should haue been so netled within that he could not haue rested til he had obtayned it There followeth the Counsel and forme of Perfection with the reward belonging vnto it Goe and sel al that thou hast and giue it to the poore and come and follow me and thou shalâ— haue a treasure in heauen Naming Al he willeth him to reserue nothing to himself but bereaue himself absolutly of al things Bidding him Sel al he prescribeth a perpetual and irreuocable abdication and defeisance Finally in those words Follow me he comprehendeth Obedience and the rest of the Counsels This therefore was the Counsel of our Sauiour cleerly and expresly deliuered by his owne mouth 6. Which perfection though the yong man foolishly reiected it when it was offered him by our Sauiour the Apostles who were his first Schollars admitted of it For so doe diuers very learned men deliuer to wit that the Apostles were the first that euer receaued this kind of forme of Religious Institute and first put it in practise And of the Pouertie which they professed there can be no doubt made because we find it by that which is written of their practise in the Ghospel and S. Peter testifyeth as much when in the name of them al he sayth Behold we haue forsaken al things which words declare not only their Pouertie but their Chastitie also For vnder the name of Al things doubtles their wiues are also to be vnderstood and S. Hierome vseth it as an argument against Iouinian specially seing as he sayth our Sauiour answering S. Peter mentioneth wiues among other things that were to be forsaken insinuating that the Apostles had already performed that part Wherupon S. Hierome concludeth that they had wiues before they knew any thing of the Gospel but when they were chosen Apostles they presently layd aside the vse of them vpon which ground in an other place he sayth that the Apostles were al of them either virgins or hauing been married abstayned from their wiues Finally we may gather their Obedience from these words And we haue followed thee For what is it to follow an other but to liue according to his direction and to obey him in al things Seing therfore al these things are without question to be found in the Apostles let vs shew that they obliged themselues also therunto by Vow 7. Besides other Diuines Aluarus Pelagius a graue and learned Authour doth cleerly demonstrate this point in the Booke which he writ of the Complaint of the Church and bringeth manie arguments to proue it but chiefly this that a Vow as he sayth is the Counsel of Counsels and the soule and perfection of them because whatsoeuer Counsel is confirmed by Vow it is essentially the more perfect and the more acceptable to God From whence he concludeth that if the Apostles had made no Vow they could not be sayd to be in the top and heighth of Perfection but the abdication of the self-same things which Religious people doe dayly professe would be more perfect then that which the Apostles practised in regard they oblige themselues by Vow now it were temerarious and wicked and impious to think or say so of the Apostles And he confirmeth it because there can be no question but that the Apostles did not only leaue the possession of that which they had but the wil of hauing anie thing that they might truly say They had forsaken al. But this wil of hauing cannot be forsaken buâ— by Vow because we renounce not our wil as long as we may resume it againe at our pleasure We may adde moreouer that certainly the Apostles did not forsake that which they had more vnperfectly then the yong man we spake of had forsaken them if he had followed the Counsel of our Sauiour and sold al for our Sauiour gaue him the same Counsel which the Apostles had already embraced But he that selleth al thing â—reserueth to himself no power or right at al ouer it and consequently neither did the Apostles reserue anie thing to themselues S. Thomas doth cleerly and solidly auerre the self-same to wit that there is no doubt to be made but that the Apostles did vow al things belonging to a state of Perfection when forsaking al they followed Christ. But S. Augustin doth most perspicuously and most learnedly of anie other deliuer it in these words That poore man is raysed from the earth aboue al rich men and that needie man is extolled aboue al wealthie people from that dung to sit with the Powerful of the people to whom he sayth You shal sit vpon twelve seates giuing them a Seate of glorie in inheritance For these Powerful people had sayd Behold we haue forsaken al and followed thee This Vow these most Powerful had vowed So S. Augustin Seing therefore it is cleare that the Apostles obserued Pouertie Chastitie and Obedience and moreouer that they did not obserue them meerly voluntarily but obliged themselues therunto also by Vow why may we not acknowledge that this height of Perfection is descended from Christ by them and account them the first foundations of Religious Conuents And certainly it was but reason that so rare a course should be commended by their Dignitie and Sanctitie and that they who were to be the Maisters and Doctours of the world should not want this ornament which in the glorie of the Ghospels is so conspicuous How Religious courses did flourish in the time of the Apostles CHAP. XXI THE Apostles hauing receaued of Christ our Sauiour this forme of sanctitie they instantly printed it in the harts of the first Beleeuers which were then tender and pliable to al good things and apt to admit of whatsoeuer impression of the Holie-Ghost Wherefore not only those Hundred and twentie persons who remaining togeather in that Vpper roome as it is mentioned in the Acts made as it were one bodie among themselues embraced this Pouertie nakednes of al things and a life in common but other Christians also of those dayes conuerted in Hierusalem by their meanes of whom it is written The multitude of Beleeuers were of one hart and one soule and none of them called anie thing his owne of that which they possessed but al things were common among them For as manie as were in possession of lands and houses selling them brought the price of that which they sold and layd it at the feete of the Apostles And diuision was made of it to euerie one as he had need That withal they made some Vow or promise not only S. Hierome and diuers others doe testifye but that which S. Peter sayd when he reprehended Ananias doth euidently shew it Wâ—y sayth he haâ—â— Sathan tempted thy hart to lye to the Holie-Ghost and defraude
that he resolved to shake-of that troublesome burthen and care notwithstanding the people of Naples whither he had retired himself and King Charles were much against it the people wheresoeuer they met him with lowd voice beseeched him he would not doe so Yet fiue moneths were scarce at an end when he gaue ouer his charge diuers bewayling the losse of him others admiring so great humilitie and an example therof neuer heard-of til that day 29. In the number of these Popes the memorie of Benedict the Twelfth is venerable He was assumed to that charge in the yeare One thousand three hundred thirtie foure from the Cistercian Order hauing been Abbot of a monasterie in France called Moni-froid Manie notable things are recounted of him both publick and priuate and in particular that he preferred none of his kindred to anie Ecclesiastical Office saying that the Pope had no kindred Whereby for his manie other vertues he was so wel beloued of al that dying after he had sate seauen yeares his funerals were honoured with manie teares as it is recorded of him 30. The vertue of his successour Clement the Sixt alayed part of the common grief He was a Monkaâ—d Abbot of a monasterie called Casa-Dei in the Diocese of 〈◊〉 a man of a great wit and great learning hauing been made Cardinal by his predecessour Benedict when they came to choose an other Pope he easily carried it by the consent of al and in his Popedome to his other prayses he â—dded singular munificence and liberalitie beseeming a Pope that is a common Father and Pastour of al. He contracted the yeares of Iubilie from a hundred yeares to fiftie He held the Chayre ten yeares to the great contentment of the whole world 40. Not long after to wit in the yeare One thousand three hundred sixtie two Vrban the Fift Abbot of S. Victor was assumed to the sterne of the Church a man in the iudgement of al men of singular vertue greate courage vnspotted life and one that applyed himself wholy to the common good After he had sate eight yeares by the special prouidence of God passing by 〈◊〉 he gaue vp the ghost in the selfsame Monasterie where he had been bred in the assemblie of manie Monks much comforted in beholding them and much assisted by their prayers 41. These are al the Popes which haue been Monks vnlesse perhaps some haue escaped me at â—nawares now we wil looke into other Religious Families also wherein it can be no wonder if we find fewer because the Orders themselues are much later In S. Dominick his Order we find that three of them haue been Popes vnlesse we wil reckon Iohn of Vercels to be the fourth of whom we reade in their Chronicles that hauing been Gouernour of his whole Order twentie yeares and gone on foot to al the Monasteries therof it being at that time dispersed in a manner through the whole world in the Conclaue which was held betwixt the times of Nicolas the Third Martin the Second in the yeare One thousand two hundred and fourescore by coÌ„sent of the Cardinals he was chosen Pope and being absent dyed before he could haue newes therof preserued from manie troubles which that weightie Charge would haue drawne vpon him Leauing him therefore who was designed to that Charge but neuer vndertook it the first of this Order that was placed in it was 〈◊〉 the First which name of his and that also which he had before of Petrus Tarantasius is wel enough knowne by the Books which he hath left written Entring vpon this dignitie in the yeare One thousand two hundred seauentie six he presently gaue his mind to pacifye the discords which had set al Italie on fire For wheras the Florentius had been long in armes against those of Pisa and the Venetians against the Genoueses he excommunicated al that would not presently lay downe their armes and had doubtlesse brought this and farre greater things to passe if God had lent him life which he enioyed but seauen moneths 42. In the yeare One thousand three hundred and three Benedict the Eleuenth was chosen out of the same Order and liued in his Charge much about the same length of time to wit eight moneths but supplyed the shortnes therof with his famous deeds For by the verdict of al he was a man of wonderful wisdome and sanctitie and while he was General of his Order hauing long and laudably borne that office receauing letters in his Monasterie of Narbona from Pope Boniface the Eight wherin the Pope commanded him to admit of a Cardinal's Hat he almost blotted-out the letters with his teares and yet could not but obey the commandment In the time of his Popedome how manie profitable things did he ordaine decree and establish in a short time specially being to succeed Bonifacius who had a turbulent time of it and to cure the wounds which Christianitie had formerly receaued He proiected to gaine Syria and Palestine out of the hands of the Barbarians which sheweth his zeale and courage But yet in my iudgement it was a greater matter that when his mother who was yet liuing a poore and needie woman came to Rome to congratulate him and presented herself before him in costlie attire such as friends had abundantly furnished her with he taking no notice of her but as if she had been a stranger asked who that Noble-woman was and being answered that it was his mother No certainly sayth he for I know my mother is very poore and hath not wherewithal to cloath herself in this manner At which words she blushing went her wayes and returning not long after in her owne apparrel the Pope rose-vp vnto her acknowledged her for his mother and friendly entertayned her Where shal we find a more temperate and mortifyed man or what greater testimonie can we require of the sanctitie of anie man then such humilitie which doubtlesse he learned no-where but in Religion So that it is no wonder if he wrought miracles after his death as they write of him 43. The third Pope of this Order was Pius V. for vertue like to Benedict farre beyond him for the businesses which passed through his hands and the memorie of him is yet fresh in mens minds What can we say worthie of his vertue Who being created Pope in the yeare One thousand fiue hundred threescore and six in the seauen yeares which he liued not fully compleate shewed againe to the world the vertues of the ancient Popes such a Religious discipline doth teach as frugalitie innocencie of life and wonderful deuotion and such as are proper to great Princes as munificence prouidence strict rigour of iustice courage in warre against Hereticks and against the Turckâ— entring league with the Spanyards and the Venetians and by that meanes defeating a great nauie which these Infidels had prepared These were the vertues which got him an opinion of sanctitie not only among Christians but
