Self-love being a Self-seeker â—â— all things never rests never cease troubling and intaingling it self anâ— others in all sorts of inconvenienceâ— dangers and evils being the Oâ— man which reigneth in mankind and causeth so great disorders anâ— confusions amongst men and so mâ—ny spiritual diseases in Christianity that even St. Paul himself Doctor â—â— the Gentiles could not restrain froâ— crying out desiring to be freed froâ— it Infaelix Ego homo quis me liberâ— bit de corpore mortis hujus Rom. 7. â—â— Vnhappy man that I am who shâ—â—â— deliver me from the body of this deaâ—â— This Self-love therefore may be saâ—â— to be as a wioked Monster in us thâ— totally ruins and destroys mankind in another place I shall further declaâ—â— and at present though it be impâ—sible to unfold and discover the wiâ—â—edness of this pernicious Monster â—â— the full I will endeavour in part â—â— make it appear how horrid and frigâ—â—ful he is by the opposition which â—â— hath against the Charity or Love of God Saint Paul doth much encourage â—e to this design having so incomâ—arably well demonstrated and declaâ—ed the excellencies of Charity or Divine Love so lively so fair so loveâ—y and so agreeable that nothing â—an be desir'd nor wish'd more perâ—ect and accomplish'd in these expresâ—ions Charitas patiens est benigna â—st Charitas non aemulatur c. 1 Cor. â— 3. 4. Charity or the Love of God â—s patient is benigne gentle kind Charity envieth not dealeth not perâ—â—ersly is not puffed up is not ambiâ—ious seeketh not her own provokâ—th not to anger thinketh no evil â—ejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoycâ—th in the truth Charity suffereth all â—hings believeth all things and â—eareth all things In a word Chaâ—ity abideth all wayes free constant â—ively simple or sincere without â—ny doubleness or disguizement causâ—ng no deceit nor using any dissimulation for having God only for hâ— last end in that respect she totalâ—â— resteth and sweetly reposeth in him But Self-love proveth quite contrâ—ry both within and without beiâ—â— alwayes deceitful and disguized â—â— all her proceedings blaming thâ—â— which should be praised and praisiâ—â— that which deserves blame esteeâ—ing her self better than all others yâ—â— sometimes feignedly undervaluinâ— and speaking meanly of her self â—â— the intent she may be the more praiâ—ed and exalted by others If sâ—â— speaks well of her neighbour 't is only â—â— bring him upon discourse or make hiâ— talkt of that afterwards she may fiâ—â— occasion to traduce and slander him â— for Self-love is subtle and seldom â—â— at any time wants ground true â—â— false to maintain or excuse to paâ—liate or hide the naughtiness of heâ— proceedings being like to a Squinâ—ey'd man who being bidden to looâ— on one side looks on the other â—â— wicked and deceitful Self-love tâ— whom it must be said what the Proâ—het Ahias said to the Wife of Jeroâ—oam that came to see him disguized â—xor Jeroboam curte aliam esse siâ—ulas 3 Reg. 14. 8. Jeroboams â—ife why doest feign thy self to be â—nother woman Secondly Charity or the Love of â—od makes a man value nothing â—or esteem any thing in this world â—ut vertue for which reason he lovâ—th all perfections and vertues in â—eneral but in a singular manner the â—ertue of Humility by which he alâ—ayes submitteth despiseth and unâ—ervalueth himself suffereth injuries â—pprobrious and abusive speeches conâ—â—sions and beareth all mortificatiâ—ns for Jesus Christs sake patiently â—nd meekly without commotion or â—esentment attributes no good actiâ—ns to himself but to God alone and â—nstead of praising commending â—nd thinking better of himself for doâ—ng well he humbleth himself flies â—onour declines and refuses the praises and applaudings of men whaâ— possible he can not seeking riches nor worldly pleasures or perferments but desiring rather to be commanded than to command or to have any power authority or dominion over others and in sine so contentâ— himself to live in all due submissioâ— under God and men that for ouâ— Lords sake he is alwayes ready to obey every humane creature that haâ— authority to command But on the contrary Self-love by wayes quite opposite to these causes a man to affect greatness honourâ— riches and plenty of all things to glorify himself in his Extraction Nobility Friends Estate Power anâ— Dominion over others to delighâ— much in the society and acquaintancâ— of great men and to take his pleasurâ— in all sensual vanities so as verâ— often to offend God through frailty anâ— undue complacence with the world Self-love causeth men to be proud so that they love to be praised considered honoured and respected makes â—hem desire to be imployed in great Offices and in things of great concern â—t makes one to equalize himself to great Persons and oft times to prefer himself before his Superiours and Betters and to despise all he thinks under him or inferiour to him This makes him glory in what he possesses and of what he can do but sad and dejected and full of melancholly when he falls into any want or necessity This makes us angry and full of fury when our conceits and discourses are not well taken or not approved and finally through self-Self-love it is that we are so easily and so much troubled in mind at every small thing that happens contrary to our desire and expectation Thirdly Charity or the Love of God causeth a man not to regard so much his proper utility and conveniencies as those that concern the common and publique good or are profitable to many for which cause he doth not take so much pains and labour for his own interest as he will do for others he is in a sorâ— common to all and upon that accounâ— loveth a common life abhoring alâ— singularities at all times being contented with little and giving willingly of what he has But on the contrary self-Self-love causeth men to be chiefly solicitous in what they undertake that it may be for their own conveniency interest and proper utility makes them unwilling and slow to do any thing gratis or for nothing They will be rewarded to the full and whether it be in praise favour or goods they alwayes pretend to a full value of recompence Those who are led by Self-love love to be praised in all their actions be they either good or bad such men love Singularities and desire in all things to be treated better then others and applauded above the rest envying their equals above measure more especially if honour place employments or charges be given to â—â—em for then they grow discontentâ—d grudge murmur and complain â—retending that themselves had been â—ore fit for such a great place and â—ore deserved to have had such a â—reat Office Honour or Dignity conâ—erred on them yea sometimes pleadâ—â—g not only their greater Merits greatâ—r Parts and Sufficiency but rather then â—il even greater need and want â—f it then others Behold here but â—ne of the least parcels of the evil â—ffects which proceed from Self-love â—ehold a glimpse of
subject to sin Wherefore it is very true and in this case necessary to be observ'd what Father Granada says Such as desire to love Almighty God should endeavour to sequester themselves and depart from the practice of all sins As to the second thing required you must know that before you can obtain the grace of loving God above all Creatures it is necessary that you be very serious in your thoughts and apprehensions of God and that you delight your self to consider and meditate in your mind both the truth of his Existence and also how important a thing it is for you and all men rightly to believe and conceive of him and worthily to serve him To which end it shall not be amiss to call to mind and reflect upon the Motives which I have already in part alledged in the Fifth Section Sect. 3. for the exciting and stirring up mens hearts to Divine Love that is to say some of those Attributes Perfections and Proper Excellencies which are to be contemplated in the Divine Nature and do worthily move us to a due esteem and love of him and particularly that we do often and devoutly think upon the Perfections and Excellencies of our Lord Jesus Christ who is God Incarnate or God made Man for us and to procure our salvation in whom the Fulness of the Divinity doth inhabit corporally and in whom are hidden all the hidden Treasures of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God Colos 2. 3. and in whom all the good Properties Perfections and Excellencies whether pertaining to the Divine Nature or Humane to God or Man that can merit Love Reverence Honour and Esteem from us are found to admiration and excess he is Splendor Gloriae figura Dei Patris The Brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express Image or Figure of Gods Substance as to this purpose the Apostle speaketh Heb. 1. v. 3. Cum in forma Dei esset c. saith the same Apostle again Phil. 2. v. 6. making or confessing him to be the Form that is the most true internal and perfect resemblance of his Fathers Nature The Vapour or Breath of the Power of God and a bright streaming or Emanation of Glory from the Almighty He is the Brightness of Eternal Light the Vnspotted Mirror or Glass of Divine Majesty and Image of his Goodness Sap. 7. 