Marke and for this reason before I begin any worke I doe seriously offer it to God begging his assistance 22. Actiue liuers had neede in almost all their Actions of moment to frame an Actuall Intention but not so the Contemplatiue vvho are alvvaies habitually vnited to God For such iterations of Actuall intention vvould cause too much distraction to them 23. To Conclude hovv difficult and vneasy soeuer to Nature the attaining to Purity of Intention be because therby the very Soule of Corrupt Nature vvhich is Propriety is rooted out Yet since it is absolutly necessary in an Internall life therfore considering Gods promise that he neuer vvill be vvanting to our Endeauours Soules of good vvills vvill find it neither impossible nor of so great Difficulty as at first it appeared if they vvill attempt it vvith a strong Resolution To quicken fortifie vvhich Resolution I vvill end this Discourse vvith that peircing saying of Harphius O how great and hidden deceits of Corrupt Nature will appeare saith he and be discouered and consequently be seuerely punished after this life for that Soules haue not here bene purified and made Deiforme in their Intentions God Almighty giue vs the grace to discouer novv and reforme this perillous and secret selfe-seeking of Nature to the Glory of his Holy Name AMEN CHAP. V. § 1. 2. Of the Louing of God in our selues other Creatures And how the loue to our selues is to be Ordered § 3. Euen that loue which is Duty in Heaâ—hens c. is defectuous § 4. Wee can not loue others truly meritoriously till wee first loue God § 5. 6. 7. All Affections not proceeding from Charity are to be mortified § 8. All Intellectuall Creatures are the Obiects of our Charity except the damned Soules Deuills § 9. Of the Order of Charity § 10. 11. 12 13. 14. Those are most to be loued euen aboue our selues whom God loues most Yet certaine Duties proceeding from loue as Honour Sustenance Almes c. are first to be extended to Parents Freinds c and specially to our Selues § 15. 16. 17. Further Proofes of this § 18. Whether Beauty c. may be a Motiue of Loue. § 19. 20. 21. 22. Of loue extended to Enemies Who are esteemed Enemies § 23. Great Grace required to practise this Duty aright § 24. 25. Degrees of loue to supposed Enemies And the fruits therof § 26 Of a Speciall kind of loue called Philadelphia or loue of the Fraternity of Beleiuing Holy Christian Catholicks 1. BEFORE Wee end the Subiect of Diuine Loue something is to be said of Loue to our Selues our Neighbours in and for God For as for the loue vvhich out of God vvee beare to our Selues or any others it is not vvorth the treating of as being altogether defectuous and grounded in Nature And the more vehement it is the more defectuous is it 2. The right Ordring therfore of Our loue to our Selues and our Brethren consists in this 1. That the Motiue of our loue must be the Diuine vvill Command 2. The ground therof must be the relation in vvhich vvee stand to God as capable of the Communication of Diuine Graces and Beatitude 3. The End must be to bring our Selues and others either by our Endeauours Exhortaions c. or by our Praiers to God that he may be loued Glorified by vs in the doing of vvhich consists our Perfection Happines 4. Lastly the subiect of this Loue must be the Superiour vvill especially As for tendernesse of nature distracting sollicitudes vnquiet images in the minde touching those vvee loue the best safest course vvould be to mortify diminish them as much as may be as proceeding from a naturall sensuall affection the vvhich as far as it does not flovv from the Superiour soule is not subordinate directed to the loue of God is defectuous 3. Hence appeares First That affections in Persons that are strangers from the true Faith are full of defectuousnesse in all the particular respects before mentioned For though for example the loue vvhich Children ovve to their Parents the affections mutually due betvveene Husbands Wiues c be for the substance according to the Law of Nature right reason consequently so far conformable to the Diuine Will so that the vvant or refusall of such loue the neglect of the Duties Offices required by such relations is a great sin yet there can bâ— no merit either in such loue or the effects of it by reason that it is neither from the Motiue of Diuine Charity nor directed to the Glorifying of God by perfect loue from vvhich all merit proceedeth 4. Secondly it followes from hence that vvee can neither meritoriously loue our selues nor our Brethren till first vvee are firmely rooted in the loue of God because Charity to our selues or others is indeed only loue to God by Reflection or the louing of God in things belonging to him vvhich he either loues or may loue 5. Therfore an Internall liuer ought to mortify all sensuall affection to creatures I meane all particular freindships intimacies vvhich are not grounded vpon the necessary foundation of the Diuine Loue And as for such affections as are necessarily due by vertue of some respects relations that God has put betvveene our selues any others such an one ought as much as may be to roote them out of the sensuall portion of the soule because there they vvill cause great distractions hindrances of our most necessary loue to God 6. A serious care to practise according to this Aduice is very necessary especially in Religious CoÌ„munities both for our ovvne good others For besides that sensuall freindships grounded on externall or sensuall respects are most vnbeseeming Persons that haue consecrated themselues only to God infinitly preiudiciall to abstraction recollectednes of mind much more if they be betweene Persons of different sexes such particular intimatcies cannot chuse but cause particulities factions particular designes c to the great disturbance harme of the Community 7. The least defectuous amongst the grounds of a particular friendship may be the resentment gratitude for benefits especially spirituall ones that haue ben receiued But yet euen in this case also vvee ought to preuent the settling of amity in the sensuall part of the soule content our selues vvith requiting such obligations by our Prayers or by a returne of proportionable benefits 8. Novv Charity is to be extended to all Intellectuall Creatures that is to all Angells all men vvhether aliue or dead except only the reprobate Angells damned soules which are not obiects of our Charity in as much as they are not capable of enioying God vvhich is the ground of Charity And the effects of our Charity to the glorified Saints Angells must be a congratulation vvith them for their happines for the loue vvhich they beare to God vvhich God vvill eternally beare reciprocally to them