Cistercian Order may be rancked with these great men whom nothing could compel to vndertake the Bishoprick of Burges but the command of his Abbot and of the Pope's Legate both of them by shâ—rp letters willing him not to withdraw himself from that which was the wil of God In that dignitie he neuer put-of his Religious weed he neuer eate flesh nor remitted anie thing of his former obseruances but to his priuaâ—e vertues he added those which are proper to them that haue care of sâ—ules neuer câ—asing to feed his flock by publick Sermons and priuate conuersation and manie profitable decrees and lawes he maintayned continually whole troups of poore people at his owne charges he courageously withstood the King of France trenching vpon the Ecclesiastical liberties and stopped the fuâ—â—e of the Hereticks that raged in Guienne sending diuers of his Cistercian Monks to preach among them and when that would not doe gathering an armie by consent of the Pope and sowing a Crosse vpon his garment made himself in a manner commander of it and though he dyed before the armie marched yet there is no doubt but he assisted much more from heauen towards the victorie which not long after the Catholick partie wonne against their enemies And thus haue these Religious men and Saints behaued themselues in opposition against the enemies of God What haue they done in peace and calmer times as in a field more sutable for Religious people to trauel in their endeauours euer bending rather to peace and quiet And accordingly we find that in the quiet times of Christendome the vigilaÌ„cie of such Pastours hath been the more remarkable atteÌ„ding to feed their flock by example word and work so much the more gloriously and with greater effect by how much more their famous endeauours were euer coupled with admirable contempt of humaâ—â— thinâ—â— which vertue doth make them more pliant to the seruice of God 〈◊〉 others more readie to giue credit vnto them 10. Boniface about the yeare One thousand one hundred and fiftie borne of the bloud Royal and neer kinsman to the Emperour Otho the Third and so highly in his fauour as the Emperour was wont to cal him his Soule entred into the Order of S. Romualdus and hauing done pennance a long time in it he was moued by instinct of God to goe and preach the Ghospel to the Russians which the Pope agreed vnto and moreouer made him Archbishop of that Countrey notwithstanding which dignitie he altered nothing from his former rigour of Abstinence and hard cloathing but riding on hors-back barefoot the cold being extreme violent when he lighted his foot was frosen to the stirrop so that he could not pul it out but that he had some warme water brought him to bathe it in Which poore fashion of liuing brought-forth wonderful fruit in short time For coming to that Barbarous nation of the Russians beginning to preach the Faith of Christ to the King at first the King made account that he came to tel them some strange things whereby to get himself some releef but finding that he constantly refused the great guifts with which he had caused him to be presentâ—d and moreouer seing him passe through the fire without anie hurt he not only embraced the Ghospel togeather with his whole Kingdome but making his sonne his heyre he resolued himself to become disciple to S. Boniface and had effected it had not S. Boniface within a short time after been most barbarously slaine by the King's brother which hapned wel for him and according to an ancient desire which he had of suffering Martyrdome for Christ Which kind of examples are frequent in older times and yet of later yeares also there neuer haue wanted in the house of God the like burning and shining lights as Andrew Bishop of Fiâ—solâ— about the yeare of Christ One thousand three hundred and sixteen who being a Carmelâ—â— was put into that Episcopal dignitie much against his wil aâ— he euidently shewed because presently vpon the first notice that he heard that such a thing was in handling he hid himself in a Monasterie of the Carâ—â—â—sâ—â—s til in an assemblie of the Canons that had chosen him he was by God's permission discouered by the speech of an infant and at the self-same instant a child in a white garment appeared to him also bidding him not resist any longer the wil of God which was the occasion of his making Bishop and telling him there was an Angel appointed him for his Guardian to direct him in the performance of God's pleasureâ— He being therefore so euidently chosen not by men but by God we may easily imagin how he carried himself in his Pastoral function Among other things it is recorded of him that he was so louing and liberal towards the poore that he had al their names written downe in a paper could not behold them without teares His wisdome was such as besides the Decrees which he made in his owne Dioces he appeased with great dexteritie a domestical dissention which was risen in Bologna being sent thither to that purpose by Vrban the fift reconciling both parties and preuenting infinit danger which was coming vpon that cittie Finally much more is recorded of this man's vertue and sanctitie wherof we haue testimonie enough in the miracles which he wrought and in that he is Canonized for a Saint 11. What shal we say of Laurentius Iustinianus who hauing lead a Religious life for thirtie yeares togeather at last being charged by Eugenius the Fourth with a Pastoral function vsed al meanes and al entreatie and made vse of al his friends to decline it and when he could doe no more he admitted of it and handled it so that to al mens thinking nothing could be added to his wisedome in gouerning his zeale of God's honour his fortitude in withstanding great men and his care of the poore towards whome he was rather accounted profuse Insomuch that they write of him that both the people of his Diocese and strangers from forrain places had recourse vnto him as to an Angel sent from heauen and that as often as he went abroad people thronged after him to behold him 12. S. Antonine was his equal in time and vertue compelled to take vpon him the Chaire of Florence by the same Eugenius and shewed no lesse pietie and skil in gouerning then he hath shewed learning and erudition in his written Bookes It is written of him that he much reformed the Clergie of that Church and visited al his Dioces himself in person and in time of the sicknes like a good shep-heard did not refuse to goe to the infected as they lay raging in their disease to comfort and refresh them leading about with him a beast loaden with physick to minister vnto them finally that he was so profuse towards the poore that hauing but three loaues of bread in his house he gaue them to the poore though not without ful gaynes and
pietie deuotion hath been alwayes a leading direction for al kind of people to follow and we may iustly conceaue that this was the reason why they are tearmed by S. Iohn Chrysostome the lights of the world For by them the world hath learned how God is to be serued with what reuerence with what feare he is to be adored in the Churches and in the Sacraments with what diligence attention we ought to pray vnto him how patient we ought to be in aduersitie how charitable towards our neighbour finally there is no Christian vertue wherof they haue not left manifold examples in the world 4. Yea though al this were not their verie forsaking of al things to embrace the Crosse of Christ wheras manie of them were nobly and richly borne and in the prime of their dayes must needs be of great force to induce men to contemne the riches and honours of the world and so we find it hath been and though few haue the strength and courage of mind vtterly to abandon these things yet by that which they see these men doe before their eyes they learne to loue these earthlie things lesse or at least wil vnderstand that they deserue not to be loued What shal we say more their verie aspect is a secret exhortation to vertue reprehension of vice which manie dayly experience to be true S. Chrysostome doth plainly testifye exhorting the people in two seueral Sermons often to visit Religious houses for this verie reason because they cannot but carâ—iâ— some benefit home from them For there saith he al things are voyd of temptation free from al disquiet disturbance they are most quiet hauens and the dwellers of them are like so manie fires shining from high places and giuing light to them that come neere them and hauing taken vp their rest in the hauen they inuite others to the same tranquillitie and suffer not those that haue their eyes vpon them to runne hazard of ship-wrack or to be in darknes if they behold them Goe therefore to these men conuerse with them goe I say cast yourselues at their holie feet for it is farre more honourable to kisse their feet then the head of other men For I pray you if some apprehend the feet of certain Images only because they represent the King shalt not thou be in safetie if thou embracest him that hath Christ within him Their feet therefore are holie though otherwise they seeme abiect and contemptible Thus speaketh S. Iohn Chrysostome 5. Deseruedly therefore may we apply to Religious people that which was spoken to the honour of the Apostles and is common to them that leade an Apostolical life You are the light of the world you are the salt of the earth the one belonging to example of life of which we have spoken the other belonging to their industrie of which we are now to speake which is farre greater also then example itself to wit not only to preserue the behauiour of men from corruption as it were by casting salt vpon them but which is beyond the nature of salt to restore them when they haue been corrupted which Religious people performe when they reclaime those that are gone astray raise those that are fallen instruct the ignorant assist with their counsel learning and al manner of industrie them that are in temptation and difficulties We shal not need to proue these things by authoritie of the holie Fathers or by that which others haue leâ—t recorded for we see it dayly before our eyes and find in our daylie practice that it is so It is apparent to euerie bodie how much Religiours Orders doe further the saluation of man kind by hearing CoÌ„fessions by publicâ— Sermons by priuate reprehension of vice by taking away as much as lyeth in them the occasions of sinne by appeasing dissention and discord finally releeuing al sorts of people instructing and teaching them how to behaue themselues against the Diuel against their owne infirmities against the allurements of the world al which businesses Religious people haue in a manner so ingrossed that few besides them stirre in them and euen those few are oftimes stirred-vp by their example and by a holie emulation of them 6. And though these things be in themselues great yet because they are daylie they are not esteemed and people perhaps think but slightly of them as the fashion is The warre which we haue with the enemies of God's Church and with Hereticks is of more reckoning and Religious men are they that beare the greatest part of that burden also opposing themselues as a counterscarpe and bulwark against the furie of them in their Disputations and Sermons and written Bookes in priuate and publick meetings Finally that which is most glorious and of greatest weight is the good which they haue done not in particular men but in whole Prouinces and Kingdomes bringing them vnder the yoak and obedience of the Faith of CHRIST How often haue they spread the light of the Ghospel where it was neuer seen before and restored it where it hath been obscured How manie times hath Faith and Religion gone to decay in manie places and they haue for it vp againe Certainly their zeale in this kind hath been so eminent that whosoever shal giue himself to reade Histories and obserue the manner how thâ— Faith of Christ hath been brought into euerie Countrey since the Apostles those Apostolical times wil scarce finde a man named in the busines that hath not been Religious It wil be too tedious to rehearse them al yet some we wil touch vpon for example sake 7. First therefore we finde that S. Remigius he that about the yeare Fiue hundred and thirtie conuerted al France from Idolatrie to the Faith of Christ was from his childhood a Monk and afterwards Archbishop of Rhâ—mes 8. About the same time to wit in the yeare Fiue hundred and fourtie Martin a Monk reduced the Swedens from the Aâ—ian heresie It is a knowne thing how England by S. Augustin's instruction whom S Gregorie sent thither with foure other Monks was conuerted to God togeather with King Ethelbert in the yeare Six hundred and three And in Six hundred twentie two Lambert a Monk of Liege brought the countrey of Taxandria in the Lower Germanie to the Faith of Christ and at the same time Kilian a Scottish Monk wrought the like in Franconia and there dyed a Martyr Wilfride also a Monk of the monasterie of Hâ—rpue in England and afterwards Bishop of York about the yeare Six hundred foure-score and three as he was sayling towards Rome was by tempest cast vpon the coast of Holland and Frizland and not to passe the winter without fruit he began to preach the Ghospel which til then had not been heard of in those countries And returning home and not permitted by wicked King Egâ—rid to remaine in his charge he went to the South SaxoÌ„s that were
