cost him deere For hee saw himselfe soe vgly and soe abominable that he vttered loud cryes and said O Lord I beseech thee euen for thy mercies sake take this spectacle from before myne eyes for I can looke noe longer vpon this figure From hence growes alsoe that holy kinde of hate and detestation of them selues in the seruants of God whereof I spake before For how much more they know the immense goodnes of God and loue him more soe much the more doe they abhorr them selues as hauing bene opposites and enemyes of God according to that of Iob. Quare posuisti me contrarium tibi factus sum mihi metipsigrauis They see that in themselues they haue the roote of all mischeife which is the wicked and peruerse inclination of our flesh and vpon this knowledge they raise them selues vp against them selues and abhorr them selues Doe you not thinke it reason to abhorre him who made you forsake and sell soe greate a good as God is for a little contentment or gust Doe you not thinke it reason for you to hate him whoe made you loose eternall glory and deserue Hell for euer him who wrought you soe much hurt and still persistts in doeing it Doe you not thinke that you haue cause to detest Well now this person is your selfe an opposite and enemy of God an opposite and enemy of your owne saluation That the knowledge of ones selfe doth not cause dismay but rather giues courage and strength CHAPTER X. THere is another great benefitt which growes from the exercise of knowinge a mans selfe that not onely it causes no dismay or base feare as perhaps some might doubt but rather a great hart and courage towards all those things which are good And the reason of this is that when a man knowes him selfe hee sees that here is noe colour why he should rely vpon him selfe but that distrusting himselfe hee must put all his confidence in God in whome he findes himselfe stronge and able for all things Hence it is that theis are the men who are apt to attempt and vndertake great things and theis are they who goe through with them For in reguard they ascribe all to God and nothing to them selues God takes the busines in hand and makes it his and holds it vpon his ownes accounte and then he is wont to doe mightie things and euen wonders by the meanes of weake instruments Vt ostenderet diuitias gloriae suae in vasis misericordiae quae preparauit in gloriam To shew the riches and treasures of his mercies God will doe wonderfull things by instruments whoe are miserable and weake Hee vses to put the treasures of his mercy into the poorest vessels for thus doth his glory shine most This is that which God said to Saint Paule when being euen tyred with temptations he cryed out and begged that hee might be deliuered from them and God made him this answere Sufficit tibi gratia mea nam virtus in infirmitate perficitur My grace shall be sufficient for thee how great soeuer thy temptations and miseries may be and then doth the power of God proue it selfe to be more stronge and perfect when the weakenes and infirmitie is more apparent For as the Phisition gaines more honour when the sicknes which he cures is more daungerous soe when there is more weakes in vs our deliuery brings more glory to Gods arme and power and soe doth Saint Augustine and Saint Ambrose expound this place So that when a man knowes and distrusts himselfe and puts all his confidence in God then doth his Maiestie come and helpe and when on the other side a man putts confidence in himselfe and in his owne diligences and meanes he is forsaken by Almightie God This saith Saint Basile is the cause why when we desire to make our Prayers best and to haue most deuotion in certaine principall festiuities it falls out many tymes that we haue lesse because wee put our confidence in our owne meanes and in our owne diligences and preparations And at other tymes we are preuented with great benedictions and sweetenes when we looke for them least to the end that we may knowe that this is an effect of the grace and mercy of our lord and of no diligence or meritt of ours So that a mans knowing his misery and frailty causes noe cowardise or dismay but rather giues courage and strength in regard that it makes him distrust him selfe and place all his confidence in God And this is alsoe that which the Apostle saith Cum infirmor tunc potens sum and againe Cum humilior tunc exaltor For thus doe both Saint Augustine and Saint Ambrose declare it When I humble and a base my selfe and know that I am good for nothing then am I exalted and raysed vp Whilst I know and see my infirmitie and miserie fastning my selfe vpon God I finde my selfe more stronge and more full of courage for hee is all my confidence and strength Et erat Dominus fiducia eius Heereby you may vnderstand that it is not Humilitie nor any thing which springs from thence when there come to vs some tymes certaine dismaies and deiections concerning our little progresse in Spiritt and when we feare that we shall neuer obtaine such or such a vertue and neuer ouercome such an ill condition or inclination or that we shall not be fitt for this or that office and ministery in which we are or may be imployed by Obedience as when we question whether we shall be fitt to take Confessions or to be sent to or fro in Missions or the like This may seeme to be Humilitie but many tymes it is not soe but rather springs from pride For such a one cast his eyes vpon himselfe as if by his owne strength and diligences he were to goe through with that busines whereas he ought to cast them vpon God in whome we are to be full of confidence and courage Dominus illuminatio mea saluâ— mea quem timebo Dominus protector vitae meae a quo trepidabo Si consistant aduersum me castra non tiâ—ebit cor meum Si exurgat aduersum me praelium in hoc ego sperabo si ambulauero in medio vmbrae mortis non timebo mala quoniam tu mecum es If whole armies shall rise against me my hart shall not be affraide If they shall bidd me battaille yet will I hope in God Though I walke in the midst of the very shandow of death and arriue euen at the very gates of hell yet my hart shall not feare because thou O Lord art with me With what varietie of words doth the holy Prophett expresse the selfe same thing and indeede we haue the Psalmes full of this to signifie the aboundance of pious affections and of the confidence which he had and which we ought to haue in God In Deo meo transgrediar murum In my God I vill passe ouer a wall how high soeuer it may be