in troublesome disquieting Imaginations and Resueries far more distracting then any Conuersations Therfore they or rather their Superiours ought to take a speciall care that such a dangerous humour be not nourished by discontented Retirements at the times vvhen others are conuersing together and that at all other times they should be busied in such kind of employments as should not be apt to nourish sollicitude Such dispositions if Prudently managed may proue proper for contemplation because their thoughts being not easily dissipated they are disposed for Recollection Wheras on the contrary the same Dispositions being neglected and sufferd to follovv the bent of their Natures they vvill be in danger to fall into terrible Extrauagancies 20. S. Teresa in her Foundations hath a particular Discourse containing excellent Aduices hovv Melancholick Spirits are to be managed Saying that they ought not to be dispenced from Mortifications or employments from which they are auerse notwithstanding this frowardnes of their humour Yet withall that the Superiour in his Cariage towards them ought to make it appeare that all that he imposes so on them proceeds from pure charity and not any crossenes or auersion c. CHAP. VIII § 1. 2. 3. Of the Fourth kind of Generall Mortifications viz. Tranquillity of mind § 4. 5. It may be in the Superiour Soule during the time that there is disquiet in the Sensitiue § 6. 7. 8. How Peace and Tranquillity of soule may be procured § 9. 10. Of a State of Perfect Peace which is the End of a Contemplatiue Life 1. THe Fourth Generall Mortification is a Constant Peacefullnes and Tranquillity of mind maintaining it selfe against all disquieting Passions of Greife Feare Despaire c Of vvhich I shall in this place speake breifly and only in a generall manner being shortly in the follovving Section to treate largely of the cheife Enemy therof vvhich is Feare and Scrupulosity vvhere I shall take notice of the Speciall Motiues or Instruments of procuring such Peace of mind and of restoring it vvhen it is lost 2. Without a reasonable proportion of such Tranquillity obtained a soule vvill be quite disabled from Internall Prayer Therfore she is to vse all care to preserue it and vvhen it is disturbed or lost she must endeauour as soone and after the best manner she can to regaine it till she be able to say None shall take my Peace from me And to vse the vvords of the Psalmist Anima mea in manibus meis semper My soule is alwayes in my hands and disposition and not captiuated by the corrupt Passions of Nature 3. The subiect of this Peace is the Soule according to all its Faculties both knovving and affecting and both in the superiour and Spirituall as also in the inferiour and â—ensitiue portion For not only the Affections of the vvill and Passions of sensuality but also the Reason and Imagination may be disturbed And therfore a Composednes and calmenes is to be procured through all But yet the vvayes and meanes herto necessary are not the same neither does it follovv that vvhen the Inferiour Faculties are in disorder that the same disorder should be communicated to the Superiour also It does not alvvayes lye in our power vvholly to suppresse the instability and obstinacy of the Imagination nor the vnrulines of sensuality vvhich oft times doe resist our Superiour Reasâ—n But vvee are alvvayes enabled by the ordinary Grace of God to keepe in repose our Superiour soule that is to hinder it from attending to the suggestions of the Imagination vvhich vvee may reiect or to deny consent or approbaâ—ion to the motions of sensuality and this aâ— least it must be our great Care to doe 4. Neither ought a vvell-minded soule to be discouraged or deiected at the contradiction that she finds in sensuality But resisting it the best she can she must be resigned and Patient vvith herselfe as she vvould be at the refractory humours of another till that by Gods blessing a longer exercise of Prayer and Mortification doe produce a greater subiection of sensuall Nature to Reason and Grace In the meane time she may comfort herselfe vvith this assurance That all merit and Demerit lyes in the Superiour will and not at all in sensuality considered in it selfe and as diuided from the Will 5. During the Conflict betvveene Reason and sence or Appetite there may be a reall Tranquillity in the Superiour Region of the soule although the Person be not able to discerne that there is any such Quietnes yea on the contrary to fearfull Natures it vvill seeme that vvhensoeuer the sensitiue part is disturbed the spirituall Portion doth also partake of its disorders And this vncertainty mistake and feare that a fault has bene committed is the ground of much scrupulosity and by meanes therof of great vnquietnes indeeed euen in the superiour soule to Persons that are not vvell instructed in the Nature and subordination of the Faculties and Operations of the soule 6. Hovveuer a vvell-minded soule may conclude that there is a calmnes in the Reason and in the vvill a refusall to consent to the suggestions of sensuality euen in the midst of the greatest disorders thereof vvhilst that the combat does not cease and as long as the outward members directed by Reason and moued by the Superiour vvill doe behaue themselues othervvise then the vnruly appetite vvould moue them For example vvhen a person being moued to Anger though he find an vnquiet representation in the Imrgination and a violent heate and motions about the Heart as likewise an auersion in sensitiue nature against the person that hath giuen the prouocation yet if notvvithstanding he refraines himselfe from breaking forth into vvords of Impatience to vvhich his Passion vvould vrge him vvithall contradicts designes of Reuenge suggested by Passion such an one practising Internall Prayer and Mortification is to esteeme himselfe not to haue consented to the motions of corrupt nature although besides the invvard motion of the Appetite he could not hinder markes of his Passion from appearing in his Eyes and the colour of his countenance 7. When vvee seeke to retaaine such Quietnes in the midst of vnquietnes vvee doe it by exercising an Act of Mortification proper to the occasion Euery Act vvherof doth in some degree abate impetuous Nature disposing us for better and more quiet Recollections vvhich vvill procure us a clearer light and more efficacious Grace to resist sensuality aftervvards As on the contrary each Act of immortification doth increase in us Selfe-loue the cause and Roote of all vnquietnes and causes a greater obscurity in the soule indisposing it likevvise to Prayer 8. To the end to procure an Habituall Peacefullnes of mind vvee must be carefull not to doe any of our Actions I meane euen our Actions of Duty vvith impetuousnes and an invvard hastines but vvith a composed calmenes For all acts of impetuosity and violence are so far but effects of Selfe-loue and proceed not from the Diuine Spirit vvhich is
