if Charity hath not ordered them If a man speake the language of all nations and should haue the knowledge of all sciences and yet be without Charity it doth him no good And though he should giue all that he hath to the poore and yet shall not haue Charity it profiteth nothing And if a man should deliuer his body so as it may burne if Charity be wanting it is nothing 3. Go to tell me thou who in Religion hast no regard or esteeme of Charity what will it profit thee to haue renounced the world and to haue left all that thou didst possesse therein to haue giuen ouer all pleasures of the flesh and to liue in subiection and command of another if thou be without Charity Dost thou peraduenture thinke that all this is said of secular persons and not of Religious Thou art deceyued yea thy payne and punishment shal be so much the greater sith for this end I haue called thee to religion that disrobed of the worlds cloathing thou mightst clad thy selfe all ouer with charity But if thou now hast so little regard to attend vpon my table in thy wedding garment know thou that to thine owne hurt thou art one day to be thrust down into vtter darknes for the same If the fire that I brought down with me from heauen be not conserued in Religion where will it be kept If Religious be not amongst the first who warme theÌ„selues with it who will be To stand nearest to the fire not to receyue the heate therof is a bad signe It doth not a little displease me to see a secular man set on fire with the loue of God and a Religious man to freeze for cold If a secular man exceed a Religious in store of merits because he shall haue exercised more acts of Charity it manifesteth that a Religious man is worthy of great reprehension 4. Sonne thou hast an obligation of louing me much not in regard I haue made and framed the world for thee or for that I haue giuen thee thy being and whatsoeuer thou hast in this life or els for that I haue deliuered thee from the seruitude of the Diuell and from the perills miseryes of the world but for that I haue tendred thee with so great loue vntill this present houre Loue is the first and greatest benefit of all that hath beene conferred vpon thee For that I made the world for thee thy sake proceeded from the fountaine of loue that I suffred and dyed to saue thee loue was the cause that I drew thee out of the stormes and miseryes of this world loue alone effected it And wilt thou not deeme it for a singular fauour that I the Lord of glory and King of maiesty haue preuented thee a poore worme of the earth with my loue without any one desert of thyne What necessity moued me or what vtility and profit drew me to cast my loue vpon thee And therefore needs must thou be more hard then the flint if by me preuented with so louing a gift thou louest me not againe 5. Lord if I were to repay thee any thing that by right ought first of all to be myne for it is impossible that I should render thee any thing correspondent to thy loue When thou createdst me thou gauest me to my selfe when thou redemedst me thou gauest thy selfe for me and gauest me to my selfe againe If then because thou createdst me I owe my selfe all vnto thee what shall I giue thee for repayring and restoring me lost and vndone What shall I giue for thee for hauing been offred vp for me and if I were able to giue my selfe euery moment a thousand tyms for thee what am I compared with thee And therfore I sincerely confesse and acknowledge that I am indebted vnto thee so much the mo e the more noble and more deseruing thou art then I. 6. Lord if it be true as it is most true that my soule body life works and whatsoeuer good I haue in this wold be al thyne and that I am for a thousand respects bound vnto thee I ought to coÌ„fesse that I acknowledge nothing in me to be myne owne but imperfections defects and sinnes But I should be most iniurious vnto thee if in requitall of my loue to thee for thy loue I should offer them vnto thee which be not only nothing pleasing vnto thee but thou also extremely hatest as contrary to thy holy will and desire 7. So it is Sonne but yet something there is in thee that is thyne to me most acceptable and that is thy loue which thou canst maist vse at thy pleasure sith thou art Lord and owner therof For this is not only pleasing vnto me but also maketh all thy actions acceptable to me and more then that nothing can content me â—hat goeth not accompanied with it And meet it is that sith I first haue loued thee â—hou againe loue me seeing loue cannot be â—equited but with loue againe And though 〈◊〉 had done no more for thee theÌ„ that I made â—hee worthy of my loue this one benefit â—lone should haue beene inough to haue set â—uen a frozen hart on fire with the loue of â—e 8. It is true Lord. O my soule if thou â—houldest not be set on fire with Charity in â—his glowing-hoate and diuine fornace of â—he loue of my Sauiour I know not who will deliuer thee from the euerlasting freeâ—ing cold What father or friend hath euer â—o loued me as hath my Redeemer He hath â—ot loued me with the loue of seeking his â—wne commodity but with a sincere loue â—ecause he had euer a regard to my saluatioÌ„ â—nd not to any profit of his owne For when he was blessed in himselfe and was â—dored of the Angells in heauen he came â—owne into the world for me and became my brother and friend and dranke vp the â—itter cup of his passion that he might deliâ—er me from death euerlasting wherefore â—et me loue him and though I cannot loue â—im with an infinit loue as he deserueth sith he is infinitly good yea and goodnes iâ— selfe yet let me at least loue him withalâ— my hart He is to be loued of me as my father and a most clement father as a moâ— munificent giuer of all that I haue as my most compassionate comforter in all my distresses as a most diligent steward and procuratour in all my necessityes as a most abundant and liberall rewarder of all my good workes sith neither eye hath seeâ— nor vnderstanding of man can conceyue what God hath prepared in heauen for theÌ„ that loue him If he at any tyme chastizâ— vs we must loue him the more affectuously for it for punishments inflicted of loue hurt not Euery one who chastizeth is not an enemy as neither euery one is a friend that forgiueth Wherfore seeing euen when he punisheth he is an amiable Father and a Father of mercies it is to be thought that if he do it he doth
it selfe to all because all be created to eternall glory and all be ransomed with my bloud 4. Sonne do not put thy selfe in danger both of hurting thee and of offending me and therfore regard not the complexion and inclination of bloud if thou do vnder the pretence of Charity thou wilt foster sensuality which will soone deceiue thee and will draw thee and not thou it into a place out of which thou shalt not find meanes of getting out againe Though the whole Euangelicall law be myne because I made it yet did I particulerly name that of louing the Neighbour my commaundment to giue thee to vnderstand how pleasing to me was the sincere loue of the Neighbour I would also that Charity should be the badge and cognisance whereby my Disciples were to be knowne in so much as ther should not be any of my schoole or of my sheep who loueth not his Neighbour as himselfe Charity also is a signe of loue that a man carryeth towards me 5. Thou art deceiued my Sonne if by not louing thy Neighbour thou thinkest thou mayst loue me He that loueth not him whome he seeth sayd my beloued Disciple how shall he loue him whome he seeth not It is true indeed that the loue towards God the creatour must go in the first place out of which the loue to the Neighbour may rise but it is true with all that the loue of the Creatour is conserued by the loue of the Neighbour and therfore if this languish that must needs faint with all Many thinke they are my friends and yet are not for the malice and little good will they carry to their Neighbours I am not a friend of an hard and peruerse hart Not to loue is a signe of a fierce mind but to hate is an argument of a wicked cruel hart Loue if thou wilt be loued and loue all if thou desire to haue me for thy companion for that if thou except but one from thy Charity thou shalt also thrust me out of thy hart with him If thou being Religious wilt not loue one because he hath offended thee in some thing what difference will there be betweene thee and a secular man who followeth the vanity of the world My disciples did not so who neither hated nor hurt by the least word those who had iniured them but were very glad if they had at any tyme occasion of suffering any thing for the glory of my name 6. By what example canst thou be more stirred vp to loue thy Neighbour then by that of my heauenly Father who notwithstanding he had receyued most frequent and grieuous iniuries at the worlds hands did neuertheles carry so tender affection towards it as he gaue his only begotten sonne for it And what did not I being made Man for my Neighbours whiles I spent my whole life to do them good Whiles I liued I was their guide and companion and I spared no trauayle or paynes at all that I might shew them the right way to heauen And more then that I layd vpon myne owne shoulders all their debts that were obnoxious to the diuine Iustice for which dying vpon the Crosse I satisfyed for all Neither was there here an end of my singular loue to my Neighbour For at what time I was to depart out of this life to my Father of heauen I left my self in the Sacrament of the Altar both that I might be mans meate and that I might vnite my selfe vnto him and be euer with him and also that he being strengthned by the vertue thereof might one day mount vp on high where he might foreuer enioy those heauenly goods wherto he was created 7. By this euery one may iudge whether the Religious who be inuited to be perfect as my father of heauen is and who make profession of imitating me their maister ought by their very works to loue their Neighbours and to help them in all they be able Let it be considered and weighed whether those Religious be worthy of my loue who take no care of louing their Neighbour or els in regard of some very little incommodityes which they feare neglect to help them who craue their assistance Let it be examined whether the iniuries hurts and trespasses done them be any fit cause of not louing or not helping them when as I suffered many far greater iniuries and yet did not for that withdraw my loue but spent my life and bloud to do them good All a Religious mans spiritual gayne who cannot patiently put vp iniuryes and therefore will not do his Neighbour good is conuerted into his own hurt For the iniury is domageable to him who doth another hurt and auaylable to him to whome it is done if he beare it with patience If then the iniury giueth a Religious man occasion of meriting he hath in truth no cause to be greatly moued against him who offereth the iniury I neuer deliuered such kind of doctrine I neuer gaue my selfe an example in that kind but alwayes taught that good was to be rendred for euill 8. Sonne remember that thy selfe and all thy forefathers do take their beginning from one that is from Adam and for that cause be