yet Infidels and shewed them the light of Faith and withal conuerted the whole Iland of Wâ—ght 9 And that which Wilfride began in Frizland Willebrord continued a Monk of the monasterie of Rippon in England and was afterward created Bishop of Maesâ—icht At the same time Swithbert bred-vp in the famous Monasterie of Landisâ—erne with eleuen others in memorie of the number of the Apostles went to the Saxons and is recorded to haue instructed an innumerable companie of them in the Faith of Christ and was afterwards made Bishop of Werda and did not cease notwiâ—hstanding to take great paines 10. Bonifacius also is renowned in this kinde and to this day deseruedly worshipped as the Apostle of Germanie He was borne in Scotland and led a a holie life a long time in a Monasterie to which his parents had offered him from the time he was fiue yeares old and being sent by Pope Gregorie the Second into Germanie he conuerted to the Faith of Christ Thuringia Fâ—â—sia and Hesse about the yeare One thousand two hundred and sixteen and that he might the better gouerne those whom he had instructed he was honoured with the Archbishoprick of Mentz though he receaued yet more honour by the crowne of Martyrdome 11. Willehard and Ludger out of the monasterie of S. Willebrord in France went into Franconia a prouince of Germanie about the yeare Eight hundred and begat manie children there to Christ and themselues endured a great deale of hardnes for his sake 12. Not long to wit some ten yeares after Ausgarius with three companions out of the Monasterie of Corby in the Wallâ—ns Countrey passed through diuers Provinces preaching the Ghospel in Denmark Swâ—dland Scotland and Greeneland with incredible fruit And â—ut 〈◊〉 the same Monasterie came Stephen who succeded Ausgarius in the haruest of Swedland and passed afterwards into the province of Helinghen and brought it wholy out of errour into the way of truth and lastly slayne by some wicked people there went to enjoy the crowne of Martyrdome 13. To whome we may adde Albus Abbot of Floriac a Monasterie which was built by S. Maâ—â—â—s in the possessions of one Florus Count as we find recorded for he tooke much paynes in dilating the Christian Faith in that part of France which is called Gâ—â—couâ—â— a man famous for his Eloquence and Sanctiâ—ie and the glorie of Martyrdome He liued about the yeare Nine hundred and seauentie 14. What shal we say of Adalberâ—us who when he was Archbishop of of Prague coming to Rome liued a long time a Religious life in the Monasterie of Mount-Cassino about the yeare Nine hundred and foure-score and then togeather with his brother Gaudentius a Monk also of S. Alexus in Rome went into Hungarie to preach the Faith of Christ where he met with King Geisa that had notice of his coming before from God and being entertayned honourably by him he conuerted al that fierce and barbarous people to the obedience of of our Sauiour and from thence going higher into Sarmatia preached the Ghospel to the Russians Latuanians Moscouites Prussians and chiefly to the Polacks and their King Boleslaus Finally in Prussia being by the wicked misbeleeuers bound to a stake and stuck with seauen darts while he stood gasping he gaue God thanks that he had at last vouchsafed him that fauour to dye for his sake which had long desired 15. Bruno also sonne to Lotarius Duke of Saxonie after he had lead a Monastical life in the Monasterie of S. Alexius in Rome was sent by Iohn the Nineteenth to the Russians about the yeare One thousand twentie fiue and reduced manie of that Countrey to the way of Saluation and to the end he might not want his reward for his seruice in that cause he was crowned with Martyrdome And about the same time Boniface Disciple to S. Romualdus trauelling into the same Countrey Russia conuerted the King the whole Kingdome sauing the King's brother by whom being barbarously slayne he watered with his bloud the Vinyard which he had planted 16. In the yeare One thousand and fiftie Humbert a Benedictin Monk being sent Legate from the Pope to Constantinople to conuince the Grecians of their Schismatical errours appointing a day of meeting with Nâ—â—etas confounded him in Disputation before the Emperour Constantin and forced him to burne the Booke which he had written 17. Otho in like manner a Monk of the Monasterie of Waburg a cittie in Germanie being in the yeare One thousand one hundred twentie fiue sent by Callistus the Second into Pomerania conuerted Prince Warcislaus and his followers and trauelling al the coast of Denmark the coÌ„fines of Poland wrought great conuersions and visited also manie Citties of Saxonie with great fruit 18. Not vnlike to him was Vicelinuâ— who not long after going out of France to the Wandals with foure Companions took incredible paynes for thirtie yeares togeather in al that Countrey instructing innumerable people in the Law of Christ and founded manie famous Monasteries there 19. And of Conuersions of the like nature wrought by Monks we might adde much more but for breuitie sake we wil descend to the Religious Orders which are of later standing for since they haue appeared in the Church of God businesses of this nature haue for the most part passed through their hands 20. The Dominicans haue had manie occasions of doing God great service in this kind and particularly about the yeare One thousand two hundred fourtie seauen we find that diuers of them were sent by Innocentius the Fourth to the Tartarians the chief among them being Ascelinus a holie man though for that time there came no other good of it but that which themselves reaped by the manie iniuries and incommodities which they suffered in that measure that it is a wonder that either their bodies or their harts were able to endure it Wherefore not manie yeares after they went in greater number and with better successe to the conuersion of Nations and trauelled manie countries where the light of the Gospel had neuer been seen with such abundant fruit that it was not possible as they write to number the soules conuerted by them specially in the Countrey of Cuma from which parts Benedict who was Superior of the rest of the Bretheren writing to their General relateth that manie thousands not only of the common soit but of the Nobilitie of the Countrey had receaued the Sacrament of Baptisme which may suffise for a taste of the fruit which that Order hath and doth dayly bring-forth in the Church of God there being whole Books extant ful of Relations concerning it 21. Of the Franciscans besides other times in the yeare One thousand two hundred and seauentie one Hieronymus Esculus was sent to Constantinople to treate a reconciliation of the Greek Church he that afterwards was chosen Pope and called Nicolas the Fourth And he had so good successe in the busines he went
for that he perswaded the Emperour and the Countrey to submit themselves which was a ioyful sight brought fourtie Peeres of the Countrey to kisse the Pope's foot and to the Councel which was then assembled at Lions 22. The Religious of the same Order haue also more then once passed to the Tartarians first in the yeare One thousand two hundred fourtie fiue sent by Innocent the Fourth at which time manie being conuerted to the Ghospel not long after there went more of them into the Vinyard and erected there manie Monasteries and Christianitie did much prosper among them 23. In the yeare One thousand three hundred fourtie one two againe of the same Order were sent Legats from Benedict the Tenth with others of their Brethren with them who obtayning leaue of the Emperour of the Countrey to preach the Faith of Christ built againe manie Churches and Monasteries to the great enlargement of the Service of God and conuersion of manie soules 24. Moreouer no smal number of them passed into Armenia in the yeare One thousand three hundred thirtie two The chiefe man among them was Gonsales Saâ—rata a man very learned and one that hath much benefitted that Countrey both by his seruent preaching by translating manie of our bookes into their language And about the same time we finde that one Paschalâ—â— trauelled in the couersion of the Medes and one Gentilis among the Persians The former writeth in an epistle which is yet extant that the people of the Countrey tempted him at first with diuers presents and offered him manie wiues which and manie other allurements he constantly refusing they fel to iniuries and reproches they twice stoned him and burnt his face and the soales of his feete with fire and yet he was so farre from being danted therewith that he neuer so much as altered his Habit for it nor intermitted his preaching 25. And of Gentilis there is this notable thing recorded that liuing in Babylon and finding himself dul in learning the Arabick language he resolued to returne into Italie But as he was vpon the way there met him a yong man that hauing sifted out the cause of his iourney bad him goe back againe because God would giue him the guift of that tongue and from that houre he spake it as perfectly as if he had been borne in the Countrey 26. Bosna a cittie of Dalmatia was also in those dayes conuerted from Heresie by the meanes of Gerard General of that Order as he had occasion by chance to trauel that way and afterwards sending diuers others thither he wonne also the countrey there abouts it being infected with the same Heresie and brought it within the fould of Christ. 27. Odoricus of 〈◊〉 much about the selfsame time both to shunne the honour which euerie one was forward to giue him and through the burning zeale of Soules got leaue of his Superiour to goe preach to the Infidels where maâ—inâ— his excursions into diuers countreys towards the East and the South in seauenteen yeares which he spent in that noble work he is reported himself alone to haue baptized and instructed twentie thousand Soules 28. 〈◊〉 on the yeare One thousand three hundred and seauentie Wiliam 〈◊〉 being sent to Caraye to preach the Ghospel of Christ carried three-score of his Friars with him And in Hungarie the King hauing lately brought diuers â—ioyning Provinces to his obedience sent eight Franciscan-friars amongst them whos â—ithiâ— the compasse of fiftie dayes brought two hundred thousand to belieue in Christ. The King seing the happie successe wrote earnestly to the General of their Order to send him two thousand of his Friars assuring him they should not want employment The letter which the General wrote back is yet extant wherein he deuoutly and feruently inuiteth his Religious to so withful and glorious an enterprise And among the rest we must not let passe 〈◊〉 Cap stranus who about the yeare One thousand foure hundred and fiftie brought to the bosome of the Church in one excursion twelue thousand Infidels and manie Schismatiks besides 29. We might heer speake of much more that hath been done to the excessiue benefit of the Church both by Other orders and by this our least Societie of IESVS which in Italic and Spaine where Catholick Religion doth remaine incorrupt and flourish laboureth with that fruit which euerie one seeth and knoweth and in France Germanie the Low-countries Poland and in al the Northern parts infected more or lesse with Heresie employeth itself incessantly in strengthning Catholicks instructing the ignorant reducing or conuincing Hereticks by preaching teaching schooles priuate conuersation and by al manner of holesome meanes and wayes At which how much the Diuel is grieued he lately shewed as by certain Relation we haue heard when being vrged by Exorcisines in a possessed person among other things he professed that he hated no kind of people more then the Iesuits 30. But not to be too long we wil instance the matter we haue in hand in two only of two seueral Families by which it wil sufficiently appeare how much the whole Orders may haue benefitted the Church of God seing one man in an Order hath done so much good S. Bernard is one and the good which he hath wrought in the Church of God cannot indeed be valued For in that fearful Schisme which was raised against Pope Innocent the Second he bestirred himself so diligently that we may truly say he was the cause and meanes at last of extinguishing it For he alone brought al France to the Pope's obedience the Sâ—nod of Estamps where al the Bishops of the Realme the King al his Peeres were purposely assembled to that end putting al their voices in him He reconciled King Henrie of England also to the Pope euen against the mind and endeauâ—ur of al the Bishops of the Countrey and afterwards brought in Germanie Then he went to the Councel of â—iâ—a and was not only present at al their meetings and deliberations in the weightiest affaires of Christendome but did in a manner gouerne them al referring themselues to him Againe when the Church â—f â—urdeanâ— was miserably torne by factious people insomuch that is diuâ—rs placeâ— the lawful Bishops were thrust out of their Seas he stirred-vp by the Pope's Nantio Bishâ—p of â—harâ—e quenched al that fire with his eloquence authoritie and miracles After this Roâ—â— being oppressed with publick calamities he was called thither by the often and earnest letters of the Pope and Cardinal and there confuted Roger King of â—â—â—ilie in open disputation and by his counsel wisdome so weakned the partie of the Antipope Peter Leo that being forsaken of al he made a miserable end Peter Abaylard was an Heretick so proude of his learning and eloquence that no man almost could stand against him S. Bernard first in a priuate meeting then publickly in the Councel of Sâ—ns put him to shame Soone after
