permitted other men to speake of them in his presence And if an other man by chance had coÌ„mitted a fault he either mitigated and excused the fact or if that could not well be at least he excused the intention of the party Touching the transgressioÌ„s of them of his househould his silence was admirable neuer disclosing any mans offence but for his amendment and then also with such modesty sweetnes and with such a regard of the delinqueÌ„ts good name that if the discouery of the fault to one man were sufficient to redresse it he neuer opened it to a second person discouering only the truth of it without any vehemency or heate of words He went once to Confession only for this sinne that he had made knowne the fault of a certaine person to three of his Fathers whereas two of them could sufficieÌ„tly haue applied a remedy And yet the delinquent was such an one that notwithstanding the discouery of this fault of his his reputation could not suffer by that third parties knowledge He spake so of all men that each man might beleiue he ftood in his good opinion and might seeme to claime a particular interest in his soue He was of behauiour so compleate and well fashioned that he neuer discomposed either his hands or eyes preseruing a decorum in his gesture his gate his feeding sitting No maruaile therfore if the perfection and câ—cumspection of S. Ionatiâ—s euen in his least actions were such and so inseperably conioyned with an internal purity that be tooke all men with admiration that conuersed with him in somuch that by how much the oftner and more familiarly men treated with him by so much the more they stood affected to him howbeit ordinarily that saying of S. Cyrill be found true That he vvho is euer present looseth the respects due from them that Keepe him Company And that of Tacitus That things farthest off are most held in esteeme Certaine it is that the B. Fathers CoÌ„fessour F. Iames Eguia of whom S. Ignatius himself is reported to haue said that he was equally to be reuerenced with the greatest Saints in heauen did not only acknowledge S. Ignatius to be greater then a Saint but could not be restrayned notwithstaÌ„ding any peÌ„nances inflicted vpon him by the Saint from extolling speaking infinitely in his prayse Begetting wonder in all men with the intimatioÌ„ of what he would publish if it were his fortune to suruiue S. Ignatius but one hower The guift of Prayer in S. Ignatius most excellent CHAP. IX AFter S. Ignatius was coÌ„uerted to a better life he presently betooke himself to the refuge of Praier the better to appease the wrath of Almighty God implore his diuine grace He dayly bestowed seauen howers vpon his knees in Prayer besides that he had a speciall care euer to be present at the Sacrifice of Masse Euensong Compline And beiÌ„g afterwards preferred to the dignity of Preist-hood and Gouernement of the Society euer after he had offered the Sacrifice of the Masse he spent two howers in Contemplation to omit his preparation to Masse and that morning Prayer which all they of the Society according to their Rules are obliged to make when they awake out of their sleep He seasoned all his actioÌ„s with the salt of Meditation according to the precept of S. Basill When and as often as he pleased he conioyned himself with ease by contemplation to God not only by casting his eyes vpon the heauens and starrs with which he was most taken but euen so that with the behoulding of any herbs or flowers or any thing of lesse reckning he was suddainly transported with the sweet conceit of the loue of God In the reciting of his Office he was often surprised with such aboundance of consolation and flouds of teares that he was forced almost at euery word to make a pause and interrupt his prayers spending great part of the day in repeating the Psalmes So that through the abundance of teares his eyes oft suffered much not without great daunger often tymes of falling blind and his body by meanes of his often Exrasies was infinitely trauelled For which cause his Companions obtayned licence of his Holines that it might be lawful for him to omit his Office in lieu of which notwithstanding he would dayly performe a certaine taske of Beades so soone as he awaked out of his sleep And because in performing his other deuotions and particularly in the Sacrifice of the Masse he likewise ranne the same hazard of being blind through the importunity of his Companions and Counsell of Phisicians he resolued to seek at the handes of Almighty God that he might haue power now then to moderate his teares which also he obtayned And from that tyme forward he had so absolute a maistry and commaund of his teares that he could in a manner restraine let loose the raynes of them at his pleasure in so setled quiet a manner that the drines of his teares was not impeachment to the fruit of his deuotion nor the restraint of them was no hindrance to the abundance of his diuine visitations And whensoeuer at Masse he burst not out thrice at least into teares he esteemed himself dry and indeuout He prayed with such feruour that through the intention of his mind he many tymes contracted some disease And once he brought himself in daunger of death by saying two Masses without intermission vpon Christmas day in â—â—much that except he were strong and perfectly in health he could not well offer the Sacrifice of the Masse and it was obserued by them with whom he coÌ„uersed