bound to loue one another as brethren Call to memory my Apostle his wordes when he sayth You are my members and therfore there ought to raigne that loue amongst vs that is amongst the members of one body And by this thou mayst manifestly vnderstand whether thou louest thy Neighbour truly or no. He that either little regardeth his Neighbour or contemneth him though in degree neuer so far inferiour to himselfe hath not true Charity Neither the head nor the eyes which be the more noble members of man do euer contemne the feet though they be inferiour members and lesse noble He that is sory for his Neighbours good or is glad of his hurt sheweth that he loueth him not for that one member either suffereth or reioyceth in company with another Charity deemeth the Neighbours either good or ill as proper to it selfe He that out of enuy and malice either extenuateth or traduceth the actions of his Neighbour loueth not me It was neuer seene that the hands would hurt the feet He that assisteth not his Neighbour in what he is able hath not Charity The eâ—es neuer refuse to yeald vnto the other members the office of seeing True Charity though it be prejudiced and hurt is not moued to indignation neither practiseth it reueng but helpeth the Neighbour and excuseth his fault Of the Religious mans gratitude towards God for the benefits he hath receyued CHAP. IIII. TELL me Sonne what Father or Mother euer did as much to their children as I haue done to the Religious And what Sonne hath euer receaued so much from his Progenitor as haue the Religious from me their Creatour and Lord Benefits loose not the name of benefits for that they be common to many neither doth their obligation cease because many haue their sharâ— and parts
bestowing of benefits then seuere in exacting obligations and debts 3. Neither is there cause that the greatnes of my Maiesty should put into thee any feare or confusion so thou be not wanting on thy part in louing and seruing me not so much as my worthines requireth but as thine owne forces be of ability to beare sith I haue neuer exacted more of a man then he can well do That person hath indeed iust cause to feare who when he is able doth not what he ought and is required of him to do 4. There is but one thing for thee greatly to be afraid of and that is that thou offend not me thy benefactour by some greiuous sinne who of my singular grace haue raised thee vp to so high an estate of holy life and am ready to raise thee higher if thou be not a let therunto thy selfe That religious man offendeth me most of all who thinketh that he may liue a more holy life in the world then in religion that is the cause he maketh so light esteeme of the benefit of his vocation For he who affoardeth me little honour respect and seruice in myne owne house will not doubtles yeald me greater where my enemies haue to do This is a manifest and notable abuse and deceit and the very origen of all perturbation For if a man could serue me more perfectly in the world I would neuer haue inuited him to religion All good proceedeth from me I wish and counsaile true and solid perfection to all and I know best what most profiteth and is necessary for euery one towards the attayning of his saluation 5. A religious man must not cast his eyes vpon that which best pleaseth him and highly preferre it before another thing as more excellent but what shall please me Those also offend me sorely who when in religion they obtaine not all things as they list or haue their part in some discommodities do easily murmure and as it were sorrowing and greiued that they haue forsaken the world do thinke a religious life hard and painefull So were some of the children of Israel affected when they were out of Aegipt For so soone as they began to want their former commodities and to endure the troublesome labours of trauayling they murmured reflecting vpon the flesh-pots of Aegipt they wished themselues againe in their former bondage I did not call them out to rest but to take paines neither did I appoint them recreations and great commodities of life but from the very beginning diligently inculcated that many things were to be endured for Christ that the flesh is to be mortified togeather with the desires therof and this condition they accepted and vndertooke to performe What cause then haue they to complaine And though none of all this had happened yet if their Lord suffered so great matters for them what great thing shall they do if they also being seruants shall suffer somewhat for their Lord 6. A religious man who is afraid to suffer any thing looseth his reward and because a man must needs suffer many things if the labour and affliction be doubled it maketh the burden the more intollerable Others make light esteeme of Religion their Mother for that they thinke themselues not bound to their religion but their religion to them But they are deceyued For if they examine the matter well they shal find that they haue receyued very many benefits of religion and religion none at all by them For to be religious and Gods feruant is so noble a gift of God and of Religion as it ought worthily to be preferred before all the good works that are done for religion For there is not any earthly dignity in the world that may enter into comparison with the dignity of religious life It is an argument of a base and vnthankeful mind if a religious person busy himselfe rather in thinking vpon the commodityes that he hath brought to religion then those that he hath receyued from it 7. Againe that religious man displeaseth me not a little who careth not how he imployeth the talent he hath receyued of me for by that he manifesteth what small reckoning he maketh of it and hath no will to satisfy his office when he may is able How many be there who being able to my great pleasure do vndergoe some exercise for the good and helping of soules but because they see they be not able to do them with so great applause as some others can they giue them cleane ouer Is not this an ambitious prid Is not this to hide the talent vnder ground which I gaue him to make his gaine therwith I cannot be ignorant what is good and healthfull for euery one and therfore I giue fiue talents to some two to others but one to another And though to negotiate with one talent doth not cary so great applause and credit amongst men as to negotiate and trafficke with fiue yet it is not so with me For I consider not how much euery one negotiateth but how well and carefully And if to negotiate with the help of many talents should redound to the soules good of many and to the greater glory of my name it would be a worke worthy of commendation 8. But this is that which I find fault withall that many haue a desire to haue many talents and much negotiation that they may be the more admired at and the better esteemed of men whiles to me the authour of all good they leaue either no place at al or very litle My beloued seruants did not so at other times who ascribed the imperfections and lapses to themselues and the fruit of their good works to me that they might transfer the praise and glory of all their labours to me they would be said to be vnprofitable seruants for the commendation of an excellent worke returneth not to the instrument that wrought it but to the craftesman himselfe 9. Sonne of the contempt of thy vocation or religious profession there groweth another euill and that is a negligence or carelesnes of attayning the end of thy vocation and a neglect of obseruing the rules of thy proper Institute And this vice offendeth me so highly as I am forced euen to punish such persons in this present life I abundantly affoard them health and strength of body witt and all helps both naturall spirituall that they may cheerfully hold on in the course of vertue which they haue begon and at length come to their prefixed end And if they by neglecting and contemning all this reape no fruit of their good works at all what meruayle though like vnto the accursed fig-tree that did indeed beare leaues but yet no fruit at al they somtimes decay and wither away The trees that I haue planted in a religious garden ought continually to yeald the fruite of good workes els as vnprofitable they are to be accursed and being once withered are to be throwne into hell fire For whosoeuer
of my life That I vsed the help of it in the worlds conuersion not by sending the rich mighty and wise but the poore ignorant rude for the ouercoming of the wise mighty of the world That I wrought so great miracles by men poore and abiect for the good of soules Do not these seeme vnto thee any commendations and renowne of Religious pouerty And if they be great prayses haue not I my Sonne most iust cause to complaine of thē who do not only not loue Pouerty but do also without cause contemne it That it is contemned of the world is no meruayle because the profession scope therof night and day is to attend to the heaping vp of riches and increasing of honours but that there should be any religious found who by deeds refuse the same and vnder hand practise it is a thing that highly displeaseth me whiles I behold that Lady and Queen promised me by Religious and solemne Vow which should haue a commaunding hand with them so impudently and shamefully thrust out Spiritual things cannot be loued without a spirit Of the vtility and profit that voluntary Pouerty bringeth to the Religious CHAP. IX LORD what good and profit can Religious Pouerty bring sith it hath nothing wherby it may ease mans necessities And more then that in regard of the incōmodityes that be adioyned therto it seemeth preiudicial not to the body alone but to the soule also For the body being ill handled therby easily falleth into sicknes and being ill disposed cannot serue and attend to the spirituall actions of the soule neither can the mind it self vse the ordinary exercise of prayer and meditation Besides it is no little impediment to the Religious who towards the helping of their neighbours do professe an actiue life For if they want things necessary they are not able to go through with their labours in helping their neighbours Therfore it seemeth to me that Pouerty is an impediment to much good and contrariwise promoteth what is ill as is sicknes and other infirmities yea hasteneth death it selfe 2. Sonne thou art far wide of thy marke for thou thinkest that Religious Pouerty is a seuere and cruell Mistresse that withdraweth from the Religious thinges necessary towards their meate drinke and cloathing according to a requisite proportion required in their institute It is not so Pouerty by frugality is good both for the soule body profiteth a man more then do the riches and pleasures of the world For in the first place the desire of transitory honours doth so torment a mans mind as it depriueth him of all quiet pricketh him forward to sucke vp the bloud of the poore and bringeth him to so great a blindnes as it bereaueth him of all feare of God men without any regard had of his owne soules good Neither do men desirous of getting more make a stand heere 3. He that is once become rich eftsoons raiseth vp his head becometh arrogant and proud vndertaketh to patronize the wicked