Gerunda in Portugal Abbot Adaman in Scotland Theodore in England who being a Monk at Rome was sent to Canterburie by Pope Vitalian and was the seauenth Archbishop of that Sea in whose commendation Vencrable Lede speaketh often 5. In the third Age which is to the yeare Eight hundred liued Vencrabâ—e Bâ—de a man sufficiently knowne by his writings and Boniface Apostle of Germanie renowned bâ—th for Sanctitie and Learning After them came Aeâ—â—dus Abbot a Grecian borne who was a great Philosopher a Poet and a rare Physitian and haâ—h left manie things wriâ—ten in Verse of matters of Physick And Alcuâ—â—us maister to Charles the Gâ—eâ—â— and so highly in fauour that he was wâ—nt to cal him his Delight to his wisedome Charles committed the ordering of the Vniuersitie of Paris the forme wherof he brought from Rome He hath written manie things both of his owne inuention and vpon the holie Sepiptures Paulus Diaconus was in esteeme about the same time he that made the Hymâ—e of S. Iohn Baptist and wrote mâ—nie other things wherof part is yet extant 5. In the fourth Age til the yeare Nine hundred Haymo a Monk of Fulda schollar to Alcumus and afterwards Bishop is deseruedly to be ranked among the learnedst of his time he hath written vpon al the Scripture manie things of his owne Rabanus Abbot also of Fulda and Archbishop of Mâ—nts is not inferiour to him his writings alone are able almost to fil a Librarie For when he was but a child when his parents offered him to the Monasterie of Fulda he â—ad profited so farre in Poetrie Philosophie in the Scriptures that he had not his like in al Germanie and perhaps not in the world Angelomus Luxoniensis knowne by his writings and Strabuâ— of Fulda who is sayd to be the Authour of the Glossa Ordinaria compiled out of holie Fathers were next vnto him in time and learning 6. In the fift Age from the yeare Nine hundred to One thousand Odo Abbot of Clunâ— is coÌ„mended for his knowledge in Diuine human learning Heriger Abbot of Lob hath the name of a learned man not only in France but in Italie and Germanie Ratheriuâ— also a Mâ—nk of Lob Bishop of Verona a man rare for simplicitie ioyned with deepe learning manie others but among them none is more famous then Rapâ—e a Monk of Fulda of whome the whole Church of God had so great an opinion that thinking none comparable to him for Philosophie or Diuinitie al the â—ard Questions were sent him from al parts of the world 7. The sixt Age was yet much more fruitful of such wits and among them besides manie others whose names are extant we may reckon Marianus Scotus who liued shut-vp in a Celle at Fulda eleuen yeares togeather and fifteen yeares at Mâ—nâ—z in which time of his retiremeÌ„t he wrote his Chronicle from the beginning of the world to his dayes and was much respected by al for his learning anâ— much more for his sanctitie 8. About the same time Lanfranck was held to be the learnedst of his Age in Logick and Philosophie and the Light and Maister of Diuines It is reported of him that going from Pama where he was borne and had read with great applause into France he fel into the hands of theeues that robbed him and carried him away which he took so impatiently at first that reflecting vpon it afterwards he much condemned himself for it because hauing spent so much time in the studie of holie Scriptures he had not learned to prayse God in aduersiâ—ie and presently he made a Vow that if he escaped their hands he would betake himself to the seruice of God Being set free he came to the Monasterie of Bâ—â—k there liued for a while vnknowne as if he had been an Idiot without anie learning at al til some Italian marchants coming thither discouered what he was Then he was put to reade in his owne Monasterie and afterwards was promoted to the Archbishoprick of Canterburie by the Pope's Holines Anseimâ— was his schollar and successour in his Chaire first at Beek then in the Archbishoprick of Canterburie and resembled him in al things The books which are yet extant of his writing shew sufficiently his learning so that we shal not neede to say anie moâ—e of â—im 9. Next vnto these we may reckon the two Cardinals that liued at the same time to wit Humbert a Monk of Toul whom Leo the Ninth made Cardinal for the rare learning and vertue which was in him and sent him to Constantinople to suppresse the audaciousnes of an other Leo Bishop of the Bulgarians and Petrus Damianus whose learning and eloquence is to this day testifyed by his writings his sanctitie appeareth in that hauing been a long time Cardinal and Bishop of Hostia wearie at last of that kind of life he withdrew himself as S. Gregorie Nazianzen had done before him to his former Monastical course and yealded reasons therof in writing 10. Finally to let passe others Hermannus Contractus was a great man in those dayes and his learning was the more memorable because he had it by miracle This we find written of him He was descended of a noble Count of Swedland and was crooked and lame from his infancie which gaue him the surname of Contractus Entring to be a Monk he besought our Blessed Ladie very earnestly that she would be pleased to cure him of his infirmitie She appearing vnto him in broad day-light bad him choose whether he would be freed of his lamenes and remaine vnlearned as he was or continue with his infirmitie and be eminent in al manner of learning Hermannus choosing this latter as he ought he euer after profited wonderfully in al kind of knowledge and it is thought that he had not his like in manie Ages and particularly he spake Latin Greek and Hebrew as his natural language 11. In the seauenth Age til the yeare One thousand two hundred we find manie very learned men in al kind of Sciences Peter Abbot of Cluni is reckoned amongst the chiefest of them whose books are yet extant and in particular his Book of Wonders and Reuelations that hapned in his time 12. Sigebert Monk of Gemblâ—ux at the same time wrote his Chronicle and other Histories Gratian Monk of Bologne compiled the famous Work called the Decrees out of the Sentences of the holie Fathers and Determinations of Popes which Work was afterwards allowed-of by Pope Eugenius the Third But the famousest of al were Hugo of Saint Victor in Paris and Rupertus Abbot of Tuy The manie Volumes which this latter hath left written doe testifie the eminencie of his learning and the miracle also by which he receaued it For finding himself very dul he earnestly begged of our Blessed Ladie she would vouchsafe to beg of her Sonne that he might vnderstand the Scriptures Our Blessed Ladie appeared vnto
him and tolde him his request was granted and that he should haue so much insight in them that no bodie in that Age should come neere him only that he should not burie his Talent in the ground but carefully traffick with it which certainly he performed abundantly for he neuer after ceased to write and reade In the eighth Age from One thousand two hundred til One thousand three hundred Helman a Monk of Beaâ—uais was very skilful both in holie Scriptures and Secular learning and left manie things written And at the same time Wiliam Abbot of Poictiers was a great Diuine and a great Ciuil-lawyer And Philip Perganius in a Monasterie of Padua was rare both for learning and eloquence and Peter Berchorius a Monk in Paris of whose bookes there is a long Catalogue to be seen 13. From the yeare One thousand three hundred til the yeare One thousand foure hundred we meete also with manie famous men of learning as Lapus Abbot of Saint Minâ—aâ— for Diuinitie and both the Ciuil and Canon law and Peter Boâ—erius Abbot of Auian Doctour of the Canon law and Peter Rogers he that was afterwards Pope knowne by the name of Clement the Sixt a man of great wit and excellent learning and so eloquent that he drew the people in his Sermons to what he would that it can be no wonder if a man so qualifyed was raysed to he highest dignitie in the Church of God 13. The tenth Age til the yeare One thousand fiue hundred besides other raremen reckoneth some that are very eminent in the Canon Law as Henrie Abbot of Nuremberg Iohn Rhode Abbot of â—reuers who did God good seruice in the Councel of Basle Nicolas also he that first was Abbot of Munichen afterwards Archbishop of Palermo and lastly Cardinal He wrote manie Aduises in Law and a Comment vpon the whole bodie of the Canon law the authoritie whereof is to this day so great that no man is more famous then he 14. Finally in this last Age in which we are we know of manie learned men as Ignatius Abbot in a Monasterie of Florence Iohn Bapâ—â—lla in Parma both of them eminent in Diuine and Secular learning In Spaine we heare of one Paschalis that was publick Reader of Diuinitie in Salamanâ—a And finally in these our dayes the name of one Gregorie is famous who was Abbot of the great Monasterie of Mantua and afterwards made Cardinal by Paul the Third He is said to haue been skilful in al Sciences that he spake Latin and Greek both readily and eloquently And as he lay on his death bed it is reported of him that he spake thus to him that wayted in his chamber Behold we haue been Cardinal thus manie yeares what becomes now of this honour How much better had it been to haue dyed in Religion where my soule had been in lesse danger 15. These were Monks few in comparison of them I might name In other Religious Orders Learning hath flourished more because their endeauours haue been directed to the help of others who cannot be holpen without learning And it is a thing worthie of admiration to see how plentifully al Orders haue been stored with rare wits and men of great learning But because these Orders are of later standing and consequently the subiects of them more knowne we wil passe them ouer cursorily and only name them 16. First therefore what rare men haue the Dominicans had Albertus Magnus Heruous Durand Hugo Cardinal who hath written learnedly vpon al Scripture Raymund he that according to S. Antonine ordered the Decretals by appointment of Pope Gregorie S. Antonine himself a man rare for learning and sanctitie Capreolus Petrus Tarantasius he that afterwards was Pope by the name of Innocent the Fift Petrus Paludanus Chrysostomus Ianellius Ferrara both the Sotus two Cardinals to wit Torquemada and Caietan and manie more whom it were to long a busines to rehearse But he that among them al cannot be omitted and of whom we haue special reason to speake apart as the chief of them al is S. Thomas whose profoundnes perspicuitie abundance of knowledge who can extol as he deserueth And besides these who are al of them knowne by their writings who is able to reckon al them that haue laboured profitably in the Church of God in euerie Age to the great benefit of their Neighbour by teaching schooles determining doubts deliuering their opinions in seueral occasions and haue liued with great commendation of al men the number of them is so infinit 17. The Franciscans began somewhat later and not so generally at first to giue themselues to Learning For their Founder S. Francis hauing receaued the wisedome and knowledge which he had rather from heauen then got it by his owne labour and industrie brought-vp his Friars to the same Yet S. Antonie of Padua coming to his Order with a great deale of learning from the world he permitted him to teach Diuinitie to them of his owne Order and the short Epistle is yet extant in which he giueth him leaue to doe it so that withal he be careful as he speaketh that the occupation of learning extinguish not the spirit of prayer Afterwards vpon this president and also vpon necessitie that they might be able to help their neighbours others among them fel to their studies and profited exceedingly in them For about the yeare One thousand two hundred fourtie fiue Alexander Hales was famous for learning and after him his schollar S. Bonauenture a man ful of knowledge and facil and cleere in his explications And about the yeare One thousand two hundred fourescore and fiue Richard Midleton and Iohn dunskot commonly knowne by the name of Scotus in the yeare One thousand three hundred a man admirably subtile and acute There followed them their schollars Wiliam Ockam a very wittie man and Francis Maâ—ron he that in the Vniuersitie of Paris is stiled the Illuminate Dâ—â—tour About the same time liued Alâ—â—rus Pelagius a Doctour of the Canon and Ciuil Law and of Diuinitie of whom euerie bodie had a great opinion in his life-time but chiefly Pope Iohn the Two and twentieth We may adde Peter Auicolus who by his learning got the Chayre at Aix and Nicolas Lyra a Iew by descent who is famous for his Notes vpon the whole Scripture according to the Literal sense about the yeare One thousand three hundred thirtie of late yeares Alfonsus a Castro Michael Medâ—na Francis Tâ—â—lmaâ— singular in interpreting the holie Scripture and diuers others that are so knowne that it is to no end to name them 18. We may make the like catalogue of men of other Religious Orders for al of them haue been fraught with learned men and some very eminent among them As among the Augustins Aegidius Romanus in the yeare One thousand and fourescore Among the Carmelites Thomas of Walden in the yeare One thousand