against conscience or vvhat may be sayd to be Doubtfull accounting euery thing that they feare vvithout being able to giue any tolerable reason of their feare to be against conscience and to be Doubtfull It is therfore the spirituall Directour or experienced Confessour only that is to be iudge of these things vvho has no interest at all in the busines but the good of his Penitents soule vvho can iudge vvithout Passion vvho is appointed by God to be iudge and vvhose vnfaithfull dealing the Penitent hath no reason to suspect 5. There is no possible vvay to be ridde from scruples besides the hauing immediate recourse to God by humble resigned Prayer but an entire indispensable obedience to prudent Confessours proceeding according to these or the like grounds and instructions According to vvhich if such tender soules take the courage to practise notvvithstanding any feares in sensitiue Nature they vvill find their feares to decrease Wheras if they neglect or obstinatly refuse to put them in practise their feares vvill not only grow far more dangerous but they vvill become inexcusable before Almighty God and contract the heynous sin of disobedience ingratitude and vvillfull obstinacy resistance against the light vvhich God has giuen them 6. But vvithall they must knovv that they vvill neuer haue sufficient strength and Grace to obey against passion except they seriously practise Internall Prayer the vvhich alone vvill make their Obedience to become by custome far more easy and also freed from that horrour vvhich at the first they will feele in sensitiue Nature 7. Neither ought they to suspect that their Confessours set ouer them by God for their good doe not vnderstand their case aright True it is they doe not feele the paines they suffer no more then Corporall Physitions doe their Patients But yet they knovv the causes of it far better then themselues proceeding by a Supernaturall light not clowded by Passion And vvhy should they pretend to knovv the causes being ignorant of them What interest is likely to corrupt their iudgment Would they for no reward or gaine incurre the displeasure of God 8. Notwithstanding so subtile such soules are to their owne preiudice that though they should yeild that their Confessour knevv their past state yet they see some nevv Circumstance vvhich vvas either forgotten or they doubt so the vvhich may perhaps alter the vvhole Case As likewise euery nevv sin or defect has somevvhat in it to their seeming different from the former by vvhich they make a shift to scape from Obedience Yet they must knovv that not all these shifts vvill excuse them before God 9. Yea they ought to consider that though indeed it vvere true that the Confessour should happen to be mistaken Notvvithstanding the Penitent practising bona fide according to his Orders in a point of this Nature about Confession vvhich is not a Morall Precept should commit no sin nor incurre the least danger by it yea being an Act of Obedience for Gods sake and in opposition to Naturall Passion it should be an occasion of merit to them So that though the sins suspected by them vvere indeed Mortall yet he iudging othervvise they vvould not be obliged to confesse them 10. But it is vvonderfull to see in soules very distrustfull of themselues in all other matters such an obstinate selfe-iudgment in this that they vvill neuer be perswaded that they are Scrupulous though their vvitts be almost perished by Scrupulosity For if this vvere once admitted plaine reason vvould conuince them that they ought not to be their ovvne Iudges As likevvise in soules othervvise very innocent humble and most pliable to Obediēce the pertinacious disobedience in this point of abstaining from confessing or renewing Confessions of things forbidden them to be confessed is very strange So that against the command of their present Confessour and the Aduice of all the most learned Doctours they vvill persist in their reluctance And if their Confessour vvill not admit them they vvill forbeare no meanes to find out others though vvholly vnacquainted vvith their state to heare their Scrupulosities And vvhat other ground can there be of such disorder but only selfe-loue deeply rooted in corrupt Nature and oftimes the suggestion of the Deuill to vvhich such soules by reason of their disordered Imaginations and Passions are miserably exposed They had rather confesse their vertues for faults as their hauing resisted their feares in compliance vvith Obedience then their really greatest fault vvhich is selfe Iudgment and Disobedience 11. A Scrupulous fearfull Soule hauing bene commanded to forbeare Examination and confession of such particulars as doe cause vnquietnes in her vvhen she comes to put this in practise a double Feare vvill present it selfe to her the one of disobeying her Confessour and the other of going against her naturall Iudgment vvhich is contrary to her Confessours But she ought to consider that the former Feare has nothing of nature in it yea that it contradicts Nature in its most sensible part and therfore is far more vvorthy to take place As for the Feare of going against her ovvne Iudgment it proceeds vvholly and only from Nature selfe-loue and a desire to be ridd of her present paine that the memory of her faults causes in her or the Suggestions of the Deuill vrging her to disobedience Therfore if she cannot expell this Feare out of sensitiue Nature she must accept it as a paine but vvithall contradict it as a Tentation 12. She ought to assure herselfe that more harme comes to her and incomparably greater impediments in her Exercise of Prayer c. by indiscreete Confessions or Examinations made merely to satisfy Scrupulosity then by all the Defects that she vvould Confesse the which being generally incurred out of frailty doe far lesse estrange her from God then such Confessions doe by vvhich she is habituated in selfe-vvill selfe-iudgment and Seruile Feare All vvhich are the more perillous in as much as they haue a pretence of Duty to God and to the Orders of his Church as also of humility and a desire to receiue benefit by the Sacrament c. 13. Common Reason vvill dictate that it is most vnfitt that any one should be iudge of his ovvne state iust at a time vvhen a Tentation or violent Feare is actually predominant the vvhich doe put the soule in a strange confusion and darknes What a folly therfore presumption vvould it be for a vvoman ignonorant passionate and fearefull to challenge the Office of a Iudge in this Case and to thinke to regulate the Iudge that sits in Gods seate 14. Let therfore fearefull soules that are forbidden the vsuall waies of curious Examinations of Conscience nice Confessions Whensoeuer any scruple or suspicion concerning a Mortall Sin comes into their Minds that vvould vrge them to run for ease to Confession or that vvould affright them from communicating let them I say content themselues vvith asking their ovvne Consciences in one glance of their minds Doe
