such humility so acceptable in his sight which thing for the great comfort and security of all our Lord hath voutsafed to confirme with wonderfull examples Moises was Exod. 18. in a great errour when he alone woulde heare all causes examined before himselfe being more then he was able to doe by reason whereof many causes were not dispatched God to deliuer him from this ignorāce brought a certaine Priest called Ietro from the place of his dwelling into the desert where Moises was by whose meanes he learned a more ready way for the dispatch of the peoples causes Dauid likvvise was much deceaued when hee thought that God had voutsafed him of that fauour as that he should be the man who should build him a Temple and that this was his diuine pleasure and God did deliuer him from this ignorāce by meanes of the Prophet Nathan by which fact God 2 Reg. 7. shewed how much it doth please him to teach his faithfull seruants such thinges as bee necessarye and profitable for theire soules and to deliuer them from ignorance deceits by meanes of his Priests and seruants especially by the help of a mans ordinary ghostly father in the sacramēt of penance seing though Moises were his familiar friend vvho as the scripture saith did talke with him face to face that is to say in some passing highe contemplation and also Dauid thoughe his greate seruante to whome hee reuealed such deepe misteries yet it pleased him not to deliuer them from these ignorances but by the meanes of others to the ende that being thus instructed by the will of God they shoulde also exercise humillitye submittinge them selues to men in other thinges farre inferior to them selues Yet necessary it is that a man should here note one thing to the ende that God may by the meanes of his ghostlye father teache him the trueth and directe him in the way of vertue and that is that he come to confession with that ende and intention which he ought to do to witte with a desire to vnderstand the truth and that which is most expedient for his soule although it be a thing of travaile and that which will put him to much trouble and griefe with al let him craue of God to inspire and put into the hart of his ghostlye father that which hee hath to speake because if hee come to his confessor with a desire only that he should tell him that which doth please himselfe and to declare the trueth if it bee fittinge to his owne humor and if not to say nothing then for punnishment of that wicked intention God vseth to permit the ghostly father not certainely to tell him the trueth nor that which is necessary for him but rather the contrary for so hath God threatned by his Propher Ezechiell in these wordes If Cap. 14. a man who hath his hart from me commeth vnto a Prophet and by meanes of him would be taught concerning mee I will permit that the Prophet shall bee deceiued and deceaue him according to the wicked intention of him that asketh shall bee the deceite of him that answereth So did it happen to king Achah and to many more 3 Reg. 22. as experience hath taught vs who going to aske counsell for matters of theire soule with a naughtie intention haue beene deceaued Wherefore very necessarye it is that the penitent which desireth truly to bee illuminated and directed of God by meanes of his ghostlie father that he shoulde come vnto him with a pure sounde intention that is to say with an effectuall will that he should tell and instruct him in that which is most acceptable to God and most necessarie and profitable for his owne soule although it be contrarie to his owne liking hard and difficult to performe And comming in this manner God will teach him by this meanes al trueth and giue him strength to doe it and with the helpe of his grace make it easie and sweete to effect that which seemeth vnto him very sharpe and difficult So certaine be holy men of this most merciful property of God towardes such as come with a good intention that venerable Richard with greate confidence thereof writeth these wordes Curious persons are somtimes deceaued Richard de Sancto victore in cant c. 39. of the Diuel but the vertuous that with a good intention craue counsell and sincerely open vnto their ghostly fathers not onely theire sinnes but also the tentations of their soules these walke the right way free from deceite because he cannot erre that with a sound intention asketh counsell and is gouerned by him neither can he be beguiled by the enemy that doth discouer his tentations This which venerable Richard affirmeth may in generall bee hoped for of the goodnesse of God but more certaine it is in those thinges which bee donne throughe obedience for when they be of them selues lawfull although the superiour that prescribeth them may erre through ignorance or malice yet the penitent that in those thinges obeyeth can not erre by obeying for as much as hee doth in that the will of God concerning which point and of the necessity Tract 4. c. 34. tract 5. p. 1. cap. 2. tract 6. p. 2. c. 10. 11. and profit which commeth by obedience to our ghostlye father else where more hath bene spoken Chap. XII Of an other exellent remedy to deliuer our selues from the harme of secret sinnes and to supply the defectes of our former confessions and that is with care and diligence to make a generall confession Besids the former meanes now spokē of ther remaineth yet an other very excellēt by which Gods seruant may deliuer him selfe from such secret sinnes as proceede from culpable ignorance and from other disorders before handled This meanes is to make a generall confession of all the sinnes of his life past taking for that the space of a weeke in which discharging him selfe from all other businesse let him enter into himselfe running ouer the ten commaundedements let him call to minde as much as he can all the sinnes of his life past and make his confession of them and by the help and direction of his ghostly father chosen out for that purpose the doing of it will be easie and sweete in such sort that in an hower or two he may dispatche it though it be a confession of many yeeres When as a man in his former confessions hath concealed some mortall sin through shame vaine feare or because he would not bestowe any time about the examination of his conscience or if he went to confession without a purpose to abstaine from mortall sin in these cases to make a generall confession both of all those sinnes vttered in that former bad confession and of all other sins committed afterward is a thing necessary and commanded by the lawe of God But when a man hath discharged himselfe well in his former confessions certaine and sure it is
put it in execution and a greater punnishment it is and inflicted for some greater sin for a man not to see nor knowe that which he is bounde to doe Of these secret sinnes which are committed through ignorance and yet for all that bee imputed by God and seuerelie by him punnished we haue many examples in holy scripture I will here onely make mention of two but those of the most notable to giue more light to that which hath beene saide God commaunded King Saul to inuade the countrey of the Amalachites and vtterly to destroye 1 Reg. 15. them not leauing either man or beast aliue because they did not shewe mercy but crueltie towardes the Israelites when they came out of Aegipt Saul went and conquered the coūtry slew men and beastes as he was commanded but yet he did spare the life of the king called Agag and some of the best cattell and in this facte hee neuer thought that hee had committed any sin at all for to saue the kinges life he did it vnder the title of piety and some of the beastes hee reserued for outwarde shewe of religion to offer them in sacrifice to God and therfore when the Prophet Samuell did reprehende him for not hauing kept the commaundement of God he answered confidentlie that he had done all that which God had willed and appointed him Albeit Saul sinned because hee should not haue interpreted the commandement of God according to his owne fancy nor to haue donne expreslie contrary to that which God gaue him in charge either vpon any pretext of piety or colour of religion yet he thought that he had not committed any sinne therein nay rather hee supposed that he had donne verye well and so that which hee reputed for no faulte God very iustlie did impute vnto him for a grieuous sinne and did punnish him most severelie for the same depriuing him of his kingdome and casting him out of his favour and suffering him by a naughtie death to 2 Reg. 24. ende his daies Dauid had a desire to number his people and to muster all the men of war in his kingdome he put this his desire in executiō This was in him a great sinne both because it was very chargeable to the king very troublesome to the people without any necessity or iust cause and also because it was a kinde of pride and vaine ostentation as Saint Gregory saith and to this may be also added howe it was against the law which commanded that when vpon necessitie the people were numbred that euery one shoulde offer a certaine quantity in