delight We must be ready by by to woorke with our will an acte of not desyring or delighting in such thinges as naturally we are inclyned vnto and couett For by so doinge we shall not onely escape vanitie sinn but by often practise vse obteyne excellent habitts expell the euill Marke this well it may suffise for this poynt instruction I perceiue said Probus those good habitts woulde take away all or moste of our difficultie in woorkinge well What way then may we gett them I shall teach you this also by by saide Alphonso but firste I muste tell you what intention ende you must haue in the vse of your powers in all your actions for without knowledg of this all you can doe will be to small purpose or commoditie I pray you lett me here it then said Probus THE FIFTH INSTRVCTION What ende scope intention the seruante of God shoulde haue in all his actions CAP. 6. YOu muste know therefore said Alphonso That in all thinges which we desyre or doe the ende intention and motiue why we doe it maketh the acte good or euill preceous in goddes sight meritorious or vyle sinfull In so much as a good woork done for an euill ende is euill though otherwise of it owne nature it were good Doth a good ende in like manner said Probus make an euill woorke good Not so saide Alphonso For as a good woorke must be euery way void of euill as wel in it owne nature as in the ende for which it is done So an euill woorke is made euill either for that it is euill of it own nature or done for some euill ende For which cause the Apostle said that it was vnlawfull to doe euill for a good purpose Goe forwarde said Probus for I vnderstande this Euery woork said Alphonso that is good of it owne nature or that is indifferent that is which being neither good nor euill of it selfe may yet be made good by a good ende or intētion or euill by an euill ende Euery such woorke I say may be done or desyred for diuers good endes as for the loue of vertue or for the benefite of our selues or our neighboures or for the imitation of our Sauiour and his Sainctes or finallye for the loue of God thereby to serue please honour him Now as one ende is better then an other So consequently that woorke is better which is done for a better ende that the best which is done for the best ende Wherfore because god is an infinite goodnes that work is the best which is wrought purely whollye for his sake or to yelde him honour or seruice without respect of any other ende The seruant of god then that desyreth in the best manner to please serue his Lord must doe all thinges both in body soule for God to please serue obey honour him thereby That forgeating as it were the good glory that may come to our selues by doing any acte of vertue mindfull onely of God which desyreth our well doinge and delighteth in it is most worthy to be serued honored by vs in euery thing we be moued to woork onely for pleasing honoringe him and for fulfilling his will Like to a man that for recouering his owne healthe haith prepared a medicine before he take it perceauing his deare frend to be fallen sick and to haue greater neede of the same In this case forgeating as it were his owne infirmity the desire he had to that medicine mindefull onely of his frende he reioyceth to forgoe it himselfe to bestow it for releeuinge of his frendes necessitye So should we I say againe serue God euer forgeating our selues all other things desyre and woorke onely because it is godds will we doe it because his maiesty requireth it at our handes For this ende motiue we shoulde couet to loue god desyre vertues desyre pray for pardon of our sinnes for graces for glory For this ende we shoulde flee sinne feare hell abhorr damnation desyre or refuse whatsoeuer It semeth harde vnpleasant at the first but after a whyle it will be easie and delightfull And such as haue their wills enflammed with deuotion the loue of god at the firste hearinge of this way can woork thus without difficultie and in short time come to exceding great perfection But how said Probus shall beginners which haue but coulde deuotion and weake loue of God com to get this motiue actually in all they doe They may gett it said Alphouso by the vse of their vnderstandinge will in this sort Lett them consider apprehend sett God as their cheifest frende most worthy Lorde on the one syde and them selues on the other This done when theire will is moued to couet any vertue or doe any good woorke Let them consider for what ende they are moued and they shall finde it vsually either for feare of punishment or for their own benefite or for the loue of vertue or desyre of heauenly blisse None of these motiues shoulde suffice or content the seruant of God though they be not euill But seinge his will is so free goddes help euer presupposed that it may refuse any one ende and choose an other as I tould you before And seinge also he beleeuethe godds will to be more excellent and worthy that it should moue him rather then his owne He must violently enforce him self to omitt refuse to desyre or will any thinge after his wonted māner bring his will to desyre the same thing for a better end motyue that is to desyre to doe it for fulfillinge