25 26. In fine he is God of God True God of true God and consequently perfect and absolute in all the Properties of Divine Majesty and Glory and the Fountain of Perfection and of all Good in his Creatures which thing well considered I cannot doubt but they will make us see how just and reasonable it is that he alone should be lov'd and honoured by us above all Creatures as containing in himself all the Causes Motives and Reasons of Love and Honour As to the third thing requisite for the obtaining of Divine Love it is to recal often to mind the Graces and Benefits the Gifts and Favors which we have received and do daily receive at Gods hand as well those receiv'd before Baptism as since the benefit of our Creation whereby we have our Being the benefit of his Providence whereby we are preserved in our being defended from all Evil and supplied with all necessary Good The benefit of our Redemption and the great kindness which God therein hath shewed towards his Creatures to wit in sending his only Son our Lord Jesus Christ to take humane Flesh upon him in the Womb of the most pure and immaculate Virgin his Mother and in the same Flesh to die and redeem us from the slavery of our Ghostly Enemy and from everlasting Damnation By which means being already in right of Creation and Providence our loving Father through the Mystery of Incarnation he became our Brother our Saviour and in a more special manner our Lord our King our God our Governour and our last end Yea by reason of this Union and Communion of Nature with us he becomes through Grace the Heavenly Spouse of every one of our Souls being married to him in Faith and Charity And therefore as our Spouse so loving so good so rich so great so beautiful so provident so tender-hearted he deserves to be requited and repayed by us with the same that is with a most intense most cordial most affectionate sincere and if it could be an infinite love and as he is our last end he is to be supreamly look'd at aim'd at regarded and intended by us in every thing of moment that we do or take in hind Considering therefore that we have such motives and reasons to love God above all and especially our Blessed Saviour God Incarnate let us use no delay let us shew no backwardness to return him love for love and to to render him our most humble and daily thanks for all his benefits and mercies remembring that of Solomon Sap. 16. v. 28. Quoniam oportet praevenire Solem ad Benedictionem tuam c. That we ought to prevent the Sun to give thanks to God and the Morning-light to adore and make prayers to him and that if we do it not but remain unthankful for his Benefits it shall befall us as is said in the same place v. 29. Ingrati spes tanquam hybernalis glacies tabescet c. The hope of the Vngrateful shall melt away as a Winter-Ice and shall perish as unprofitable Water Sect. 2. How we are to love our Neighbours None can be so ignorant as not to know that it is part of our Duty to God to love our Neighbour since that God himself doth so positively and precisely require it of us by the Evangelist Matth. 22. v. 39. Diliges proximum tuum sicut teipsum Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self The same Commandment is repeated in diverse other places as namely Luc. 10. v. 27. Rom. 13. v. 9. Galat. 5. v. 14. Jam. 2. v. 8. Yea it was a Law in force unto the Jews as well as Christians according as we read Levitle 19. 18. The just and honest love of our Neighbour is so united annex't and as it were chained with the Love of God that for the same loves sake whereby we love God we are commanded to love our Neighbour yea Saint John the Evangelist argues that through want of loving our Neighbour we cannot love God and calls him Lyer that pretends the contrary to wit that we may love God truly and acceptably without loving our Neighbour Siquis dixerit c If a man saith he shall say I love God and hateth his Brother he is a lyer giving this reason For he that loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen 1 Joan. 4. 20. and making his reason good with this final assertion viz. And this Commandment have we from God that he who loveth God loveth his Brother also These two loves proceed and come forth from the same Root and have the same Original Cause to wit
what a Self-lover â—s alwayes ready to say and do beâ—ng altogether for himself and scarce â—or any body else But alas the time â—s coming when they must repent of â—his their inordinate Love if not in â—his world yet assuredly in the next â—or all eternity SECTION II. Self-love the original spring of all Spiritual Diseases SECT 1. All the Spiritual Diseases of Christians from Self-love 2. Self-love it self a most daâ—gerous Disease 3. A Description of the same 4. The beginning and continuance of that pernicious Disease 5. How that pernicious Disease corrupteth all Vertues anâ— good Actions SECT 1. All Spiritual Diseases of Christianâ— from self-Self-love FOr the most part as soon as â— man findeth himself weak and sickly he presently doth his endeavour to know the original cause of â—â—at his corporal Disease and infirmiâ—â— consulting with Physicians that â—y their means and prescriptions a â—resent and fit remedy may be apâ—lied for the ease of his pain I say â—e same of the Spiritual Diseases of â—hristians If any of them would now from whence the Languishing â—nfirmities of their Souls which hold â—nd torment them daily do proceed Divines will unanimously tell them â—â— is a continual Feaver of Self-love â—â—at troubles them which according â—â— Saint Augustin is the root of all â—â—ns and consequently of all the Spiâ—â—tual Diseases Distempers Sickâ—esses and Infirmities which afflict â—â—em being the source and spring of â—ll evil and the plague of humane â—â—â—fe in so much as it may be said to â—â—e that Trojan Horse bearing fire â—nd swords saccage and rapin in its â—owels This Self-love may be well â—ompared to a Malignant Feaver of which as there be several sorts and all of them for the most part mortaâ— and deadly so are there several sort of Self-love all in their kind pernicious and dangerous consisting somâ— in pride some in ambition some iâ— vanity and presumption there aâ—â— Self-esteemings Self-admirings Self-complacencies and pleasings Self-delights Self-praisings Self-interests Self-wills with innumerable otherâ— of like nature which apparently spring from the main root of Self-love Saint Ambrose one of the chiefesâ— and greatest Physicians of Souls â— writing upon Saint Lukes Gospel Lukâ— 4. 38. speaketh of Seven sorts of these Pestilential Feavers which are mosâ— dangerous to Christians The firsâ— riseth from pride ambition and hypocrisie c. The Second from covetousness the unsatiable desire oâ— money or worldly things The Thirdâ—â— from sensuality and prodigality iâ— meat and drink The Fourth from the concupiscence of the flesh wantonness in unlawful desires and pleasures The Fifth from troublesome humours â—nd bad conditions as anger and oâ—her disorderly passions The Sixth â—â—om a great negligence in good works â—nd carelessness in the performances â—f good purposes and resolutions The Seventh and last from envy â—nd displeasure taken at others properties happiness good c. All which properties are fully contained â—â— Self-love for from thence proceed â—mbitions rebellions sacriledges â—reacheries rapines in a word all â—hat which is most horrid in Nature For it being the root of all sin â—here must of necessity grow up from â—â— as from their Tree and Stock â—he Boughs and Branches of all â—orts of Iniquity and Vice of which â—lso the Apostle Saint John takes noâ—ice in his Epistle namely 1 Joan. â—â— 16. where he mentions the concuâ—iscence of the flesh that is all bodiâ—y and carnal pleasures the concupiâ—cence of the eyes by which may be â—nderstood the inordinate desire of understanding knowledge c. anâ— pride of life which may also be caâ—led the concupiscence of the Will â— breaking out into all inordinate actâ—ons So that under these three coâ—cupiscences are contain'd and coâ—prehended the whole sinful state â—â— Mankind and by the Catholiqâ—â— Church and all Divines of the samâ— are commonly sorted or divided inâ—â— Seven branches namely Pride Câ—vetousness Lechery Anger Envy Gluttony and Sloth All which is fuâ—ly agreeable to the saying of the Sâ—raphical Doctor Saint Bonaventurâ— who speaking of Self-love useth theâ— expressions It must be confessed saitâ— he that Self-love is the original caâ—â—â— of all evil and wickedness and thâ—â— by means thereof all sinful actioâ—â— come forth or shew themselves witâ— all the Languishing Infirmities thaâ— attend our Spiritual Estate As for Example Doth not priâ—â— and ambition proceed from Self-love Have they any other original fountaiâ— or spring are they any thing else but an inordinate Love of our own proper excellencies and a desire to be commended in all our actions above and before others Doth not envy rise up from the same root Is it any thing but the inordinate Love of our selves that makes us grieve and be displeased at others felicity good parts vertue c. when we compare our selves with them and to grudge that others should be equal to us or to proceed in dignities before us Whence comes sloath negigence and remissness in Gods service but from hence namely that out of inordinate Love to the pleasures and delights of the Palate we pamper our selves and our carcasses so much that we become idle thereupon unapt and unwilling to take any pains care or diligence in things that concern the good of our souls and our spiritual interests Doth not anger come from hence Is it for any other reason then that of Self-love and inordinate esteem of our selves that we are so full of wrath and passion so easie to be provok'd and sâ— ready to take revenge upon very frivolous accounts and that with every one Whence comes lechery oâ— the intemperate pursuing of sensualâ— or carnal pleasures It is an effect oâ— Self-love though one of the ignoblest and least worthy of man that we are transported so far beyond measure with those wanton concupiscences of the flesh The same I musâ— say of gluttony it is from an inordinate and no due love of our selves that we exceed so much in our appetite and affections towards meat and drink From this disorderly love it is that we affect so much to feed on delicacies and dainties even to the making a God of our Belly Lastly As concerning covetousness it proceeds most apparently from hence and from the inordinate love of our selves it comes that we are so unsatiably greedy and desirous of Riches Wealth money and all other worldâ—â— possessions so that for conclusion â—ith infalible truth it may be said â—â—at this Self-love is a Mother vice â—nd that from thence all the vices â—â—nnes evils and spiritual maladies â—hat so unhappily infest Mens Souls â—ave their original and do spring â—s Branches do from their proper Tree â—nd Stock and as Rivers flow from â—heir Springs and Fountains SECT 2. Self-love it self a most dangerous Disease It is not without just cause and reaâ—on that these Seven Branches of â—elf-love are commonly called and â—ear the Title of Mortal or Deadly â—eeing all the vicious and corrupt inâ—erests and practices of men are reâ—uced to some one or other of them â—s we have already declared