to vnderstand that his stories giue contentmeÌ„t and seeme soe well to others that there is noe better way to oblige him and to gaine his good will then by praysing him And this saith the wiseman is one of the vanities and folyes which he saw in the world namely that wicked men were praysed as good because they were in high place Vidi impios sepultos qui etiam cum adhuc viuerent in loco sancto erant laudabantur in ciuitate quasi iustâ—rum operum sed vt hoc vanitas est What greater vanitie and madnes can there be then to praise men when they thinke there is noe cause for it yea and to doe as many tymes is done when some praise others for that which they did ill or at least for what they thought was ill done And the iest is that they haue already tould others what they really thinke of you but yet with you because forsooth you must be kept contented they sticke not for the most part to lye At other tymes they are faine to seeke out by-wayes that soe they may be able without lying to speake well of that which indeede they doe not like and the matter is because they must treate you and condescend to you as they would to some stupid sett or foole The while that other conceaues that you are of the same humor with him and that you are alsoe gladd when you are delt with after the same manner and that the best morsell of the meate which he can be able to giue you after you haue preached or performed some such thing is to tell you that you discharged it excellently well and that all the world was highly pleased with you and he treates you thus to keepe you in contentment or els to gaine your good opinion and affection whereof perhaps he hath neede but that for which this serues indeede is to make you a verryer foole then you were before because he prayses you for what you said or did ill and so you are the more animated and confirmed in committing the same errors another tyme. Men dare not now a dayes speake what they thinke because they know that truth is growne troublesome Veritas odium parit And they knowe that as hee whoe is madd and franticke refuses to take phisicke and spitts in the doctor's face when he desires to cure him so doth the proud man resist admonition and reformation And therefore men will not tell such a one that which is to put him out of appetite for noe man desires to buy trouble with money but they thinke it the shorter way to make him thinke they like that which yet indeede they mislike and the other beleeues all and is well pleased with it Whereby alsoe we may see the truth of that which we deliuered in the last chapter namely how great a vanitie and madnes it is to make any accounthe of the prayses of men since we see that in this age all is compliment deceite flattery and lyes For euen they are able to deriue and interpret the word after this manner Complimento cumplo y miento that is to say I comply and I lye and the cause why I lye is that I may comply But proud men saith S. Chrisostome are abhorred by all First by almightie God as the wiseman saith Abominatio domini est omnis arrogans Euery arrogant man is a very abhomination in the sight of God And of seauen things which God abhorrs he places pride for the first Oculos sublimes And not onely are they abhorred by God but by men alsoe Odibilis coram deo est hominibus superbia Sicut eructant praecordia faetentium sic cor superborum As they who haue ill longs haue soe vnsauery breath that there is no indureing of it soe alsoe haue proud men But now euen this very world giues them heere the pay of theyr pride for it punisheth them in that very thing to which they most pretend and all proues with them the contrary way They pretend to be valued and esteemed by all and they are held by all to be sotts and fooles They pretend to be beloued by all and indeed they are abhorred by all By their betters because theis men make themselues their equalls by their equalls because theis men make themselues their betters by their inferiours t because theis men depresse them more then they should Euen the domesticks and seruants speake ill of their Master and indure him not Vbi fuerit superbia ibi erit contumelia and on the other side the humble man is valued and esteemed affected and beloued by all As Children whoe for their goodnes their innocency their simplicitie of hart are beloued soe saith the glorious Saint Gregory are the humble For that cleerenes and plainenes of their speech and that conuersing with out doublenes or deceite euen robbes men of their very harts Humilitie is a loadstone which drawes all mens affections to it and it seemes that all men if they could would take this humble man into their very harts To the end that we may at length be fully perswaded that it is a mere madenes to goe desiring and procuring the estimation and opinion of men Saint Bernard makes a very good Dilemma and concludes thus Either it is madnes in the sonne