almes to bee imployed about the vses of the tabernacle This being so grieuous Exod. 30. a sinne and for so many reasons contrary to the lawe of God yet when Dauid did it he thought it not any such vntill afterwarde he sawe the punnishment thereof to consume his people by so pitifull a pestilēce that there were alreadye dead thereof seauenty thousand persons Then he perceaued what a great sinne he had committed and did confesse it saying I haue sinned much in this fact and haue done Charthusianus 2 Reg. 24. foolishlie And Dauid fell into this sinne because beholding himselfe so potent in battaile and to ouercome al his enemies he suffered some presumption to enter into his hart and for this sin and for the sinnes of the people God did suffer him to fall into such an ignorance and blindnesse that hee knewe not howe greate a sinne that was which he then committed So that both Saul and Dauid offended God in doing these sinnes not knowing howe greate the faulte was which then they did and in like manner many fall into verie grieuous sinnes through culpable ignorance as hath bin saide and some of them as Saul neuer come to know or confesse them and so die in their sinnes and perishe for euer Others as Dauid come to the knowledge therof and doe purge them by true penance and contrition To the end therefore that wee may preserue ourselues from falling into so great blindnesse as this is and if we be already fallen that wee may come out of it let vs nowe see what remedies are for this purpose to be vsed and put in practise Chap. X. Of a very profitable remedye against the harme which commeth by secret sinnes and that is euery day to examine our conscience and the manner how this is to he done HAuing now declared how great an hinderāce it is to a good confessiō lightly to examine our consciēce the great harmes which from that negligence doe growe and that is for a mā to fall into those sins which he knoweth not requisite it is likewise to giue some instructions how we may ouercome this carelesnes deliuer our selues from these so great harmes The first is for a man willingly to take paines to enter vvith consideration into himselfe and to search all the corners of his conscience and crauing light at Gods handes that he may know himselfe to stay there for some space pondering the motions desires of his owne soule and the workes which from that doe spring For to applie carefully and with diligence the hearte troubled with such varietye of tentations to consider with quiet the inward actiōs of the soule and the outwarde of the body is a thing of trauaile paine and therefore necessary it is that a man should resolue him selfe to imbrace this labour and to overcome this difficultie And to the end that a man may by vse make this examination well and get a facility therein let him not thinke it enough to examine his conscience once before he goeth to confession but let him make it daiely And for that purpose at night when he goeth to bed let him retire himselfe into some secret place before some image and there let him call his soule to account how it hath bestowed that day and let him examine well all that hee hath thought said or done and such sins as he findeth himself to haue fallen into let him purge with the teares of pennance for so did holy Iob and this was his meaning when he saide I considered O Lord with feare all my workes because Cap. 9. I knowe that thou wilt not leaue any sin vnpunnished as though hee had said To preuent thy iudgment and punnishment I haue iudged and punnished my selfe and that euery day and euery hower because the holye man coulde not make this examination of all his workes had hee not vsed it very often And king Dauid so employed about the affaires of his kingdome and so charged with businesse of great weight was not for all that carelesse herein but did euery night recollect himselfe to make this examination of his conscience and to bewaile all the wickednesse which he had committed against the will of God This doth he plainly declare when he saith thus I haue labored in sorowe and sighing for my sins and euery night haue I exercised my felfe vntill I haue
confusion and disgrace which for his sinnes he deserveth So saith S. Gregory in these wordes Our harts filled with In moral lib. 22. c. 8. in edit nou pride if it doth ought worthy of blame that doth it conceale and hide and would not openly confesse it to haue any remedy thereof And this disorder descendeth vnto vs by inheritaunce from Adam for as from him we inherit originall sinne so likewise by way of inclination do we inherit the increase of sin and that is to excuse the same Adam sinned and God very mercifully came vnto him and demanded certaine questions to the end that by acknowledging and confessing his fault and accusing himselfe from his hart hee might haue obtained pardon But Adam defended his sinne and excused himselfe laying al the fault vpon the woman and the woman being asked she likewise excused herself laying the blame vpon the Serpent which was the Devil and and as S. Gregory saith both of them were in a certaine manner Greg ibid. supra c. 9. willing to lay all the sinne vpon God himselfe for what was it else for Adam to say the woman which thou gavest me made me to sinne but to insinuat that god was the cause of his sinne in that he created the woman And for the woman to say The Serpent deceaved me what was it else but to ascribe the sinne vnto God as the cause thereof for that he placed the serpent in Paradise And thus by excusing themselues in this maner they procured against thēselues two great evils and passing notable harmes The one was that they did stop and hinder the mercy of God and obtained not pardon of their sinne at that time for this was the very cause why god demaunded of the Devill nothing at all because neither would he pardon him neither was he capable of penance and of Adam and Eue did hee aske certaine questions for that hee was desirous that they shoulde with sorrowe haue confessed their sinnes and by their humble and simple confession not excusing it haue obtained full pardon at his handes The seconde harme which they did was that by excusing thēselues they encreased their sinne and made it more grieuous then otherwise it was whereof ensued that albeit afterwarde through penance which they did they were pardoned yet had the pardon so great a punishment annexed as was the destruction of the whole worlde and their banishment for the space of nine hundred and odde yeares vpon earth and afterwarde imprisonment for the space of three or foure thousand yeares in that place of hell called Abrahams bosome or Limbus patrum In the very same manner doth it fare with all the children of Adam that defende and excuse their sinnes for by laying the fault vpon his creatures vpon aduersities and tentations they doe in a certaine secret manner attribute them to God himselfe who is the maker of all creatures and the author of all the euils of punishment and affliction and by these meanes doe they encrease and multiply their sinne and greatly stop and hinder the mercy of God who woulde pardon their offences For so noteth S. Gregory in these words It is a common In Moral vbi supra vice amongst men to hide themselues for the committing of sinne and after the committing being asked to denie it and being conuinced thereof to defend and excuse it by which the sinne is encreased This so wicked a passion and disorder we ought to ouercome and mortifie by confessing all our sinnes plainely and clearely with all the greatnes they haue and to lay all the fault vpon our selues confessing our selues to be the true and entire cause of them and to attribute all that we doe vnto our selues for although true it be that the Diuels doe tempt vs and men perswade and provoke vs to wickednesse yet is man for all that alwaies free and at liberty and hath sufficient helpe from God to withstand tentations and not to consent vnto any sinne at all and therefore ought hee to accuse and blame himselfe and not any creature else whatsoeuer Let him not therefore say in his defence the Diuell did tempte me nor my neighbour gaue me occasion and made me to sinne but let him say from the bottom of his heart I am he that did the sinne and all the fault is wholly mine because voluntarily and of mine owne free will I gaue consent thereunto and whereas it was in my power to haue shunned such dangers and occasions which I ought to haue done yet did I not auoide them and being able against the tentations of the enemy to haue holpen strengthened my selfe with prayer penance workes of mercy spirituall talke and reading of good bookes yet did I not for that purpose vse either these or any other such like meanes which God did inspire into my soule and therefore all the fault is mine owne and all the cause of my harme remayneth in my selfe for that saying of Saint Chrysostom is most true that none Tomo 5. hom quod nemo leditur c. receaueth any hurt but of himselfe because there is not any other true harme or damage indeede but that which sinne causeth