the blessed will of God pleasing him and for that he worthy of all seruice obeysance honour would haue him to doe it This loe is the way to gett this diuine motiue in all our actions which so incomparably excellethe the motiues of our owne naturall desyres all other motiues how good vertuous soeuer they be as noe tong cā expresse For the perfection of all our holines charitie consisteth in this poynte that we conforme our selues in all thinges to godds will be of the same mynde with him For which cause and for that it is Goddes high pleasure desyre that vpon this motrue we ferue him we shoulde endeuour to haue it in all our workes both corporall spirituall both greate and small yea in those also which we are naturally to woork according to gods ordinance as to eate sleepe c. For as we can not leaue these vndone so doing them for the loue of God they helpe vs much to the encrease of our spirituall lyfe And so the leaste woorke that we doe in Godds sight as to eate slepe recreate the like shall be of more dignitye then the greateste woorke which he doth that haith not the same ende as to faste to watch to geue almes to afflict the bodie
hindreth all spirituall good and the progresse in all vertue And with out comparison better it were diligently to kepe practise one thoughe it be a meaner then to be either negligente in the best or to be allwayes inconstantly flitting from one to an other for so should a man neither goe forwarde nor grow perfect in any Be familiar therefore stay youre selfe with Alphonso good Madam for so shall you profitt greatly And beware you be not content with the vertue you haue allready gotten For our Lorde God was made man vouchsaifed to dye for to aduaunce vs to a higher perfect state of holines in this lyfe For this same ende also he would that Angells shoulde minister vnto vs And finallye for the same ende he haith gâ—uen vs the vse of heauen earth with all his creatures in them Remember me I beseche you in your deuotions And thus I committ you to God Your seruant in our Lord. I. M. THE PREFACE OF The Author Alphonso SAinct Ambrose saith that ignorance of the order manner how to woorke greatly troubleth the qualitie of our meritt Neither is it to be thought as the same Author affirmeth that we haue full knowledge of a thinge which we know we ought to doe vnlesse we know withall the order of proceedinge in the same Whereupon it is manifest that it profiteth verie litle if one know what is writen for seruing God be ignoraÌ„t in what manner and order it is to be done And albeit arte knowledge of euery good thinge floweth from God the supremest artificer many be illuminated by his goodnes preuented with benedictions of delighte sweetenes yet for all that we must not omitt to doe what is in vs to seke as we are bounde his commaundementes will other thinges which be necessary for doinge perfectly whatsoeuer is pleasing vnto him For which purpose the breefe forme Methode which here we sett downe will be profitable that we may know woorke those greate thinges which the holy scriptures teach vs. The which to doe it is noe lesse needefull that some arte be sought owte then for doinge any other thinge which we couert rightly to know or woorke To fynde owte this arte the holye Doctoures haue spente much tyme haue lefte it writen at large in diuers volumes of all which we will gather a breefe conclusion or somme But this short work being chiefly ordeyned for the Exercyses of the soule it will seme somtymes verye obscure to them which haue not bene exercysed in the knowledge operations of the powers of their soule Yet we shall shewe after a while in the prosecution of the book this Methode to be so farre from obscuritie that it bringeth greate lighte to all other bookes of lyke argument Neither lett any thinke it superfluous or vayne that we geue Documentes whereby we may be helped to serue God when as all the Scripture witnessith such to be necessary And S. 1 Cor. 3 Paule saith that we are helpers or coadiutors of God but he either helpeth not rightly or not sufficientlye that helpeth not as much as he can oughte Neither is it any other thing in vs that we helpe God then that we moue our soule in all our workes according to the prescripte rule of this present arte as sacred diuinitie at large declareth The Philosopher in his Metaphisicks affirmeth that mankinde liue the by arte in which place he semeth by this propertie to distinguish man from vnreasonable creatures for that all these are moued onely by naturall instruct without arte but man is ruled by arte reason Wherefore he may be said to serue God as it we are onely by naturall instinct lyke to creatures voyde of reason that is moued to serue him that way by which he feeleth greatest consolation sweetenes without regardinge by his vnderstandinge reason whether there be any other manner wherby he may be able to serue God more excellently Moreouer there is noe cause why any should alledge the vnction of the holy Ghost to teach vs in all things therfore any art or Methode where by we may learne to serue God isneedeles which sayinge is true presupposinge that we our selues also be his coadiutors or helpers