of God to abase and empty himselfe soe farre as to choose contempt and dishonour for himselfe or els it is extreame madnes in vs to bee in soe great desire of the honor and estimation of the world It was not folly or madnes in the sonne of God neither could it be though the world thought it was as Saint Paule saith Nos autem praedicamus Christum crucifixum Iudaeis quidem scandalum gentibus autem stultitiam ipsis autem vocatis Iudaeis atque Graecis Christum Dei virtutem Dei sapientiam To the blinde and proud Gentiles and Iewes Christ our Lord seemes to be a folly or madnes but vnto vs whoe haue the light of Faith be is infinite wisedome and loue Now if his were infinite wisedome it will follow that ours is stupidity and folly and that we are very soâ—s in makeing such account as we doe of the opinion estimation and honour of the world That the certaine way for a man to be valued and esteemed euen by men is to giue himselfe to vertue and Humilitie CHAPTER XXI IF with all that which we haue said you will not yet forsake theis fumes abate that edge and desire of honour and estimation but will still be saying that in fine it is a greate pointe to hould a good opinion and estimation amongst men and that this imports very much euen for the edification of your neighbours and for many other things and that the wiseman Councells vs to haue a care thereof Curam habe de bono nomine I say lett it be soe in the name of God I am content that you haue care to keepe the good name you haue and that you
and senced by humilitie both in the beginning in the middle and in the end thereof for if we be negligent neuer soe little and suffer vaine complacence to enter in the winde of pride carries all away And it will helpe vs little that the worke in it selfe be very good nay rather in good works wee haue most cause to feare the vice of vaineglorie and pride Vitia quippe caesera in peccaus superbia vera etiam in vectè factis timenda est ne ilia quae laudabiliter facta sunt ipsius laudis cupiditate amittantur For other vices haue relation to sinns and wicked obiects as Enuy Luxuriousnes and Wrath which carry a kinde of ill superscription vpon them to the end that wee may take heede thereof whereas pride is euer treading as it were vpon the heeles of good workes that soe it may destroy them Superbia bonis operibus insidiatur vt pereant A man went prosperously sayling with his hart raysed vp towards heauen because at the beginning of the action he had addressed it to the glory of God and behould when suddenly there comes a winde of vanitie and casts him vpon a rocke by procuringe to make him desire to please men and to be celebrated and esteemed by them taking some vaine contentment therein and therewith the whole busines sincks And soe both S. Gregory and S. Bernard say very well Qui sine humilitate vertutes congregat quasi in ventum puluerem portat Hee whoe assembles any other vertues without humilitie is like a man whoe carries a little dust or ashes against the winde in which case the same winde will be sure to scatter and carry it all away That Humilitie is the foundation of all vertue CHAPTER II. SAinct Cyprian saith Humilitas est sanctitatis fundamentum S. Hierome Prima virtus Christianorum est humilitas S. Bernard Humilitas est fundamentum custosque virtutum They all say that humilitie is the foundation of sanctitie and of all vertue And S. Gregory in one place calls it the mistris and mother of all vertue and he saith alsoe in another place that it is the Roote and very of springe of vertue This metaphor and comparison of the Roote is very proper and doth very well declare the properties and conditions of humilitie For first S. Gregory saith that as the roote sustaines and supports the flower and when the Roote is pluckt vp the flower doth instantly dry and wither soe euery vertue whatsoeuer is instantly lost if it perseuer not in the Roote of Humilitie But as the Roote which lyes vnder ground and is trampled and troden vpon hath noe beautie or odour in it and yet the tree receiues life from thence iust soe the humble man is buried and disesteemed and disgraced and seemes to carry noe lustre nor brightnes in himselfe but is cast a side into a corner and forgotten and yet this very thing is that which conserues him and makes him thriue But with all as to the end that the tree may be able to growe and continue and beare much fruite it is necessarie that the roote lye deepe and how much the more deepe it is and more couered with earth soe much more fruite will the tree yeild and soe much the longer will it contineue according to that of the Prophet Esay Miâ—eâ— radicem deorsum faciet fructum sursum it shall send the roote downeward and make the fruite growe vpward soe the fructifying of a soule in all vertue and the conseruing it selfe therein consists in laying a lowe roote of Humilitie Howe much the more humble you are soe much the more will you profitt and growe in vertue and perfection To conclude as pride is the beginning and roote of all synne according to that of the wise man Initium omnis peccati est superbia soe the Saints declare that Humilitie is the foundation and roote of all vertue But some man will say perhaps how caÌ„ you affirme that Humilitie is the foundation of all vertue and of all spirituall building when commonly wee are taught by spirituall men that faith is the foundation according to that of S. Paule Fundamentum enim aliud nemo potest ponere praeter id quod positum est Christus Iesus To this S. Thomas answears very well Two things are necessary for the well founding of à howse first it is necessarie to open the ground vell and cast out all that wich is loose till at