and that neuer can be except a man doth willingly consent thereunto And when a man confesseth his sinnes with this kinde of purity let him haue great care that he doe not either pretend or desire to be accounted humble for so doing or to be esteemed for a good penitent man for this were to flie from one kinde of pride and to fal into an other but let his principal intent be to be taken for a sinner and to be for his sinnes confounded reprehended and to haue spirituall phisicke giuen him as to a sinner Of which minde of his it will be a good argument and testimonie if when his ghostly father doth blame rebuke him for his sinnes and intreate him as a sinner he take it patiently and well for if hee accuse him selfe plainely as a sinner and yet wil not be delt withall nor reprehended as a sinner it is a signe that he doth not confesse or accuse himselfe sincerely from his hart This is the opinion of Saint Gregory whose wordes be these True confession which wee 22. Moral cap. 20. in edit noua Cassian col lat 18. c. 11. make of our sinnes is tried by the reprehension which is giuen vs for those sinnes which wee confesse for if being rebuked for them we defend them with pride certaine it is that we confessed them not sincerely for it is the sinne of pride not willingly to heare that at the mouth of an other which a man doth willingly confesse of himselfe And if when we confesse our selues to be sinners we did likwise with true humility acknowledge our selues for such when we are blamed or rebuked for our sins neuer would we denie or defend them Thus writeth S. Gregory out of whose words we learne what the intent of a true penitent ought to be
commendation or were thinges of delight and pleasure I haue reioyced in some of them vainely not referred them as I ought to the glory of God the good of mine owne soule My tongue I haue not kept so carefully as I ought and without any necessitie or profit of soules haue I spoken wordes in mine owne praise curious questions haue I demanded and idle words haue I vttered These and such like bee the ordinary veniall sins into which Gods seruantes that liue with care and in the feare of God do often times in a weeke yea and in one day fall into for those which leade their life without any such care doe commit others more grieuous and with such wordes as these that signifie and import sinne ought they to confesse them and a true desire to make their confession as is requisite humility of heart griefe and sorrowe for sinne and that light which daily they gaine in the spirituall profit of their soule will clearely lay open before their eies these and other such like sinnes of their heartes and will teach them fit words to expresse them and make them appeare with all their deformity as is conuenient because in sacramentall confession the penitent is witnesse against himselfe and the witnesse being lawfully demaunded is bounde to tell all the trueth and that in cleare and plaine wordes He is likewise an aduocate for God against himselfe and the office of an aduocat is to alleadge all the reason and iustice that can be saide for his owne side and plainely and truely to open al the iniustice litle reason that is on the contrary part And when a man doth so in confession then doth hee giue true euidence against himselfe discouering and laying open all the grieuousnesse of his sinnes and he that doth behaue himselfe like a wise aduocate in Gods cause against himselfe alleadging all such reasons as hee hath to loue and obey God and confesse with true sorrowe of hart al his great ingratitude malice with all such considerations and circumstances as doe encrease them which is but reason then doth God of his infinite goodnes and pietie take vpon him mans cause maketh himselfe his aduocate and patron and giueth sentence in his fauor pronouncing him absolued and free from all his sinnes from euerlasting paine and confusion yea and somtimes from the temporall paine also which for them he deserued And thus in this courte and iudgment there passeth a wonderfull strange secret to wit that if a sinner hideth his sinnes and doth not declare open them as he ought then do they remaine and be reserued to be laide open and punished at the day of iudgement and himselfe to bee confounded before that terrible tribunall and to be punished for them in the sight of heauen and earth and if on the contrary a man doth nowe confesse and declare them with sorrowe of hart then doth God hide and couer them in such sort that they shall neuer bee seene more either of God or men for any punishment or confusion to such a penitent sinner For hee that confesseth his sinnes in this manner God doth so deale with him as though he had neuer sinned and doth giue him so good a countenance loue him so entirely so bountifully and so liberally bestow vpon him the treasures of his grace and glorie as though hee had neuer offended him in his whole life O with what great reason did Dauid say Blessed Psal 31. are they whose iniquities are pardoned and whose sins are couered They are tearmed couered because now they are not albeit somtime they were yet nowe shall they neuer more be seene to the hurt or dammage of the penitent sinner Chap. IIII. Of the disorder in confessing of veniall sinnes without hauing for them any griefe or purpose of amendment SOme seruants of God there be which doe often confesse themselues and vtterly forsake all mortall sinne and yet sometime commit this fault that is to confesse their venial sinnes and yet to leaue their passions quick and liuely bearing still a loue affection vnto them neither doe they ouercome them or by contrary actes mortifie them with true contrition of hart and so they confesse and accuse themselues of such veniall sinnes only vpon a custome without any penance at all that is not hauing any true sorrowe or griefe for them or else without a firm purpose any more to commit them In this manner do they confesse idle wordes voluntary distractions curiositie in looking the rest of the sences their excesse in eating drinking sleeping and laughing their idlenes and losse of time and superfluous cherishing of themselues their merry lies light detractions and their negligence remisnesse in the time of prayer and Masse Of these and other such like sinnes doe they make their confession without euer feeling before hād any griefe for them in their hart and without hauing any determination verily neuer to commit them againe And this carelesnesse is very hurtfull for two reasons the one is because although a man doe confesse these sinnes yet if he doe not truely resolue neuer to do them againe obtaineth not any forgiuenesse for them at Gods handes so they remaine still a liue in the soule and doe weaken and dispose it to fall into other sinnes which be farre greater An other reason is because confessing his sinnes in this manner he addeth a newe fault to the former because such a confession as touching those sinnes is fayned and false for though in wordes he doth accuse himselfe of them yet doth he not detest and abhorre them nor resolue in his hart to auoide them And therefore if he should confesse al his veniall sinnes in that maner that is without a true purpose to forsake any of them thē were the confession all togither counterfeit and of no valewe and for this cause necessary it is as holy men doe teach that when Gods D Grego◠seruants do confesse venial sins they shoulde thinke well vpon D Bernard serm de ce Domini D Thom. 3. p. q. 87. ar 2. 3. in 4. dist 16. q. 2. ar 2. them and before hand be sory for them in their heart as being offences against God and verily determine with a full purpose neuer to commit thē any more and if many times they fall into them againe many times likewise let them rise againe renewing their former purpose and if so often as they come to confession they commit afterward the same sinnes so often likewise let them haue the same resolution not to be dismaied or discouraged but let them humble thē selues and giue God thankes who alwaies is ready when so euer they turne vnto him to receiue thē to pardon their offences Neither let them thinke that such confessions be altogither vnprofitable because they fal againe into their former sins but that they be very good of much profit because so often as they come vnto confession with the