that euen at such tymes as he was best in health he often fell into some infirmity after Masse And many times he became so faint at the Altar that of necessity he was carried from theÌ„ce to his chamber by the help of other men not being able to stand vpon his leggs for those diuine visitations In his daily Masse which alwaies the night before he put in readines in the Missal reading it ouer with atteÌ„tion he conceaued so much â—oy that his body being surcharged with the greatnes of diuine comfort he could not freely take his breath nor pronounce or vtter any word till that abundance and plenty of diuine sweetnes did cease And sometymes it fell out that betwixt the prayers and the Sacrifice his feruour was such that his whole body was enflamed his face waxed purple red and all the veines of his body beate with the palpable beating and palpitation of his hart and oftentymes also the very haire of his head stood an end Neither was this vehement intention of his mind in the Sacrifice of the Masse only but euen in the least things which had any reference to God In his Graces before meate and after and in fine in all other things he did so with-drawe his mind and recollect himself that he seemed to behould God present not in Spirit only but with his corporal eyes his
presence with which he was so taken that immediately he conceaued a sensible hatred of all such things as blind mortall men hould most in esteeme and of those things especially which carry with them any shew of vnlawfull delight so that froÌ„ thence-forward the remembrance of them how deeply soeuer by long vse and custome rooted in his imagination was vtterly extinct in him washed away At other tymes in like manner the Mother of God often shewed her selfe to S. Ignatius but principally whilst he composed the Constitutions of the Society either offering vp her prayers and comforting him with her presence or confirming the Constitutions he wrote of the Society Besides Christ our Sauiour himselfe vouchsafed often to comfort him with his desired presence at Manresa and other places In his iourney to Venice being left behind by his fellow-trauellers in certaine meddowes neare the Riuer Po not being able through weakenes to hould on his iourney with them our Sauiour Christ as he had often done appeared vnto him the next night and hauing exceedingly encouraged him conducted him the direct way to the Towne of Padua first and after wards to Venter In his sea-voyage to Hierusalem our B. Sauiour often appeared to him to his infinite incouragement and conducted him at last to a safe Hauen in Palestine At Hierusalem being reuiled with opprobrious words by a certayne Armenian who laying violent hands vpon him dragged him in an iniurious manner to his Inne in the midst of these affronts he behold our Sauiour present with him accompanying him in his iniuryes to his great contentment As he trauelled to Rome with his two Companions to found the Society he entred into a certaine Church of which there are many standing vpon the high way not far from the Citty to performe some deuotioÌ„s being as he was accustomed rapt into an Extasie and traÌ„sported in Contemplation God the Father appeared to him in a glorious light with his B. sonne bearing his Crosse making shew of the bitter pangs and torments he endured who commending S. Ignatius with his Companions to his Father God the Father when he had graciously receaued them to his protection turning to the Saint with a cherefull browe wouchsafed to vtter these comfortable words Ego vobis Romae propitius ero And this was the cheife cause that after the Confirmation of te Society S. Ignatius imposed vpon it the soueraigne name of Iesus Besides the writers of his life affirme that he had often visions of the Diuine persons sometymes all togeather at other tymes only some one of the alone and of the diuine Essence it selfe and these things especially at the sacrifice of the Masse and at such tyme as being busy with composing the Constitutions of the Society he implored the light and approbation of the diuine Wisdome This appeareth euidently by a large volume of his visions which for piety and memory sake himselfe tooke the paynes to reduce to a methode which visions in him were so admirable and so penetrating the profoundest mysteries of the diuine Essence that the most learned and famous Doctours of mysticall and schole-Diuinity of our age doubt not to professe in their printed books that if that opinion be true which with Saint Thomas and other Fathers of the Church many men follow that Moyses and S. Paul the Apostle euen in this life though for a short tyme beheld perfectly and not in a figure as the Saints in the next life do the diuine Essence and as other moderne writers beleiue of S. Ausien S. Bennet and S Giles Companion to S. Fâ—ancis the like perfect vision of God euen in this life may probably be beleiued to haue been seene by S. Ignatius who hath left behind him of himselfe with his owne hand writing that at such tyme as he wrote the Rules of the Society he often beheld the diuine Essence and Beâ—â—â— And before he had studied being yet vtterly vnlearned he was in so admirable a manner instructed by intellectuall viâ—â—â—s in matters of the Vnity of the Essence and Trinity of the Persons that in that Nonage of his conuersion he was able to compose a Booke of the B. Trinity That famous vision of the holy Ghost is not to be