length you arrive to that vhich is firme that soe you may builld afterwand vpoÌ„ it aÌ„d vheÌ„ this is done you beginne to lay the first stone which with the rest then laid is the principall foundatioÌ„ of the building After this manner saith S. Thomas doe Humilitie and faith behaue them selues one towards another in the spirituall building of vertue Humilitie is that which opens the soyle and the office thereof is to digge deepe into the earth to cast out all that which is loose which signifies the weakenes of mans force Soe that you must not lay your foundation vpon your owne strength for all this is noe better then said all this is to be cast out distrusting your selues and still you must be digging on till you come to the firme stone and the liuinge rocke which is Christ our Lord. Petra autem erat Christus This indeede is the principall foundation but yet not with standing because for the setling of this foundation there is neede alsoe of that other humilitie is alsoe called a foundation And soe hee whoe by meanes of humilitie will open the soyle well and digge deepe into the knowledge of himselfe and cast out all the saind of his owne esteemation and confidence in himselfe will arriue to that true foundation which is Christ our Lord and this man will raise a good building which will not be driuen downe though the windes blowe and the waters beate because it is founded vpon the firme rocke But on the other side if hee build without humilitie the buildinge will instantly sincke downe because it is founded vpon saind They are not true vertues but apparant onely and false which are not founded vpon Humilitie And soe S. Augustine saith that in those Romans and antient Philosophers there was noe true vertue not onely because they wanted Charitie which is the forme and giues life and being to all vertue and without which there is noe true and perfect vertue but besides because they wanted alsoe the foundation of humilitie and in their Fortitude Temperance and Iustice they desired to bee esteemed and to be talked of when they were dead and soe their vertues were but certaine empty things and without substance and indeede they were but shadowes or shewes of vertue And soe as they were not perfect and true but onely apparant the Saint saith that God rewarded the Romans for them with temporall blessings of this life which are alsoe blessings but of apparence If therefore you meane to build vp true vertue in your soules procure
to worke by his meanes such wondrous and prodigious things as hee resolued to lett the world so thought fitt for the cause aforesaid that first that very hand wherewith he was to deride the read sea effect of other things so very strange being first put into his bosome should be then drawne forth seene by himselfe to be full of Leprosie A second reason for which we stand in more particular necessitie of Humilitie is to the and that we may gather fruite in those very ministeries wtherein we are imployed Soe that Humilitie is necessary for vs not onely in regard of our owne improuement least otherwise we should grow vaine proud so cast away our selues but besides for the gayning of our neighbours the bringing forth fruite in their soules One of the most principall meanes towards thiâ— end is Humilitie and that wee distrust our selues and that we vely noâ— vpon our owne industry or prudence or other parts but that we place all our confidence in God and ascribe and referre all to him according to that of the wiseman Habe fidâ—ciam in Domino ex toto corde tuo ne inuitaris prudentiae tuae Put your confidence in God with your whole hart rely not vpon your owne prudence And the reason heer of is as afterw and I shall declare more at large because when through distrust of our selues wee place all our confidence in God we ascribe it all to him put the whole busines to his accompt whereby we oblige him much to take care thereof O Lord dispatch thine owne busines the conuersion of soule is thine and not ours alas what pouer can we haue to saue soules But non when wee are confident in the meanes wee vse and in the discourses which wee are able to make we bring our selues to be parties to the busines attribut much to our selues all that doe wee take from Almightie God They are like twoe ballances for looke how much the one rises so much the other will be suer to falle as much as we attribut to our selues soe much wee take froÌ„ God and runne away with the glory aÌ„d honor which is onely his thus he comes to permitt that noe effect is wrought And I pray God that this be not some tymes the cause why we doe our neighbours noe more good We read in the life of our B. Father Ignatius that by certaine discourses of the Christian Doctrine which he made some tymes in Rome with plaine and rude and improper words for he was them nothing skilfull in the Italian tongue he yet wrough soe great fruite in soules that vpon the end of his speech his auditours would haue their harts alâ— wounded came with such sighes sobbes teares to the feete of a Ghostly Father that through excesse of greiuing and weeping they could hardly speake And this grew because he put noe trust in his owne words but onely in that Spiritt by which he spake Non in persuasibilibus humanae sapientiae verbis sed iâ— ostentione spiritus virtutis Not in the perswading words of humanae wisedome but in the manifestation of Spiritt truth as S. Paule saith Hee was distrustfull of himselfe placed all his coÌ„fidente in God soe God gaue strength and spiritt to those inproper and rude words of his which seemed euen to dart burning flames into the harts of his hearers And nowe I know not whether the reason why we produce not at this