that vvhich is Affectiue For as for Discoursiue Prayer or Meditation the vvorld is but euen burdned vvith bookes vvhich vvith more then sufficient nicenes prescribe Rules methods for the Practise of it and vvith too partiall an affection magnify it The Authours of such bookes neglecting in the meane time or perhaps scarse knovving vvhat true Internall affectiue Prayer is the vvhich notvvithstanding is the only efficacious Instrument that immediatly brings soules to Contemplation perfect Vnion in spirit vvith God 3. Some there are that because they doe not find in the vvritings of the Ancient Fathers Mysticall Doctours such exact Instructions touching the practise of Internall Prayer as are novv common abounding in the Church doe therfore vndervalue despise it as a mere humane inuention not at all necessary but rather on the contrary subiect to great inconueniences exposing soules to Illusions Errours c And therefore they in opposition to it doe only recommend exact Vocall Prayer a solemne protracted performance of it 4. Notvvithstanding to any one that shall heedfully read the writings not only of the Ancient Solitaries but likevvise of S. Augustin S. Basile S. Gregory Nazianzene others it vvill euidently appeare that they both knevv and practised most profound Recollected deuotions internally yea exhorted soules to a continuall attendance to God his Diuine presence in the Spirit Sufficient Proofes vvhereof shall occasionally hereafter be inserted 5. True indeed it is that they haue not deliured any exact methods for the practise of such Prayer the vvhich in those times vvere not at all necessary or at least not at all needfull to be communicated to the vvorld For to soules that liued as anciently they did entirely sequestred from all vvordly busines or conuersation in Continuall laborious penitentiall Exercises hauing no Images of creatures to distract their minds and much lesse any inordinate Affections to creatures to depresse them from mounting to spirituall vnion vvith God it vvas more then sufficient for such to knovv that their duty the end of their solitude vvas to liue in a continuall conuersation vvith God suffring themselues to be conducted and managed by his holy Spirit To such all other more nice or particular Instructions vvould haue proued but distractiue intangling And therfore vvee see that our holy Father though he ordained dayly Conuentuall short recollections for the exercise of that vvhich he calls Pure Prayer yet he neither interprets vvhat he meanes by such Prayer for all his Disciples vnderstood that sufficiently much lesse does he deliuer any instructions hovv to exercise it 6. But in these dayes in which Religious Persons and others that aspire to spirituall Contemplation doe either vvant the meanes to enioy or haue not the courage and strength to support such solitude and Austerities least the spirit of Contemplation should faile in the vvorld God raised vp first in Germany Maisters of Contemplatiue Prayer as Suso Harphius Eschius Thaulerus c. in former times and more lately in Spaine S. Teresa B. Iohn de Cruce c. vvho no question by the direction of Gods Spirit as the grace of miracles conferred on them may vvitnes haue iudged it necessary to supply the vvant of the foresaid aduantages by adding a certaine obligation to the daily practise of Internall Recollected Prayer prescribing orders times for the performance of it They haue likevvise more exactly discouered the degrees and progresse of Prayer And in a vvord most earnestly doe they exhort soules to a diligent pursuance of it professing that vvithout it it is impossible to comply vvith the essentiall Designe of a spirituall or Religious life 7. I vvill content my selfe in this place to expresse the grounds summe of the Exhortations of those other Illuminated Persons the glorious Instruments of God for the reuiuing of decayed Spirituality in the vvorld by producing a passage of Cardinall Bellarmines vvhich may be applied to this purpose taken out of one of his Sermons in fer 2. Rogat vvhich is this Ego illud mihi videor verissime posse affirmare c That is This I beleiue I may most truly confidently affirme saith he that without a diligent pursuit of Internall prayer none will euer become truly spirituall nor attaine to any degree of Perfection Wee see many which often times in the yeare doe aproach to the Sacrament of pennance as far as humane fraylty infirmity will permit doe with sufficient diligence endeauour to purge away all the staines vncleanenes of sin And yet they make no progresse but are still the very same that they were And hauing bene at Confession if a weeke after they come to the same tribunall againe they bring neither fewer nor lesser faults then such as were formerly confessed Yea without offending against truth I may adde some what more strange then all this to wit That wee see sometimes Religious Persons not a few Preists which by their vocation habits professe sanctity moreouer doe assiduously reade Diuine Scriptures bookes of Piety they doe often if not dayly celebrate the most holy Sacrifice they haue neither wiues nor children but are free from all cares sollicitudes which may distract them from a continuall attendance to Diuine things And yet after all this they are so veyd of all Deuotion the spirit of God so cold in diuine loue so earnest in the loue of secular vanities so replenished with impatience enuy all inordinate desires that they seeme not one iott to differ from secular persons wholly engaged in the world Now the only cause of all these disorders is that they doe not seriously enter into their owne hearts by Exercises of Introuersion but only esteeme regard the exteriour c Thus far are the vvords too iust complaint of the learned pious Cardinall 8. The vvhich vvith very great reason may be further extended euen to those Religious vvho by their profession ought to Aspire to Contemplation being mistaken in the true vvay thereto erroneously beleiuing that by an exact performance of outward Obseruances the solemne saying of the Office adioyning the Exercises of such internall discoursiue Prayer doe yet find but little fruit as to any interiour reformation or simplification of their soules by reason that they rest in such Actiue Exercises vvhich in a short time to Solitary liuers loose all their vertue doe not from them proceed to the truly enlightning Exercises of Internall affectiue prayer vvhich is a prayer of the heart or vvill by good Affections quietly calmely produced not vvith the vnderstanding a Prayer made vvithout those distracting methods or that busying of the Imagination vvearying of the soule by laborious discourses vvhich are only inferiour Imperfect preparations to true Prayer 9. Novv to a consideration of the necessity of Internall affectiue Prayer vvee vvill adde certaine Vertues Benefits Preeminences therof compared vvith all other sorts of