omitted who appeared to S. Ignatius whilst he composed the Constitutions of the Society sometymes in that admirable fashion of fiery flames as heretofore to the Apostles sometymes in other shapes Besides all which it was a thing vsual to this glorious Saint to be comforted with frequent visions of Saints Angels At such tyme as he ministred the Spirituall exercise in Mont Cassino to one Peter Ortizius an Agent of the Emperours praiyng earnestly for the health of B. Hosius his Companion whom he knew to ly grieuously sick he suddainely saw a thing reported to haue hapned to S. Bennet in the same place at the tyme of the decease of German the Bishop the soule of his CoÌ„panion shining wouÌ„drous bright carried vp by Angels enter into Heauen And not long after going one day to the Altar in the very Introite of his Masse imploring the aide of all the Saints a glorious Squadron of Saints appeared before him amoÌ„gst whom he perfectly saw B. Hosius in a most glorious manner With which two visions he was so ouerioyed that for many dayes after he could not containe himselfe from weeping When Father Iohn Codurius one of the first Fathers lay in daunger of his life with a violent sicknes S. Ignatius intending to offer vp the holy Sacrifice of the Masse for him at S. Peters in Moâ—te Aureâ— in his iourney thither being almost halfe way ouer the bridge â—aâ—iculus commonly knowen now by the name of Poâ—â—e Sixâ—â— he cast vp and fixed his eyes vpon the heauens and behold the soule of F. Iohn Codurius gloriously carried vp amongst the Quires of Angels turning afterwards to F Baptista Viola his CoÌ„panion let vs quot he returne home for our Codurius is deceased At an other tyme whilst he was writing the Rules of the Society he behold the Saints in their glory in so Maiesticall a fashion as he confessed was not to be expressed And whilst he was busy with the same Rules he often heard not with the eares of his vndestanding only but with the eares of his body most harmonious musicke from Heauen with which he was enflamed with diuine loue and melted into teares The yeare after his conuersion being present at Masse in the Dominicans Church at the eleuation of the sacred Host he perfectly saw that vnder that figure true God and man was really contained At such tyme as hee composed the Constitutions of his Society hauing one day consecrated the holy Host and offered to Almighty God the Rules of his Society God the Father appeared most graciously vnto him insinuating by some mysticall signification that it would be a thing pleasing to his diuine Maiesty that the Mother of God should offer vp her prayers vnto him for him Wherevpon
Immediatly after he had left the seruice of the world and recouered his health he gaue continuall attēdance to poore sick persons seruing thē in the hospital with great humility and Charity curing their hurts and sucking many tymes their soares And though he himselfe hauing forsaken for Christs cause all he had in this world liued vpon the Charity of other pious people yet he dayly demaunded Almes not only for himselfe but for other poore also which when he had he was most liberall in the distribution of it reseruing to himselfe the hardest stalest crusts of bread and bestowing the newest vpon the poore of Christ not without the shedding of many teares for ioy in expression of the loue of his neighbour for the loue of God He was the cause that in his owne Country they of the Sodality of the B. Sacrament demaunded Almes euery Sunday for the vnknowne poore or such as were ashamed to aske Almes themselues causing it to be distributed faithfully amongst them He perswaded his owne Brother euery Sunday in like manner to bestow twelue loaues of bread in honour of the 12. Apostles In visiting and conforting such as were any way afflicted whether they were prisoners or free men his charity was admirable and that he euer obserued euen then when he executed that toilsome function of Generall of the-Society But in his feruent loue of his enemyes his charity was more eminent then in any thing whatsoeuer He neuer repaied any man ill turnes for ill he did not only proportion equally his good turnes for bad but went beyond ill offices done him in his proportion of good Being diuers tymes prouoked by diuers and iustly moued to indignation he neuer not withstanding made the least shew of passion or tooke any reuenge of any man when he might how greiueously soeuer he were prouoked to it Which might be shewed by many notable examples but that the promised breuity of his treatise wil not beare it The loue of God in S. Ignatius most perfect CHAP. XII SAint Ignatius himselfe by his punctuall obseruation of the commaundments of God and his manifold charityes towards his neighbour hath giuen abundant testimony of his high esteeme true loue of Almighty God But yet there are other infallible arguments of it sollidly not Rhetorician like expressed by the Auditours of the holy Rote and Cardinalls of the holy Rites in their relations for his Canonization and confirmed by their iudiciall sentence after curious inquiry made and the examinations of many sworne witnesses It appeareth say those Comissaries and Iudges Apostolicall how sincerely he loued God out of the care and diligence he euer vsed to do good to his neighbour for Gods cause in all things spirituall and temporall and out of the especiall regard he had to keepe his hart vndefiled For he