same purpose of amendment of their life Gods grace as before hath bin said the vertues giftes of the holy Ghost be encreased in them and they do obtaine force strēgth to preserue thēselues not to fal into other sins which be greater a great part also of that harme is hindred which they had done had they not before cōfessed such veniall sins obtained pardon for thē And if the seruāt of God whē he goeth to confession through his frailty feeleth not in himselfe any determinat purpose to fly al venial sins which he confesseth at least let him haue a full resolutiō to auoid some of the greatest which do most harme to his soul if his frailty be so great that of such venial sins as he hath cōmitted since his last confessiō because they be ordinary hee findeth difficulty paine to auoid thē let him at least accuse hīselfe of some sin which in former time he hath cōfessed and that which doth most grieue him and which he hath a true purpose by Gods grace verily to auoide because if he do so thē shall his confessiō be lawfull accompanied with the fruit of Gods grace for the obtayning wherof requisit is is that our confessiō should be of such sins as a man doth abhorre The reason why one should with D Thom. 3. p. q. 87. ar 1. in 4. distinct 16. q. 2. ar 1. q. 2. ar 2. such a disposition confesse veniall sinnes is because when a man committeth any veniall sin the soule is disordinately turned to the loue of the creature louing more his owne delight then to please and content God desiring more to satisfie his owne will then the will of God and therefore for the taking away of the same disorder from the soul that it may returne againe to his former rightnesse necessary it is that a man should do some inward act contrary to that former sinne which before he did as for example to haue true griefe and sorrowe for sinne or a resolute purpose to commit it no more or else some other such act equiualent to these as some act of the loue of God or deuotion or resignation so contrary to venial sinnes committed that if hee did then remember them he would abhor auoid them quicklie and when he confesseth all his veniall sinnes with such a due disposition certaine it is that he obtayneth pardon remission of them all A great benefit of God certaine it is that he hath of his infinite goodnesse bestowed vpon man so effectuall and sweet a remedy And for asmuch as most true it is that the soule cannot enter into heauen with one only veniall sinne but that of necessitie it must before hand be purified and purged from all either in this life or else in the next great reason there is that wee should make our commodity of this diuine remedie and that when we meane to confesse such veniall sinnes as we haue committed in those eight or fifteene daies since we were last at that sacrament we should first seriously thinke of them in our conscience and consider how they be offensiue to God and contrary to his diuine will doe very much hurt our soules and hinder vs from receauing of moste heauenly giftes at the handes of his diuine maiestie and that wee were bounde rather to haue suffered any temporal punishment or losse then euer to haue consented to commit them and let vs be grieued and ashamed that euer we did them determine in our heartes neuer to commit them againe and hauing thus disposed prepared our selues let vs confesse them and albeit in confession we tell not all but the greatest and those which cause most shame yet let the griefe and sorrowe for hauing committed them and the purpose of not committing them againe comprehend and include all And by these meanes shall we deliuer our selues from the terrible fire of Purgatory and shall obtaine more plentye of Gods grace and greater purity of conscience and when wee leaue this mortall life wee shall the sooner passe to the ioyes of heauen for as Saint Iohn saith Nothing that is defiled shall enter into Apoc. 21 that holy city Chap. V. Of a certaine carelesnesse which vsually is founde amongest such as bee desirous to serue God concerning the examination of their conscience before Confession and the greate harmes which doe followe thereof ALthough commonly such as feare God and often go to confession do in such sort examine their consciēce that their confession is sound and good and bound they be not to make their confession againe yet in some such not seldome a great carlesnesse is found which doth much hinder the notable fruite of confession This negligence is concerning the examination of their conscience before they goe to confession doing it very lightly and superficially without entering well into the inward parte of their soul without any great care to search out many secret sinnes which they haue committed amongst which although some be great yea and some of them mortall yet because the malice of them is more hidden or else haue some shew of vertue they knowe them not nor make them anye part of their confession Wherefore for the better vnderstanding of this point which is very important we haue to cōsider that as some sinnes proceede of malice which be those that a man knoweth to be sinnes and doth them of purpose not hauing any great passion to prouoke him thereunto so there be other sinnes which come of infirmity such as those be which a man knoweth to bee sins yet he doth them because some passion or great tentation prouoketh him thereunto so likewise there bee other sinnes which proceede of ignorance as those be which a man through his owne negligence knoweth not to be any sinnes True it is when a man doth what lieth in him to vnderstande the trueth of that which hee is bounde to knowe and yet cannot come to the knowledge thereof because he cannot finde any that is able to teach him then is he very wel excused from all danger of sin but when a man doth not what for his part he ought to doe to know the truth as because hee doth not inquire of such as hee should nor aske coūsel of whom hee ought neither vseth other such meanes as bee necessarye that God may giue him light and that good and learned men may enforme him vvhat hee is bounde to doe such a man as this doing that thing which he knoweth not to bee a sinne is not through his ignorance excused and therefore if that which he doth bee against anie precept that bindeth to mortall sinne then shall that sin of his bee mortall and if it be against a precept which bindeth onely to a veniall sinne then shal the sinne likewise bee but veniall although not so grievous as if it were donne of malice or were knowne before hand The trueth of this doctrine is set
those that shoulde haue them whether the debts be old or new To make collusions and monopolies that is for one man or place to ingrosse thinges that none may sell or gaine but hee likwise for many sellers to agree togither to the iniurie of the buiers and many buyers to the damage of the sellers To shewe parciality in diuision of common benefites or taxing of tributes or subsidies or in stopping and aresting of goodes charging some and exempting of others and that for fauour and friendship To gaine by play or to buy thinges of other mens children or such persons as cannot sell or do them away Not to performe faithfully so soone as may be the willes and testaments of others Not to administer honestly and according to conscience the goods of Wardes and other childrē during their nōage they being their Gardians and hauing the charge of their education To maintaine vniust sutes and in doubtfull cases not to vse first diligence to know whether they be iust or no by searching out that sincerely with a desire to bee assured there of and that of such as can enforme them truely and all this not to doe iniurye or hurte to any Chap. VII Of diuers kindes of wicked superstitions not knowne to many and somtimes not confessed through culpable ignorance AMongst other great sinnes whose malice are not of many so well perceiued diuers kindes of superstitions are numbred as to be desirous to know by superstitions meanes things past as thefts robberies and other secret sinnes or thoughtes of the hearte or to bee willing to knowe future thinges and those not naturall but such as depend vpon our owne free wil or thinges casuall for the effecting Deut. 18. Leuit. 29. of which the actiō of mans will must concurre as mariages getting or loosing of goodes whether such a man will come or such a blessing or curse shall light vpon such a one or no whether he that goeth on such a side of the streete shall be slaine or hurt with a stone whether hee that goeth ouer such a riuer shal be drowned and such other like thinges which God onely doth knowe for a man to be desirous to knowe such thinges as these either by the starres of heauen or by the lines or signes of a mans hand or by dreames lots or the chattering or singing of birdes or by the motions of a Cap. Illud cap. sed est cap. sors 26. q. 2. c. Non obseruetis 26. q. 7. Con. Trid. ses 22. D Aug. de doct Christian lib. 2. ca. 21. 22. de ciuit lib. 5. vsque ad cap. 6. Ambros in Hexam li. 4 cap. 4. D Tho. 1. p. q. 115. art 3. 22. q. 95. art 5. 