day soe great fruit be not because we sticke much closer to the opinion of our owne prudence because we rest and relie much vpon our owne meanes of perswation and our learning discourse our polite and elegant manner of declaring our minds and we goe gustinge and delighting our selues much with our selues O vell then saith God when you conceiue that you haue said the best things deliuered the most conuincing reasons and remaine content and iolly with conceit that you haue done great matters you shall then effect least of all And that shall be fulfilled in you which the Prophet Oâ—e said Da eis Domine quid dabis eis Da eis vuluam sine liberis vbera arentia I will take order that thou shalt be a barren mother that thou shalt haue noe more thereof but the name You shall be such or such a Father and such a Preacher you shall be called but you shall remaine as I said with the onely name and you shall haue noe spirituall Children I will giue you dry brests such as noe Childe shall hange vpon nor shall any thinge sticke by theÌ„ which thou saist for this doth he deserue who will needes vsurpe the good of God and attribute that to himselfe which is proper onely due to his diuine Maiestie I say not but that what soeuer men shall preach must be very well studyed considered but yet this is not all foâ— it must alsoe be very well wept vpon very well recommended to God anâ— when you shall haue made your heaâ— ake with studying it ruminating vpon it you must say Serui inutiles sumuâ— quod debuimus facere secimus We haue bâ— done what we ought and we are vnprofitabâ—â— seruants what am I able to effect I hauâ— made a little noyse of words like a peecâ— which shotes powder without a bulett but if the hart be wounded it iâ— thou O Lord who must doe it Cor regâ— in manu Domini quocunque voluerit inclinâ— uit illud The kings hart is in Gods hand he inclines it to what soeuer he will It is thoâ— o Lord who art to moue and wound thâ— hart Alas what are we able to doe tâ— them What proportion can our wordâ— and all our humaine meanes carry to aâ— end so high and so supernaturall as it is to conuert soules No such matter But how comes it then to passe that we are so vaine soe very well pleased with our selues when we thinke some good is done and that our busines succeedes well as if we were the men who had done the deede Nunquid gloriabitur sicuris contra eum qui secat in ea aut exaltabitur serra contra eum à quo trahitur Shall peraduenture saith the Prophet Esay to God the hatchet or the saw bragg against him who vses it and workes with it and say I am he who haue cutt and whoe haue sawed that word Quomodo si etenetur virga contra eleuantem se exaltetur baculus qui vtique lignum est This were as if a Cudgell should looke bigg and admire it selfe because a man lifts it vp whereas the thing in it selfe is but wood which can not once stirr if men stirr it not Now we are iust thus in respect of any spirituall and supernaturall end of the conuersion of soules We are like soe many wands whoe cannot once stirr if God stirr vs not And therefore we must ascribe all to him as
of greatnes in it selfe but rather o◠sicknes and swelling why doe wee goe vp and downe like Camelions sucking in winde with our mouthes open that soe we may be the more swolne and sicke It is better for a man to be in health though hee seeme sicke then to be sicke and seeme sound soe alsoe is it better to be good though hee seeme wicked then to be wicked and be held for good For what good will it doe you to be held vertuous spirituall if indeede you be not soe Et laudent eum in portis opera eius Saint Ierome saith vpon theis words Not the vaine prayses of men but your good works must defend and prayse you when you appeare in iudgment before Almightie God Saint Gregory recounts how in the Monastery of Hiconia there was a certaine Moncke who was generally in the opinion of being a saynt and especially for being very abstinent and full of pennance alsoe otherwise But the hower of his death being come he desired that all the Moncks might be called to him For their parts they were very glad of it as conceiuing that they were to heare from him some matter of much edification but he trembled and was full of anguish found himselfe compelled from within to declare his true state to them And soe he made them knowe that he was damned because all his life had bene but Hipocrisie For when they thought hee fasted and did much pennance he eate secretly when they saw him not and for this saith hee am I now deliuered ouer to a terrible and furious beast whose tayle hath wreathed it selfe about and tyed my feete and his head is already entringnow into my mouth to fetch out and carry a way my soule with him for euer And with this words he expired to the greate amazement of them all And now what was theis miserable creature the better for hauing bene reputed a Saint Saint Athanasius compares proud men whoe goe in search of honour to children whoe hunt butterflyes Others compare them to spiders who destroy and defeate themselues in makeing their webbs for the hunting of flyes according to that of Esay Telas araneae texuerunt For soe the proud man euer disinbowells himself and casts vp as it were his very mawe that he may obtaine a little humaine prayse Wee reade in the life of Father Franciscus Xauier that he euer both carried and shewed a most particular hatred and detestation against this opinion and estimation of the world for he said that it was the cause of great mischeefs and the impediment of many blessings And soe they heard him cry thus out sometymes with much earnestnes and many sighes O opinion O opinion estimation of the world how many mischeefes