to desist from seeking him by the internall vvayes of the spirit euen in times of desertion aridity 13. And if they vvill make this vse of it then from vvhat cause soeuer it proceedes yea though the deuill himselfe helping or changing the body should haue caused it no harme can come vnto them thereby For a soule is most secure vvhiles she neglects disesteemes the effects of sensible deuotion as far as they are pleasing to sensitiue nature transcending it shall endeauour to exercise herselfe tovvards God quietly yet resolutely in the Superiour vvill And by the like practise may a soule obtaine the like security in all extraordinary doubtfull Cases of visions Exâ—asies c 14. More particularly for as much as concernes Teares vvhich are vsuall effects of sensible Deuotion a soule must be vvary that she giue not free scope vnto them vvhat euer the obiect or cause be vvhether it be compassion to our Lords suffrings or contrition for her ovvne sins c In all cases it is best to suppresse them rather then to giue them a free liberty to flovv For othervvise besides the harme that may outvvardly happen to the body by empairing the health or vveakening the head they vvill keepe her still belovv in sensitiue nature immortification vvith little or no aduancement tovvards the true Loue of God On the contrary they doe hinder the eleuation of the spirit by obscuring the mind that it cannot discouer her secret defects nor vvhat vvould best keepe her in her vvay Let her therfore exercise these Acts in the Superiour soule Will from vvhence all merit comes and by vvhich they are performed vvith quietnes stillnes yet vvithall more efficaciously then in sensitiue nature 15. The case is othervvise in Perfect soules vvhen God by an extraordinary Grace bestovves on them the Gift of teares as to S. Arsenius vvho is said to haue flovved almost continually vvith them For in this case they doe begin from the Spirit vvhose operations Inferiour Nature doth not at all hinder but rather promote in them And such teares flovv tanquam pluuia in vellus like a shower of raine into a fleece of wooll vvithout the least disturbance bitternes in inferiour nature vvhich is a Grace very rarely if at all granted to imperfect soules And therfore those vpon vvhom it is bestovved may no doubt vvill vvithout any danger comply vvith it since it can flovv from no other cause but God only the effect of it vvill not be to depresse the spirit but rather to draw sensitiue nature vpward into the spirit causing it likewise to concurre in the exercise of Diuine Loue so as that the soule may say vvith Dauid Cor meum caro mea exult auerunt in Deum viuum sensitiue nature not only ioyning vvith the spirit in seruing louing of God but likevvise finding its contentment therein vvithout the least preiudice to the spirit And the vvay to attaine to this solide secure sensible Feruour is by a discreet vnderualuing repressing of that vvhich is originally merely sensible 16. Novv it vvill not be impertinent on this occasion to take notice of another sort of temper in Prayer of a quite contrary nature in the which the inferiour soule seemes to haue no part at all in the actuations of the spirit towards God yea is not only vnactiue but very repugnant vnto them finding a great deale of vneasines paine in them so that the vvhole Prayer seemes to be made by the Spirit the heart or sensitiue appetite in the meane time finding much bitternes in it and the Imagination in a sort refusing to suggest necessary Images therto any further then as the Superiour Soule by vertue of the dominion it hath ouer it doth euen by mere force constraine it 17. There are scarce any soules that giue themselues to internall Prayer but some time or other doe find themselues in great indisposition therto hauing great obscurities in the mind great insensibility in the affections So that if imperfect soules be not vvell instructed prepared they vvill be in danger in case that such contradictions in inferiour nature continue long to be deiected yea and perhaps deterred from pursuing Prayer For they vvill be apt to thinke that their Recollections are to no purpose at all since for as much as seemes to them vvhatsoeuer they thinke or actuate tovvards God is mere losse of time and of no vvorth at all therfore that it vvould be more proffitable for them to employ their time some other vvay 18. Yea some soules there are conducted by Allmighty God by no other vvay but only by such Prayer of Aridity finding no sensible contentment in any Recollections but on the contrary continuall paine contradiction And yet by a priuy Grace courage imprinted deepely in the spirit cease not for all that but resolutely breake through all difficulties and continue the best they can their internall Exercises to the great aduancement of their spirit 19. It vvill indeed be very hard and morally impossible for any soules but such as haue naturally a good propension to introuersion to continue constant to their Recollections vvhen Aridities Obscurities and Desolations continue a long time For it is this propension alone asâ—isted by Diuine Grace that holds them to their Recollections that enables them to beare themselues vp in all their difficulties and tentations 20. The causes of this Aridity and indisposition to Prayer ordinarily speaking for sometimes God for the triall of his seruants may oft doth send or permit such tentations to fall on them are principally a certaine particular naturall complexion of some especially of those vvho by their corporall temper are most fitted for the exercise of sensible affections for of all others such are most obnoxious to these aridities and obscurities because the humours and spirits of the body together vvith the change of vveather c haue a far greater influence vpon these sensible Affections then vpon the mere operations either of the vnderstanding or vvill vvhich doe not so much depend vpon the body And therfore vvhensoeuer the said corporall disposition comes by any accident to be altered such affectionate soules are apt to fall into these internall distresses being in such an afflicting disconsolate condition they are not able to helpe themselues by any discourse to vvhich ordinarily they are indisposed From this ground it is that deuout Women vvho naturally doe more abound vvith sensible affections then men are more subiect to be afflicted persecuted vvith these aridities 21. Such Discouragements doe least appeare in Vocall Prayer the vvhich befits all kinds of spirits all sorts of tempers vvhether they discourse internally or not and whether they can produce internall Acts of the vvill vpon conceiued Images or not for all these at all times and hovvsoeuer they are corporally disposed may make their proffit more or lesse of Vocall Prayers 22. The Prayer of Meditation likewise