and out of a madnes runneth headlong into all naughtines From these euills and many more voluntary Pouerty freeth the mind whiles it doth take from him not only the riches that he hath but also the hope desire of hauing which is the beginning of ruine both of body and soule and procureth such tranquility and peace as it maketh the mind fit and disposed to the contemplation of heauenly things and to all manner of spirituall actions Whence it is that a Religious man so soone as he is become poore consequently becometh humble modest meeke a friend of the good and of vertue and an enemy of the bad and a contemner of vices 4. That Pouerty also profiteth the body is out of question We do not desire any thing more earnestly for the body then good health and we haue an horrour of nothing more then of sicknes for there is not any who would not be rather poore and whole then rich and sicke And dayly experience manifestly teacheth that the frugality of pouerty conserueth the good health of body prolongeth and continueth mans life more yeares then doth all the store of riches and pleasures Who seeth not that the poore be more healthfull go through with more labours then do the rich A poore man is as well content with a simple ordinary meane dyet as be the rich with dainty and delicate fare The poore man cōmeth euer hungry to his meate the little that he hath he eateth with a good appetite whē he is a thirst he refuseth not a draught of watter after labour he seeketh not for a soft bed but he sleepeth lyeth downe taketh his rest where it hapneth at aduentures and in the morning he riseth early with meate disgested sound and healthfull and without loathing 5. On the contrary the rich man seruing the time ordinarily sitteth downe to the table with a full stomake taketh very little tast or pleasure in his meate scarce sleepeth by night but turneth himselfe euer and anone now to one side of the bed now to another therefore the Phisitian must euer be at hand and drugs prepared in his chamber ready to take vpon euery occasion Loe thus be they turmoiled who liue in delicacies they liue badly and dye soone My seruants did not in times past liue so in the wildernesse who professed so great Pouerty as some when they besprinckled their herbs with a little salt or oyle thought they had made a feast and yet these men neuer vsing the benefit of Phisitian or of phisicke liued to very old age and therfore Religious Pouerty is not as thou thinkest the cause either of infirmities or of hastning thy death Nothing hurteth ones health so much as the variety and abundance of the meate 6. Religious Pouerty bringeth another commodity with it and that is security voyd of all suspition and sinister thoughts He that aboundeth in wealth is afraid of theeues not only from abroad but of his own house also And not without cause for many whiles they see they cannot come to the riches they desire do first spoyle them of life and then of their riches How many sonnes haue killed or poysoned their Parents that they might the sooner come to enioy their inheritance How many treasons treacheries haue there beene wrought against most deare friends for the spoiling them of their treasures But the poore sleep in security they trauayle night and day out of all feare they are troubled with no suspitions because they haue nothing to loose Adde to this also that Pouerty hindreth none in his trauayle nor bringeth in or causeth any forgetfulnes of the Kingdome of heauen which is occasioned by riches but rather vrgeth and forceth vs to thinke more often vpon the beauty of our heauenly country and vpon the great treasures there prepared for vs. 7. Lord at the day of iudgment thou wilt make them only partaker of the Kingdome of heauen who for loue of thee shall haue
vnto me and agreable to my manner of doing 10. Sonne as it pleaseth me that euery one be prouided of thinges necessary so it displeaseth me if a Religious man either haue or procureth to haue superfluityes But what is necessary or profitable it is not for thee to iudge for we be easily beguiled by our senses or our owne affection but thy Superiour It is for the Superiour to iudge what is conuenient for Pouerty He is not poore who wanteth nothing neither liueth he after the māner of the poore who hath all things as he listeth Of the defects that are committed against Pouerty CHAP. XII SONNE he that is prouided of rents after the manner of poore yet will like vnto the rich make great expences goeth greatly awry for he shall within a while find himselfe so sorely engaged as he must be forced to lye in prison and there be punished vntill he shall haue payed the very last farthing Whatsoeuer thou hast in Religion is giuen thee by me and for me and I haue giuen it thee as to a poore man for thy vse and necessary for thy Religion But if thou wilt vse and spend the thinges of Religion after the manner of the rich at thyne owne will as though thou wert an absolute owner thereof it will fall out ill with thee because thou art one day to giue a strait accompt of all Thou hast forsaken all that thou hast in the world and that thou mightest not vse them at thyne owne will thou art spoiled of them Why then doest thou in Religion thinke to vsurpe a dominion vpon another mans goods and to dispose of them at thy list This certes is neither conuenient nor pleasing to me Wherfore thou must needs resolue to vse the thinges of Religion as my things and consecrated to me and what is transferred to thy owne vse thou art to handle not as thine but as myne allowed of me to thee by thy Superiour and that to serue thy vse as long as it shall please me so as it is in my will to take it from thee when it shall to me seeme good 2. It doth displease me much when a Religious man is transported with so great a desire to something that is permitted him to vse as he can hardly forgoe it againe when reason requireth For what manner of beast should that be who being hired to beare burdens would not haue the instruments afterward taken from him that were fit to beare the burden with ease Whatsoeuer Religion assigneth to euery one it doth it for my seruice whether I would take something away from any or permit him to vse it still he must not be therefore grieued or troubled An ouer great affection to thinges lent maketh them to become anothers 3. O how much do those Religious offend me who be ashamed to be poore to weare a poore garment or to vse a slender dyet For how can it be they should be ashamed for that which is to them a glory by the benefit whereof they are raised to so high a state and maketh them like their Lord and Maister Could they be forgetfull of their promise made of Pouerty If they haue not forgotten it wherefore do they so lightly esteeme it What man is there in the world who would be ashamed of his profession And sith the Religious man hath made a profession of Pouerty and that publiquely what is the cause that he is ashamed of it Some seruants of myne did not so who now enioy eternall felicity in heauen who were rather confounded if they found any more poore then themselues Who is ashamed of vertue plainely declareth that he loueth it not An euill signe it is to hate Pouerty which is a principall vertue and proper to Religious life 4. There be others who are ashamed of their parents pouerty and some againe who brag and boast of their riches and both of these be affections of a Religious man ill mortified That the Parents be rich is not a vertue wherfore then should a Religious man glory of them Yea the richer they be in the greater danger be the Religious least they one day looke backe and for that cause they haue greater matter of feare then of glorying And that thy parents be poore was it through any fault of thyne if not wherfor shouldst thou be ashamed or afflicted for it If to be poore in the world should be a crime thou shouldest haue a iust cause of confusion but it is not Or if Pouerty should make the way to heauen more hard thou mightst worthily be sory and complaine but it is more then certaine that the coming to it is made hard not by Pouerty and want but by riches Wilt thou haue thy Patents rich Procure then that they may be vertuous content with their estate for so they shall be in Gods grace and friendship which by many degrees surpasseth all the riches and honours of this life The Religious man that hath a desire his Parents should be great and honorable in the world and laboureth not that they be prouided of spirituall riches sheweth himselfe to haue very little charity and no spirit at all 5. It is also a sore defect in the Vow of Pouerty if a man thinke he hath done inough when he possesseth nothing as his owne and in the meane time is sollicitous that he may want nothing Certes I see not how there can be any coherence betweene these two To make a Vow of Pouerty and not to haue a will to make a tryall of Pouerty To be poore and not to be willing to try the effect of it To loue Pouerty yet to haue a will to be far off from it I was my selfe poore for that in the whole course of my life I experienced the effects of Pouerty by suffering hunger thirst heat cold wearines nakednes and a thousand incommodityes I loued Pouerty and therefore I would haue it to accompany me to my Crosse where I was nayled naked vnto it My Apostles also and some of my disciples and followers suffred many incommodities of Pouerty euen vntill their dying day But thou not only seekest no occasion of suffering any thing after the manner of poore persons in thy meate drinke cloathing but further most carefully and importunely thou seekest for what is best and more commodious and if thou haue it not thou art troubled and murmurest for it and which is worse thou oftentymes pretendest necessity and health when it is thy meere sensuality He is not poore who shunneth the incommodityes of the poore O how did those Religious please me who notwithstanding they were destitute of ordinary things and of necessary sometimes also yet complained not nor were sory for it but with ioy sayd This is to be a poore one of Christ his name be euer blessed for it 6. Those also who are not content with the common entertainment of Religion but without iust cause desire either some particularityes or not