hast thou wrought already how many workest thou now and how many wilt thou continue to worke Of other humaine reasons which will helpe vs to be humble CHAPTER XX. SAint Chrysostome vpon those words of Saint Paule Non plus sapere quam oportet sapere sed sapere ad sobrietatem goes proueing very expresly that the proud and arrogant person is not onely wicked and sinnfull but a starke foole with all and for this hee bring◠that of Esay Stultus enim fatua loquitur the foole speakes foolish things and by the follyes which he vtters you shall vnderstand him indeede to be a foole Well then lett vs obserue the follyes which are vttered by the arrogant and proud man and wee shall quickly see what a foole hee is What is that which the first proud creature vttered which was Lucifer In coelum conscendam super astra dei exaltabo solium meum stabo in Monte testamenti in lateribus Aquilonis ascendam super altitudinem nubium similis ero altissimo I will mounte vp to heauen and I will place and exalt my throne aboue the cloudes and being there aboue the Starres I will be like the most high Quid stultius What could be more foolishly and disioyntedly conceiued And in the tenth Chapter he setts downe very arrogant and folish words of Assur king of the Assirrians wherewith hee glorified himselfe in that with his powerfull hand he had conquered and subdued all the kings of the earth Et inuenit quasi nidum manus mea fortitudinem populorum sicut colliguntur oua quae derelicta sunt sic vniuersam terram ego congregaui non fuit qui mouerit pennam aperiret os ganniret As when a man takes the poore little birds out of a nest which are bredd vp by the elder birds and as a man whoe goes to gather the eggs which are not defended soe haue I saith hee conquered all the earth with the same facillity nor was there any one whoe durst soe much as stirre yea or soe much as open his mouth against me either in earnest or in iest What greater folly can there be then this saith Saint Chrisostome And there he alsoe bring sin diuers other speeches of proud men which discouer very sufficiently what fooles they are soe that if you heare marke their words you will not easily discerne whether they be words of a proud man or of some other who is a meere sott soe absurd and disioynted they are And soe wee dayly see that as fooles moue vs to laughter with what they say and doe soe doe alsoe proud men in their conuersation by the arrogant words which they vtter redounding to their owne prayse and by the gestures which they vse and by the State and foolish grauitie wherewith they walke and by the high accounte which forsooth they will needes haue men make both of their persons of all that which is theirs and by the estimation wherein they themselues hould them And Saint Chrysostome adds that the stupidity or folly of proud men is worse and worthy of greater reproach and shame then that which is naturall for this carries noe fault or sinne with it but the other doth From whence alsoe followes another difference betweene theis two follyes that they whoe are naturall fooles cause pittie and moue all men to be sorrie and compassionate of their miserie whereas the folly of proud men moues not others to compassion and pittie but to laughter and scorne But in the meane tyme proud men are sotts and soe we must proceede with them as such For as we must condescend and seeme to yeild to that which fooles say that soe we may haue peace with them though indeede the thing be not soe or at least though we vnderstand it not after that manner but yet still we will not cōtradict him because in fine he is a foole iust soe doe we proceede with proud men And indeede this humor and madnes raignes soe much in the world at this day that now we can hardly conuerse with men but we must be faine to smooth thē and to say that which really is not soe noe nor is soe conceiued by vs. For the other takes soe much gust
to reach to be deedes And when you shal be arriued soe farre as to conceiue that you beare those occasions well which vse to present them selues yet you must knowe that there are seuerall degrees stepps in the same worke w ereby you must rise towards the perâ—ection of Humilitie For the first stepp is that you exercise your selues in bearing all those occasions which may be offred for your contempt with patience wherein there will be some what to doe that perhaps for a good while After this you must passe on and not stay nor grow weary til you come to reioyce in being affronted and till you feele as much contentment gust therein as worldly meÌ„ doe in all the honors riches and pleasures of the earth according to that of the Prophett In via testimoniorii tuoruÌ„ delectatus sum sicut in omnibus diuitiis If we desire any thing in good earnest we are naturally gladd when we haue obteyned it and if wee desire it much we reioyce much and if little little Take you therefore this for a signe whereby to see whether you seriously desire to be little esteemed or no and whether or noe you goe increasing in the verâ—ue of Humilitie and soe also in the other vertues To the end that wee may profitt the more by this meanes in our Prayer and that t erein this vertue may imprint it selfe the more deepely in our harts we must goe descending to those particular and hard cases which may ocurre and we must animate our selues and actuate vpon them as if we had them present then insisting and deteyinge our selues therein till at length no one thinge may be able to putt it selfe before vs which we cannot make plaine and smooth For by this meanes vice will come to be rooted vp and vertue will be sincking and incorporating it selfe into the very roote of the hart