renouncing of the vvorld Prayer c the vvant of vvhich vvas the principall cause it may be of his deordinations Vpon vvhich grounds alone S. Bernard saith that he would giue absolution presently to the greatest sinner in sicknes if he would promise vpon supposition of recouery to quit the world and embrace a Penitentiall life in Religion Because it is not possible to promise or performe a greater satisfaction But I doubt vvhether he vvould be so indulgent to an vnconuerted Religious person that can promise no higher state then he is in allready vvith so little good effect to his soule 6. Yet God forbid that from hence any should aduisedly giue vvay to despaire or deliberately refuse to humble themselues to mortify their inordinate affections or to pray the best they can Good purposes actions performed meerly out of feare vvill produce some good effect Gods goodnes vvhich is incomprehensible may change feare into loue hovv imperfect soeuer 7. Novv though the case of tepide liuers be not altogether so miserable yet it is infinitely perillous the issue extremely to be suspected For though they cannot be charged vvith many great sins of Commission yet their vvhole life has bene a continuall omission of duties to vvhich their Profession did in a speciall manner oblige them And novv vvhat other new motiue can they haue to relinquish their negligence but only feare also Or vvhat Prayers are they likely to make vvhen their necessity is so great the helpes to Prayer so small 8. The only secure vvay therfore to preuent the incurring this hazardous state in sicknes is during health to combat against Tepidity and by diligent Prayer to prouide ones selfe of Internall strength Grace For such soules by a prosecution of their accustomed Duties of mortification Prayer make good vse of their sicknes gaine extremely by it They are not forvvard to promise great matters as tepide soules vsually doe though they performe but little They haue forethought of sicknes the tentations accompanying it novv call to mind execute former resolutions made to improoue for their soules aduancement all states conditions by occasion of their present corporall Infirmity or paines to fortify in their minds the vertue of Patience Resignation contempt of the world adhesion to God Thus Sicknes proues to them a greater blessing then health And if they doe recouer they doe yet more seriously feruorously performe their former exercises 9. When Sicknes is actually come a soule is to accept embrace it as a speciall gift of God yea though such sicknes hapned through the persons ovvne intemperance or other fault As a Malefactour is obliged vvith resignation to accept of death deserued for some crime He ought indeed to be penitent sorry for the faults vvhich vvere the cause of such an harmfull effect but the effect it selfe he ought to consider as proceeding from the Diuine Will and Prouidence Yea in such cases a soule may euen reioyce that God is so mercifull as to bring on her the smart and punishment of her sins in this vvorld giuing her withall a proffitable occasion to exercise her resignation from vvhence she may inferre a hope that he vvill therfore spare her after this life 10. A soule must not forbeare this willing acceptation of Sicknes c. because perhaps she finds great resistance therto in sensuality yea she ought therfore the rather to accept it as knowing that it is the Superiour vvill not the vvill of sensuality that meriteth or demeriteth And so doing the repugnance of sensuality vvill as vvell as the sicknes turne to the merit aduancement of the soule 11. Novv a soule must not content herselfe for once or tvvice to accept sicknes but she must practise this almost continually and especially vvhen any extraordinary paine or irkesomenes does afflict her And such acceptation must be not only for the present but vvith a mind vvillingly to submit to the Diuine vvill if his pleasure vvere that such paines should continue neuer so long 12. She must particularly take heed of one notable tentation vvhich often befalls good but imperfect soules by meanes of vvhich they yeild too freely to impatience in Sicknes Which is this Nature being soone vveary of suffring vvill suggest vnto the soule to iustify impatience among other incommodities of sicknes this one that thereby she is put in an incapacity to pray or othervvise to serue God or her neighbour vpon vvhich she vvill be apt to desire health vvith impatience falsely iustifying herselfe for such impatience as if she did not so for the satisfaction of nature but to the end she may performe spirituall duties more perfectly But this is a meere delusion For that is the true perfect way of seruing God which is suitable to the present Condition wherein God hath placed a soule an imperfect interrupted Prayer made vvith resignation in the midst of paines or troubles sent by God is perhaps more efficacious to procure the good of the soule then the highest eleuations exercised othervvise 13. It is no great matter though the soule herselfe doe not distinctly clearely see hovv her present suffrings externall or Internall may be proffitable to her she is to referre all things to the infinite Wisedome goodnes of God who can bring light out of darkenes And therfore she must be contented if such be his vvill to be blind-folded humbly to remaine in her simplicity in a reuerentiall avve admiration of the inscrutable vvaies of the Diuine Prouidence 14. A sicke person is to account himselfe after an especiall manner in Gods hands as his Prisoner chained as it vvere by his ovvne vveakenes disabled from the ordinary solaces of conuersation vvalking c debarred from eating vvhat pleases the Palate become proffitable to none troublesome chargeable to many exposed oftimes to bitter paines sharper remedies of such paines c A greiuous indeed but yet a happy prison this is to a soule that vvill make a good vse of it For vnlesse the internall tast of the soule also be depraued she may by this occasion infinitely increase in spirituall liberty health strength by accepting vvith indifference these incommodities mortifying her naturall exorbitant desire of remedies not desiring to escape but vvhen after vvhat manner God shall ordaine 15. But to speake more particularly touching the Duties of a soule during sicknes She is to assure herselfe of this one thing That if she thinke that her Sicknes may iustify her neglect of her spirituall Exercises of mortification Prayer the essentiall Duties of an Internall life if these be not continued as vvell in sicknes as health the soule herselfe vvill become the more sicke of the tvvo exposed to greater danger then the body For most certainly if sicknes doe not produce good effects of patience resignation c in the soule it vvill produce the quite contrary And such effects