by him especially if it be hard and troublesome This is not the desire of a good and true Religious man labouring to perfection but only to be willing to seeme Religious in name and not indeed and to wish that the Superiour were a Statua or Image not a liuing man Others would haue a Superiour industrious and diligent in procuring necessaryes appertayning to meate drinke cloathing and like commodityes and in all euents to take a special care in patronizing defending and helping them but they wisâ— him not to be so vigilant in obseruation oâ— Religious discipline which dependeth oâ— Obedience And this desire is much worse then the former for to wish this is nothing els then to haue a will and desire thaâ— the Superiour make his subiects not good Religious but idle and slouthfull who may haue care of their bodyes and neglect to direct their soules in the way of spirit who may be a good companion and a bad Superiour The subiect who hath a desire that his Superiour should not performe the office of a good Superiour doth manifestly declare that he carryeth himselfe not for a good subiect vnder him Of the first degree of Obedience which consisteth in execution of any thing commaunded CHAP. XXV SONNE thou must not thinke thou hast done much if thou shalt at any tyme haue done what thy Superiour hath commaunded thee for this is the very lowest degree of Obedience and common to all kind of subiects whether seruants or bond-slaues yea it is found in the very brute beasts which go whither soeuer their keeper driueth them and do whatsoeuer he pleaseth who hath care of theÌ„ He is a poore miserable religious man who whiles he obeyeth not his Superiours will doth lesse then the brute beasts And though this first degree of Obedience which consisteth in the execution of that which is commaunded be of it selfe the lowest yet if it be kept as it should be it is very pleasing vnto me Foure conditions and qualityes made my Obedience that I performed to my Heauenly Father the more gratefull and these be Promptitude Entirenesse in all points Fortitude and Perseuerance These make a Religious mans Obedience acceptable and the more easy be they the greater the will is of imitating me 2. Not to obey with promptitude and speede is a defect and nothing pleaseth me If it grow of a cold languishing will it is the more displeasing vnto me because the effect is bad and the cause worse He that hath tyme to do what Obedience coÌ„maundeth and putteth it off suffereth the losse of tyme and putteth himselfe in danger of not doing what he should And if the Religious differeth to obey because he is busied in some particular matter of his owne he displeaseth me more because he preferreth himselfe and his owne busines before the busines of his Superiour The truly obedient that he may obey perfectly leaueth his busines begon and vnperfect O how much do those Religious please me who if but a signe be giuen to do any thing that the holy Rule or Superiour shall appoint do leaue off euen pious works they haue in hand and come running to what is commaunded And they gaine my singular fauour who to do any act of Obedience interrupt the talke they haue begon with me in prayer 3. Consider thou now how litle those are in my grace who blinded with selfe-loue least they should be depriued of any their least commodityes or recreations be dull and slow in accomplishing the worke that is appointed them by the Superiour And I am offended more if they vâ—e the same delay when t e bâ—ll gâ—â— tâ— a â—e to prayer or other spirituall exercises O now much do such manner of men 〈◊〉 themselues and the Commaun tâ— also especâ—â—lly seeing that when they are called to thinges commodious for their body as to meate drinke recreations c. they vse no delay at all but be diligent prompt and ready Certs it were better for them neuer to shew themselues abroad for where there occurreth not any iust cauâ—e of purging them there is a manifest offence scandal giuen Those that be condemned as slaues to the Gallyes for their crymes be so ready to obey as that a signe is no sooner giuen then the thing is done and dispatched and they are so quicke and speedy in execution therof as whiles the thing is yet in doing they cry alowd That it is dispatched And though they be so diligent and quicke for feare of blowes yet the loue of God should make the Religious more prompt in this kind sith loue is more strong and more effectuall then feare 4. Neither is this to be seene in the Gallyes alone where a man shall see the chaines and the marriners with whips in their hands but also in the Courts of great Lords For I aske of thee what is it that maketh the seruants so ready and quicke at the very voyce and call of their Lords Is it the hope of reward But that is more liberall with me Is it the loue they beare towards their Lord But much greater loue is due to me for goodnes and bounty which is the cause of loue is farre more excellent in me and the reward which is expected from me is without coÌ„parison greater Indeed the slownesse of the Religious proceedeth of the want of loue If the subiects were better affected to their Superiour they would also be more diligent in fullfilling of Obedience In which kind the children of this world be more wise and more ready then the children of light 5. Another condition is that Obedience be intiere for such was my owne Obedience It shall be inough for Religious men to loue this entiernesse if they throughly vnderstand that this is my will and such the Superiours intention that what is commaunded be entierly done There be those who be only ready to obey in matters of great moment but not in little To others it seemeth inough if they do part of the things by the Superiour commaunded and leaue the rest vndone I know not who hath made them Iudges or Interpreters of Obedience Neither do I know whence they haue learned that it is not necessary to obey to all that the Superiour decreeth or commaundeth 6. Let them say when they vowed ObedieÌ„ce whether they thought they were to obey in all things or but in some Whether they vnderstood that they were allwayes to obey or only for a tyme And if they vnderstood that they were to obey not in all thinges but for a certaine tyme only who will accept of such a vow Surely I accepted not the vow of half and mayned Obedience but of that which is entiere and whole If some seruant should do but part of those things that were commauÌ„ded him by his maister when he could haue done the whole he should not be kept long in the house and though he were still kept yet in giuing vp his accompts it would soon appeare whether one
become more fierce and raging then the very wild beasts whils for reuenge of the very least iniury they come to kill one another and ouerthrow both families and cittyes 6. VVhosoeuer is cruell towards his owne soule is also cruell to others for none hurteth his neighbour who first hurteth not himself Others sore oppressed with the yoke of wedlocke are so sore afflicted as they wish rather to dye then to lead a life among so many and dayly molestations troubles cares of children and family An vnfortunate choice hath an vnfortunate conclusion Others walke vp and down in a labyrinth but yet fettered in a golden chaine that is with riches wealth of this world which torments them as poore bond-slaues both night and day without giuing them any true rest at all To be fast bound with a cord is a very sore punishment whether it be of silke or gold He is a foole who casteth all his affection vpon things that in his life time cause trouble and care and at his death sorrow and griefe Riches that are possessed with loue be forgone and left with grief 7. Vnderstand further my Sonne that the world out of which I haue called thee is a Schoole wherin humane lawes made by men giuen to passions are more regarded then be the laws diuine For in it is taught that the transitory and brittle goods that passe away and perish vnto vs with death are more to be esteemed them be those that accompany vs to the other life and do neuer dye In it the more fouly a man is deceaued and offendeth the more prone is he to sinne still and the lesse acknowledgeth he the greeuousnes therof In this schoole the good and vertuous are laughed at the wicked and reprobate be commended and therfore it is worse then hell it selfe where al the wicked are reproued and tormented 8. Now if thou consider in what place I haue put thee thou shalt find many causes of yealding me thanks for the benefit of thy vocation I haue placed thee in a religious state that is in myne owne house the fōndations wherof sith they be laid in Humility all those that dwell in it for the knowledge they haue of their owne weaknes and vtility do reioyce in the contempt of themselues and had rather liue in obscurity then be knowne rather to be reprehended then commended They reueng not themselues of iniuries done to them but they willingly forgiue them There they liue in a most pleasing tranquillity and peace there Myne and Thyne that is the origen and fountaine of all dissentions hath no place at all All there do labour for the common good al help one another he that can do more doth more and all serue one another all againe serue God There be many togeather without confusion great variety of nations and of manners without difference of opinions iudgments functions and offices so distributed as one troubleth not another and yet all ordayned for the glory of God to the good of soules 9. The keepers of this house be three sisters most inwardly conioyned by fayth fidelity and the fast band of loue whose office is to defend and keep all those who dwell therin from all calamityes of this present life and to secure them from the incursions of enemies both visible and inuisible For voluntary pouerty exempteth a religious man from all trouble of procuring conseruing increasing worldly riches which are wont so to molest and paine the rich mens minds and harts as they leaue not vnto them a moment of quiet and repose Againe Chastity deliuereth them from infinit desires of the flesh whose tyranny oftentims groweth so great and outragious through the contentments of carnall pleasures as it maketh the soule Reason being brought in subiection to the lust of the flesh a meere bond-slaue 10. Finally Obedience exempteth a Religious man from daungers whereinto they do cast themselues who out of a certaine secret pride desire to do all things by their owne will and iudgment refusing to be aduised or counsailed by others and by so doing cast themselues into the Diuels snares who is the authour of all pride He that hath vertue to guard him hath security on earth and is not without his reward in heauen 11. Therfore vnderstand my Sonne that the Schoole of religion is directly repugnant to the schoole of the world For in that is deliuered the manner and way of seruing God by the obseruation of his precepts and counsailes in it is shewed vnto thee a most compendious and secure way of comming to the end whereunto thou art created In it are discouered and laid open the frauds and snares of Sathan set by him for the intangling of soules and thrusting them downe into hell Of this schoole I am the chiefe maister and gouernour who do by inward inspirations shew vnto all men the way of perfectiō In the instruction of the schollers of this Schoole I obserue no difference of persons for I haue no more regard of a Gentleman then of a Clowne of a rich man then of a poore though I loue and affect those more who do practically by their works manifest how well they haue learned their lessons of humility meeknes obedience and the rest of the vertues which I both declared by example of my life when I liued amongst you and also dictated after my departure to my Euangelists who did faithfully write them for the vse of posterity He is no good scholler who endeauoureth not to imitate his maister How greatly a Religious man offendeth God who maketh light reckoning of his Vocation and Religion CHAP. IIII. VVHITHER soeuer Lord I turne my selfe I find causes of feare For if I examine the benefit of my vocation to Religion I conceyue it to be so noble and excellent as I must confesse my selfe far vnable to render thanks for it If I looke into my selfe I find so great an imbecillity and dastardy as I am afraid least I should be deemed most vngratefull Againe the greatnes of thy maiesty confoundeth me being such and so great as no satisfaction can possibly be made vnto thee but by a certaine infinit loue and seruing of thee which is more then I can or am able to do Who then would not be afraid 2. Out of question my Sonne I bestowed a great benefit vpon thee when I tooke thee out of the stormy Ocean of the world and placed thee in the quiet harbour of Religion It is also certaine that of this benefit there ariseth an obligation and that by so much the greater by how much the benefit was great But for this thou hast not any iust cause to feare sith I am he who do communicate to all competent grace and forces towards the satisfying of their obligation so they be not slacke and negligent of themselus but do put to their owne helping hand as much as they are able And it is my māner of old to be rather more franke and liberall in