perfecting it self dayly more and more That is a very good coÌ„parison to this purpose which the Goldsmiths vse for the refyning of God they melt it in the chrysuble and when it is melted they cast a graine of Sublimate in to it and then the gold begins to boyle vp with great heigth and fury till the Sublimate bee spent for then the gold begins to be quiet The gold smith comes againe and casts in another graine of Sublimate and the gold boyles vp againe but not with soe much strength as before and when that Sublimate is also spent the gold lyes still They cast in Sublimate a third tyme and the gold boyles againe but gently now and finally he casts in more Sublimate the sowerth tyme but then the gold makes noe noyse or alteration at all any more then if they had cast nothing in and then the gold is perfectly refined and this is the signe thereof Now this is that very thing which we must be doeing in prayer namely to cast in a graine of Sublimate imagining that such a particular mortification or contempt is then offering it selfe to vs and if it beginne to trouble and stinge vs we must detaine our selues therein till the heate and feruour of our prayer consume that graine of Sublimate and till we be able to make head against it and finde our harts quiet and reposed therein And the next day cast in another graine of Sublimate imagininge that some other matter of difficulty and of much mortification and humiliation is offering it selfe and if still your nature be troubled and offer to boyle vp detaine your selues therein till it be spent and you be quieted Then cast in another and yet another graine as occasion serues and when now the Sublimate makes noe noyse nor breedes noe trouble to you but that what soeuer occasion may be offered and represented to you yow still remaine with much quietnes and peace the gold is then purified and refined and this may serue you for a signe of hauinge obteyned the perfection of this vertue In what manner we are to make a particuler examination of our consciences concerning the vertue of Humility CHAPTER XXVIII THE Particular examination as we haue said already in the proper place is to be of some one onely thing for thus will this meanes bee more efficatious and haue greater force then if we carryed ore many things together and it is therefore called particular because it concernes one onely thinge And this is of soe great importance that Ordinarily it is necessary to take many tymes one vice which we would auoide and one vertue which we would obtaine into parts that soe by little and little we may be able to compasse that which wee desire Soe is it therefore in this vertue If you will make your particular examination about rooting vp the pride of your harte and of obteyninge the vertue of Humility you must not take it in hand after a kinde of generall way For Humility and pride imbrace many perticulars and if you take it but soe in grosse as to say I will be proud in nothing but humble in all things it is too much to examine your selues vpon at once and it will be more if you doe it vpon two or three vertues at once and thus in fine you will doe nothing But you are to take it into parts and to goe on by little and little Consider in what you are cheifly wont to faile concerninge Humilitie or in exercising of pride and beginne there and haueing ended with one particular thing take another to hart and then another and thus by little and little you will goe rooting vp the whole vice of pride out of your soules and plantinge the vertue of Humility in place thereof Let vs therefore now goe parting and deuiding theis things that soe you may the better and with the more profitt make this Particular examination concerning this vertue which is soe necessary The first shall be not to speake a word which may redound to our owne estimation and praise For the appetite of honor and estimation is so naturall to vs and wee carry it soe rooted in our harts that euen as it were with out thinking or reflecting vpon it our tongues runne voluntarily to say some what which either directly or indirectly may redownd to our owne praise Ex abundantia cordis os loquitur The hart is wont to speake out of the aboundance of the mouth As soone as any occasion is offred whereby honor may be gayned wee instantly come in for our parts as by saying I was in place I was partly the cause If I had bene absent I was interessed in that from the begining c. And the while I dare warrant you that if the thing had not brought honor with it you would haue bene content to hould your peace though you had bene present yea and partly had bene the cause there of Of this kinde there are other words which many tymes we obserue not till they be past and therefore it will be very well done to make a Particular
his temptations but was euen sett on fire by them and was sometymes in danger to fall and to leaue the institute of a Moncke Being then in this trouble the holy Abbott Isidorus came to him and told him on the parte of God that for that tyme forweard his temptations should cease in the name of IESVS CHRIST our Lord and soe they did and neuer sett vpon him more And the Saint by way of declaring the cause adds this that till then God had not giuen compleat victory to Abbot Moyses least he should haue growne vaine and proud as conceiuing that he had conquered by his owne strength and therefore that God had till then permitted it for his greater good Moyses had not yet obtayned the guift of distrusting himselfe and now to the end that he might obtaine it and not grow proud by confiding in himselfe God left him soe longe a tyme and he obteyned not by soe many and soe great indeauours the compleate