appeares by this one thing because euen they that haue giuen-ouer al busines betake themselues to the spiritual rest of Contemplation shal fayle notwithstanding of their dutie if when their Neighbours are in spiritual necessiâ—ie they leaue not their retired thoughts and runne to help them Which argument S. Augustin vseth writing to the Monks of the Iland Capraria exhorting them not to preferre their owne quiet before the necessitie of the Church at whose labour sayth he if no good people would assist themselues would not haue found the way how to come into the world And so we find that those great men among the ancient Fathers often forsooke their solitudes and the deserts in which they had continued manie yeares for this onlie reason as Theodoreâ— in his Booke intitled the Religious historie relateth of Iulian that when the wicked opinion of the Arians began to spreade itself Bishop Acatius drew him from his denne with this perswasion that seing he endured so much to please God the best way to please him was to goe now into the field and to his power rescue the Church that was in danger Christ when he asked Peter thrice whether he loued him bad him also thrice feede his sheepe And God tendering the Saluation of Man-kind so much as he doth expects that al that loue him and desire to be loued by him take this busines to hart And of Eusebius he also telleth how Amâ—anus wonne him to the like busines wishing him to take heed he loued not himself more then God spending his whole time and industrie vpon himself for if he did truly loue God he would labour to bring manie more to loue him 10. Buâ— that which he recounts of Aphraates a very holie man expresses best of al that which we are saying For in the persecution which the Emperour Valens raysed against the Church he came like a good Souldier into the field and put himself of his owne accord into the batail leauing the wildernes in which he had spent great part of his life And on a time meeting the Tyrant and being challenged by him what he did among men being a Monk he answered vndantedly in these words Tel me ô Emperour If I were a mayde retired in my closet for modestie sake and should see my father's house al on a burning fire were it fitting for me to sit idly beholding the flame And if I should doe so I should also be consumed by the fire And if thou think it commeÌ„dable for such an one to runne out and carrie water labour by al meanes to quench the fire it is that which thou seest me doing thou hast set the House of God on fire who is most truly our Father and I doe what I can to quench it Thus spake Aphraates in those dayes and ours are not much better but are pestered with as much infection now brought-in by Satan as was then by Valens So that the Religious Orders which now are in great number and oppose themselues to his furie do benefit the Church exceedingly and deserue great commendation and honour for it Religion is a perfect Common-wealth CHAP. XXXV HItherto for the most part we haue discoursed of the dignitie which euerie Religious man purchaseth to himself by his vertue which vertue notwithstanding Religion itself abundantly giueth occasion and meanes to purchase Now we wil consider what beautie and excellencie is in the whole bodie of Religion For it cannot be that God should so liberally bestow his graces vpon euerie part therof and leaue the bodie neglected the good of the whole being as Aristotle speaketh more diuine Therefore we wil shew that Religious Orders are a most perfect Common-wealth within themselues And I insist the rather vpon it because manie ancient Philosophers hauing strayned their wits to set downe some absolute forme of good solid and perfect gouerment not to the end to bring it to effect and put it in practise but only to draw such a thing in conceit and leaue the forme therof in their writings could neuer bring it to so much perfection as we see practised in Religious Orders but that which they discourse-of in their bookes comes farre short of what by the goodnes of God we possesse 2. First therefore to euerie man there belongeth two kinds of life a natural life consisting of bodie and soule vnited and a supernatural life infused by Grace and other celestial habits and consequently there be two sorts of Communication amongst men one in natural another in supernatural things and that which necessarily followeth two Common-wealths For as S. Augustin telleth vs a Common-wealth is nothing els but a companie of men linked togeather by some common bond of societie So that the nobler and the more excellent the bond is in which men agree it being the ground of al Communities and Common-wealths the more noble also and more excellent is the Communitie and Common-wealth as the Common-wealth of the Romans contayning the gouerment of the whole world must needs be more maiestical then a Common-wealth of pesants or trades-men if anie such be This our Common-wealth therefore doth in this one thing farre surpasse al CoÌ„mon-wealths that euer were or could be desired or proiected by the Philosophers because the good which is intended in worldlie Common-wealths is earthlie and humane the good which is in ours is Heauenlie and Diuine and consequently surpasseth al other more then anie man can conceaue 3. Another thing wherin our Common-wealth excelleth is this Citties as Aristotle acknowledgeth are not erected for people only to liue in for so as he obserueth there might be a cittie of beasts because they must liue nor only for defence against enemies nor for traffick because so al Confederats should make but one Cittie The cause therefore why Citties are built is to liue honestly and wel in them For if euerie one that gouerneth himself by Reason doe th 〈…〉 doth for some good end a Cittie also which is a thing much more noble then euerie priuate man by himself must intend that which is the best and greatest good which is vertue and honestie This is Aristotle's discourse To what Common-wealth therefore if Aristotle himself were aliue to iudge doth al this agree more properly then to Religion the end of it being nothing but Vertue hauing so manie easie wayes to attaine vnto it specially that being also true which he obserueth that where Vertue is not respected and honoured aboue al other things the best state that is cannot long endure For where shal we find one Common-wealth among those of this world where power and wealth and nobilitie and fauour doe not beare the sway But in Religion vertue doth not only vsually but almost necessarily rule al because they haue reiected al earthlie things the glorie wherof doth so much dazle peoples eyes finding also one thing more in it which the Philosopher in another place doth make a great matter
thing and consequently also the knowledge of it rather then that which is in a changeable thing and itself is changeable such as are al things pertayning to the oeconomic of the bodie Wherefore if it be a delightful thing to be filled with that which is sutable to our nature the more solid the things be and the more truly we are filled with them the more true and more natural pleasure it must needs be which we enioy by them And thus it fareth with vs when our mind is filled Wherefore people that are voide of vertue and giuen to their bellie and the like neuer tast the least parcel of true and solid pleasure but as beasts haue their eyes alwaies vpon the ground and spend their time in doing homage to their bellies and fight with one another with their heeles and with their hornes and with their nayles for those base and abiect things And so the pleasures which they follow must needes be mingled with manie sorrowes and are indeede but pictures and shadowes of true pleasure as the Poet Stesichorus sayd of the Troians that not knowing at al the true Helene they fought only for the imagination of her Al this is Plato his discourse That true content of mind is only in God CHAP. II. HAuing proued that true contentment is only to be had in the pleasures of the Mind it remaineth to consider wherein the Mind itself doth take most contentment which is easie for a Christian to determine and not farre to seeke because euerie Christian knoweth and doth most certainly belieue that GOD alone is the true food and true life of a Soule And it is so cleare and euident besides that the best learned Philosophers among the Heathens could think no other For Aristotle discoursing at large of Beatitude wherin al pleasures are in their height concludeth at last that it consisteth in the knowledge and contemplation of GOD and of Minds as he calles them abstracted from the bodie and free from al composition in regard that the function of the Vnderstanding in Man is the sweetest and pleasantest of al others and compleat within itself and so farre from standing in need of anie outward thing that they rather hinder a man that desires to giue himself to Contemplation And wheras we must necessarily acknowledge that God and those spiritual Intelligences are alwaies in some action or other for no man can think that they are so dul as to be idle and as it were asleepe the noblest action which we can giue them is to be alwaies in perpetual Contemplation and consequently men vpon earth that giue themselues to such a kind of life take the perfectest course that can be thought of and most like to God This is the discourse of a man that wanted the light of the Euangelical truth what therefore ought we to think or say in this busines 2. Let vs heare a Christian Philosopher speake S. Augustin beholding this thing farre more clearly and more particularly in the light then Aristotle could doe in the dark sayth thus O soule seeke thy owne good For one thing is good for one an other for another and euerie creature hath a good by itself the good of the integritie belonging vnto it the good of the perfection which is natural vnto it and there is a great deale of difference in that which is necessarie for the perfection of euerie thing Seeke thy owne good No-bodie is good but GOD alone the Soueraigne Good that is thy good What doth he want that hath the Soueraigne Good for his good There be inferiour goods which are good to this thing and that thing What is the good of a beast but to fil his bellie to want nothing to sleepe to play to liue to be in health to attend to generation Dost thou seek such a good Co-heyre of Christ wherin dost thou reioyce in that thou art a companion to beasts Rayse thy hope to the Good of al goods Where you see S. Augustin layes the likenes of a beast to them that like beasts know no other good no other delight but that which is confined within the bounds of Sense and giueth vs to vnderstand moreouer that such a kind of perswasion is so much the more vnworthie because al men are created with a possibilitie to be Heyres of God and Co-heyres of Christ that is such as may be stiled and truly be the sonnes of God He sayth also that meate drink and sleepe and other more vnworthie things are not the good of a Soule but only God because that is the good of euerie thing as he sayth by which the thing is perfected made better wheras these inferiour things doe not perfect a Soule but rather make it worse because they draw it frō higher things for which it was created make it stoop to base and earthlie things by the loue and vse wherof it comes to be defiled 3. Another ground of that of which we are speaking is this It is certain and it cānot be denyed that as al other creatures haue their appointed ends so Man much more hath some end prefixed at which he doth ayme otherwise so excellent a nature as his is should want so great a good of which al other goods doe in a manner depend This end of Human nature at which al doe ayme is Happines and no other Happines but GOD which S. Thomas proueth because the good wherin we place our happines must be so great a good that it may fil our desire absolutely satisfye it to the ful For it cannot be sayd to be our last end if there remayne anie thing further to be desired Seing therefore the obiect of the wil of Man is al Good the obiect of his reason vnderstāding al Truth nothing can absolutely satisfye two Powers so capacious but an vniuersal Entitie which also is an vniuersal Good which cānot be found among creatures because the nature and goodnes of al creatures is limited and confined GOD therefore is the onlie felicitie of man in whom al things are infinit 4. S. Augustin hath a learned and elaborate discourse to the same effect in the Booke which he wrote of the Manners of the Church He sayth that euerie bodie doth naturally desire to be happie that three things are required to Happines First that the thing wherin we place our happines be the best secōdly that we loue it thirdly that we possesse it For a man that desireth that which he cannot compasse is vexed with it a man that cōpasseth that which is not to be desired is deceaued in the busines and he that desireth not that which is to be sought after is in an il disposition Then he sayth further that that which is best for man cānot be worse or lesse then man himself for whosoeuer seekes after that which is worse then himself makes himself worse then he was before therefore that only can be best for man which