pretermitted of him through his owne meer carelesnes and negligence And his grief and confusion will at that time be the greater the more he had his part in my inspirations wherby I did so often inuite him stir him vp and sollicited him to perfection 4. There is another impediment also to a Religious man that maketh him with the more difficulty to labour to perfection because he apprehendeth it for an ouer great difficulty to obtaine victory ouer himselfe and to ouercome the bad affections of his mind But as delay made without cause deiecteth the mind and very much hurteth a man so an effectuall and cheerfull resolutiō of vndergoing a thing greatly helpeth towards the ouercomming of any difficulty 5. Son if thou wert the first of those who should enter into the way of this warfare thou mightst haue some cause excuse but since there haue been so many who though sometimes ouercome did yet in the end victoriously get vp to the top of the hil thou canst pretend no cause of excuse at all or of pardon For the obtayning of a victory and Crowne it is not inough to fight but a man must go away also with the victory 6. There is yet another vice that hindreth vs from getting vp to the mount of perfection for that we are fettered in fast bands at the foot of the hil And whosoeuer is so tyed he may indeed moue himselfe a little but mount vp he well cannot That Religious man is much deceiued who preposterously affected to some humane thing thinketh that he may ariue to perfection For whereas he holdeth his hart fast tyed with the cord of affection to some thing created he must needs either mount vp the hill without an hart which is not possible and would not be pleasing to God or els without life with the thing created to which he cleaueth fast which God would neuer indeed tolerate who hath neuer suffred any thing to be beloued togeather with himselfe For sith he is of himselfe of his owne nature good his wil is also to be beloued alone by himself The Creatour cannot loue him who against his will transferreth his loue to a creature 7. An impediment also to the same ascending is the ouer sore burden that a man layeth vpon his owne shoulders For wheras he must go an hard and painefull way the more he is surcharged and loaden the lesser and shorter iourneyes maketh he and otherwhiles he is stayed in the midde way and cannot go any further Wherfore a religious man who intangleth himselfe in many affaires and imployments that nothing concerne his vocation will either trauaile slowly towards the mount of perfection or will be forced to stay in his way thitherward because the strength of his spirit is weake the way painefull and vneuen and the dispositions of his mind estranged from such a iourney or rather inclined to the contrary A Religious man hath inough to carry his one burden which if he shal increase with other mens cares no meruaile though he yeald and fall vnder the burden and oftentimes come to that misery that he is not able to beare his owne and much lesse anothers 8. Finally it is not the least impediment of getting vp to the top of the hill for a Religious man to be moued with too much cōmiseration of himselfe If one haue a dull horse and out of pitty dareth not giue him the spurre probably he will not come to the end of his iourney I like not of a religious man that is ouer nice and delicate who least he should put his body to some paines laboureth not to perfection as he should do The souldier who hath ouer much care of sauing his life and an horrour of the daūgers of war doth ordinarily but make vp the number giueth no increase to the strēgth of the army at all for when there is occasion presented him of shewing his valour courage he runneth away for feare 9. The Religious who are now crowned in heauen did not so For though they were of a weake body by nature and had accustomed it to all manner of ease and delicacy yet after they once became Religious for the attayning of perfectiō they punished it with fasting pennance and mortification and so with commendation and merit arriued to that which they sought for That religious man who fauoureth his body more then meete is loueth it too much because he knoweth not how to loue it truly like vnto an ouer mild Phisitian who by his curing increaseth the sicknes Of other outward defects and imperfections that be impediments to Perfection CHAP. X. SONN in some Religious persons there be found other imperfections and defects which as they do no lesse hinder Perfection then the former so be they no lesse displeasing vnto me The first is that they will not labour to perfection by the common and ordinary way but do bethinke and deuise another new way vnknowne to their forefathers But they erre very sore in the matter for where it is of it selfe very hard painfull to get vp to the mount of perfection the paine would be doubled if a new way besids the ordinary be to be taken neither doth the crafty enemy seeke any other thing then to hinder a mans endeauour of climing vp by adding a new labour and paine in doing it Who goeth on in the beaten way trauayleth securely for that they who went before by their example shewed the security of it and of this security he hath no signe at al who goeth and seeketh out a new way 2. O in how great an errour be those Religious persons who reiecting and neglecting the ordinary spirit of their owne Religion do follow and imbrace another particular strange spirit This is to go a new way both with more labour and lesse profit For it commonly hapneth that such men whiles they find not an end of their way being ashamed of themselues are forced to go backe againe or els do fall headlong into some pittfall or other That religious man cannot be guided by Gods spirit who refuseth to keep the way which all those that went before him held I haue appointed to euery religion a certaine and determinate way ordayning to that end peculiar laws constitutions declaring the manner and meanes how euery man may come to his iourneys end He therfore who shall neglect his way and go another doth plainly giue to vnderstand that I haue not instituted euery religion wisely inough to content him And heere is to be seene a notable deceit and tricke of the Prince of darknes who leadeth the negligent and vnwary religious persons out of the common way of their owne institut that when they are once wearyed in it he may cast them downe headlong to their further ruine 3. A second defect is that they will not vse the guide whome I haue giuen to direct them in the way without errour For that trauaylour is not without cause deemed temerarious and
and recoyle for feare of the difficultyes â—â—at will encounter thee especially seing there be as many and more meanes wayes and remedyes for the remouing and taking away of those difficultyes and procuring of perfection 2. The first remedy is with an inward affection to imbrace perfection earnestly to labour therin sith for the ouercoming of all the rockes of this mountaine there is nothing better or more effectuall then the affection of loue Neither is there any thing that inciteth a Religious man more to continue on his way and to labour to perfection then the same Of loue there then followeth a desire and care of vsing and frequenting those meanes that be necessary or profitable towards the attayning of perfection And study care diligence do help very much towards the more speedy compassing of what is desired or loued Of the same loue groweth constancy and perseuerance wherby spirit life and hart is giuen a religious man to hold on and to prosecute his labours and of this next followeth the victory and crowne To him who loueth nothing is hard no not the ouercoming and gayning of heauen and the getting vp to the top of the mount of perfection 3. A second remedy and meanes to the attayning of perfection is to haue a consideration and regard euen of our very least imperfections Some are wont when they fal into such manner of imperfections to breake forth into these or the like words It maketh no matter it is a thing of little moment it is nothing and these men be the very bane of religion For of this conteÌ„pt they become in time bold temerarious rash by their own bad example they draw others to a certaine pernicious and dissolute liberty That must not be held in light esteeme that displeaseth me neither ought it to be thought a small matter which I coÌ„maund or forbid though it be not great indeed in it selfe And know thou my Sonne that the very least imperfections please me not for that cause I haue forbidden them Know thou further that the religious man who maketh a conscience to transgresse or offend in the very least things is deliuered from greater imperfections For all the great ruyne and breaches of good order and discipline that are found in religion haue receiued their beginning of smaller faults Who shutteth his eyes at a light fall will also shut them at a greater because that prepareth the way therto that is a smaller to a greater 4. A Third and very good means also is for a man to mortify himselfe in the very least things For religious perfection comprehendeth all vertues all which a man cannot be possessed off vnles he get a full absolute commaund ouer his passions senses And a man commaundeth his passions if he restrayne them so soone as they raise themselues against the reason or against the laws of religion neither must he also yeald vnto the senses euen in the least matters more then is fitting to his religious estate For he who condescendeth to his senses beyond the mediocrity of vertue soone findeth them rebellious and he who doth not resist his inordinate passions in the beginning becometh a slaue vnto them in the end 5. A fourth meanes and way to perfection not only auaylable but also necessary is that a religious mans mind euer conspire and accord with his Superiours will and desire in all things For all helps haue their origen from me which are needful towards the attayning of perfection them I ordinarily communicate by the Superiours by whom I do enlighten and gouerne my subiects Whereupon such