96. mans body or by other such like meanes cannot be excused from superstition To be willing likwise for the recouery of some infirmity or to get a remedy for some malady to say such kinde of words or to make such signes or to carry such a wrighting about them and by such other like thinges which haue not any such naturall force to worke any such thing nor be ordayned of God for the producing of any such effectes Likewise to vse holy thinges and to put all the vertue and efficacie of them in circumstances or in ceremonies which be indifferent or vaine as to obtaine some temporall commodity at Gods handes to determine that so many praiers wordes are to be said and none other that they must be said iust so many times and not one more or lesse vpon such daies and no other or with so many candles and of such a fashion and colour and other like thinges which being such as it litle skilleth whether they bee donne in that manner or no yet therein doe they put the efficacie and effecte of theire prayer and not in the deuotion and feruour of spirit with which the prayers bee said nor in Gods prouidence who disposeth of all humane thinges as best serueth for his glorye and the good of our soules Into these and other such like superstitions many persons doe fal through culpable ignorance thinking that in them there is no sinne at all or else but small and veniall whereas in very trueth the sinne is verye great and very much and seuerely reprehended in the scripture and also by holy men and ecclesiasticall Canons vtterlye condemned as those thinges in which a secret couenant is made with the Diuell and in which he intermedleth to beguile christians And not longe since Sixtus Quintus by his publique letters hath condemned all such vaine artes and vpon greate paine forbidden them These be his wordes Besides that arte which In motu proprio entreateth of future effectes proceeding of naturall causes all other arts which professe to tell future and casuall thinges be guilefull and vaine and subiecte to the pernitiouse deceites of the Diuell who by them doe greatly thrust themselues in And therefore Astrologers Mathematicians who professe the vaine knowledge of the starres and the generation and birth of men and doe presume to knowe iudge and affirme of that estate and condition of life which men shall haue as what honoures shal befal them what riches what children what health what death what iorneyes what quarrelles what imprisonment and other such prosperous and aduerse chaunces doe offend God grieuouslie and are thēselues deceaued and so deceaue others And in like manner all others which by other like artes are desirous to know thinges that shall happen be secret as by signes in the hand in the water in the aire in the fire or in beastes or by lottes or such other tokens be vaine men curious wicked and without religion and those men women which seeke to know such like thinges of them or beleeue them do offend against their baptisme against the christian faith And he addeth besides that hee doth not onely forbid these artes and commande that such as vse them should be punnished when they affirme or assure men that these or these things shall fal out but also when they say the same though certainely they doe not affirme it All these bee the wordes of Pope Sixtus in his said constitution wherein also he commandeth all Prelats Inquisitors to proceede against such persons very seuerely and forbiddeth al bookes that intreate of any such artes And whereas he saith that those which enquire and would knowe such thinges or doe beleeue them that they do offend against their baptisme and the catholicke faith his meaning is that they offende against that which they professed in theire baptisme and against that which the catholicke faith doth teach which is to flie and detest al such pactes and couenants whether open or secret as the Diuell by any meanes hath any thinge to doe in Chap. VIII Of sinnes committed by playing gaming and beholding of vaine and hurtfull sightes into which many do fall through culpable ignorance AMong the former sinnes may bee
placed playing at Cardes Tables Dice and other like games which consist in fortune For whereas playing of his owne nature that is considered alone without anie other circumstance is not any sinne and accompanied with D Thom. 22. q 168. ar 2. good and honest circumstances in some persons is lawfull as when one wearied about honest businesse doth now and then play a little at some lavvefull game onely to refreshe his spirittes and to returne more liuely to his vertuous labours no ill example or scandall following thereof nor any other inconuenience or disordinate end hereof it commeth that although playing and gaming in such manner as they are vsed be very great sinnes yet seeme they to be little so that such as be resolued not to commit any mortall sin doe play very freely falling by meanes therof into many great sins some of theÌ„ mortall yet they knovve them not nor take them for any such For first of all time which is the gifte of God and that very pretious graunted freely to man to the ende he should bestowe him self in vertuous works by which he may gaine merit the ioyes of heauen the ende for which he was created that doth he spend and waste against the wil of God in play and wicked gaming and in them doth hee cast awaye not a little idle time but many houres many nightes daies And that time which is spent in this vaine and godlesse exercise is also taken away as by and by shall be handled from prayer whereof hee hath great neede thereby to preserue himselfe in the seruice of God for hee that is giuen to playing is neither at that time nor yet before or after in any good disposition to pray because that hath robbed and possesseth his harte This time likwise is taken from much other honest busines to which he is bound of charity or else of iustice aswell for the profit of his owne soule as to performe those thinges which belonge to his charge conformable to his estate or office and therefore by playing hee doth iniurye to many Seeing also God hath ordayned that such mony as is necessary for the maintenaÌ„ce of man his familie or for other good vses should be gained with the labour of his handes or by his learning or else by lawfull bargaines and couenantes profitable to the common wealth according to that which God said to the first man In the sweate of Gen. 3. thy face shalt thou eate thy bread Gen. 3. Which in a certaine maner doth belong to all those which maintaine them selues by any honest D Thom. 2 q. 164. ar 2. ad 3. trauaile hee that followeth gaming doth contrary to this ordinance of God seing he would get mony by a vaine and wicked meanes by a thinge of hazzard D Thom. 22. q. 118. ar 8. ad 4. and chance and as they say not otherwise but because it fell out that he had such cardes or such a chaunce at the dice For which cause the gaine of play is called of learned men a filthy gaine because it is gotten by a wicked meanes And as for them which get that whereof they liue by honest trauaile the diuine scripture saith Because thou shalt eate Psal 127. of the labour of thy handes blessed shalt thou bee and well shall it goe with thee So on the contrary of them which purchase theire wealth and gather mony togither by naughty and vvicked meanes it saith The treasures of Prou. 10. wickednesse shall not profit him that hath them Those goodes are called treasures of wickednes which are gotten vniustlye or by meanes of anye other vice or sinne as is that which is gotten by play when a man doth vse it to the ende to get mony This mony is to him that hath it not onely without profit but also to his great losse for besides the harme which it doth to his soule it will also consume and vanish away as salt doth in water And for the sin of him that doth so get it it will bee the cause that the rest of his goodes will bee lost or consumed that either in his owne or else in the hands of his heires for this is that punishmeÌ„t which God doth oftentimes inflict vpon those that by such vnlawfull meanes come vnto wealth and no doubt can be made but that this kinde of play is vnlawful naught as both heathen Philosophers Arist 3. Eth. D Thom. 22. q. 32. ar 7. ad 1. and holy Doctors affirme seeing God did neuer ordaine playing for a meanes to gather wealth but this was the inuention of the Diuell and the deuise of the malice of man and therfore very great reason there is to feare that in such persons the saying wil be fulfilled which is vttered by the Prophet Micheas The treasures of iniquity quoth Mich. 6. he are fire in the house of a wicked man because they will like vnto fire with ill successe consume both the man and his wealth Beside these former reasons which doe sufficiently shewe the malice of play others also there be more cleare and apparant to the eyes of all because certaine it is that he which vsually is giuen to play is often times either to himself or to those with whoÌ„e he plaieth the cause of these sins to wit that some doe play away those goodes and money which they haue no authority to dispose of because either they bee their fathers or their maisters or because it is due to their creditours or because is is necessary for the maintenance of their house familie or else because they haue borrowed it by fraudulent meanes and of them to whome in very trueth they are neuer able to pay it againe They be the cause likewise of much vaine and false swearing of much brawling quarrelling and contention and that when themselues or others be angred and fretted by play that they doe then fall out and badly entreat their wiues their children their seruants yea and their own fathers they also bee the cause of scandall and ill example to others and finally they bee the cause that such mony as shoulde be giuen to the poore for the honour of Christ is taken from them lost in play and bestowed in the seruice of the Diuel And whereas it is a commandement of God as holy Doctors doe affirme for a man to giue in almes in common and great necessities that which is superfluous for the maintenance of his owne estate which is so much as remaineth after hee hath performed all that which of christian decency is requisite for one of his calling D Ambros Luc. 12 habetur ca. sicut hiâ—d 47. and in the extreame necessitie of others to giue that also which is necessary for his estate that is so much as remaineth after hee hath prouided for his owne life and the life of his friendes In these cases in which the precepte of giuinge almes doth binde vnder paine of