by some things by fâ—re meanes and some by fowle When he hath his desire by possessing the thinâ—s desired then another grief vexeth him he is sollicitous and feareful how he may keepe that which he knowes he purchased with a great deale of labour He is iealous or euerie bodie and suspicious of deceipt fearing that he may suffer by another that which he did to others If he see a man more powerful then himself he feares he may oppresse him If he see a poore man he suspects him for a theef and it is no smal care which he hath least the things themselues which he hath gathered waste of their owne nature and by want of looking-to and in al things feare itself being a torment he miserably suffers whatsoeuer he feares he may suffer Thus spake S. Gregorie very truly iudiciously obseruing that though there were no danger from abroad to be feared that which is intrinsecal and in-bred in the verie nature of euerie temporal thing can neuer be wanting to wit that things of themselues grow old and go to decay and cannot be preserued without excessiue care but are like a house that is continually panching vnlesse a man be alwaies vnderpropping and bolstering it vp and haue his eye and care perpetually vpon it And consequently the more wealth we heape togeather the more we encrease with payne and sollicitude and the verie sollicitude and labour about it bereaues vs quite of the ioy which is imagined in it It is therefore no smal happines and comfort to be free from so manie vexations specially about things which in themselues are so base and indeed vnprofitable 3. Secular people themselues and the greatest louers of worldlie wealth among them confesse that to be rich is ful of trouble but wil needs perswade vs that the trouble is abundantly recompensed by the manie commodities and pleasures which wealth doth bring with it Let vs therefore see what kind of compensation this is If we looke into the grounds of Nature as we ought whatsoeuer is in the world was made for the maintenance of man to furnish him with meate drink cloath house-roome and the like As for money the vse of it of itself is impertinent to this purpose but was introduced meerely for the easier exchange of things necessarie for sustenance that as Aristotle obserueth he that hath plentie of one thing might with his money purchase some others which he hath not So that money being a bare instrument for the getting of necessaries and as it were a supply where they are wanting it must needs follow that there can be no other end or vse of hauing it then that for which we vse al other natural things to wit for our bodilie sustenance that which is beyond this is disordered and superfluous and vnprofitable and in verie deed a burden For Nature is content with a few ordinarie things and if we wil follow the rule and exigent and measure which Nature prescribes it wil be very easie not only to bring the desires therof within compasse and furnish the necessities of it but to satisfye it and as I may say to glut it In witnes wherof I shal not need to bring a Simeon Stylâ—â—es or Arsenius or some Macarius whose liues may perhaps seeme too-too ausâ—ere and rigid to imitate but we wil heare what a Heathen Philosopher discourseth aduisedly to this purpose and very truly I wil not haue you sayth he denye Nature anie thing It is stubborne and cannot be ouercome but wil haue his owne But yet know that whatsoeuer is ouer and aboue nature is of courtesie and not necessarie I am hungrie I must eate but whether the bread which I eate be coorse or fine belongeth not to nature Nature desires the bellie may be filled not that it be pleased I am thirstie Nature regardeth not whether the water which I drink be taken out of the next pond or passed through a great deale of snow to temper it with a forraine coolnes Nature requireth only that my thirst be quenched It importeth not whether I drink in a cuppe of gold or crystal or glasse or in the hollow of my hand If hunger cal vpon me I reach to that which is next at hand Hunger giues a relish to anie thing that I lay hands on He that is hungrie refuseth nothing 4. S. Hierome in his second Booke against Iouinian speaketh to the same effect in these words And that which a man may iustly wonder at Epicure the chief vpholder of Pleasure filleth al his bookes with hearbes and fruits and teacheth a man to liue vpon grosse meates because it is an excessiue trouble and miserie to prouide flesh and curious fare and the care of prouiding it ouerswayeth the pleasure which is in feeding largely vpon it wheras our bodie requires barely meat and drink and it is not possible to attend to the studie of wisedome and busie our thoughts with a table wel-furnished and with the trouble and care of prouiding it The necessities of Nature may be supplyed with anie kind of meate Cold and hunger are driuen away with ordinarie food and cloathing Whervpon the Apostle sayth Hauing food and cloathing let vs be content therewith Daynties and choice of curious dishes are nourishers of auarice It is an excessiue comfort to a Soule to be contented with a little and treade the world vnder foot to exchange the power and daynties and pleasures therof for which riches are so greedily sought after with coorse fare and a poore garment and think itself wel rewarded with it Take away excesse of bancketting and lust and no man wil seeke to be rich Behold how S. Hierome teacheth vs to make Pouertie sweet by rooting-out the desire of delicacies and disorder 5. And seing the cause of Pouertie dependeth vpon this string it wil not be amisse to consider how little these earthlie daynties are to be esteemed or rather how ful they are of gal and bitternes seeme they neuer so sweet and sauourie to Sense S. Iohn Chrysostome in the Booke which he wrote of Virginitie hath a large and eloquent discourse of this subiect wherin he sheweth that abundance of good meat and drink brings surfits choliks shortnes of breath gyddines of the head and diuers other troublesome affections presently and in time the gowte hectick feauers falling-sicknes palsey and the like diseases which are so intollerable that so smal and so short a pleasure as is the pleasing of our palate cannot in anie reason be bought at so deare a rate Frugalitie on the other side brings health and preserues it and is not subiect to those mischiefs wherof anie one is able to dead al the pleasure which can be apprehended in them And he proueth further that though none of these euils were to be feared there is yet more pleasure in Pouertie then in riches which indeed is contrarie to the common apprehension yet both heer and in another Homilie of his he layeth
telles vs that they signifie foure Vertues wherewith while our hart is watered the heate of al carnal desires is alayed 4. Let vs see how that agreeth to Religion which God sayd of Man It is not good for man to be alone let vs make him a help like to himself What doth this signify but the help which euerie one findes in the companie of his Brethren for the benefit of his owne soule and for the more profitable assistance of his Neighbour Certainly it is not good for a man that desiâ—eth vertue to be alone rather it is dangerous and hurtful both because it is more easie for the Diuel to supplant him and himself is more apt to be wearied with the labour 〈◊〉 vertuous course of life a man cannot but want sometimes good counsel and good example Great therefore is the help which Conuersation with our Brethren doth yeald vs and is more like ourselues then the help which was made for Adam because that was only like in nature heer the Sexe is the same and our habit and orders and al things els are alâ—ke 5. If we looke also into the inward disposition of mind in which our first Father was at the time of his creation we shal find no smal resemblance of it in Religion S. Ioâ—n Chrysostome discoursing of the happines of Monks and comparing them with Adam while he liued in Paradise expresseth it in these words Wâ—y should these be in worse case then he when before his disobedience he was busied in working in Paradise He was troubled with no worldlie care no more are these He conuersed with God with an vpright conscience and so doe these and so much the more freely by how much they haue greater grace bestowed vpon them by the guift of the Holie-Ghost 6. Finally S. Bernard discoursing of the delights of this Paradise sheweth withal the way and meanes which we must take to come vnto it and it is reason we should learne of him Do not think sayth he that this Paradise of inward pleasure is anie corporal place We must not walk with our feete into this garden but with our affections It is not commended for store of earthlie trees but for the pleasant and comelie plants of spiritual vertues It is a Garden enclosed where a sealed fountaine is deriued into foure branches and one veyne of wisdome spreads itself into foure seueral vertues There beautiful lillies spring forth and when the flowers appeare the voice of the Turtle-doue is heard There the Spikenard yealdeth the Spouse a most fragrant smel and al other spices abound while the South-wind bloweth the North-wind is shut out In the midst is the Tree of Life the Apple-tree mentioned in the Canticles more precious then al the trees of the woods the shade wherof cooleth the Spouse and the fruit is sweet in her throat There the brightnes of Continencie and the knowledge of sincere truth enlightneth the eyes of our hart the melodious voice of the inward CoÌ„forter giueth ioy and gladnes to our hearing There the pleasant Sent of a fruitful field which God hath blessed doth as it were beate into the nostrels of our Hâ—pe There we haue a tast of the incomparable daynties of Charitie and eate greedily of them and the thornes and brambles wherewith it was pricked before being now cut downe and our soule annoynted with the oyle of Mercie it reposeth happily in a good Conscience And al these things are not reckoned among the rewards of the life to come but are part of our hire in this temporal warfare and belâ—ng not to the future but rather to the promise of the Church which now is For this is the Hundred-fold which euen in this world is bestowed vpon those that contemne the world These are the words of S. Bernard the bare rehearsal wherof whom should is not in reason moue to labour for so great blessings and to resolue for euer to liue where there is such plentie of happines 7. And yet we haue no great cause to wonder that Religion should be so like the terrestrial Paradise seing it is like to Heauen itself which is in farre greater honour For indeed if we looke wel into the nature of a Religious life it is a liuelie patterne of that happie and blisseful habitation and resembleth it in al points as neer as possibly the liuing in this world can come neere vnto it And because I wil not haue anie man think that I speake this of my owne head S. LaureÌ„ce Iustinian shal speake for me who hath a long eloquent discourse to this purpose in the booke which he wrote of Monastical perfection and among other things he sayth thus in expresse words In al human things and in this pilgrimage of ours there is no such liuelie picture of our heauenlie Countrey as is Monastical conuersation and a Congregation dedicated to the seruice of God And then confirmeth this his 〈◊〉 with manie solid euident proofes which whosoeuer wil may reade in him And â— Basil was directly of the same opinion for hauing made a long discâ—â—â—se of the excellencie of a Religious life in the end he concludes that vpon earth there is not anie thing so great or so beautiful as to deserue to be compared with it and that therefore we must seeke to heauen to haue a likenes of it because as in heauen al things are incorruptible so also among Religious people and as the Cittizens of heauen loue intirely togeather so doe Religious people 8. The first reason therefore of similitude between Heauen and Religion if we follow S. Basil is Incorruption that is Chastitie because as in heauen they neither marrie nor are giuen in marriage according to the saying of our Sauiour so neither in Religion The second reason is Charitie and that perfect loue and vnion which is betwixt those happie Saints of heauen grounded not in nature or anie natural inclination or motiue but in God alone and his onlie loue And what is there vpon earth that doth more perfectly resemble this loue then Religion where people do so absolutely concurre in the self-same mind and opinions and haue al manner of things so common among them and loue so entirely togeather that as I haue often sayd must often repeate it they seeme not to be manie soules but one soule in manie bodies knit and vnited togeather not for natural reasons or human respects and ends as marchants soldiers and the like but meerely vpon Charitie meerely for the loue of God This Charitie as the Apostle speaketh neuer sayling shal last with vs in heauen and be the self-same there which is heer vpon earth and consequently while we are on earth it liuely representeth the state which we shal inioy in heauen S. Iohn Chrysostom speaking in commendation of Religious people doth not stick to say that they haue made choyce of a heauenlie kind of life and are not