so as to make them see the truest effects of the Love of God which are absolutely contrary to the effects of Self-love For why the effects of Divine Love are all of them good yea they are all the good that can or ever will be desired but contrariwise the effects of Self-love are all of them evil and are all the evils that men can possible think imagine or fear Since then there be two sorts of Love namely the Love of God and thâ— Love of our selves and that all trâ—â— good and happiness is to be attributed to the Love of God as on the contrary all wickedness and all evils to self-Self-love we are now to maâ—â— our choice we must go either to thâ— right hand or to the left we muâ—â— practice either what is Divine oâ— else self-Self-love Consider the mattâ—â— therefore well and proceed as yoâ— see cause by what hath been hitherto said you cannot but have observ'â— and know that all the actions of those that exercise self-Self-love tend wholly to their own praise and commendation and to exalt themselves and if at any time they applaud Vertue it is only to praise themselves the more upon a precarious and false supposition that they are such For though they applaud it they never practice it Their practice is only what the Poet Ovid describes Laudamus veteres sed nostris utimur annis â—n conclusion where Self-love reigns â—l Vertue all Justice all acts of â—harity all good Discipline are sent â—â—to exile are banished and on the â—ontrary Cruelties Commotions â—ars Lusts Adulteries Murthers â—esolations and Tumults Furies and â—yranny Persecutions and Robbeâ—es Pride and Ambition yea all â—ices without exception which can â—e named are in such vogue that â—othing can withstand them and in â—uch credit and practice that it is in â—ain to speak against them By self-Self-love every one is prejudiâ—ed By means of self-Self-love poor Orphans lose their right and poor Wiâ—ows sustain wrong none consideâ—ing their cause none regarding or giving ear to their just complaint Through self-Self-love the poor perish or live miserably few or none takeing pitty or having any compassioâ— of their hard condition In fine aâ— sorts of men suffer more or less â—â— some respects or other through thâ— prevalency of this passion Froâ— hence from this cursed root Treasons are contriv'd and spring Felonies are committed Perfidiousneâ—â— and Deceits practiced Churches aâ— robbed Matrons and Virgins defiled Religion and all Fear of God laid aside and forgotten insomuch that hereby the Proverb comes to be verified Mala etiam non quaerentibus obtiâ—gunt bona vix accedunt etiam quâ—rentibus Evils though not sought after will be found and take place but God though never so much sought after will scarce be found This was the answer of that famous Diogenes the Philosopher when one asked him what his Opinion was touching Mens Estate and Condition in this World And truly in my judgement the answer was to purpose for so much as generally speaking Vice is much more rife in the World than â—ertue and consequently men are â—ore apt and are better furnish't to â—rocure Evil than to procure Good â—oth to themselves and their neighâ—ours Sect. 3. By Self-love we seek all sorts of vanities therefore it is prejudical to our selves Having so largely declared in the â—wo precedent Paragraphs how Self-â—ove is most prejudical to God and our Neighbour tending to Gods dishonour and our Neighbours harm it hence of necessity follows that the same Self-love is also most prejudicial to our selves for if God be offended by our Self-love as we have plainly demonstrated that he is the very same transgression committed against him by Self-love doth wound our own poor Souls to a spiritual death and if withal our Neighbour be prejudiced or harm'd by it as 't is certain he is it doth also include that we our selves are prejudiced and receive hurt thereby no less than ouâ— Neighbour seeing we cannot unjustly harm our Neighbour but we offend God and by offending God we hurt our selves so that there needâ— not much to be spoken to prove this verity to wit that Self-love is prejudicial to our selves as well as to others nevertheless to keep a deceâ—um in our proceedings since I have not been sparing or restrain'd my self in shewing the evils and mischievous effects of Self-love in relation to God and our Neighbour it seems but requisite that something should more particularly be proposed to shew the like effects which it has upon our selves and how much we our selves are prejudic'd by indulging to the passion of Self-love First you are not ignorant that Self-love according to the Ancient Fathers doth blind the eyes of Mankind dulling the Spirits and weakning their Understanding insoâ—uch that being to make choice of â—y thing for the most part they â—use for the worse and more espeâ—â—ally when the matter concerns â—â—eir spiritual estate or good As for â—xample there is nothing in this â—orld that a man loveth better than â—is Life his Soul his Ease his proâ—er Will his Pleasures his Sensualiâ—â—es his Vanities and the like and â—et 't is certain and well donsidering â—e would easily see it that all these â—ven the best of them Life and Soul â— inordinately loved are extreamly â—ontrary and prejudicial to his true â—ood For in this sense according to â—he Evangelist Joan. 12. 25. Qâ—i â—mat animam suam perdet eam c. He that loveth his life shall lose it â—nd he that hates his life in this World that is loves it not nor makes any reckoning of it in compaâ—ison of his love and duty to God shall keep it to life everlasting The â—ame is to be said of the soul according to Saint Matth. ch 10. 39. As for the rest ease proper will pleasures c. they are meer Vanities not worth the wishing for aâ— witnesseth the wise Solomon in those words Eccles 1. v. 14. Vidi cuncta quae fiunt sub sole ecce Vniversâ— Vanitas I have seen saith he and considered all things that are done under the Sun and behold they are all vanity and affliction of Spirit which is to say they are things wherein no full satisfactinn of raind no perfect content is to be found and that therefore men do vainly and to their own prejudice to set their minds their love and affections so much upon them Yet will not men be perswaded their minds are still set upon the things under the Sun and not on those above it they still mind the world and worldly things worldly riches worldly honours worldly pleasures worldly power c. and with such an eagerness of appetite do they hunt after these things as if â—â—ey were the chiefest good and â—â—at all happiness consisted in them â—eglecting the care of their Souls for â—e love of them quite contrary to â—e advice and exhortation of the â—lessed Evangelist Saint John who â—howing the harm that comes to men â—y setting their minds and affections â— much upon worldly
you Chap. 7. v. 5. Induta est caro mea putredine sordibus pulveris My flesh saith he is cloathed with rottenness and filth of dust my skin is dried and shrunk up What is Man according to his Soul Alas if he be destitute of Grace and true Charity he is Gods enemy he is the heir of Hell and of eternal damnation he is a friend to all sorts of vanities a worker of Iniquity Gods Dishonour apt and ready to all Evil but slow to all that is good Infine he is a poor creature beset on all sides with evil blind in Counsel extravagant in his passions and proceedings vain-glorious and boasting in his words and in his deeds deficient and falling short of the good he pretends to in his appetites dishonest and in all things little save only in his own applause and esteem wherein he is beyond measure great for all which upon due consideration he ought rather to have a great aversion and dislike of himself than to be puffed up and swelled with self-Self-love so much to Gods dishonour and his own prejudice Sect. 3. The second means to over-come self-Self-love is by the knowledge of the Excellencies and Perfections of God It cannot be denied but there are several causes which do oblige us greatly to overcome self-Self-love as also induce us towards a perfect and true love of Almighty God who is the Creator of all both Heaven and Earth and all things therein contained Genes 1. v. 1. who is our Maker having made us of nothing to his own Image and Likeness according as we read Ecclus 17. v. 1. who is our redeemer having given himself a redemption for all as the Apostle witnesseth 1 Tim. 2. v. 6. who is our Heavenly Father so witnesseth Christ himself Matth. 6. 32. Your Father that is in Heaven knoweth that ye have need of these things And Joan. 20. 