mortall sinne accordinge D August ep ad Maced cap. quid dicam 14. q. 4. D Thom. 22. q. 32. ar 5. q. 66. ar 7. to the doctrine of holye and learned men these gamesters for all that doe it not but take it from the poore to employ it vpon play And as such persons doe transgresse the law of God and nature so in like manner doe they breake the canonicall and civile lovve which vnder great penalties forbid playing at Cardes and Dice and such other games as a thing pernitious to the cōmon wealth For these reasons and causes so sure and certaine who seeth not that the vse of play which to many seemeth but a small euill is in very deede a great one and the roote and fountaine of passing great sinnes One of these sinnes also it is to see comedies and playes in which is cōcourse both of mē women and where many wanton thinges are brought vpon the stage To haunt likwise the daunsing schooles and to goe a masking and daunsing which thinges because of their owne nature they be not mortall sins many make small account of doe not flie them no not such as haue a care to follow vertue and yet certaine it is that in them be found the true occasions of mortall sinnes which often times do cause the weake to fall therefore necessary it is that such as desire to saue their souls should craue of God that he would open their eyes that they may see the deadly poysō which lurketh vnder the braue gold of worldly delightes and the diuers shipwrackes which many soules doe suffer in this sea which seemeth so calme to the eies of the world And if they perseuere with humility crauing this diuine light God will giue it them and they shall become maisters of this trueth and in the meane time let them be content to learne giue credit to others that haue had experience therein and let them carefully flie such occasions and dangers and mortifie them selues in this point as else where hath beene admonished let thē craue pardon of Tract 6. par 2. c 15. God for that they haue herein throughe ignorance offended saying with Dauid Remember not O Psal 14. Lorde the sinnes of my youth nor my culpable ignorance giuing mee full pardon for them all Chap. IX Of other sinnes more secret as pride of our owne proper iudgement and selfe will which many doe not knowe nor confesse through culpable ignorance THese examples before noted which are committed through culpable ignorance be of the most sensible externall and easie to be knowne Other sinnes there bee more subtile inwarde and secret into which many that desire to serue God doe fall and through their negligence doe not knowe them although alwaies they be not mortal sins yet often times they bee and euer dangerous and for such ought to bee auoyded Of these one is a spirituall pride by reason whereof a man inwardelye in his hearte doth esteeme of himselfe very disordinatlie a presumption of his owne iudgement and proper vnderstanding by meanes wherof what hee doth iudge and thinke to be so that doth he like and followe and that more obstinatlie then is either lavvefull or conuenient A pride of his owne will wherewith he loueth his will very disordinately is enamoured thereof and desirous that it should be effected in all thinges A presumptuous and disordinat confidēce of his own forces and ability A rash curiosity concerning the workes and iudgements of God A disordinate desire to be preferred before others A wicked sadnesse of an other mans good A secret ambition of honour and dignity An indiscretion in penance fasting watching other mortifications which he doth following his owne iudgment contrary to the minde of his ghostly father A wicked desire of singularity whereby he greatly desireth in outward apparance to haue rare and singular thinges that men may cast their eyes more vpon him then vpon others and haue in him what to admire and commend These be the most secret spiritual sins by reason of which it falleth out sometime that a man is full and wholly possessed of them yet doth neither knowe them nor confesseth them for as theeues that break into a house to rob spoile it do first of al put out the light because they woulde not bee seene euen so these sins entring into the soul possessing a great part thereof do quench out the light of grace and sound reason and make it so blinde that it can neither see nor know them This is the opinion of all holy men which venerable Richard doth excellently well note in these words Who is able to know Richard de S. victore the pride of his owne heart which hath so longe continued and encreased there if God doth not open it who can vnderstande the secret rootes and craftie cogitations thereof by which often times priuiely and without beeing perceaued it entreth into the hearte and robbeth that vertue which there it findeth And giuinge a reason why other kinde of sins the greater they bee the more easilie they bee known and pride the greater it is the more secret it is and hideth it selfe thus hee writeth Whilest this vice of pride doth more encrease and enlarge it selfe in the soule and more possesse and rule it so much the more doth it make it blinde and for that cause so much the lesse doth it perceiue it but although the soule which harboureth secreat pride doth not knowe it yet God doth who is vigilant enough and doth punnishe it spoyling the soule of all his giftes and leauing it destitute of his diuine grace All this is out of venerable Richard in which wordes hee doth with all other holy men affirme that there bee secret sinnes in the soule which a man him selfe doth not knowe and that amonge all other that vvhich doth moste lurke and hide it selfe is pride And it is not a thinge much to be maruailed at that God doth vse this so fearefull a iudgemente vvith sinners as to suffer them to fall into those sinnes which them selues knovve not because God dealeth thus with such persons as first committed those sinnes which they knowe well enough what they were and yet did not true pennance for them for punnishment of so bolde and shamelesse a behauiour as wittingly malitiouslie to haue committed so grieuous sinnes God doth permitte that the darte of his anger come vpon them which is the greatest punnishment that he vseth in this life so that voluntarily they fall into such sinnes as through their owne negligence they knowe not to be sinnes and being fallen into them so to cōtinue without doing for them any penance and sometime to die in the same So saith Saint Gregory It is a punnishment for sin committed In Moral lib. 14. c. 15 for a man to see and knowe that good thing which he ought to doe and yet through his weakenesse not to
them with those of the former day to see whether thou hast amended thy selfe and endeuour carefully euery day to leade a more vertuous life for by these meanes shalt thou bee more like and more neere to the blessed Angelles and more acceptable in the sight of God Chap. XI Of an other singular meanes for a man to deliuer himselfe from secret sins and that his confessions may be more fruitfull which is to haue one determinat ghostly father vnto whom he ought ordinarily to confesse his sinnes AN other meanes which a man hath to vse for the remedy of these mischiefes is to haue one confessor and spirituall father who is a prudent man and of a good conscience vpon whome ordinarily let him relie and to him often confesse himselfe in such doubts as occur demande his aduice and counsell Let him not without great cause change his ghostly father but keepe one sure and certaine whōe he hath made choise of to him let him open his soule giue an account of his whole life and not onely of those thinges which be certainely sinnes but likwise of those wherein he standeth in doubt neither let him onely discouer his sinnes but also his good workes and pennances and mortifications which he doth that hee may instructe and direct him to doe that which is most for the seruice of God If our ghostly father had no other office but to absolue vs frō our sins inconuenient it were not to confesse one day to one man and an other day to confesse vnto an other but so it is not for besides this hee hath also the office of a father and a maister and of a phisition and by reason hereof it appertaineth to Cap. omnis vtriusque sexus Gulielmus Parissien de penitentia him to teach his ghostly childe all such thinges as be necessary for the good of his soule