a one as is separated from his Superiours wanteth such kind of gifts and helps And more then that he is separated from me and therfore no meruayle though he fall often be troden vnder other mens feet be contemned and pyne way and languish because he is a dead member cut off from the head It little auayleth the scholler to go vnto the schoole if he be not one with his maister by whome he may be directed in his course of learning and studyes 6. Finally it helpeth not a little to perfection if these wayes be practised not with a tediousnes heauines of mind but with promptitude and alacrity For this alacrity profiteth much to the ouercoming of difficultyes which the body apprehendeth and feeleth in the attayning of vertues it confoundeth the enemies that oppose theÌ„selues â—n the way of perfection and maketh the paines of the iourney the lighter and more â—asie to be endured And which is more this â—romptitude and alacrity wherewith a religious man serueth me pleaseth me much because it hath the beginning of loue also And to conserue this spirituall ioy and cheerfullnes in mounting vp to this hill of vertues a man must haue companions in his iourney It cannot be said how much vtility and profit a religious man receyueth by the company and conuersation of the good by whose speach and example he may be excited and stirred vp to deuotion sith nothing there is that in humane life hath more force to moue a man to perfection then the example of good vertuous companions 7. Wilt thou my Sonne be wise Conuerse with the wise Wilt thou be perfect Liue with them who loue and seeke after perfection Therfore I haue prouided that in euery state of my Church there should euer be some holy and exemplar men who by their examples as by lights set on high in a candelsticke might giue light vnto others Whereupon a religious man whiles he compareth their life with his owne easily perceyueth how little he hath profited in the spirituall life and by a certaine holy emulation stirreth vp himselfe to vse more diligence for the time to come in the exercise of vertues If good examples haue more effect to moue then words whosoeuer profiteth not by them doth manifestly declare that he hath a will ouermuch propense prone and addicted to euill Of the spirituall ioy which accompanieth a religious man that attendeth to perfection CHAP. XII SONNE the spirituall ioy and contentment that a good Religious man hath after he is entred into the narrow way of perfection is no doubt great and singular as on the contrary the grief and heauines of hart that oppresseth a bad religious man holding on in the broad way of imperfections is hard disgustfull and bitter Whereupon the one and the other beginneth in this life to haue a taste of that which is prepared for them in the other either punishment or reward Lord I know not what I may answere to this for I see many Religious men to imbrace the broad way not to labour greatly to come to perfection and yet to be very iocand cheerfull and merry 2. Son thou art deceiued For in the way of liberty and where no obseruation of discipline is in practise there is not any true or solid ioy though it may seeme to be such A Religious man who liueth at his owne wil and as
to be an ornament to a religious man whereas contrariwise human respects and all temporall commodities are to be troden vnder his feet and contemned He then who leaueth those for these doth necessarily put vertue vnder a religious mans feet and raiseth humane respect vpon his head 9. Againe he that more regardeth the worlds estimation and riches therof then perfection whereunto I daily exhort all religious persons doth me an iniury and himselfe hurt For all know that he who shall be ashamed of me before men I will also be ashamed of him before the Angells of God But what absurdity and folly is this They when they liued in the world out of a desire of following perfection did forsake the world the temporall cōmodities therof and all humane things besids but now hauing imbraced religion they will giue ouer perfection to follow the world Is not this a manifest folly And sith humane respect is nothing els then a certaine vaine feare least a man be discōmended in some one or other of his actions how is it possible that a religious man desirous of perfection can be discommended Can there any greater glory befall him in this life then if this may be affirmed said of him And what new thing can happen to a religious man if he be contemned of the world Doth he expect any reward or recompence from it Or is he afraid least it would censure him by a condemnation It maketh no matter whether a religious man be loued or hated of the world but it auayleth much if he be deare to me 10. To conclude others forbeare to tread this way of perfection by reason of the repugnance that mans nature findeth in practising the meanes and for the difficulties that the body maketh trial of in tracing the same way But these men misse the marke for to be a true Religious man or to walke on to perfection is nothing els but to mortifie the desires of the flesh and the perturbations of the mind And therfore if thou forbeare the exercise of vertue least thou incommodate or hurt thy body thou louest thy selfe too sensually neither do I see what difference there is betweene thee and a delicate secular person Remember Sonne that these be not the promises thou madest at thy entrance to religion for then thou didst purpose with thy selfe to suffer many things for me to chastise thy body to serue me and for loue of religious perfection to depriue and spoyle thy selfe of all humane consolation That a good Religious man must not content himself◠with whatsoeuer degree of Perfection but must labour and aspire to a greater CHAP. XVI SONNE those religious men do not satisfy me that aspire to a mean degree of religious perfection vnles they also ayme at the highest For so I declared vnto my disciples when I exhorted them to be perfect not as the Patriarcks and Prophets were nor as the Seraphims and other the Angells but as my Father in heauen O how doth that Religious person please me who like the couetous man is desirous of true vertue and perfection The couetous man hath neuer his fil for the more he hath the more he desireth And I would haue religious men such followers of spirituall couetousnes For it is a signe of a base mind if a man when he hath meanes to attaine to greater perfection do propose vnto himselfe and thinke vpon lesser But I desire to haue my seruants valiant and generously minded who aspire to great and hard matters For if I haue created them to an end the most excellent in the world haue raised them vp to so high a state that is to be Religious why should they not with all their possible forces labour to perfection that would be most contenting to vs both Who cooperateth not conformably to the benefit receiued is iniurious to the Benefactour 2. Let him tell me whosoeuer hath no care to arriue to any great perfection but thinketh it inough to haue had a tast therof whether he would so deale with his body Is he contented it should enioy a mediocrity of health when he may haue it perfectly strong sound and lusty Would he wish but a poore meanes of lyuing and not the best If then of all earthly things which serue the body we choose the best most perfect and all in great quantity number and quality the most excellent why should we not also for the souls good which is the mistresse of the body wish and make choice of the most perfect and most absolute vertues That family is nothing well gouerned where the handmayd is better treated then the mistresse of the house 3. Who would deny that it is a fowle and shamefull thing for a Religious man to stay in the lowest degree of vertue when he seeth secular men neuer to make a stay in their degree of state of life which they haue once imbraced but euer to aspire to an higher vntill they come to the highest Hence it is that a vulgar person first seeketh to raise himselfe to be a Gentleman then a Baron next an Earle a Marques a Duke vntill in conclusion he lay hold on the Scepter and Crowne and when he is come to this he is not contented with an ordinary Crowne but he seeketh a more rich more potent a more noble Crown and consequently the greatest that can be had in this life And shall a Religious man be of so dastardly a mind as not to labour to obtaine a most noble spirituall Crowne Should he stand in the first degree of perfection when he may with his great commendation and no lesse profit mount vp to the highest Is not this a strang kind of sottishnes and folly Is not this to make a light esteeme of my will and to refuse the help of my grace by the benefit wherof he might compasse an higher degree of perfection 4. Vnderstand my Sonne that a Religious man is more deare vnto me who endeauoureth for my greater glory to arriue to the highest degree of perfection and this ought not without cause to be inough vnto him not to stay in his course but stil to hold on Go to tel me what seruant is so contēptible vile who is contented to be in litle grace and fauour with his Lord when he may be in very great Why then thou Religious man who art for so many respects bound vnto me as my seruant why I say when by labouring to perfectiō thou mayst deserue my extraordinary fauour thou delayest to do it What paynes doth the poore seruant take to gayne his maisters grace and how much is he afflicted whē he seeth notwithstanding all the diligence he vseth he cannot get into his maisters fauour wherefore then dost thou make a stand in the very entrance to perfection when thou mayst easily get into the innermost parts of it gayne thy Lord vnto thee To please me is not my gayne but thine 5. O of what worth is but one degree