17. I ascend to your Father and to my Father to your God and to my God These are all of them just reasons and titles of right which God hath to our love these are all prerogatives and properties of such high perfection that in consideration of them we ought to suppress all motions of Self-love and Self-esteem and to entertain no thoughts of our proper excellency dignity merit c. But besides these there are divers other very well deserving to be taken notice of by us of which we must therefore speak I shall reduce them under two general heads To wit Those which concerns the intrinsecal perfections and unparalled excellencies of Gods Nature in himself and those which concern his outward works towards us that is to say the many and great benefits which we daily receive in this world from his infinite goodness and mercy and which we expect to receive in the world to come As concerning the first sort we are to know that whatsoever is amiable of it self or beloved it deserves to be so loved according to reason or for some reason or motive of love that is seen in it As for example when we love any reasonable or humane creature if the love be as the object is reasonable and not meerly passionate we love it upon the account of some particular quality or perfection that we see in it and according to the measure or degree of that lovely quality in the object which we apprehend and are affected with all is our love more or less great towards the subject wherein it is After this manner is all reasonable and vertuous love begotten â— it arises always from the consideration of something in the party loved that justly deserves love and where there is no such thing seen or lookt at in our loving there is no reasonable or honest love Now upon this account what and how great reason have we to love God above all Creatures seeing that in him not only one or some few but all the reasons of Love all the Perfections all the good Qualities or Properties that are fit to deserve and gain Love are found All Goodness all Vertue all Wisdom all Power all Beauty all Majesty all Glory They are in him and superabundantly flow issue and proceed from him as from an eternal fountain of Good All the little rayes and resemblances of God which are seen in Creatures are darted from the Sun he imparts them all He makes Men wise vertuous good he furnishes them with all due feature of body and gifts of mind according as the Apostle S. James assures us saying Jac. 1. v. 17. Omne datum optimum omne donum perfectum de sur sum est Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of Lights If therefore we love any person for his wisdom God is infinitely more wise or for his nobility power wealth God is infinitely more noble mighty rich In fine whatsoever quality or perfection can be observ'd in Creatures as a Motive or reason of love the same with infinite advantages is to be found in God How much more therefore are we to love God than Creatures God I say who surpasseth all Creatures not only in the perfections already mention'd but in all others whatsoever without any exception As for his wisdom S. Paul telleth us that the depth of it is unsearchable and past finding out Rom. 11 33. O altitudo divitiarum Sapientiae Scientiae Dei c. O the height O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how in comprehensible are his judgments and his ways investigable There is none like unto him Quis poterit scrutari sapientiam ejus saith Elihu in Job Chap. 36. v. 23. Who can or will ever be able to search and know his wisdom As for his Nobility and the Titles of his due honour he surpasseth all Nabuchodonosor though his Enemy at that time and a wicked King yet acknowledged this to the Prophet Daniel saying Dan. 2. v. 47. Vere Deus vester Deus Deorum est c. In very deed your God is the God of all Gods and the Supream Lord of all Kings He is according to S. John Apoc. 19. v. 16. Rex Regum Dominus Dominantium King of Kings and Lord of Lords As for his Power Authority and Might he shall reign for ever and ever Luc. 1. v. 33. Et Regni ejus non erit finis Of his Kingdom there shall be no end Yea his power is such that nothing can be done without him by reason whereof it is said Rom. 11. 36. that of him and through him and to him are all things and Colos 1. v. 17. that by him all things consist As for his Beauty his comely and excellent features fair complexion take it which way you will whether of body or mind they are unparallell'd So the Espouse professeth Cant. 1. v. 16. Ecce tu pulcher es dilecte mi Ecce tu pulcher es decorus Behold you are fair my beloved behold you are fair and comely
De Civit. Dei and in Psal 74. For as the True and Divine Love which reigneth in the Citizens of Hierusalem that is in the Servants of God takes its original spring from the Charity of God and makes them humble and to undervalue themselves for the honour and praise of God so in the same manner the Self-love of the Citizens of Babylon takes its original spring from their proper will and they raise themselves so high by reason of it that they come to undervalue and despise even God himself their own salvation and eternal interest We see in men divers sorts of affections divers sorts of judgements oâ—inions wills in so much that they â—re not more different in feature and â—n the frame and fashion of their Boâ—ies and natural Humors then they â—re in their proper Wills and Self-love â—nd the reason hereof is because they â—o not regard to conform themselves â—or to adjust their proper loves to the True Divine Love This is the source â—rom whence so much Self-love proâ—eeds men do not their endeavour to perform the will of God as they ought put follow too much every one their proper sensualities and private wills Oh would to God the onely true and perfect Love were well rooted and engraven in the hearts of men how would it make them true Followers and Imitators of those that live now â—n the Coelestial Hierusalem â— Without question they would then be all of one mind as the Apostles and Disciples of Christ were who so conformed themselves that as the Holy Text saith of them Acts 4. 32. they werâ— Cor unum anima una all one souâ— and one heart SECT 3. Self-Love contrary to the Love oâ— God Egredere de terratua de cognatione tua de domo patris tui Gen. 12. 1. Go forth of thy Countrey from thy kindred and thy Fathers house said Almighty God unto us all in the person of the Patriarch Abraham ouâ— Father insinuating hereby that you must all go forth and give over the love of worldly Creatures if you mean to love Coelestial you must pluck out of your selves all the weeds of Self-love and so root them out of your hearts that they may never grow up again Self-love is displeasing to God and altogether contrary to his love Self-love is the cause of all evils it perverteth the judgement overthrows and disturbs the mind stops and perverts reason dulls â—he understanding empoisons the will and shuts up the way to Eternal â—alvation He that loves not well doth not know God injures his neighbour â—orsaketh Vertue and seeks after honour riches and such like things â—oves the world and himself but not God Take heed therefore since it â—s this Self-love that destroys all commands and leads by it self all sinners â—o eternal damnation Why do you love Honour Riches â—nd other Corporal Objects of the World so much Why do you seek why do you hunt after them with so much greediness It is only because you love your selves inordinately Yet are you to leave all and forsake all even your selves and your own â—ife for the Love of God if you preâ—end to be everlastingly happy And â—he reason is because if the Love of God be not the first and chief in your affections sensual desires will usurp the prerogatives of Reason and get thâ— chief place which is due to God alone and so by consequence you forsake God for the love of your self and for the enjoying of your own propeâ— will and fancy you rob God of thâ— honour which is due onely to him aâ— the Creator and Maker of all Creatures To mortifie and subdue Self-love and our proper wills is not onely the Counsel but was also the Practice oâ— all the Ancient Fathers who used all their endeavors to weed and pluck out Self-love from themselves and to with-draw it also from the hearts of others especially of those who pretend to the perfection of Christian Vertue and Piety and have the state of a Religious Life in honour and esteem Now our proper will in this place signifies that absolute Self-love which men use and whereby they alwayes take complacency in themselves and ordain and refer all things to the satisfaction of themselves and of their own mind whereas on the â—ontrary true and perfect Christians â—enounce whatsoever is contrary to God and give themselves totally to Divine Love and to the performance â—f Gods Will and Commandments â—rdaining all to God and in a manâ—er denying all to themselves Seeing then that these two Loves â—re so contrary and opposite the one â—gainst the other it follows that such â—ikewise must be all the affections and â—he operations that proceed from â—hem that is opposite and quite conâ—rary one to another in so much that â—t is impossible these two Loves should ever reign at once or together at the â—ame time in one and the same heart â—eeing they are altogether incompatiâ—le You will never find the Love of God agree with the love of the world â—he love of Earthly Things with the â—ove of Coelestial the Carnal with the Spiritual And as it is impossible for Truth and Falsity to agree or Morâ—ality with Immortality Sweetness with Bitterness in a high degree oâ— Peace with War so in the same manner impossible it is to reconcile Self-love with the Love of God We cannot with one and the same eye aâ— the same instant look up to Heaveâ— and down to Earth so neither is it iâ— our power at the same time to lovâ— God and this world Therefore to humble and get thâ— Victory over Self-love we are firâ—â— to overcome our selves and shake oâ— the yoke and tyrannizing power oâ— our proper will which is the spring of all evil to us We must absolutely reject that if ever we mean to embrace Vertue as we ought and submit our selves wholly unto God beinâ— mindful of all the graces and benefitâ— we have received and do still everyday receive from him following herein the good counsel of Saint Augustin great Pillar and Doctor of thâ— Church Recordare quomodo creaviâ— te non existentem redemit te c Remember saith he how God createâ— thee of nothing how he redeemed â—ee with his own blood how he did â—ee thee being captive how he proâ—â—cted thee in thy infirmity how he â—riched thee being poor and naked â—nd how he will happily reward and â—own thee if thou remainest a true â—ver to him SECT 4. How Self-love opposeth the Love of God Upon the apprehension you might â—â—t perhaps be satisfied with me in â—â—ving onely declar'd That Self-love contrary to the Love of God but â—ould willingly know some particuâ—â—rities how and in what manner this â—â—lf-love repugns and opposes that â—hich is divine to comply in some â—easure with your desires and inâ—â—nations I say in the first place â—hat as Divine Love doth afford â—â—d cause to mankind all manner of â—â—iritual comforts consolations and â— kind of happiness so on the contrary