did not only preserue his affection from all such things as are opposite to the loue of God but absolutely renounced the loue of all creatures which were nor God vtterly conuerting his affection into the loue of God and labouring to apply his desires to him This loue towards God say the same Iudges and Commissaries Apostolicall he preserued so without mixture in his brest that he had viterly bannished all loue of himselfe for he said sometymes of himselfe that he would rather be contented if it were in his choise to liue in doubt of his saluation and in the meane tyme serue God then dye at that instant with assurance of saluation and that if it should please God to confine him to hell he beleeued that the hearing of Gods name blasphemed would be more hard and painefull to him then the sufferāce of the tormēts of hell it self In conclusion he was so inflamed with the loue of God that from morning to night he neither sought thought spake nor desired any thing but to please God and obey his commaunds and therfore he committed himself wholy to him resolued absolutely to follow him though the losse of Heauen and earth had go◠vpon it he directed all his thoughts words and deedes to God as his ayme intended them only for him and his honour euer carrying those words in his mouth as his deuise AD MAIOREM DEI GLORIAM Hence proceed that spirituall ioy with which this seruant of God was euer replenished that cherefulnes of countenance he euer enioyed and that interiour peace of mind Thus they Besides these are notable argumēts of his admirable loue of God that howsoeuer he were surcharged with care or tired out with businesses with the only calling to mind or imbracing as it were of Almighty God he found himselfe refreshed to his infinite contentment He was so inflamed with the desire of behoulding Christ our Sauiour as he is that for that only he seriously begged from day to day to be freed from the bonds of his flesh if Almighty God for the good of soules did not longer exact his endeauours In so much that if at any tyme he chanced to fall into agreat sicknes in hope of deceasing he was presently abstracted from his senses not without the infinite impairing of his health For which cause his Phisicians enioyned him seriously to with-draw his mind at such tymes from the thought of heauēly things In the midst of his most serious and important affaires he was so zealous of withdrawing dishonest women from their lewd liues that if any such at any tyme chanced to repent desired to retire her selfe into some Monastery he himselfe being now a graue old man and executing the Office of Generall of the Society would not stick for Gods honour to conduct and as it were to vsher her on And being warned by some freinds of his that it was but labour lost vpon such kind of people who within short tyme after would returne to their vomit I quoth he should esteeme it a plentifull reward for all my labours and paynes taken in this life if I could be a meanes to hinder any one of them but from one nights transgressing and offending of God Calling often tymes vpon God he cryed out in a kind of tendernes of hart VVhat I desire but thee o Lord that I desire but ther or what is there els that I can desire As often as casting his eyes vpon the heauens he beheld the starrs which he was often and long accustomed to do all earthly things appeared contemptible in his eye and he himselfe was taken with a vehement desire of heauen In his prayers to the B. Trinity which were frequent and long he conceaued admirable diuine consolations Though in Spaine it be generally esteemed a foule taint in bloud and a blemish to any family to haue had ancesters descended from a Iewish race yet S. Ignatius howbeit his family were neuer touched with that infamy was ouer-heard by many men to say to F. Ribadeneira that he should haue esteemed it a singular fauour of Almighty God to haue descended from a Iewish race that by that meanes at least he
concealed his good deeds for his owne safegard and published the apparent wenders of God for the profit of others He conceaued so humble an opinion of himselfe that he valued himselfe the basest of all mortall men and thought he stood most in need of Gods fauour Whensoeuer any discourse hapned of the propagation of the Society or the fruit it reaped in the Church of God ouer the Christian world or of any other subiect whatsoeuer which might redound to his praise he suddainly recollected himselfe and melting into teares was surprised with a modest blush He would not permit himselfe to be praised by any man and hauing vnderstood that F. Iames Eguia his Ghostly Father aman of wel-neare threscore and ten yeares of age had spoken many things in his praise surpassing the ordinary praises of other great Saints he imposed vpon him for his pennance that he should thrice a day whipp himselfe for three dayes togeather But no pennances being afterwards able to restraine him from speaking his praises S. Ignatius refused at last to vse him for his Ghostly Father and commaunded him besides vpon paine of excommunication and dimission out of the Society that from thence-forward he should forbeare to speake any thing in his prayse S. Ignatius being newly conuerted before the performance of his voyage to Hierusalem was much molested with tentations of vaine-glory against which making braue resistance and being surprised with them in the midst of a daungerous