endeuoringe to know woorke as we are taughte in the sacred scriptures in this arte which we are to geue For the vnction of the holy ghost teachethe not them that are vnwillinge to learne nor them that are idle or make resistance Furthermore leste the sweete yoke of our Lorde seme heauye to any let vs consider that it is not a thing to be merueled at if some dayes are to be spent for getting so highe knowledg wisdom as is heare conteyned and taught in this arte For if in learninge Grammer or Logick artes farr inferiour to this one consume spende 3 or 4 yeares yea all his lyfo if he will be perfecte in any of them how much better is our lyfe bestowed yea if it be wholly spente therein for the perfect learning of this arte most high diuine of all other artes which our supreame maister Iesus Christe came to teach vs with his so great toile payne Moreover he that beginnethe to learne this arte must consider that it will happen to him as it is wonte to happen to infantes who hauinge perfect soules yet want the vse of reason and hauing in their bodyes handes fecte yet can not goe or worke but when they once begin to waxe and to moue their limmes they goe yet with great difficultie with fallinge now then but growing elder vsinge daily Exercyse they goe so freelye that they can runne at their pleasures The same hapneth in these Exercises whyles one desyrethe purelye to serue god aster this Methode For albeit our soules be perfect intyere yet so mightely are we bounde oppressed without strength to mooue our selues in the perfecte way manifested in the holy gospell declared in this arte which we sett owte that at the firste we can not walke or goe at all or if we be moued or attempt this it is with such difficultie that our goinge is well neare nothing Yet notwithstanding let vs manfullye endeuour to doe what is here prescribed so well as we can for whiles we shall scarse dare to hope to gett the perfection taught vs we shall by practyse yea so runne by these high pathes that it may be said truly our motions to be rather the motions of an Angell flying then of a man walking on earth None oughte to pretende any excuse why he serueth not God after the manner we haue here sett downe coÌ„tenting him self with the litterall obseruation of som religious rule or the commaundements of God as sufficiente to saluation For as the Apostle saith Goddes will is that we be holy and perfect Seinge therefore riches allready gotten do not suffyce nor coÌ„tente the louers of the world but allwayes
to suffer any payne or iniurye for his seruice or to heare of it either I confesse said Probus it is greate reproch dishonour to a Christian in this lesson to forsake not to imitate his Lord God considering he suffered all for our sakes instruction and the commoditye of our laboures being all our owne But what reasons besydes this can we consider why we should thus hate our selues For vnlesse our willes be animated encoraged by our vnderstanding in this point cheifly which for the naturall loue we beare to our selues semeth terrible horrible to be thought vpon we shall neuer desire this hatred much lesse exercyse our selues to gett it The doctrine and example of our Sauiour said Alphonso should suffice but I will geue you two or three reasons moe The first is because what soeuer euill is in vs with all our want of good vertues all I say comethe because we hate not our selues but loue and desyre thinges either against the commaundement of God or cōtrary to his counsells aduyse Wherefore self loue being so hurtfull to vs and hatred of our selues so commodious we haue good cause to desyre labour for this later and to flee that other An other reason may be because by sinning we haue bene traitours against the maiestie of God Wherefore it is meete iuste that we yelde him all possible satisfaction And seing that satisfaction shoulde be answearable in greatnes to the greuousnes and malice of our sinnes we our selues can yelde but litle and also in that we can doe are verie negligent slack to vse our owne bodies hardly any way for making what satisfaction we are able At the least for this cause we ought to hate our selues as is declared and to desyre be ioyfull that euery one hate persecute afflict vs as much as they may without the offence of god that thus at the leaste we may satisfye vnto him considering I say our own abilities otherwise suffice not The third most high reason of all why we should hate our selues is that our soules being voyde emptie of self loue as farr forthe as may stande with Godds pleasure They may be filled with God him self whose goodnes in noe wyse can suffer that being emptie of self loue we should not be filled with the loue of him consequently his holy will reigne beare all sway in oures But of this principall reason I shall tell you more when we com to speake of the loue of God How shall we said Probus vse the instruments of our soule to obteine this holye hatred of our selues When we would said Alphonso refuse not admitt thinges delectable pleasant or desyre accept hard painefull things as contempts reuylinges iniuryes and the lyke we must forgeat a litle these thinges and not offer