All which when Saint Anselm reflected upon he could not refrain from saying O my Soul when I consider and ponder well how much you are indebted to the Eternal God I blush at my former negligence in not performing my duty and great Obligation Tell me O Lord which way I am to turn my self and what I can do that will be acceptable to your Divine Majesty You have made and created me by your love therefore I owe you all and all that I am You have redeemed me in Love by your Sacred Death and Passion out of the perpetual slavery of Satan therefore I owe you all and all that I am You have promised me such eternal comforts and reward after my decease therefore I owe you all and all that I am In one word you did give your self wholly to me and for me therefore I owe you all and all that I am O Lord what satisfaction can Man give what recompence can he make for so many benefits already received and still to be received from your Hands and of your Bounty Quid retribuam Domino pro omnibus quae retribuit mihi said the Prophet David on the like occasion Psalm 115. 3. What shall I render to our Lord for all the good things that he hath rendered to me As if he had said I am full of confusion I am asham'd and troubled in mind what to do considering that he hath not only given and bestowed many great benefits upon me and mankind but hath also rendred good for evil mercy for ingratitude forgiveness for our sins and transgressions And we most unthankful have rendred to him evil for good for which cause reflecting upon what the truly penitent Sinner King David said in this case I resolve with all my heart and Soul to say the same with him Calicem Salutaris accipiam nomen Domini invocabo said he ubi supra v. 4. I will take the Chalice of Salvation say I and will invocate the name of our Lord that is to say Seeing that I am not able to render any thing worthy of Gods Favours to me I will do what I can I will gratefully acknowledge and accept his great benefits especially the sacred Cup of Christ which he was pleased to bless for the Salvation of Mankind and to drink of himself I will praise him and call upon his Holy Name SECTION VI. How to cure the pernicious Disease of Self-love Sect. 1. By with-drawing our love from all Corporal Objects 2. By humbling and undervaluing our selves 3. By overcoming our selves and sensual appetites Sect. 1. By with-drawing our love from all Corporal Objects To cure and totally to extirpate the pernicious disease of Self-love I must confess is no easie task it requires hard labour to overcome that inordinate Passion being a Vice so inveterate that nothing is more rooted in our hearts and so connatural that nothing is more pleasing to corrupt and unmortified nature so that to compass this end we must strive to our utmost and level all our actions intentions and wills so purely at Gods Honour and Pleasure as that we make him the only end we aim at and the sole object of our love for which purpose we cannot do better than to follow the example and counsel of the Seraphical Father Saint Francis saying daily in imitation of him Deus meus omnia Deus meus omnia O my sweet Jesus O my sweet Lord Thou art my God and all In the first place therefore great care is to be taken and exact diligence used for to with-draw our affections from all eternal objects whatsoever and to place and fix the same totally upon God for otherwise we run great hazard to fall short of our aim and that of the Evangelist will be found true in our selves Qui amat patrem aut matrem plus quam me non est ne dignus Matth. 10. v. 37. He that loveth Father and Mother more than God is not worthy of God that is deserves not to be accounted nor shall ever be accounted Gods true lover What love is more lawful or more recommended by God unto us than the love of Children to their Parents Wherefore seeing that even this kind of love to wit the love of Children to Parents and vice versa the love of Parents to Children c. can be no just excuse why we should not love God as we ought seeing that even this love when it is opposite to the love of God is forbidden us and we are commanded to cast it off there can be no reason to doubt but that all other loves of less nearness and concernment of less piety and vertue of less obligation in like occasion are likewise forbidden us and that we are commanded to with-draw our hearts from them and to give our selves wholly to the love of God above all things not to love any creature so much as we love God nor to be hindred by it from doing service The Evangelist Saint Luke seems to be yet more strict that we say not rigorous in the matter not only exacting to the full the accomplishment of what the Evangelist Saint Matthew mentions to wit that we should not love our Parents more than God or above and before God but requiring also that we should even hate our Parents if need requires it for Gods sake and renounce all affection love and Duty to them rather than to offend God or to forsake the least part of the love and Duty we owe to him for so we read Luc. 14. v. 26. Si quis venit ad me non odit patrem matrem c. adhuc autem animam suam non potest meus esse discipulus If any man cometh to me and hates not his Father Mother c. yea and his own life besides he cannot be my disciple It may seem an hard sentence but the meaning is easie This we are to do rather than hate God we must hate our Parents rather than do any thing which he will judge and esteem an hating of him we must renounce and cast off all love and duty to our Parents rather than to renounce or cast off our love and duty to God This expression therefore of the Evangelist obliges us to leap over all stumbling blocks that are laid in our way to hinder us in our going about Gods service We must renounce and reject whatsoever is most dear unto us yea our own selves and all the desires affections and inclinations of our Hearts how specious how morally good pious and honest soever they seem to be if they stand in our way and stop us from the supream love of God Fie upon all friendships must we say fie upon all affections that are attended with such mischiefs and do lead us into such dangers and fie upon all distracting and disquieting designs of the world which bend our imaginations wholly to the things unprofitable and impertinent thereby disturbing and separating us from the love of God
brittle this frail this painted thing Beauty how does thou bewitch the Eyes and pervert the Minds of those that regard thee how many and great are the mischiefs that proceed from thee so great and many that the consideration hereof moved Sir Thomas Moore a grave Person and most worthy Lord Chancellour of England in his time observing the Ladies to spend so much time in dressing themselves that they might appear Fine and Beautiful in the Eyes of Men to tell them in plain English That God should do them wrong if he did not give them Hell for their reward seeing they took a great deal more pains to serve the Devil the World and their vain Minds than they did to please God or to preserve the Beauty of their Souls pure from the spots and uncleanness of Sin O what folly is this Oh what frensie thus to implore our time which is so precious in trimming dressing and adorning this Body of ours which is no better than a mass of Corruption which must ere long be meat for Worms and turn'd again to dust But O much more the deplorable unhappiness of these times wherein such exhortations as these are vain and to no purpose unable to stop the carrier of Pride which the Reverend F. Causin not unfitly describes thus When saith he the Patching Painting Plating Curling of the Hair is over or finished then follows the feat of Ribbon which must be put in order then the taking of their Bracelets their Rings Jewels Rubies Chains of Gold with variety of Persnmes If duty oblige them to go to Church they go indeed but whether with greater devotion to serve God or to shew themselves I leave to their Conscience and the Judgment of the great day Thiâ— is manifest that if they observe the one part of the Apostles Counsels 1 Tim. 2. v. 9. Let the Women pray in a comely Attire with demureness and sobriety they oversee the other to wit not adorning themselves with plaited Hair or Gold or precious Stones or gorgeous Apparel but as it becometh Women professing Piety with good Works These words of the Apostle signifie little with them they can easily dispence with such Divine Counsels and Prohibitions whether contain'd in Sacred Scripture or in the Canons of the Church pretending to have lawful cause or excuse for what they do because they are of the rank of the Nobility and Gentry And upon that account they fear not to exceed in all sorts of Pride and Vanity spending both days and nights in Visiting or being Visited in Coaching Gadding Sporting Playing or Play-house-Haunting Masquing Dancing c. in fine they are prompt and ready to obey all the suggestions of Pride and Pleasure and as cold to Devotion Sect. 4. Of the Self-pride of other Women It might be thought Pride were a Disease proper or incident only to Great Persons Men and Women and that for those of inferiour and mean condition as their fortune is low so their minds should not be high But experience tells us 't is otherwise and therefore having hitherto represented in part the Vanity Pride and Ambition that is in Women of high Quality and plentiful Fortune I shall conclude with a word of Admonition to those of meaner Rank only to shew them that if Pride be an odious Vice and unseemly even in the greatest Persons for Honour Wealth and Dignity that live upon the Earth it must be much more detestable and intollerable in them To be Rich and Proud