freedome may at al times and at al howers assist al kind of people and haue no bodie to hinder them no bodie to forbid them no bodie to interrupt them so that wheras both of them may be compared to hounds that are â—aâ—er vpon the sight or sent of the game the Religious are as it were in leash and at the command of others Secular people runne at large instantly make after the game without anie stop or stay Let vs therefore consider how little force these arguments haue to weaken so great a Counsel of Perfection 2. And first we must vnderstand that Charitie as great a vertue as it is must be ordered insomuch that if it be not duly ordered it is not Charitie but some other affection that putteth-on the maske of Charitie Order consisteth chiefly in this that in matter of Spirit and in things which concerne the grace of God and our soules saluation euerie one be first careful of himself preferre his owne spiritual benefit and profit before the good of whomsoeuer of our Neighbours and so God commandeth vs to doe Which al Diuines with one consent deliuer as a certain truth and S. Thomas in particular proueth it by this solid substantial argument Bâ—cause Charitie sayth he is grounded in the communication of goods that are spiritual but after God who is the foundation of al euerie one is neerest to himself and must make account to be first in the participation of this good for we loue our Neighbours as our companions in that participation and consequently as Vnitie is to be preferred before Vnion so that a man enioyeth such a goâ—d is a neerer and dearer ground of loue then that an other is his companion in the enioyning of it And vpon the same ground it followeth also truly necessarily that the habit of Charitie cannot incline a man I doe not say to commit the least sinne but not so much as to abide the least losse or impayring of Charitie for an other man whosoeuer he be no not though it were to saue the whole world no more then fire can issue out of ice which also almost al Diuines agree in 3. If therefore we allow of this it cannot on the other side be denyed or anie way doubted of but that a Religious course of life is without coÌ„parison the most absolute course of our owne perfection and farre more apt to furnish our owne soules with vertue then anie Secular state whatsoeuer it must necessarily follow that though some particular state in the world might be more beneficial to our Neighbour yet the benefit of our owne soules is to be preferred before the benefit which might be deriued to others Our Sauiour deliuereth it in these expresse words What doth 〈◊〉 it auayle a man if he gayne the whole world and suffer detriment of his owne soule And because we should not think that his words are to be vnderstood only of temporal gayne S. Bernard doth directly apply them to this spiritual benefit of our Neighbour which we speake of and in his book of Consideration writeth thus If thou wilt be wholy entrie bodie 's after the example of him that was made al to al I commend thy fâ—ee naâ—uâ—e but vpon condition it be ful And how shal it be ful if thou shut-out thyselfâ— for thou art also a man Therefore that thy courtesie may be fal mine let the bosome chose me which receaueth al embrace thyself within itself Otherwise what auayleth it thee according to the word of our Lord if thou gayne al leese thyself aloâ—â— he repeateth the like saying in his second Booke amoÌ„g other things coÌ„cludeth pleasantly with these words In the purchase of saluation no man is neerer of kin vnto thee then the onlie sonne of thy mother 4. Now the ground of the contrarie partie draweth these two inconueniences with it First that while they liue in the world vpon what cause soeuer they remayne in it they lye open to al occasions and dangers of sinne as much almost as anie Secular people for sayling the self-same seas they must needs be tossed with the self-same waues of these present allurements baytes of honour riches and beautie beating continually vpon their eyes thoughts that it is very hard and a rare thing alwayes to resist so to resist as alwayes to goe away with the victorie This is the first inconuenience which they runne themselues vpon The other is that though we should grant them the victorie in al these assaults yet they cannot but suffer lâ—sse detriment in matter of vertue perfection because they depriue themselues of voluntarie Pouertie Obedience other such vnspeakable treasures which are ordinarie in Religion as I may say common to euerie ordinarie bodie And what follie is it to wayte vpon others gaynes with so much losse of our owne Wherefore we ought rather to harken to the counsel of the Holie-Ghost haue it alwayes before our eyes aduising vs in this manner Recouer thy neighbour according to thy vertue and take heed to thyself that thou fal not in that is thou fayle not for he that salleth both hurteth himself cannot help them to rise that are fallen 5. We shal doe wel also to cal to mind the Parable of the Virgins whom our Sauiour so much commendeth in the Ghospel for their wisdome in that when the other Virgins beâ—ged oyle of them they answered Least perhaps it suffise not for vs you 〈◊〉 rather to them that sel buy for yourselues Which saying S. Bernard vpon the Canticles applyeth to this which we haue in hand among manie other reflections which he makes vpon it he falleth also vpon that which we spake of before that it is not true Charitie for a man to desire to benefit others with his owne losse because charitie as he speaketh wâ—â— abound in itself that it may haue abundance for others It reserueth to itself as much as it wants that no man may want Otherwise if it be not ful it is not perfect And againe I make account that in matter of Saluation no degree of compassion is to be preferred before that degree which the Wiseman setteth downe saying Haue mercie of hy owne soule pleasing God 6. And thus much vpon supposition that though a Secular life could be more apt to doe good vpon others yet Religion were to be preferred because in Religion we may reape more benefit to ourselues What if we adde now that â—eligion is farre more able and sufficient and proper to doe good vpon others But it is so certain and euident that we shal not need to stand long vpon proof of it besides that in the second Booke of this Treatise we haue playnly con uinced it discoursing of the manifold helps which a Religious staâ—e afforde 〈…〉 good of â—ur Neighbour the summe whereof iâ— this that God only 〈◊〉
highly commendeth the two brethren that vpon reading the Life of S. Anthonie were so hot vpon imitating him that at the self-same instant and in the self-same place when they had read it they consecrated themselues to the seruice of God And vpon the same groundsels-where he exhorteth al in this maÌ„ner Behold the Giuer of mercie openeth the gaâ—e vnto thee What dost thou stay for Thou shouldst be glad if he should open vnto thee at anie time vpon thy knocking Thou didst not knock he openeth dost thou remaine stil without O differre not The holie Scripture sayth in a certain place of the works of mercie Doe not say goe and come againe tomorrow I wâ—l giue when thou canst presently doe wel for thou knowest not what may happen the day following Thou hast heard the commandment of net differring to be merciful towards another art thou cruel towards thyself by delayes Giue almes to thy owne soule We doe not say thou shouldst giue it anie thing but doe not put aside the hand of him that giueth 11. S. Anselme also sayth excellently wel to the same purpose in one of his Epistles Make hast to so great a good because thou canst not by anie other good more effectually come to the Soueraigne Good I haue seen manie that haue promised then differred whom death so preuented that they could neither dispatch that in which they had engaged themselues nor begin that for which they had passed their promise And againe He that differreth til the time to come perhaps til the time that wil neuer come to reforme his life leaueth vndoubtedly a certain good and contemning that which he leeseth he sheweth that he loueth not that which he expecteth and deserueth not to haue it â—2 The Iudgement of S. Thomas in this point being so great a Diuine as he was is not a little to be regarded He therefore both in one of his Opuscles in his Summe of Diuinitie proposing this question whether long deâ—iberation vpon this counsel be commendable proueth that which we are saying by manie weightie reasons that we must obey God in it out of hand and diligently put in execution that which he speaketh vnto vs. Though what doe we stand picking reasons heer and there out of Authours seing we haue the authoritie of the Ghospel for vs We see Peter and Andrew so soone as they were called by our Lord presently obeyed his calling forsaking their nets and their boate The like we reade of Iames and Iohn and in a more difficult and weightie occasion of S. Matthew who besides the general obligations of brethren and kinsfolk set light as S. Chrysâ—stome obserueth by al the human dangers which might haue befallen him from the Princes of the land leauing their seruice before he had cast-vp and made euen his accounts 13. But nothing doth more euidently confirme that which we are saying then that wheras he that was inuited by our Lord to the Apostleship did not refuse it but craued respit for a pious end to burie his father the Diuine Wisedome notwithstanding answered him Follow me leaue the dead to burne their dead Which S. Iohn Chrysostom expoundeth in this manner This he sayd not bidding vs to neglect the loue of our parents but shewing that nothing must seeme more necessarie then the businesses of heauen though the rubs which are cast in our way seeme great necessarie and insuperable This therefore is that which al must think and doe that heare the voice of our Lord calling inuiting and perhaps drawing them And S. Thomas to this purpose doth iudiciously among other things applye and opinion of Aristotle's in his bookes of Morals where putting this questioÌ„ What it is in a soule that first and principally moueth it he answereth that Reason first moueth al other parts and powers of it and that which moueth reason is something better then reason not knowledge or learning for these are not better then it but God and a litle after he addeth that they whom God moueth need not take further aduise vpon the busines because they are led by a better principle then either Reason or Counsel And S. Bernard rarely and eloquently sayth thus How manie doth the accursed wisedome of the world supplant and extinguish the spirit conceaued in them which our Lord would haue vehemently enkindled Doe nothing saith it rashly take time enough to consider of it looke more diligently into the busines the thing which thou goest about is great and needeth much deliberatioÌ„ Try first what thou shalt be able to doe aduise with thy friends least after thou hast done thou happen to repent it This is the wisedome of the world earthlie sensual diabolical an enemie to saluation a choaker-vp of life mother of tepiditie which is wont to prouoke God to vomit It sayth looke to thy self And wherefore what needes there anie consultation seing thou makest no doubt but the word comes from God The Angel of Great Counsel calleth what dost thou wayte for the counsels of others who is more faithful who more wise then he Leade me ô Lord and I shal be led be thou more strong and ouercome I know what those things are which ought to be done quickly I am saued from the mouth of the pit of hel and shal I seeke respit and hold back and delay to be gone if perhaps something may be effected in the meane time I did hide fire in my bosome and hauing burnt my side and my verie bowels lying naked and the corruption running downe shal I stand deliberating whether I shal awake whether I shal shake it off whether I shal cast it from me A great matter in verie deed is offered me so much therefore the more willingly and the more speedily is it to be admitted of and embraced with open armes with feruour and ioy Let him proue himself that confideth in his owne strength for the strength of God is already sufficiently proued Let him aduise with his friends that hath not read The enemies of man are his domesticals Why doth he that obeyeth not the Ghospel vse the Ghospel so often For there certainly we reade that to one that promised to follow our Lord but desired first to burie his dead father it was answered by our Lord that he should suffer the dead to burie their dead and to another that asked only that he might bid them farewel that were at home he sayd No man putting his hand to the plough and looking back is apt for the kingdome of heauen Al this of S. Bernard 14. Moreouer the better to breake with the delayes which the Diuel puts in our head we shal doe wel to think first that as S. Thomas aduiseth seing al the treasures of wisdome and knowledge of God are hidden in Christ we offer him wrong when hauing had his counsel we goe afterwards to take the aduise of anie mortal man Secondly that