and to knowe the rootes and occasions of his sinnes his passions and wicked inclinations that he may the better cure them by prescribing meete remedies for those diseases and to know his vertuous actions good inclinations that he may informe him how to make the more profit of them for his further encrease in vertue and to vnderstande vvhat penances he doth to the ende he may teach him the rule of discretion which touching them he hath to obserue To him also it belōgeth to appoint him meanes both to preserue himselfe and to profit in the seruice of God and also how to continue those good meanes Wherefore to the ende that the ghostly father may performe al these principall parts of his duty necessary it is that hee haue a very good insight in his ghostly child and a long knowledge experiēce of the state of his soule that as reason shall require he may apply one day one remedy an other day an other to continue it so long as shall be conueniēt to enquire whether he reape any profit by such coūsel meanes as he doth prescribe which thing cānot be performed if the penitēt do not vsually repaire to one ordinary ghostly father When a scholer learneth an art of som wise expert maister it importeth much that hee haue but one man to teach him for if hee goe one daye to one and an other to an other that which he learneth with one he forgetteth with an other And when any sicke body is for some great infirmity vnder the hands of a learned phisition requisite it is that the same man doe proceede forwarde in the cure of his disease for if one looke to him one day and an other haue care of him an other his recouery is much hindred and it falleth out sometimes that what one doth an other doth vndoe In this manner it fareth in the arte of good life and in the phisicke of the soule for it importeth very much that the ghostly father being a wise and discreete man shoulde ordinarily bee but one who may continue on his good counsel and the cure of his soul This aduise giueth Saint Bonauenture in these wordes Make choise of one ghostly father who is of discretion learning experience to whom confesse thy selfe and open all the defectes and tentations of thy soule that be may prescribe thee a remedye and change him not either for shame or for feare to be confounded nay rather for thy greater confusion enforce thy selfe to confesse to that man and open vnto him the state of thy soule as plainely as thou canst This is the counsell of Saint Bonauenture And that wee ought likewise to declare vnto such an ordinary ghostly father our deuotions penances and other diuine inspirations comforts S. Dorotheus and the holye S. Dorotheus serm 20. Cassianus collat 1. cap. 10. Abbot Moises and other holye men doe aduise vs as a thinge most important to haue our soul well directed defended from the craft and subtiltie of the Diuell And as I say that ordinarily it is good to keepe one ghostly father so iust causes may fall out for which it may be expedient to confesse some time vnto an other and to chang one man and take an other to whome vsually he should repaire for confession And if it be not done vpon lightnesse or a vaine desire but vpon necessitie or for some iust respecte it is not to be reprehēded especially if the cause be for that our old ghostly father cānot be had at all or at that time for then shall it not onely be wel done to confesse vnto an other but it should be a great fault not to doe it For if because our vsual ghostly father cānot be had one should giue ouer his ordinary confessiōs wax slack in his good custome to go oftē to confessiō it were certainly a very bad signe for by that did he make it manifest that in his confessions he sought his own contēt not God that he desired his own temporall comfort and not the true good of his owne soule for had hee soughte the pleasure of God and the profit of his soule when his olde confessor coulde not be had he woulde quicklie haue made choise of an other seing in that he did please God and procure the good of his own soule By this meanes of keeping one ordinary ghostly father who is a wise man and one that feareth God he that sincerely desireth and laboureth to saue his soule shall deliuer him selfe from all euils and inconueniences of culpable ignorance and from erring in such thinges as pertaine to his saluation For seeing his cōfessor is in the place of Christ our Lord and the penitent soule commeth vnto him as thoughe it were to the feete of Christ him selfe it pertaineth to the pietye of our mercifull maister and to the fidelity of his promises to teach illuminate such a soule in all thinges necessary for his saluation seing he doth seeke it by those meanes which himselfe hath ordayned in his church and especially by this of
peeces Psal 115. O Lorde the bandes of my sinnes and passions and therefore will I alwaies offer vnto thee the sacrifice of praise and thankes giuing To this may be added that of such sinnes as a man hath in former time confessed and yet had not then haply all that contrition and sorow which was requisit being now when hee maketh his generall confession touched more forcibly with Gods diuine inspiration illuminated with greater light frō heauen he doth more bewaile conceaue greater griefe in his soule and doth satisfie God for them with more sorrowe and contrition of hart And to newe griefe for his old sinnes he ioyneth also a newe purpose of the amendment of his life and so the whole man is renewed and becommeth better and more zealous in the seruice of God These and other such like reasons do declare the singular commodities which redounde to the soule by making of a generall confession and experience teacheth them to be so sure certaine that those which hath made it doe say that they would not for the whole world haue wanted that spirituall profit which by meanes thereof their soule hath receaued But necessary it is here to note that although the fruites of a general confession wel made be so great and pretious that yet one may exceede therein as for example when a man hath made a generall confession once or oftener and it was well done and that to a prudent and discreete ghostly father and yet for al this he woulde once againe make an other generall confession not moued vpon any of those good reasons now spoken of as for to humble himselfe the more and to begin with a more resolute determination to amende his life but only vpon scruples because hee thinketh that he was not before well confessed and that by an other generall confession he shall quiet his conscience in this case when the prudent ghostly father knoweth that it is a scruple that moueth him to desire it conuenient it is that he shoulde not doe it because the way to ouercome a scruple is not to yeelde vnto it but to resist it to doe contrary to that which it woulde and the dutie of a spirituall father in this case is to determine what is a scruple and what is a iust cause for one to confesse that which hath beene confessed before to set down what is expedient for the penitent to doe And the duty of the penitent or ghostly childe is to beleeue and obey his ghostly father and that peace and quietnes of conscience which he shall neuer obtaine by yeelding vnto the scruple shall he finde by beleeuing and obeying his ghostly Tract 5. p. 1. cap. 2. father as before hath beene declared Chap. XIII Of such defectes as bee an impediment to many which doe often communicate that they receaue not the plentifull fruite of the B. Sacrament AMong such persons as frequent the sacramentes as there bee some which by often receauing of the Blessed Sacrament doe encrease and wonderfully proceede in all vertue so there be some other which do often communicate and though they finde not their conscience guilty of any mortall sinne yet doe they not profit nor goe forward in vertue as reason would nor feele in their soules many of those heauenly effectes which they haue experience of that do communicate with all that disposition which is requisit wherfore it is a thing of great importance to lay open the causes of this so great a spirituall damage and the remedies for the same The ordinary causes of this litle profit and spirituall harme in such kinde of persons bee two The one is to receaue the B. sacrament onely vpon custome that is not hauing before hand any consideration or spirituall feeling of that which they intende to doe but onely mooued of a certaine dry custome which they haue to communicate as they haue in other busines which is as though they shoulde say I communicat because others doe it and because I haue of longe time vsed it and I will doe that which I see other vertuous persons do practise An other cause is aduisedly to fal into many veniall sinnes and not to correct or amend them Such veniall sins as for want of care and diligence they fall into that feare God be diligent in his seruice worke not this harme but those onely which be committed deliberatly by them that be lukewarme and slacke in the seruice of God as for example longe distractions of vaine thoughtes merrie lies little detractions