to be in High Place and Proud to be in Great Office in Great Power Dignity and Honour and Proud is a Humane infirmity more to be pittied than blamed by Wise Men but to be poor and Proud is monstrous a discongruity purely and manifestly satanical What shall we say of such People whom Fortune hath not favoured in any degree or measure with the purveyances and endowments that Pride and Ambition usually stands upon and yet they are proud Truly we may say they are the worst sort of Proud People their Pride is more criminous and less excusable than that of others and if we say this with truth we need not we can say no more to their condemnation And yet how common a thing is it to see this Hellish Prodigy in the World how easie and frequent to observe the effects of highest Pride in the lowest Condition what contemning of others what scornings and disdainings what vilifyings and revilings do we not hear daily from some What emulations and envyings do we not see in others even of low and mean rank towards those of the highest Ah I speak now of a Disease which our France our Paris our little Theatre of this great World labours under How common a thing is it here to see People of but ordinary Condition and disabled by Fortune from being themselves accounted Courtiers Gallants or Great Men finding a hundred devices ye and pretending a hundred little occasions to be in their company and to be seen though but for some short space of time among them Yea such is their Pride and Ambition that for a time they can be content to be made almost Slaves and be used as Captives to the intent that afterwards they may appear with some little favour and countenance amongst the great ones a thing which experience teaches them daily who are acquainted with the Private Conversation of this sort of People Pride makes these People industrious Pride makes them vigilant Pride makes them nimble active painful and laborious it makes them work day and night without intermission and that in so strict manner with such penury and sparing that they will scarce allow themselves necessaries for their subsistence till they have gotten Money enough for the purchasing of a New Gown or some other new-fashion'd Cloath or New Petticoate some new Handkerchief Lace or other like superfluous Vanity that may give them countenance amongst great ones and confidence enough to appear and be seen in Company above their proper Rank of all which to my great grief my own Eyes have been often witnesses when it haâ— pittied me to observe what voluntary hardships and even misery pooâ— People put themselves unto for â—â— other reason but only to be Fine anâ— Brave beyond their Condition oâ— Sundays and great Holy-days and all other times of publique and more free Converse among Neighbours when you will be sure to find them abroad perfuming the Air with their Scents or Coaching it or Dancing or perhaps Playing and Adventuring what Money they have to the fortune of Cards and Dice till they have spent all and are forc'd by necessity to return again to their industry and labour to recuit their ambitious minds if as sometime it happens they yield not to do worse to satisfie their minds inflamed with Ambition and Pride Little do these People consider what the Holy Prophet Isaias in Gods Name foretels and threatens to all such proud Females Chap. 3. v. 17 c. saying Decalvabit Dominus verticem
that which should save their Souls as well as their Bodies but if they die perish in their Sin and shame with the eternal loss of their poor Souls which the Wise Solomon desiring to prevent forewarneth us of the danger in those words of his Prov. 23. 31 32. which we shall do well often and very often to have in minn Ne intuearis vinum quando flavescit cum splenduerit in vitro color ejus c. Look not upon the Wine when it is well colour'd when the colour thereof shall shine in the Glass for though it goes down pleasantly yet at the later end it will bite like a Serpent and as the Basilisk diffuse and spead its Venome to the Corruption of your Soul Sect. 3. Drunkenness or the Excess of Meat and Drink the Corruption of the Body Thus it appears in some part that Drunkenness is the Corruption of the Soul and how the Soul is said to be Câ—â—rupted I am now to shew that it is likewise the Corruption of the Body and that in a more absolute sense because the Body is absolutely and intirely Corruptible which the Soul is not The very Substance Nature and Essence of the Body may be Corrupted and is Corrupted by Drunkenness but the Substance Nature and Essence of the Soul cannot be Corrupted as we have shewn above Well then we are next to shew that the Vice we speak of Excessive Drinking is the Corruption of the Body And what can be more evident and manifest than this even from daily experience Doth not Experience tell us that it is the original cause of innumerable Distempers and Diseases to Mans Body and by which the greater part of Manknd first or last do perish or find the end of their days in this World Doth not the Wise Man give us a necessary caution concerning this in those words of his Ecclus 37. 32. Noli â—vidus esse in omni epulatione c. In all Feasting be not you greedy nor let loose your appetite to every thing that is set before you For through many Meats come many infirmities and overmuch Feeding encreases Choler By means of Surfeiting by Meat or Drink many have come to their ends People addicted to good Fellowship as they call it when after some excessive Drinking they find themselves not well how many shifts do they use to hide their over-sight and hinder the effect from being charg'd upon the True Cause Their Distemper must not be imputed to the quantity that is to say their Drinking overmuch but to the quality their Drink was not good it was not well brewed it was raw and windy or the Mault was not well made and many such vain pretences do they use adding a lie to their former sin of Drunkenness and all that it may not be thought to be their Drinking so much should cause their Malady Certain it is a moderate quantity of Drink and also of Meat hurteth not but is necessary to satisfie and sustain Nature neither is it the use but the abuse of Meat and Drink to wit when we observe no measure which causeth Diseases when the Golden Mean is observed all goes well but when it is neglected great inconveniencies follow according as Apuleius seems not unhandsomely to express it The first Cup saith he is drunk to the Health of Nature the second causes Cheerfulness Mirth and harmless Pleasure the third relishes somewhat of Sensuality and invites to Disorder and Voluptuousness but the fourth breeds Infirmities and Indisposition of Body and especially if you add the fifth Madness Excess herein makes Man Created to the Image and Likeness of God and Reasonable above all other Creatures of this World to become wholly difform and unlike to God losing his Reason and Understanding The Traveller that wants Wisdom being Thirsty in the heat of Summer as soon as he meets with a Ditch full of Water in his Journey he presently runs to it for to Drink minding only to quench his Thirst and not at all considering whether the Water be good pure clear and wholesom or whether it be not corrupted impure and muddy nor whether it be cold as Water to Drink should be or whether it be not heated with the Sun-beams and made unfit to Drink The unwise Traveller considers none of these things nor what inconveniences may follow but sets himself to Drink as much as he can and so Drinks oft-times his own Death or manifold Diseases and Infirmities But the Wise Pilgrim though he feels as much Thirst as the other yet he moderates his Appetite and will not Drink till he comes at a clear Fountain of Running Water and of this he will Drink with moderation not to overcharge Nature but to extinguish his Thirst In the same manner it is with many that dwell at home and seldom travels farther than the Tavern or Ale-House that they haunt They rush into these Common Drinking Places far more corrupt and dangerous to the Soul by reason of the many Transgressions committed in them than any standing Pool or muddy Water can be to the Body and there fall to Tipple and Drink with as much Discretion and Consideration of what they do as the Beast useth that goes from the Stall to Watering Thus do many run daily to Drink and by their enticements carry others along with them and provoke them to Drink not so much many times as well considering whether the Drink be good or bad Whereas those that are Vertuous and Wise will rather have in scorn such Places and would never with their good will be seen in them Drinking always moderately either at home in their own or abroad at some Friends Houses only to content Nature preserve Health and comply with the devoirs of honest Friendship Sect. 4. Sad Examples upon great Drinkers Gabriel Prateolus in his second Tome of Chronicles at the year 1580 the 24th of July mentions a very sad accident which happened to two great Health-drinkers at a Town called Mackerhoven in Germany These two unfortunate Men came into a Tavern and called for Wine which seeming to them to be weak and little pleasing to their Pallats they insisted for better So having tasted of all sorts they pitch'd at length upon that they found to be strongest and fell smartly to it drinking to the Health of every one they could think of or call to mind upon that occasion Beginning to be elevated the one said to the other To whom shall we now Drink The other replied Drink to the Health of God and you shall see how it shall be answered but he being unwilling and making difficulty at it the wretch that made the motion suddenly snatches the Glass out of his Companions hand and in these words provoketh Divine Wrath upon himself saying O God hear me I will Drink to thee in a full Glass and if you do not pledge me you do me injury His Companion had first ask'd him of which Wine he would drink Fill me of the New replied the wicked