victory ouer this passion which others by diligence had obteyned The like did Palladius relate to haue hapned to the Abbot Pacon for euen whilst he was seauenty yeares old he was very much molested by vncleane temptations and he saith that the other affirmed it to him with an oath that after he was fiftie yeares old the combat had bene soe vsuall and soe very fearce as that there had not passed either one day or night in all that tyme wherein he had not bene tempted to that sinne Hee did very extraord nary things to free himselfe from theis temptations but they did not serue the turne And lamenting one day and euen halfe fearing that our lord had forsaken him he heard a voice which interiourly said thus to him know that the cause why god hath permitted this sharpe assault to be made against thee that beene to the end that thou mightst know thine owne pouertie and miserie and the little or nothing which thou hast of thy selfe and therefore see that thou humble thy selfe heereafter and conside not in thy selfe at all but in all things haue recourse for helpe to me And he saith that he was soe comforted by this instruction that he neuer felt that temptation againe In fine the will of our Lord is that we put all our confidence in him and that we distrust our selues with all our owne diligences and meanes This is the doctrine not onely of Saint Augustine Cassian and those antient Fathers but of the holy Ghost himselfe and that in those very termes whereby we haue expressed it heere The wise man in the booke of wisedome setts expresly downe both the Theory and the practise of this pointe in theis words Et vt sciui quoniam aliter non possem esse continens nisi deus det hoc ipsum erat sapientia scire cuius esset hoc donum adij Dominum deprecatus sum illum ex totis precordijs meis When I know saith Salomon that I could not be continent but by the spirituall guift of God Now Continent is heere the generall word which embraces not onely the conteyning or restrayning that passion which is against Chastitie but all the other passions alsoe which rebell against reason And that other place also of Ecclesiasticus Omnis autem ponderatio digna est continentis animae No weight of gold is able to goe in ballance with a continent sowle No pretious thinge is soe much worth as the person who is continent Hee meanes that kinde of man who intirely containes all his affects and appetites that they may not passe beyond the bounds of reason And now saith Salomon knowing that I could not containe theis passions and powers both of my body and sowle within the moderation of vertue and truth without the especiall guift of God but that sometymes they would exceede the knowledge whereof is a high pointe of wisedome I had recourse to our lord and begged this guift of him with my whole hart Soe that in fine this is the onely meanes whereby a man may become continent and may be able to continue continent to restraine and gouerne our passions and binde them to the good behauiour and to obtaine victory ouer all temptations and the perfection of all vertues And soe the Prophet vnderstood it rightly when he said Nisi Dominus aedificauerit Domum in vanum laborauerunt qui adificant eam Vnlesse our lord build the howse he labours in vaine who desires to build it Nisi Dominus custodierit Ciuitatem frustra vigilat qui custodit eam If our lord doe not guard the Cittie he labours in vaine who seekes to guarde it It is he who must giue vs all good things and when he hath giuen them must conserue them to vs or els all our labour will be lost That Humilitie is not contrary to Magnanimity but rather that it is the foundation and cause Thereof CHAPTER XXXVI SAint Thomas treating of the vertue of Magnanimitie makes this question On the one side the Saints say yea and the holy Scripture alsoe saith that Humilitie is very necessary for vs and with all that Magnanimitie is alsoe necessary especially for such as exercise high ministeries and liue in high place Now theis two vertues seeme to bee contrary in them selues because Magnanimitie is a greatenes of minde to attempt and enterprise greate and excellent things which in them selues may be worthie of honour and both the one and the other seeme to be contrary to Humilitie For as for the first which is to enterprise greaâ—e things this seemes not to sute well with this vertue because one of the degrees of Humilitie which the Saints assigne is Ad omnia indignum inutilem se confiteri credere To confesse and hould himselfe vnworthie and vnprofitable for all things and now for a man to attempt that for which hee is not fitt seemes to be presumption and pride And as for the second pointe which is to enterprise things of honor it seemes alsoe to be contrary because the true humble man must be very farre from desiring honour estimation To this Saint Thomas answeres very well and sayes that although in apparance and by the exteriour sound of the words theis two vertues may seeme to be contrary betweene themselues yet in effect and truth one vertue cannot be contrary to another in particular he saith coÌ„cerning theis two vertues of Humility and Magnanimâ—ty that if wee will attentiuely cast our eyes vpon the truth and substance of the thing we shall not onely finde that they are not contrarie but that they are direct Sisters and depend much vpon one another And this he declares very well because as for the first which is to enterprise and attempt great things which is proper to the magnanimous person it is not onely contrary to the humble man but rather is very proper to him and he who is the one may well do the other If confiding in our owne diligence and strength wee should vndertake great