is caused a feare of loosing it of feare a sollicitude diligence in keeping it solicitude againe causeth him to find and search out meanes and wayes necessary profitable for attayning to the end 4. Whosoeuer hath a care to keep his corporall health asketh aduise of expert learned Phisitians eateth good and wholesome meats keepeth his set times of eating neglecteth not requisite exercises of body chooseth an habitation in a healthfull place and ayre approued of the Phisitians keepeth himselfe out of the rayne winds and from other outward incommodities and in few words is very carefull not to exceed in any thing that may peraduenture any way hurt him The same causeth sollicitude in a Religious man if he haue a desire to conserue Perfection and seeke his soules health For first his care is not to order his owne life according to his owne will or by the counsaile of more loose and free companions but rather by the direction of Superiours and spirituall Fathers Secondly to eate of good meats namely those that I vsed my selfe when I liued on earth that is to do the will of my Father who is in heauen whose will is our soules sanctification And therfore whatsoeuer God giueth vs for the sanctifying of the soule is the best meat as contrariwise whatsoeuer maketh to the defiling therof such as be sinnes is the worst poyson of all Thirdly he neglecteth not the vse and exercise of vertues For sith perfection is founded in Charity which is like vnto fire whereunto if wood be cast it increaseth if it be remoued and taken away it goeth out Euen so the more Religious men who haue their part in Charity do exercise themselues in vertue the more they profit in perfection and the lesse they be exercised in them the lesse they get of perfection And therfore all exercise of vertue ceasing perfection ceaseth also 5. And as touching an healthful place where the soule is to dwell I know none comparable to Religion where I haue placed the religious man but if we consider particular places the best is that that his spirituall Phisitians or Fathers assigne him And if he would fly all occasions of falling into any imperfections he shal so very well arme and defend himselfe against all outward difficulties Finally he committeth no excesse because in all doubtfull matters he repaireth to his spirituall Father seasoneth all pennances and mortifications with the salt of moderation and discretion 6. The other way that conserueth perfection is by humility He that is become possessed of a rich and pretious iewell is very wary three ways that he loose it not at any tyme. First he layeth it vp in a secret place that it may not easily be seene discouered or found of others Secondly he letteth not euery owne see it neither doth he openly brag that he hath such a Iewell Thirdly he taketh it not from the thing whereat it hangeth For example the heat of water dependeth of the fire and if you remoue it from the fire it looseth the heate Humility in a Religious man whose precious stone is the study of perfection remedyeth all these three daungers First it causeth him to conceale and hide his vertues and perfections from the sight or knowledg of others Secondly not only not to vaunt and brag of his spirituall riches but also to thinke himselfe vnworthy of them and withall to acknowledge and confesse himselfe poore a beggar and an vnprofitable seruant Thirdly to acknowledge that the Iewel of perfection dependeth of my grace knowing that it is lost if it be separated frō it For as I resist the proud so giue I grace to the humble And therfore if thou hast a desire to haue thy perfection not only conserued but to increase also attend thou diligently to the exercise of true humility The end of the first Booke THE SECOND BOOKE of Religious Perfection Wherein is treated of the three Vowes of Religion and the perfect obseruation thereof And first of the three Vowes in generall Of the dignity and excellency of the three Vowes that be made by Religious persons CHAP. I. SON when any thing though otherwise of great worth is not knowne it is not much esteemed because the excellency worth therof is obscured by the darknes of ignorance and therby the due estimation is taken away And this is the cause wherefore the three Vowes that be made in Religion be not so esteemed of some euen Religious men themselues because they vnderstand not the worth excellency profit therof He cannot be free frō fault who vnderstandeth not what in regard of his state he both may and ought to know Wherfore know thou my Son that the excellency of these vows is greater then many conceiue neither are they of litle consequence And vnder the name of Vow is vnderstood an obligation of a Religious man made to God his Creatour of performing and doing some better good And sith this obligation is very noble spirituall and diuine euery religious man ought not without cause diligently to ponder reuerently to esteeme and exactly to obserue the same 2. That it is most noble it cleerly appeareth by this for that the will bindeth it selfe which amongst the faculties of the soule holdeth the principality first place and hath a commaund ouer all the rest of the powers Againe it is most noble because it is made to God whose maiesty is infinite who is the authour of all true excellency Moreouer because it is made for a most noble end namely the glory of Gods Name which is the more amplified the more exactly that obligation is kept There is added further that the vertue of Religion among all morall vertues excelleth for noblenes dignity Seeing therfore a Vow is an action of that most noble vertue that giueth light to all other vertues it manifestly followeth that a Vow is a most noble vertue For what the tree is the same be the fruits therof 3. And that this obligation is spiritual and holy is out of controuersy both because it is directed to a spirituall good namely to holines of life and because it is the very entrance and beginning of the spirituall life of Religious men Whereupon as the life of the body dependeth on the hart as the beginning so the religious life and to be a religious man hath the dependance of this holy obligation And as by the least hurt of the hart the life of body receiueth great hurt also and the hart being taken away the life is taken away togeather euen so by the very least default in the obseruatiō of this obligation the Religious life is much preiudiced and that againe ceasing or taken away a man ceaseth to be Religious The nearer the euill cometh to the hart the more dangerous it is 4. That this obligation is diuine is also certaine because it is of the holy Ghost who by his diuine inspiration moueth a mans mind to the making of such an obligation
Secondly because the person to whome it is made is diuine that is God himselfe Now let a Religious man consider and see how much he ought to loue it with what regard to keep it and with what deuotion and care to obserue it in all things that he is able because it is made to him who penetrateth and entreth into the most inward secret of the hart and well knoweth who hath iust cause to obserue it and who not 5. But now I would desire to know of those to whome it causeth some trouble and difficulty that they be tyed in so noble and holy a band what the cause is that secular men haue them in so great regard and veneration They will say perhaps because they be religious and my seruants And what made them religious and my seruants but these three Vowes Many secular persons liue at this day in the world far more learned more holy and more perfect then many Religious and yet be they nothing so much honored as religious men be and the cause is because they be not tyed to me by these holy bands of Vowes Secular men when they behold Religious persons doe consider them as wholy mine by three Vowes consecrated to me what honour they do them they thinke they giue to me But this they do not to men of the world though otherwise eminent for their vertue and therfore to be tyed in these bands is no contemptible matter but most honorable and most noble euen to the world sith the Religious be in so great veneration with the great men of the world 6. These three Vowes againe be of very great regard for that they cause the Religious to triumph victoriously and to go away with victory ouer their three deadly enemies For whils they exercise Pouerty against the vanity of the world Chastity against the tentation of the flesh and Obedience against the frauds of the crafty diuell they go easily away with victory But those Religious who vse not these kind of armes are oftentimes shamefully ouercome Let not him be a souldier who will not take a weapon in hand neither let him go to the battaile who refuseth to fight 7. And now tell me my Sonne what those Religious men deserue who make but light esteeme of so holy and godly an obligation and what they also deserue who keep it not when they may ought to keep it What punishment attendeth them who do not only breake it but further contemne it also O how straite an accompt are they to make not only of their owne transgressions but also of those of others that is of those who by their bad example were induced to violate and breake their Vowes they had before made vnto me For promise by Vowe is not made to men but to the diuine maiesty it is not made vnwillingly but voluntarily Neither is the obligation therof concerning any light or temporall matter but touching a great and spirituall matter that is the saluation of the Soule He that lightly regardeth what he hath once promised to God shall againe be as little regarded of God Of the vtility and profit that Vowes bring and cause to Religious persons CHAP. II. LORD our Nature is so sore depressed surcharged with the weight of our owne miseries as I know not whether it were good and profitable for a man to bind himselfe by Vowes sith to me it seemeth nothing els but to adde one burden to another and consequently much to be feared least in conclusion seeing it is very weake it fall vnder the burden And more then this there be so many obligations and bands of precepts imposed partly by thee partly by thy Church layd vpon vs as it is almost impossible for vs to satisfy them therefore it seemeth not good to surcharge our selues with new bands of Vowes Neither doth there appeare so great vtility likely to redound vnto vs by the benefit of Vowes but that there is presented a greater daunger by transgressing and breaking them I add further Lord that fre and voluntary offices of deuotion are more accepted off by thee then be the forced But whosoeuer shall make a Vow is forced to stand to his promise and therfore I see not how great a vtility there is of Vowes 2. Thou art deceiued my Sonne For Vowes be burdens that load not but rather ease help nature it selfe to the exercising of all more noble works The feathers and wings of byrdes carry a shevv of a burden and yet they help to raise them aloft and without which they cannot fly Besids experience teacheth that they be religious who do most promptly most exactly obserue the commaundments of God whence it appeareth that by the benefit of Vowes they are holpen to obserue the precepts of God and of the Church after a more exact and perfect manner 3. Thou art wide if thou thinkest that any profit returneth to me by thy Vowes It is not so There is no sowing nor mowing for me heere Promises made to men redound to the profit of them to whome they be made but the merit of the Vowes that are made to me remaineth to the vtility of him who voweth yea the honour glory that of Vowes arise to me and my seruice appertaineth also to the good of them that vow For I do abundantly reward them as I do seuerely chastise the bad workes that be dishonorable to piety and to the seruice of God 4. And where thou sayst that by Vows all liberty is taken away in so much as the Religious do all things of necessity therfore haue no merit of their works at all thou art deceiued For there be two necessities one naturall and this taketh away all liberty merit commendation of all good works such as is the falling of a stone downwards The other is voluntary or proceeding of the will or of a promise voluntarily made and this doth not only not take away the merit of the good worke but also much increaseth it for that both the worke and the promise be voluntary and free And this is the necessity so highly commended of the blessed in heauen because it did driue them to the exercising of the more noble and more excellent workes Happy is that necessity which compelleth to what is better 5. Moreouer thou must know my Son that the grief difficulty which we otherwhiles find and feele in executing our promise of Vowes doth not take away nor diminish in the Religious their merit but rather increase it for in fullfilling our Vows there is not only done a good worke but that heauines repugnance and difficulty is further ouercome which indeed is a matter of no little consequence Howbeit to fullfill a good worke promised by Vow though there occurre no difficulty in doing it is more meritorious then to fulfill it without any precedent Vow For as I will declare after the Vow it selfe is meritorious which merit he hath not who doth a good worke