them thus nakedlye to oure will but turne our mynde to consider the innumerable good thinges which com to vs by refusing the one sort accepting the other And principally the infinyte treasure of goddes loue which we gett by hatred of our selues accordinge to his will And then vpon these considerations moue and inclyne our will to reiecte the pleasant to embrace the greuous as necessarie meanes to obteine these inestimable goods euer with-all being mindfull that you doe all this for the seruice of your Lorde and for fulfillinge his holy will pleasure But touching the ioyfull acceptance of paynefull thinges aduersities I shall tell you more in the matters of Humilitie Patience There is no more then to be learned said Probus for the hatred of our selues Yes one thing more said Alphonso which meruelously helpeth them that are desireous to obteine this holie hatred which is that continuallye and without ceasing we persecute certain innumerable litle desires of our owne which if we marke com runninge vpon vs in euery moment inclyne vs to selfe loue Wherefore we must in all occasions be watchfull ouer our owne actions verie circumspectly marke whether perhapps we desire any thing which is not belonging vnto God or not furtheringe vs towardes him And incontinent so soone as we espye any thinge to delighte vs withowt God we must incline our will to contradict refuse it And when we perceiue any thing to happen greuous displeasant We must by by enclyne our will to couett accept it If you be diligent in this you shall both much sooner gett this holy hatred and withall such dominion gouernment ouer your self as can not be expressed in woordes Mark therfore this well I say againe exercyse it for assuredly this poynte is the key gate to cheife perfection This hatred said Probus seemethe contrary to Chatitie whereby we are all bounde to loue our selues Not so said Alphonso but so soone as a man hateth him self in this sort not before he haith all the loue that he ought to haue towardes him selfe which is most profitable glorious to him and that which God woulde he should haue For then haith he the loue of God of vertues of eternall glory and of all thinges which helpe him thither which loue doth not suffer with it the company of any vyce But now let vs goe to the seconde thinge that is to know how we may adorne bewtify our soules with vertues As it pleaseth you said Probus THE THIRD EXERCYSE How the seruant of God should behaue him selfe in prayer YOu muste know therefore said Alphonso that he is said to haue his soule adorned bewtifyed that haith his naturall appetites conformable with his reason and godds will Law And this conformity is none other thing but a certain heap of vertues which placed orderly in the soule make it bewtifull and directe it as is conuenient for the great dignity therof mitigating repressing all false and euill concupiscenses which had stook in the soule by sinne disposing it to serue withowt all contradiction to yeld gratefull obeisance to the will of him that created it And because our owne strength powers are verie weake vnable to obteyne suche thinges I will reache you firste how to call for helpe from God by prayer Secondly howe by many particularactes you must build these habitts of vertues speakinge of som few which be principall Thirdly how you must subdue keepe in semely order your foure naturall passions Ioy Sorow Hope Feare OF PRAIER FOr Praier then you muste know that Goddes pleasure is that we stande neede of his supernaturall help because the ende felicity whereto he haithe created vs is supernaturall that is the blisse of heauen His will also is that we aske demande it of him not but that he desyrethe more to geue it vs then we to take or aske it But first that we may possesse and enioy the thing with more honoure which we get with greater endeuoure labour in suting for it that we may as it were
our good God forbidd that the hart which is not occupyed in highly esteming praising God to whom all prayse is due shoulde be occupyed in iudging of any worth to whom noe such thing is due And he also deserueth much blame for his consentinge that thinketh other to occupy their hartes in praising esteming him beinge so vyle abiect seasinge in that meane tyme to magnify god for all his goodnes giftes is not ashamed nor greued for so great disorder abuse of thinges It augmenteth also greatly our vanitie that whatsoeuer we do or suffer all is by the mighty grace help of our most high God It is said Probus a thing both glorious meritorious that we accept the gifts graces of God not reiect or resist them and then why may we not glorie think well of our selues that we accepted them We neuer saw man said Alphonso that would vainly glory boaste onely because he had accepted benefites done him by a Prince but rather it would haue bene iudged playne madnes to haue refused thē And it is great folly for a mā to glorye and boaste that he would not be madd whē he might or proudly to behaue and esteme him self because he would not leap into a pitt drowne him self when he might haue done it Muche lesse cause surelye haith any man to glorye because he accepted godds