being so that he is most applauded that can speak the greatest evil of himself it makes this mad Crew ambitious to be thought superlatively wicked and to fear nothing more than to be counted Sneaks and poor-spirited Fellows not worthy of the name of Hectors by this Brotherhood of Hell Neither is it any new thing Thus it hath been of old The good Father S. Augustin in his Books of Confessions doth no less than report and confess this fault to have been his own before his Conversion He humbly acknowledges of himself that hearing his Companions boast of their wicked exploits and seeing that they rendred themselves more glorious in the opinion of their Fellows by how much they could speak beastly and dishonestly of themselves and being perpetually amongst them he could not forbear doing as the rest did not for any appetite which he had to the thing whereof he boasted but meerly for the complacency which he took in being applauded for the same by his Companions who gave credit to what he feignedly and falsly spake of himself I was fain saith he to counterfeit the evil which I had not and to seem as if I had done it I durst not be thought innocent for fear of being disesteemed and rejected for a worthless Fellow I was loath to be thought sober chast or continent least chastity and sobriety should make me condemned by them and the world Thus doth this good Father make publick and penitent confession of himself in this and some other kinds of sin which his Youth and ill Company through intemperance had made him for some time while he was young subject unto Oh that his good example could be followed Oh that we could be perswaded to break off this devillish custom of boasting and glorying in sin and that there might be no such people found among us as S. Jude speaks of feeding themselves without fear no such sports in our feasts no such raging waves foaming out their own shame That we would dread the Judgment that is threatned to such quibus procella tenebrarum servata est in aeternum Woe unto them walkers in the way of perdition walkers after their own lusts to whom the blackness of darkness and the Hell of misery is reserved for ever Jude 11 12 13 16. Sect. 4. The excess of Meat and Drink causeth filthiness and uncleanness There is a double or twofold kind of filthiness here to be taken notice of The one which is only sordid and offensive to the eye of the Body The other is sinful and offensive to the eye of the Soul when she judges right and which is more to the Eyes of God They both attend drunkenness or the excess of meat and drink when it is immoderate The Drunkard shews himself a filthy Beast in respect of this first kind of uncleanness viz. that of the Body witness their frequent vomitings spewings and castings out of that which they had intemperately taken in For when their Stomachs those devouring Sepulchres those Bellies of Harpies which raven all by gluttony and excessive drinking have been in the day-time overcharg'd with all sorts of luscious meat and strong liquors it seldom happens but in the night they discharge themselves by shameful vomiting and spewing Thus it was with the people of the Jews The Prophet Isaias complains of it in these terms Isa 28. 7. Omnes prae Vino erraverunt c. All have erred through Wine saith he and through strong drink all are out of the way All Tables are so filled of vomit and filthiness that there is no place clean Is it not a deplorable thing to see Christians at this day behave themselves worse than the bruit beasts they know when they have enough the bruit beasts neither eat nor drink till they vomit all up again they eat and drink till Nature is satisfied and when they have arrived to that point all the art and all the means you can use shall not make them go further till hunger and thirst prompts them Only Man only unhappy and unwise man eats and drinks to such excess as he is forced to his shame were he not past all shame to cast up his so unduly and indiscreetly receiv'd sustenance Of all the Creatures that God hath made Man only will drink to vomit and vomit O strange O devillish distemper to drink again as to my knowledge is true Secondly there is the filthiness and uncleanness of sin going along with drunkenness filthy and unchast thoughts filthy and unclean desires filthy and unclean phantasies and imaginations of things filthy and unclean designs projects purposes filthy and unclean speech discourse songs filthy and unclean actions fornication adultery incest pollution All these filthinesses and uncleannesses attend the Drunkard and are the constant relicks and remains as it were of his Feasts So that S. Chrysostom doth here again rightly pronounce Ebrietas scortationis mater Drunkenness saith he is the Mother of Whoredom all filthy and lewd concupiscence proceeds from it And again Nothing saith he is more pernicious than gluttony nothing more ignominious than to exceed in drink nothing more detestable than both as dulling the spirit and blinding the understanding not permitting those who are addicted to them to foresee and beware any thing that is hurtful to their soul or body but subjecting them to a slothful idleness both spiritual and corporal For which cause in the Gospel of S. Luke Christ our Saviour admonisheth us in these words Luc. 21. v. 34. Attendite vobis ne forte graventur corda vestra in crapula ebrietate c. Take heed and look well to your selves least perhaps your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness c. and so that day meaning the day of Judgment come upon you unawares He that is so overcharg'd can think of nothing that is good either for himself or others he has lost the use of his understanding together with that of his limbs his head hands and feet failing him he falls and without help there lies in his filthiness to his deserved shame and confusion SECTION VI. Excess in Meat and Drink the cause of several other inconveniencies and miseries SECT 1. It causeth a voluntary madness 2. It causeth Men to be worse than Beasts 3. It causeth want of necessary provisions 4. A sad ezample upon that account 5. Remedies against Gluttony and Drunkenness 6. Reflexion upon the foregoing matter Sect. 1. Drunkenness causeth a voluntary madness IT stands with all reason that if we call them Wise Men who in their infirmities whether of Body or Soul help themselves and procure the best and speediest remedies they can for their disease to that end taking the advice of the ablest Physicians and Doctors for their corporal Maladies and following the good counsel of their spiritual Directors for the health of their Souls So on the contrary we may justly call and account them fools or mad people who being in health and good disposition of body will
sorrowful Outcries of their unfortunate Wives and Children will manifestly convince the contrary and shew that their poverty proceds only from their excessive Drinking Idleness and ill expence of their Money upon such occasions For of such People is verified that of the Prophet Aggeus Chap. 1. 6. Mercedes congregant mittunt eas in sacculum pertusum They gather wages but put their Money into a broken Bag. These Mechanique Drunkards if you will observe oft-times for the whole Week or on Working-days are industrious and ply their Business but when Sunday or an Holy-day comes all or most of what they have is seen to be put into a broken Bag They spend it idlely their unsatiable Appetite of Drinking devours so much of it that their poor Families Wife and Children live in perpetual need wanting necessaries and are forced very often by extream necessity to sell or pawn the Cloaths off their Backs to supply their urgent occasions and not seldom such is their unhappy condition to take unlawful courses Sect. 4. A sad Example upon that Account Father John Benedict a very Learned Divine of the Seraphical Order of Saint Francis verifieth what we have said above by a lamentable Example that happened in his days A certain Person saith he given to Drunkenness had consumed and wasted all that he had with excessive Drinking and being through Poverty forced to live by his Labour and Industry he would take morâ— pâ—ins and care to get Money to Drink than to provide Maintenance for his Wife and Children so that they starv'd at home for want of Victuals whilst he lay drinking at the Ale-house Vrgent necessity at length overcomes the patience of the desolate Wife who having used all the means possible at home and in private to perswade her Husband to better courses and to with-draw from his idle and extravagant Expences and not being able to prevail with him she went one day to the Ale-house where she knew he was Drinking and there openly declar'd the woful necessitous Condition that she and her poor Children were in being in likely-hood to perish for Hunger with all entreating her Husband by all Love with Tears and by all means possible perswadeing him to take compassion of his poor Children and Family ready to starve for want of Bread But this wicked wretch instead of giving ear to her Complaints and Perswasions and instead of following her Counsel falls into Rage and Passion thereupon and most inhumanely beats her insomuch that for a while she was left for dead But at length the poor Woman with much ado gets up and going homewards two of her Children came to meet her crying for Victuals and pulling her on either side by the Clothes Saying to her Da panem Mater fame perimus Mother give us some Bread we are ready to die for Hunger it is two days past since we eat any think To which lamentable cry of her Children the poor Mother replies Ha my poor Babes what remedy from whence should I procure you Bread your Father spends faster than we can get what shall we do 'T is better to die once than to languish a long time and to perish at last for Hunger as we do We had better by one short Death redeem a thousand lingring Deaths Having uttered this doleful Speech and become half out of her Wits in a desperate manner she takes a Knife and cuts the Throat of her Children which done and intending to