which is that which we now speak of and the affront is in a manner alike to breake friendship and to refuse to be friends when friendship is offered as there is not much difference in the disobedience when a man leaues to doe his Prince's wil after he hath begunne to doe it and when he resolues neuer to begin And consequently as there we shewed how God doth in a manner alwayes manifest his high displeasure against the first that forsake him the like we may expect and make account of in this And that which we read in the Psalme doth iustly and in verie truth fal vpon them that because they would not blessing it shal be set farre from them and because they loued malediction it shal befal them and shal be put vpon them like a garment and enter like water into their inner parts and as oyle into their bones That also which the Iustice of God threatneth in the booke of Wisedome is fulfilled in them I called and you refused I held out my hand and there was not he that would looke you despised al my counsel and neglected al my rebukes What punishment therefore belongeth to such a fault It followeth I also wil laugh in your dectruction and scorne when that shal happen which you feared 25. The effect of which rigorous denunciation appeareth in that which S. Antonine recordeth of one that had made a vow to be a Franciscan-Friar but afterwards changing his mind became a Prebend and not manie moneths passed but he fel deadly sick and being put in mind by them that belonged vnto him to think of setting his soule in order by a good Confession he answered There was no need because shewed vnto him that he was damned therefore they should trouble him no more because he could not Confesse For our Lord sayth he appeared vnto me very angrie saying I called thee and thou refusedst therefore get the gone to the torments of Hel and with that he gaue vp the ghost A woeful and most lamentable end 26. With another in like danger it fel out better For hauing had a purpose while he was a yong man to enter among the Monks of the Cistertian Order and yet he had made no vow differing it from day to day he grew cold in it and returning home from a pilgrimage which he had made to Compostella that verie night our Sauior appeared vnto him with his two Apostles S. Peter and S. Iames. S. Peter held in hand before our Sauiour a daintie booke open in which the name of the yong man which was Iohn was written our Sauiour therefore sayd to S. Peter Blot this man out of my booke S. Iameâ— began earnestly to beg for him as for a Pilgrim of his and tooke vpon him that the youth should reforme himself The youth seing that the matter concerned himself was in a great agonie and trembling with feare made great promises that he would begin a new life But our Sauiou seeming not to trust him by reason of his former inconstancie asked who would giue his word for him and S. Iames offered himself With which the youth awaking and being much astonished at it yet fel asleepe againe and the same vision appeared the second time vnto him and moreouer he spyed in the booke this instruction out of the Canticles We wil make thee chames of gold enameled with siluer Hartned therefore on the one side with this ioyful promise and frighted on the other with those threats he presently went to Cisteauâ—x where profiting exceedingly in vertue he was created Abbot of Bonavalle and afterwards Bishop of Valence 27. In the Chronicles of the Franciscans we reade that about the yeare 1350. a Schollar of Paris hauing purposed to enter into that Order and gone so farre as to cause his Habit to be made readie altered his mind Not long after in the night he saw as if our Sauiour were sitting on a Throne of great maiestie to iudge whervpon with remorse of conscience he began to crye out Haue mercie vpon me ô Lord and our Sauiour answered I wil haue mercie so as thou performe what thou didst intend And he most willingly promising that he would he was notwithstanding by the Diuel cast into a Copper ful of boyling oyle and pitch and felt himself in such grieuous torment with it as if his flesh had been torne from his bones and awaking with the anguish he instantly with great zeale betooke himself to a Religious life What shal I say of Gerard brother to S. Bernard whose fact was in two respects very memorable For obstinately reiecting the good admonitions which S. Bernard gaue him about forsaking the world as being in the flower of his youth and hot vpon the warres where he had new begun to serue S. Bernard pointing at his side sayd vnto him with a Prophetical spirit The day wil come and that quickly when a speare thrust into this side wil open thy breast to the wholsome counsels to which now it is shut And it hapned so For within few dayes after wounded in that verie place of his bodie and taken by the enemie in a skirmish remembring what his brother had foretold him he cryed out that he was a Monk of Cisteaux They carrie him notwithstanding away and put him in prison where tormented with greef that he could not goe to Ciâ—â—â—auâ— with the rest of his Brethren one day he saw his irons were fallen off and the prison-gates were open and euerie bodie fled that might either haue stayed him or discouered him wherevpon he fled to the next Church and from thence to the Monasterie desirous of thâ—â— holie course and confirmed withal in his desire by so laâ—e and so strange a miracle By which example as I sayd we see both how deere it costs them that resist the Holie-Ghost and how easie al things are to them that resolue to follow his Diuine instinct 28. I cannot omit that which was shewed to the some S. Bernard concerning two of his Companions about the same time For hauing by his exhortations encouraged manie of his brethren and friends and kindred to forsake the world before that holie troope met togeather at Cisleaux he thought one day he saw them al sitting in one roome and euerie one in their turne eating of one kind of dish of meate which was white and wonderful sauourie and while the rest fed vpon it with great contentment two only of the whole companie fasted one of them did not eate at al of it the other eate a litle but presently cast it vp againe The euent shewed the meaning of the vision for one of the number withdrew himself from among them before they brought their purpose to effect the other began with the rest but continued not long and it was particularly obserued that though the man was wel borne and had good friends al forsooke him and he came to great miserie wandring about
of the price of the field Thou hast not lyed to men but to God For if Ananias had been so liberal meerly out of deuotion and out of a forwardnes of a franck disposition wholy free and disobliged neither could he haue been sayd to haue lyed to the Holie-Ghost nor certainly deserued so grieuous punishment 2. Wherefore S. Hierome fayth right wel of that Age The Church of the first Belieuers was such as Monks now adayes desire and endeauour to be that no bodie haue anie thing of his owne none be rich among them none poore they diuide their patrimonie among the poore attend to Prayer Psalmes Doctrine and CoÌ„tinencie such as S. Luke relateth that the first Belieuers were in Hierusalem So that in those verie beginnings they that aspired to this perfect forme of a Religious life were greatly encreased and multiplied liuing also apart from companie of the rest in one certain place among themselues vnder the gouernment and obedience of some one Wherupon Cassian writeth that the life of those that liue in common descendeth from the times of the Apostles preaching when manie out of the loue of Perfection not contenting themselues with that which al did to wit to lay al they had in common but ayming at higher things began to withdraw themselues into more priuate places out of the towne and because they abstained from their wiues and from the companie of their kindred and from al worldlie conuersation they were called Monks by reason of their solitude and Conuentuals by reason of their liuing in common 3. Which perfection rested not only in Hierusalem and Alexandria but spred itself also at that verie time into other parts of the world For we find that in Aethiopia the King's daughter was consecrated to God by S. Matthew Thecla by S. Paul in Greece Domitilla at Rome by S. Clement and in France S. Martha she that was our Sauiour's hostesse after the Ghospel was preached at Marsells is recorded to haue built a Monasterie in a solitarie place retired from the companie of men where togeather with diuers women of worth consecrated to God she lead a most heauenlie life And finally S. Denis a man that liued in that first Age writeth of this kind of Institute as of a thing vsually receaued and practised and by that which he sayth of it he giueth vs to vnderstand not only that it is very ancient but also that euen in those dayes it was highly reuerenced For this reason sayth he our Diuine teachers haue giuen them names which sound of holines some calling them Worshippers others calling them Monks for the sincere worship and seruice which they doe to God and for their solitarie and single life which maketh them One and apt to attaine to Vnion with God and perfection pleasing vnto him by holie coniunction of things diuided And then goeth-on to declare the Ceremonies and Rites anciently vsed in the Consecration of Monks and the reasons and mysteries of them For first he sayth it was the order that the Priest standing before the Altar should say some prayer suitable to the Ceremonie they had in hand and when the prayer was ended turning himself to him that was to be admitted he asked him whether he were indeed resolued to renounce his secular life which as his manner is he calleth a diuided and distracted life because it forceth a man to be sollicitous and troubled about manie things and separate himself from the verie sight of it betaking himself to an other place Then proposing vnto him a most perfect forme of liuing he gaue him to vnderstand that from thence forward he was to surpasse in conuersation both the vulgar and middle sort of men which shewes how perfect this kind of course it seing as he sayth further it is not ranked in the middle rank of them that ayme at Perfection but with the highest and most perfect so that manie things may be done without blame by them that are of the middle sort which Monks are forbidden because their busines is to draw themselues as neere as they can and vnite themselues with God When he that was to be consecrated had promised al this the Priest making the signe of the Crosse vpon him did cut-of his hayre in the name of the Blessed Trinitie and stripping him of his garments gaue him others to put on and himself and others that were present saluting him and giuing him ioy at last he gaue him the Diuine Mysteries that is the holie Communion and most blessed Sacrament 4. This is that which S. Denis relateth and addeth withal the explication of al the Ceremonies For the cutting-of his hayre sayth he did signifie that laying aside al humane and earthlie ornaments and from that time forward despising them he was resolued to seeke to please God by the sole beautie of his soule The changing of his garment betokened the inward change of his hart and mind and withal it was to put him in mind that his life and conuersation was to differ as much from others as his Habit did from anie vulgar weare The saluting him represented that which our Sauiour sayd that ther should be ioy in heauen of one soule conuerted to God for the like ioy and gladnes doth happen also to them that on earth doe endeauour to imitate God Finally the receauing of the sacred Bodie of our Sauiour doth put vs in mind of the end for which such holie courses are taken to wit a most perfect and inward coniunction with that Infinit Sanctitie the fruit of Diuine association which he was to reape by Monastical exercises Thus farre S. Denis And I doubt not but whosoeuer in his hart doth loue a Religious course wil be willing to heare the particulars of the beginnings therof and as it were behold with his eyes how ful of deuotion and feruour they were and it wil not be from our purpose to relate them because they wil much confirme the Antiquitie of Religious Orders which is the point we handle 5. Philo who is sayd to haue liued in the time of S. Peter and to haue spoken with him at Rome shal be our Authour He being as S. Hierome writeth the eloquentest of al the Iewes wrote a booke as it were in prayse of his owne Nation which he intitled Of the Vertues of the Suppliants stiling them so in regard they spent their whole time in supplicatioÌ„s prayer And though the Booke be yet extant and easie to be had I wil notwithstanding cote that which is for my purpose rather out of Eusebius a graue and ancient Historiographer who taketh what he sayth word for word out of Philo and doth moreouer giue vs some more light with apt interpretations which he addeth Fâ—r so we shal vnderstaÌ„d the thing better by the light which he giueth and the authoritie of two such graue writers ioyned togeather wil be the greater Eusebius therefore hauing sayd some-thing before in