giftes refused them not considering that their verye acceptinge and will to receiue them is not done by their own power abilitie or nature 1 Cor. 4 but principally by the grace and helpe of God as S. Paule saith What hast thou that thou haste not receyued if thou haste receiued it why doest thou glory Nowe after your vnderstandinge haith had these such lyke considerations of this vyce moue incline your will as I taughte you before to refuse hate it And standing firmly in the true conceipte of your owne basenes vnworthines yeld all praise glory to God to whom it is due in him onely let all your ioye and glory be rest The actions of your will you must diligently vse in all occasions where this vain-glorie would creepe in and draw you to delighte in your self or in any thing you haue This may suffyce concerning the euill vyce of vain-glory Now will we speake of patience which is the seconde vertue we are to learne of our Sauiour Christe vnlesse you teste vnsatisfyed in some thing I haue said Goe forwarde said Probus I pray you for I vnderstande you well and haue nothing to replye THE SIXT EXERCYSE HOW to plant in our soules the vertue of Patience which is one of the two vertues which our Sauiour would haue vs to learn of him PAtience said Alphonso is so dear a sister companion to Humility that comonly they are found together And by what waies paths the one is found you may finde the other also And as we said before that to gett Humilitie it is necessarie we sett before our eyes the humilitie of godds Sonne so muste we doe also the same here for obteyninge this vertue of Patience For who can cōplaine or repyne insufferinge iniuries or any tribulation hauinge deserued them as we all haue when he considereth with how great mildnes and patience his Lorde god voluntarily did choose to suffer so manie so greate iniuries contumelies persecutions tormentes together with a moste bitter death who besides that he was true God Lord of all was also a man of more noble delicate tender complexion then any other man in the world more feelinge anie affliction Who will not patiently myldly sustain for curing his owne sinnes anie toyle vexation or distresse that may befall if he consider his God to haue susteyned farr greater for the sinns of other to bringe remedy to our euills The example of our Sauioure said Probus should indede moue suffice vs to take anie aduersitie patientlye but our frayle natures can not away with trouble or affliction Naturallye indeede said Alphonso we are inclyned to flee abhorr thē But godds grace preuenting our wills cooperatinge with vs we may be brought in short tyme to accept and embrace them and this the rather if we consider not onely this example which our Sauiour haith geuen vs but more-ouer cast our eye to the great commoditie we gett thereby which our Lorde also is desireous we labour to obteine For persecutions tribulations are as it were a hammer or fire wherewith the rust or canker of our soules is taken away or as a launcinge knife thrust into our soules to let owt the poysen of our self loue which festreth there drawethe vs from all good that once freed from that filthe we may woorke the high woork of God that is loue serue him as we should For which cause we ought hartely to loue pray for our persecutours thank God that prouideth vs so good surgeons Teache me the way said Probus I pray you to gett this vertue If you remember said Alphonso 1 P. C. 7. I taught it you before when we talked of the way how to plant vertuous habits in our soule For there I put the example of Patience which may suffice also for this place I remember it verie well said Prohus That also which I taughte you said Alphonso of the hatred of your selfe 2 Part. 2 Exer. you must call to mynde againe in this mater for the reasons I gaue you why you should hate your self may serue fitlye to moue you to suffer patiently any aduersitie or affliction Now let vs propounde one example of som odious matter that may befall You either suspect or certenly know a man to speak or reporte som euill of you which you neuer committed Hereby three dartes are caste at you to wound your soule from all which the souldier and seruant of God must cleare acquyte him self that by his fight his Lorde may be serued honored and his owne soule bewtified The first is the dart of euill suspition or iudgment againste the man or against his intention From this dart you must withdraw your self and let it passe inclyninge your will not to accept or deale with it as consenting to any such suspition or iudgment but to referr it wholly vnto God who is the high Iudg of all and haith willed vs not to iudge For fulfilling of whose will we ought with great ioy to forbeare to iudge and not to vsurpe or cake vpon vs his office The second is the darte of greuous impatiencye To this you muste oppose your self with all your strengthe ioying in the paine and iniury which cometh to you by that occasion and the more you seme to ioye of it the lesse will the deuill assaulte you with impatience lest he geue you occasion of so great meritt That you may well demeane your selfe in receiuing this dart remember what I said of the hatred of