sicknes he had contracted he was more molested with the conceit of offending his diuine Maiesty then with the vehemency of his desease growing violent vpon him and at last through the fauour of Almighty God he so absolutely conquered vtterly rooted out that vice and this the very first yeare after his conuersion that afterwards whensoeuer the glory of God or good of soules required it he could as easily discours of his owne vertues as of his vices without any touch or feeling of vaine glory Though many men desired much the true picture of S Ignatius he would neuer suffer it to be drawne or other wayes taken by any To which purpose Cardinal Pacieco comming once to visit S Ignatius lying sick in bed intending to steale his picture by a religious stratageme hauing brought secretely for that end a Painter in his Company who through certaine crannies had a full view of the Saint and so might drawe his picture as he lay But the Cardinals obseruancie could not preuaile against the Saints humility for his countenance did so coÌ„tinually alter from one fauour to an other that the Painter standing amazed was forced to depart without doing any thing The humility of S. Ignatius was the cause that though he acknowledged the guifts of God to be admirable in him and found that he was miraculously fauoured by him yet being preferred to the dignity of Preisthood he durst not presently offer vp his first Host to God but partly with a serious attention of his mind partly with an inestimable comfort of spirit replenished with abundance of new diuine lights prepared himself day and night to it for the space of eighteene monethes But his humility appeared most in his suffering all things for Gods cause patiently and willingly with a peaceable and humble mind iudging himselfe worthily to haue deserued all crosses and not to haue merited any thing that was good He besought them earnestly to forbeare who went about to hinder iniuries and affronts done him returning them may thanks who did him apparent wrongs doing them all fauours curtesyes in his power A certaine heards-mans boy casting his eyes in contempt vpon the Saint ash passed by him brake out into a scornefull laughter heaping iniuries vpon him at which whilst he with a cherefull countenance remained in the place his CoÌ„panion turning towards him Wherfore Father quoth he make you not hast from hence to auoid these insolencâ—es of this vngracious boy To which the Saint replied Rather quoth he why should we depriue the poore boy of this contentment which contrary to his expectation he hath â—hus encountred So that he purposely remained in that place offering himselfe in a curteous manner to that impudent fellow to be beheld curiously obserued coÌ„ceauing more contentment in this scorne and reproach then other men in the popular applause and acclamations of the vulgar At Rome whilst he preached openly in the streets and certaine roguish boyes in contempt threw apples at his head he stood fixed like a statua without any shew of anger He was wont to say that the violent persecutions he endured before and after the foundation of the Society were more deare and welcome to him then any honours or commodities this world afforded Being demaunded by a freind of his at such tyme as for a false imputation layd to his charge he was committed to prison in Salamanca whether that imprisonement and those chaines did not much afflict him And doth quoth he a prison appeare to you so fearefull know then that the whole Towne of Salamanca cannot furnish me with so many fetters or shackles but that I would willingly desire more for the loue of Christ my Lord. Neither did he only with humility patience and willingnes embrace all aduersities by which his honour reputation body and affaires might suffer but which is an eminent degree in these kind of vertues he reioyced at any accident which hapned against himselfe or his good name as the Auditours of the holy Rote haue noted and the Cardinalls of the holy Rites in their Relations to his Holines The life and reputation of S. â— Ignatius miraculously conserued often tymes and defended by Almighty God CHAP. XV. VVHom the diuine Maiesty maketh choise of to exploit great actions in his Church and to raise the glory of Christ in some eminent degree them and their reputation he is accustomed to preserue and by peculiar fauour and assistance defend Of which in the life of S. Ignatius there are notable and rare examples When S. Ignatius lay sick in his Fathers house of his mortall wound in emminent danger of death to the great regret of the whole hous-hould hauing receaued by the aduice of freinds the holy Rites of the Church S. Peter the Apostle appeared to him vpon the Eue of his feast restoring him miraculously to his desired health In somuch that immediately he was eased of his paines and began with appetite to fall to his meate And it is a token of a peculiar care Almighty God had of S. Ignatius his life that he committed the custody of him not to any Augel of an inferiour Order such as are ordinarily appointed for our Guardians but to an Arch-Angell of a high degree That he preserued him in his seauendayes fast without receauing any sustinance in his extasies and other prayers without any infirmity or â—mpairing of his strength with a cruell whipping of his body thrice a day and the performance of seauen howers Prayer vpon his knees S. Ignatius hauing been left