care is to be had to chuse pious and discreet Directours because too many there are that vvill too readily and suddenly resolue such matters to come from none but God and vvill thereupon desire such persons to intercede for them and to begge some particular Fauours of the like nature c. Novv vpon such indiscreet behauiour in those that should be Directours such Persons vvill begin to thinke that God loues to treate vvith them and vvill interpret the things declared vnto them according to their ovvne Gust and Humours And if things shall fall out othervvise then they imagined they will fall into Melancholick suspicions and great danger of the Deuills snares 29. The best Course that a Confessarius in this case can take is if there be any rationall Grounds of probability that such Visions c. doe not come from God to exhort and enioyne the Persons to auoyd and despise them Yea and if after long and serious examination it should seeme almost euident to him that God is the Authour of them yet ought he so to behaue himselfe both in vvords and Actions as to deterre the soule from adhering to them vvith Affection rather inclining her to a suspicion and feare or hovveuer to an indifferency about them vvith an aspect of loue to God himselfe only vvho is aboue all his Gifts and ought to be the only Obiect of our loue And thus if the Confessarius behaue himselfe he may be sure that he vvill preuent all harme to ensue and he shall performe a Seruice very acceptable to God 30. Certainly the danger is far lesse to be too difficult in beleiuing and esteeming such things then to be neuer so little too credulous and inclind to admire them For it were better that good ones should be oftē suspected thē that an ill one should be once beleiued And therfore wee doe find that our Blessed Lord appearing to S. Teresa did neither take it ill from her nor from her Directour vvhen by his order she did spitt at him and defye him so appearing to her but he only informed her hovv she should giue conuincing proofes that it vvas no Illusion 31. B. Iohn de Cruce giues very good Aduices touching this point Exhorting soules as the surest vvay that in case they cannot meete vvith a prudent and experienced Confessarius they should not speake one vvord concerning such Graces but to passe them ouer and to make no account of them And hovveuer by no meanes of their ovvne heads to proceede to the executing of any thing signifyed after such an vnusuall manner 32. And though it should happen that the Soule being so disposed as to make no great estimation of such things vvhich vvill be a great security from danger by them shall therfore thinke it to no purpose to consult vvith a prudent Directour about such trifles Or if on the other side such Reuelations seeme vnto her so absolutely cleare and vnquestionable that there is no need at all to aske any ones iudgment about them Yet saith the same Authour it vvill be necessary that she discouer them to her Spirituall Maister 33. And the reasons are 1. Because ordinarily such is Gods order and disposition to the end that by such an humble submission of herselfe a nevv light and Grace may be communicated to her 2. To the end that vpon such an occasion she may be put in mind to restraine her Affections from such things and be established in true Nakednes and Pouerty of Spirit For vvhich End the Confessarius ought not to insist vpon the Excellency of such Fauours but passing ouer them sleightly to encourage the Soule rather to value and tend to a perfect Actiue Vnion by Charity and pure Prayer 3. That by such an occasion offred the soule may conquer that naturall vnwillingnes vvhich is in some to discouer vvhat things passe vvithin them And vvith such soules the Confessarius is to deale mildly not affrighting or scandalizing them nor disheartning them from dealing freely That by this meanes such Visions Extasies c. may produce in them that effect vvhich probably God intended namely by them to call Soules to a nearer and more perfect Actiue Vnion by Loue Wherof one perfect act framed by the Will is of more vvorth and more gratefull to God then all the Visions and Reuelations of all things that passe in Heauen and Earth can be And certaine it is that many soules vvhich are neuer visited vvith any such Fauours are yet far more aduanced in Spirit and more neare to God then are some others vvho frequently enioy such extraordinary Fauours 34. Whatsoeuer it be that is suggested in such a Reuelation vvhether it concerne Knovvledge or Practise though in it selfe it be of neuer so small moment yet vvithout Aduice a soule ought neither to assent to it nor execute it For vvhatsoeuer the thing it selfe be yet considering the cause meanes by vvhich it comes vvhich is supposed to be supernaturall it becomes of great importance Yea the meere conuersation familiarity vvith an intellectuall Spirit is a matter of great consequence And as being vvith a good Spirit it is likely to be occasion of much Good So being vvith a bad Spirit as it may vvell be supposed to be till the contrary be euident it vvill probably cause very much harme 35. A soule being to consult vvith others about such matters ought to take heed that she fall not into impertinences but as Aluarez de Paz aduiseth let her humbly breifly clearly manifest so much of these extraordinary matters to her Directour as may be sufficient to enable him to iudge And if he doe not much value them let her simply hold on her course and securely proceede in her ordinary exercises of Deuotion 36. If some eminently Perfect Soules haue followed their ovvne light in iudging of these things and practising accordingly vvithout consulting others This ought not to preiudice the foregoing Aduices vvhich are indeed for Soules lesse experienced and Perfect and such as in S. Pauls Phrase haue not their senses exercised in the discerning of Good and Euill in matters of this nature 37. In such cases likevvise all soules are not so absolutly obliged to resigne their iudgements and wills to others as utterly to neglect their ovvne proper Call receiued from God For to a vvell-minded soule that vvalkes and deales simply and plainly vvith God and labours diligently to keepe her Affections free from all created things aspiring to an indifference vvhether she haue or vvants them yea out of humility and a pious feare rather desires to vvant such extraordinary visitations Such a Soule doubtlesse vvill be so guided and illuminated by Gods holy Spirit as she vvill perfectly knovv vvhat to doe forbeare and vvhether vvhen and of vvhom to aske Counsell Let therfore such a soule carefully obserue her Internall Direction And this is the Aduice of B. Iohn de Cruce 38. From these precedent Aduices it may appeare hovv differently a soule ought