and impatience light laughing superfluous care and curiositie in apparell in meate in recreation and spending of time ouer much talking presumption of themselues in their own hart to praise them selues in wordes to loue honor commendatiō of men and curiosities of the senses Into these and such other like veniall sins whereof wee haue spoken before Tract 6. p. 2. cap. 1. sequent whē a man aduisedly doth fall and correcteth not himselfe by true pennance and amendmēt of life they work that harm nowe spoken of and doe greatly hinder the fruite of the blessed Sacrament The reason hereof is because D Thom. 3 p. q. 80. art 10. in 4. d. 9. q. 1. ar 4. q. 2. D Bona. in fasciculario cap. 8. as al holy men do teach to come vnto the holy communion and to receaue the great and plentifull cōmodity which by meanes thereof God vseth to bestow vpon his seruants requisite it is to come with much deuotion that a man doe for his part what lieth in him to haue it And to come to the blessed Sacrament with deuotion is to bring a feruent desire and ready minde to please God and to dedicat himselfe from his very hart to his diuine seruice and to come with an hunger to be spiritually refreshed by this diuine banquet and foode of heauen And because this deuotion is wrought in the soule by meditation of heauenly thinges and by purity of conscience as holy men affirme experience D Thom. 22. q. 82. art 3. doth teach hereof it proceedeth that for a man to offer to communicate not hauing prepared him selfe before hand by prayer and meditation and to purge away veniall sins which do distracte and make the soule some what colde he doth not receaue all the fruite of the holy communion This reason so sure and certaine and so worthy of consideration Saint Bonauenture doth note in these words De preparat ad missam cap. 5. When thou mindest to communicat examine first with what charity and feruor of deuotion thou commest because to communicate as is conuenient wee ought not onely to auoide mortall sinnes but also to shun veniall which through negligince idlenesse distraction or an cuill custome be multiplied for although they doe not kill the soule because they take not away the life of grace yet doe they make a man more colde more vndeuoute vnwilling to doe good make him ill
prepared and disposed to receaue the holy communion wherefore hee that mindeth to communicat let him first holpen with Gods grace and stirred vp to deuotion by good meditations and kindled with the flame of charity bannish from himselfe the dust and chaffe of veniall sinnes and therefore haue care O christian that thou commest not to communicat without consideration nor much colde in deuotion for then thou commest not with that disposition which thou shouldest haue All these bee the wordes of S. Bonauenture in which he doth set down what the causes be that hinder such as frequent the B. Sacrament from receauing that great profit and good which by meanes thereof they both might ought And although it be a common true opinion that for such causes and sins as these which be not mortall that such as communicat do not lose all the fruit of the B. Sacrament but that they receaue encrease of grace yet certaine also it is that they doe lose that plentifull and abundant fruit of diuers graces vertues which are ordinarilye bestowed vpon such as come better prepared other wonderfull effects which vsually it worketh in their soules that are more pure and deuout Chap. XIIII Wherein is declared more at large howe for the receauing of more abundant fruit of the holy Communion conuenient it is to purifie the soule from veniall sinnes OVt of the premisses Gods seruants that frequent the holy Communion may gather what meanes they haue to vse for the amending of these defectes and the remouing of these impediments whereof one is much to enforce themselues to avoide not onely mortal sinnes but also to diminish and lessen what they can those that bee veniall vsing for that ende mortification whereof before we haue at large entreated for that is the Tract 6. meanes by which the soule is cured of the disease of her passions and is purified from veniall sins which out of them doe spring And with this purity a christian man may securely goe vnto that holy table as S. Chrysostome doth exhorte him saying Come to receaue God with all purity and giue thy hart with great confidence by this most holy body which heere I receaue I doe not account myselfe any more to be dust Homil. 24. in 1. epist ad Corint and ashes no more to be a captiue but free because I hope to obtaine heauen and those goodes which be there as immortall and euerlasting life a place amongest the Angels and the glorious company of Christ Thus saith S. Chrysostome And the glorious Pope S. Gregory doth note and ponder this point more in particular that most excellently who admonishing all faithfull christians to purifie themselues from sinne for the receauing of the blessed Sacrament saith that they ought not onely to cleere themselues from mortall sinnes which doe wholly hinder the fruite of this most diuine sacrament but also from veniall which bee a let to that great spirituall cōmodity which would come by meanes thereof These be his wordes worthy of due consideration Those that come In exposit super 1. reg li. 1. cap. 1. to receaue the consecrated hoste which giueth true health and doe harboure sinnes in their soule which they haue committed doe not reccaue the fruite of health and therefore albeit they receaue with their mouth the true sacrament yet doe they not receaue with their soule the vertue and fulnesse thereof because that is receaued onely of them that come fasting from sinnes and be adorned with vertues And because the iust also and the elect seruants of God cannot leade this life without falling into some sins therefore the remedy which they haue is that they enforce and stirre vp them selues daily to purge their soule by penance from those daily sins into which they fall through humane infirmity for if they haue not this care daily to purifie them selues from their sins although they be very small by litle and litle the soule is filled full of sinnes which do depriue them of the fruit of the inwarde and spirituall fulnes and therefore to auoide this harme S. Paule doth admonish a christian man that hee shoulde prooue him selfe before he doth communicate that is to say that hee shoulde purge and discharge himselfe from sin that being prooued and purified he may come to the table of our Lord wherfore seeing we sinne daily daily also let vs bewaile our sinnes and doe pennance for them and the more carefully we doe purifie our selues from these daily sinnes with the sorowe of penance so much the more in that spirituall banquet shal we receaue the abundant fruite of heauenly grace All this is out of S. Gregory in which diuinely he putteth a difference betwixte that harme which mortall sinne doth worke which is to hinder the whole fruite of the blessed Sacrament to make a man worthy of condemnation and the harme which cometh by veniall sinnes if they be not washed away by pennance for they doe much let the wonderfull commodity and effectes of the holy communion And very seriously doth he admonish vertuous and iust men to purge them selues daily from such sinnes especiallye when they meane to communicate because the more cleere they be from thē so much the more shall they receaue the plentiful fruite of heauenly gifts and graces and especially shall they feele in their soule that diuine fulnesse and inward sweetnesse which is bestowed vpon them that haue the true hunger of God Chap. XV. How to receaue fruite of the blessed Sacrament necessary it is for a man to prepare himselfe with recollection and meditation and what manner of meditations or considerations are good to bee vsed for that purpose THE second thinge which the seruants of God haue to do is to recollect them selues before they communicate to the ende they may pray and meditate diuine thinges conformable to those documents which we prescribed in the treatise of prayer and although a man may out of any matter which he meditateth drawe deuotion meete for the holy communion yet the best and most fit considerations to furnish him selfe withall for this purpose bee these Let him meditate vpon the institution of this most holy sacrament in the last supper how our Lord rose from the table tooke of his garment and putting a linnen cloth about him did vpon his knees wash his Disciples feete and afterward when they were fet how he tooke bread wine into his hands by his omnipotent power did consecrate change them into his body and bloud which were vnited to his soule and diuinity and how whē he had first communicated him self as many holy men do write hee did streight waies with his owne hands distribute his owne body and bloud to his Apostles and withall gaue them authority also to consecrate his body and to giue it to all faithfull people Heere let a christian man meditate attentiuely that infinit magnificence of the son of God that liberality neuer before heard of