prosecute the same Bloody Resolution towards her Husband she expects his coming home which according to his custom was about Midnight The Man deep in Drink takes notice of nothing but goes to Bed little dreaming what was to follow The unfortunate Woman waited not long before she found him fast asleep whereupon taking the Knife with which she had kill'd her two Children she cuts his Throat with the same saying Die thou wretch thy wicked Life hath procured thy ruin and mine and the ruin of thy Children The Murther was no sooner done but discovered and the Woman being apprehended and brought before the Justice she openly declared the Fact and was condemned to die for it which she did not much refuse but contrariwise went couragiously and most willingly to the place of Execution where having given warning to all bad Husbands how they spend their Money which should be for the just Maintenance of their Wife and Children in base Ale-houses with the loss of their Souls she was Executed and suffered Death Sect. 5. Remedies against Gluttony and Drunkenness Seeing that for the most part both the Soul and Bodies of Christians are through intemperance and immoderate Eating and Drinking so ulcerated and corrupted that many of them do not only languish and pine away under manifold Diseases but utterly Perish through want of the true and proper Balsam which might heal their putrified Sores I shall here willingly bestow my slender Skill to declare unto them the Vertue and Property of several Ointments which in order to this effect viz. of Curing Souls I observe to be approv'd and recommended generally speaking by all Learned Divines so that if Patients will be pleas'd but to make tryal and use them and be careful to apply them to their Languishing Infirmities in such manner as they shall be prescribed I dare promise them a pefect Cure of all their Maladies The First Antidote against Gluttony and Drunkenness is that which both Scripture and Ancient Fathers mention to wit Sobriety and Abstinence As for Scripture the Wise Solomon saith Ecclus 31. 32. Aqua Vita hominibus Vinum in sobrietate c. Sobriety in Drink makes a Mans Life happy or to pass on in an even and equal State unmolested either with Grief or Anxiety whereas on the contrary according to the same Wise Man when 't is Drunk to Excess it is Amaritudo animae Bitter or Bitterness to the Soul It provokes Wrath and Anger and causes many Inconveniences and Harms both to Soul and Body As for the Fathers Saint Prosper not without cause gives a high Commendation of Sobriety Saying It is of such force as to change the Mind and Spirit of Man from Evil to Good and to make him Temperate and Abstemious who was before Intemperate and would observe no mean and to love a spare Diet who before was a Glutton and Slave to his Belly It makes him Honest Chaste Serious Bashful and Modest who before was given to all Dishonesty and Lewdness Unchaste Foolish and Shameless both in his Words and Actions and that when Sobriety and Abstinence do together take possession of a Soul and reside in her they bridle all Excess of Eating and Drinking they repress Sensuality and Carnal Lust they put and keep in good Order all the motions and dispositions of the Mind multiplying Good and Holy Thoughts Desires Affections and extinguishing the contrary Sobriety Chastizes and Corrects all Vices or Ill-habits of the Mind helps all Imperfections rectifies all Disorder and Confusion that happens in Mans
Divine Grace and the Spirit of God who is Love according to the same Apostle 1 Joan. 4. 8. Quoniam Deus Charitas est These two Loves are so inseparable that as soon as one commeth to decay the other at the same time perisheth On these two Loves depend the whole Law of God and he that has them and does exercise them as he ought fulfils the Law according to that of the Apostle Rom. 13. 8 10. He that loveth hath fulfilled the Law and Love is the fulfilling of the Law and all that God has commanded us by the Prophets by the Apostles by the Evangelists by his Disciples or any other lawful Teachers yea by Moses or by Christ himself tends altogether to this end namely to love God and our Neighbour Christ our Saviour himself loved his Neighbour that is all Mankind for by taking our Nature upon him and by conversing with us in Humane Flesh he made us all his Neighbours and Brethren Christ I say himself loved Mankind so tenderly that all his Desires Entreaties Counsels and Commands tended to almost no other thing save only to excite move and stir us up to a mutual loving of one another and to mutual affections mutual good-will and kindheartedness one from another charging it upon his Disciples even at the last and when he was ready to leave the World in these express words Joan. 15. v. 12. This is my Commandment that ye love one another and telling them Joan. 13. v. 35. that hereby all men should know them to be his true Disciples if they had love one to another and when he gives the world precaution not to offend or do injury to any of his for that all offences committed against them are taken by him to be done against himself as we read Zach. 2 v. 8. Qui tetigerit vos tangit pupillam oculi mei He that shall touch you to do you harm toucheth the Apple of mine Eye I say to what end tendeth this precaution but to signifie how much we should love one another after the Example of Christ who declares himself as much sensible and seems to be as much offended at transgressions done against another as at those committed against himself I do not advance this truth without ground and reason seeing Christ himself in the Gospel makes it manifestly appear to be so to wit in the Parable of the King calling his Servants to account Matth. 18. v. 23 24 25 26 c. The good King when his poor indebted Servant asked him mercy being fallâ—n into arrears with him much more than he was able to pay presently and most willingly pardoned him and forgave him the whole Debt that is all the transgressions and offences which the Servant had committed against himself yet because the same ungrateful Servant would not forgive a small Debt nor have patience with his Neighbour or Fellow-servant he presently called him to him and rebuked him adjudging him to severe punishment as that he should be cast â—nto a Dungeon and there tormented not to come out till he should have paid the utmost farthing which â—e ought his Lord thus speaking to â—im Thou ungracious and wâ—â—ked Servant I forgave thee all thy Debt â—ecause thou be soughtest me oughtest â—ot thou therefore to have mercy upon â—hy Fellow-servant even as I had â—ercy upon thee immediately whereupon saith the holy Text he was delivered to the Tormentors By the conclusion of which Parable it is easie to see how absolute the will and pleasure of God is that we should love our Neighbour even as we love our selves and to do to them such things as we desire should be done to our selves But here a question maâ— perhaps be asked of some viz. Whether loving our Neighbour as our selves be such a condition or qualification of our love as that it is of it self sufficient for the fulfilling of the Precept of loving them I answer no it is not alwayes sufficient in some cases it is and in some it is not When the love of our Neighbour tends to the honour and glory of God then it is sufficient and then by loving our Neighbours as our selves we do fulfill Gods Commandment or the Precept of loving our Neighbour but when it is on the contrary that is when the love of our Neighbour tends to the dishonour of God or be such as he is offended by it then instead of being a fulfilling of Gods Commandement or a just performance of our Duty and Obligation it is matter of high displeasure against God and we incur the guilt of great and grievous offence in so loving our Neighbour And therefore as Lusitanus the honour of the Friers Minors doth well observe and admonish us Serm. 1. in Com. Apost Though the Commandment of God doth exact of us to love our Neighbours as our selves yet we ought to consider how this is to be done by reason that many men love themselves amiss not according to God but according to the lusts of concupiscence giving themselves up to all sorts of inordinate love so as to drown and cast themselves thereby into eternal perdition For such men to love thoir Neighbour as they love themselves were to make sport for the Devil and to aggravate their own damnation As for example a fawning and foolish Lover will not stick to say to some vain woman that he loves her as much as he loves his own self and with all his heart and though for the most part such people mean nothing less than they say yet they utter unawares a sad truth For they love themselves not well they love not themselves so as they ought but with a love that in fine will carry them headlong to Hell and plunge them into the deepest pit of Destruction Well therefore may they profess to their companions in lewdness that they love them as they love themselves and their own hearts and if their Copesmates consent with them and love them as well they will both have the Sentence of Eternal Wrath pronounced against them Go ye wicked into everlasting fire Matth. 25. 41. O unhappy love of our Neighbour that by loving sensually the Body hates his soul Such do not know how to love seeing that in loving themselves after this manner they destroy both their own and their Neighbours souls For true is that saying of the Prophet Qui diligit iniquiâ—atem odit animam suam He that loves iniquity hates his own soul Now to know the True Lovers from false and also how to love our Neighbour rightly the great Doctor Saint Gregory will teach us Ille veraciter amat proximum qui eum diligit in Deo Greg. Homil. 27. in Evang. Joan. cap. 15. True Lovers of their Neighbour are those that love him in God and for Gods sake which plainly shews how many there are that mistake themselves herein and love their Neighbour to little purpose as to God and his Divine acceptance because they love him not in God God is