may so proffit in spirit as Actiue soules doe that liue in vvordly manner that they may carefully auoyd sin keepe Gods commandements be truly vnited to God in follovving his vvill by the vse of bodily exercises frequency of Sacraments although they vse not much Mentall Prayer abstraction mortification For if they vse none at all as no good Christian but vseth them in some degree vndoubtedly they vvill not proffit at all in spirit neither actiuely nor contemplatiuely nor auoyde sin nor be in any sort vnited to God About the doctrine of Confession vvheras the Authour disputeth much against the vsing of Confession of veniall sins as necessary to Spirituall proffit it is to be vnderstood that he doth not in any vvise condemne the discreete vse of frequent Confession but only the needlesse numeration of veniall sins daily defects vvhich some soules doe make in their Confessions vvith great anxiety of mind some Confessours doe oblige their penitents vnto vvith great preiudice of that chearfull Liberty of Spirit vvhich a soule should haue to conuerse in Prayer vvith God is commonly a cause of scrupules one of the greatest baines of spirituall Perfection So that for soules that are by nature prone to feare scrupulosity the Directour of necessity must moderate them both in the frequency of Confession matter to be confessed Yea he may aduise them to confesse fewer times then other freer soules doe Othervvise for soules that are chearfull valiant couragious in the vvay of the Spirit the Authour obligeth them in his practise to keepe the ordinary time of Confession Much more those that are not altogether so carefull in auoyding occasions of ordinary defects I say he obligeth them in such sort as the Constitutions oblige vvhich is not vnder any sin as if they should sin as often as they omitt the ordinary time of Confession but as a laudable counsell proffitable obseruance vvhich vnder a penalty regular correction is to be kept not omitted but by aduice of the spirituall Father or leaue of the Superiour Note also that he doth vvorthily aduertise a defect of many vvho come to Confession making the principall intention of it only the Absolution from sin I say this is a defect because the principall part of the intention must be the encrease of Grace and loue of God by vvhich formally infused or povvred into our selues God Almighty doth blott out sins vvipe them avvay Now although Absolution from sin is neuer giuen vvithout infusion of grace yet ought the intention of the Penitent to be principally the obtaining of Grace for if he principally intend the absolution of sin it is a reflexion of the soule vpon its ovvne proffit by selfe-loue desiring to auoyde the vvrath of God punishment due to sin to be freed from the deformity of guiltines vvhich though it be a good desire yet it is but a property of Beginners in loue nothing comparable to the intention of Grace vvhich is the perfect loue of God is an eleuation of the soule to transcend it selfe all creatures to liue only in God About the doctrine of sett Examens of Conscience the Authour doth not condemne it especially for soules vvho are not greatly aduanced in perfection but for soules vvhich dayly proffit grovv in Grace he prefers the exercise of loue not vvithout cause for his meaning is That in our Recollection it is an easier speedier vvay to amend our selues by vvrapping all our defects in a generality so endeauouring to consume them as it vvere casting them into the fire of loue then by particularising them discussing them in singular because in so doing they distract the mind that may be better employed Yet this Doctrine hinders not but if any notable defect haue bene committed it should be by a particular reflexion amended yet rather by an amorous conuersion of the soule to God by Humility then by turning it selfe to looke vpon the defect in particular And doubtlesse a soule that according to the Authours Doctrine doth so carefully auoyd all defects that it presently vpon sight of any default exacteth an amendment of it selfe such a soule needeth no sett Examen but suplieth the vse thereof by a more noble exercise vvhich is as I tearmed it an humble consuming of all her defects in one bundle in the heauenly fire of Charity or loue of God Neuerthelesse a set Examen is proffitable for such as are not yet come to such a height of Vnitiue loue is counselled by our father Blosius in diuerse places by S. Bernard in his booke to the Carthusians in these vvords Nemo te plus diligit nemo te fidelius iudicab Mane praeteritae noctis fac a temetipso exactionem futurae diei tu tibi indicito cautionem Vespere diei praeteritae rationem exige superuenientis noctis fac indictionem â—â—c districte nequaquam tibi aliquando lasciuire vacabit That is None loues thee more none will iudge thee more faithfully then thine owne selfe In the morning then exact an account of the night passed appoynt thy selfe a caueat for the day ensuing At euening take account of the day passed order the course of the night following Thus districtly examining thy selfe thou wilt find no leasure to play the wanton And long before S. Bernard the holy Abbot S. Dorotheus commends the same exercise Serm 11. as vsuall among all Monkes Quo pacto per singulos dies nosipsos purgare propemodum expiare debeamus exactissime docuerunt Maiores Patres nostri Nempe vt vespere sedulo quisquam perquirat inuestiget quomodo pertransierit drem illum Rursus mane examinet quomodo exegerit noctem illam Et paenitentiam agat ac resipiscat coram Deo si quo pacto vt fieri potest peccatuÌ„ aliquod admiserit And long before him holy S. Ephrem that liued but 250. yeares after Christ our Lords Passion hath the commendation of a set Examen in these golden vvordes Diebus singulis vesperi mane diligenter considera quo pacto se habeant negotia tua mercimonij ratio Et vespere quidem ingressus in cubiculum cordis tui examina teipsum at dicito Putasne hodie in aliquo Deum exacerbaui nuquid verba otiosa protuli num per contemptum negligentiam ne peccaui num in re aliqua fratrem irritaui num alicuius famam detractionibus laceraui c Et facto iam dilucalo rursus eadem tecum meditare dicito quomodo putas ista mihi nox praeterijt lucratus sum in ea mercimonium meum numquid improbae ac sordidae cogitationes inuaserunt me atque illis libenter immoratus sum c Neither doth our Authour discommend this set Examen but the defectiue vse of it vvhich is 1. to make it in order to Confession vvhich doubtlesse in a soule vvell aduanced breedeth needlesse images since such a soule vvill