which he before promised to do without making a Vow 6. There be other vtilityes which vowes do bring to the Religious For first vndoubted it is that the tree the deceper roote it shall take within the earth bringeth forth the better fruite Euen so mans will the more stable it shal be in good produceth the more noble works And among the effects of Vowes one is that it maketh the will more firme in good works Who knoweth not how various and mutable mans will is now it is willing within a while it is vnwilling and what pleaseth to day displeaseth to morrow And doubtles it would be better if the will were constant and stable in imbracing good and that it may be stable and immutable is effected by the benefit of Vowes For so soone as a man shall hâ—ue made a Vow he must performe it neither may he reuoke it without sinne that he may not go backe is both profitable and good and deriued from the very nature of a Vow And of this it followeth that a good worke proceeding from a will grounded in good is better then other good workes and deserueth a more ample reward As contrariwise a bad and hurtfull worke comming from a peruerse and obdurate will is more detestable then other ill works and meriteth a more sore punishment Would you haue a Lunatike person to do no hurt Then bind him fast vpon the first occasion 7. Another vtility nothing inferiour to the former is this Euery man will confesse that it most profiteth a man if he be most inwardly vnited to God Almighty And this is effected by Vowes for whiles a man by Vowes bindeth himselfe to me I am in like maner tyed againe fast vnto him and therfore if the Religious do by these sacred bands bind themselues fast vnto me so become mine how is it possible that I should not deliuer my selfe vnto them also That I should not help them not defend them not conserue keep them as a thing most deare vnto me I should not be what I am if my creature should go beyond me in liberality Wherfore it is very agreable to reason that seeing they haue most firmely conioyned themselues to me the fountaine of Grace I should also communicate vnto them the flowing streames of my grace and my heauenly gifts and take so great care of them as neither the Diuell nor any other creature may do them harme The Religious liue so much the more secure the more potent and powerfull is their Lord and Maister to whome they haue conioyned themselues 8. There is yet another vtility that al good workes done by Vow do merit more with God then those that are not done by Vow He that keepeth chastity for loue of me doth well and meriteth but he that for loue of me maketh a Vow of chastity keepeth it doth better and meriteth more For the former exerciseth but one vertue that is Continency but the later exerciseth two namely Continency and Religion the noblest of all morall vertues Moreouer to promise a good worke is a good thing and to performe a promise is also good and therfore for them both a man is held worthy of commendations and thanks Let him then be more deare vnto thee who bestoweth more spirituall good vpon thee 9. Seing so many benefits redound vnto vs by Vowes as the stability of the will the coniunction with God and the merit of workes I would be now glad to vnderstand why some when they should most of all reioice be sory that they haue tyed themselues by Vowes What cause of grief should they haue For if these sacred bands should depriue them of some great commodity they might haue iust cause of sorrowing But indeed they loose none by it For as a vine fastned to a tree or to a post and therefore lesse obnoxious and exposed to the iniury of the winds bringeth forth better and more abundant fruite then if it were loose and vntyed Euen so be Religious persons by the benefit of these Vowes are more strong and stable and more free from tentations and do yeld greater increase of good works therefore why should they afflict themselues with grief 10. Euill must needs please him who is sorry for good or complaineth therof When good meate is hurtfull to a man it is a signe that his stomake is infected and surcharged with bad humours and therfore it is to be purged with some antitode if he meane to preuent the hazard of his life In like manner if the making of Vowes which is good and holy be to some Religious person troublesome it is a signe that his mind is infected with some bad disposition which must be taken away and remoued by the spirituall Phisitian that the hazard of his spirituall death may be auoyded How acceptable and pleasing to God the three Vowes of Religious persons be CHAP. III. SONNE how should not the Vowes of the Religious be accepted by me when as they be made for my honour and glory How is it that they should not be deare to me when as they be the meanes of attaining perfection which I do so earnestly desire at their hands O how much should some earthly Lord glory if his seruants should make him any such promise he would no doubt exult for ioy though he should not be assured whether they had done it in earnest from their hart for the loue of him their Lord or in regard of their owne commodity And should not I who am assured that the Religious do from their hart make these Vowes and only for loue of me bind themselues to the performing of good and holy workes reioyce and be glad Should not I make a demonstration how much they please me 2. For there be three things that do in particular please me in Vowes First the deuotion wherewith the Vowes be made Secondly the diligence wherewith they are obserued Thirdly the ioy that the Religious conceiue by occasion of the making of their Vowes Deuotion groweth of the consideration of the excellency of the oblation that is made in the Vowes For the Religious man by a benefit of his three Vowes offereth himselfe wholy in sacrifice without reseruation of any part to himselfe And if the sacrifices of the old law which were of bulles and calues were so pleasing vnto me how much shall these content me which Religious men do voluntarily offer vnto me And if I made so high esteeme of Abrahams only will when he was ready to sacrifice his only Sonne vnto me what a reckoning should I make of the sacrifice that a Religious man maketh of himselfe by offering me his will soule body and all Againe Diligence ariseth of the loue they carry towards me He that loueth cannot expect or of slouth put of till another time or prolonge that which he knoweth to be very pleasing to the beloued And in Religious life nothing pleaseth me more then the obseruation of Vowes Finally ioy for the
off all carnal delights by that of Pouerty the sollicitude of temporall things and by that of Obedience they fulfill the laws of their institute and their Superiours precepts To remoue the impediments of this spirituall way is to walke on and profit in spirit 3. Sonne sith thou art absolutly resolued to renounce the world and all the vanities therof meet it is thou giue it ouer and forsake it in the perfectest manner that is possible Some leaue it in affection as do those that haue no desire of vanities at all and they do well Some forsake it indeed as do they who imbrace a Religious state and these do better Some againe leaue it both wayes and they renounce it after a most perfect manner and this do my Religious when they vow Pouerty Chastity and Obedience The further thyne enemy is from thee the lesse can he hurt thee 4. The world vseth three sorts of nets wherein many be caught The first net is of gold and siluer that is of terrene riches which because it delighteth the eye is loued of them who are within it and is desired of them who are out of it This net the Religious escape by Vow of Pouerty For pouerty the veyle of concupiscence being taken out of sight causeth that though the net be made of gold and siluer it seeme nothing but a net and a sore prison to be in 5. Another net is knit of the birdlime of pleasures of the flesh wherein those that be caught the more they stirre the more be they intangled and woone in it From out of this net the Religious be deliuered by the Vow of Chastity by the pure and milke white wings whereof they be raised aloft and freed from the cleaning glew of carnall contentments they become like vnto Angells 6. The third net is rather an imaginary and phantasticke one then a solide true net wherein they be caught who presume of themselues and seeke after the vayne honours and estimation of this world The Religious auoyd this net by the Vow of Obedience who as they subiect themselues vnto others so thinke they not of imbracing any other thing then humility and contempt of themselues To liue in the world and to haue beene caught in one of these nets is no great matter but to liue in in Religion and to haue fallen into the worlds snares and nets is a case to be exceedingly lamented 7. There is yet another cause of congruity that the Religious make the aforesaid three Vowes because I haue chosen and called them out of the world for the doing of some noble great and generous actions therfore they need a great and stout courage which they must declare and manifest by their worthy deeds and the height excellency of the Religious state wherein I haue placed them exacteth no lesse For a man to be affected to these transitory and passing goods argueth an abiect and base mind in like manner to take a contentment in the pleasures of the flesh is rather of beasts then of men Therfore agreable it is that Religious be most far from both and this they effect by their Vows whiles they giue demonstration of their generous mind and by exercise of vertue auoyding that whereunto both nature al the senses do incline 8. But Lord I see not what generosity is manifested by the Vow of Obedience by which the Religious do wholy subiect themselues vnto others Neither do I well conceiue how contemptible a matter it is to be affected to riches and pleasures of this life and is not a base thing also to obey and serue another in the very least and most abiect things 9. Sonne thou easily discouerest thy self neither to vnderstand nor indifferently to examine matters For if thou thinke that the Religious by the Vow of Obedience be subiect to others then to me thou art greatly deceiued And if thou thinke that to serue in base things for loue of me or to be subiect to others by ordination from me is an abiect thing thou art much more deceyued There is a far different manner of liuing in my Court from that of the World where the dignity is taken of the office that is exercised and not of the end or scope that is aymed at and therfore all seeke rather to haue a power and commaund ouer others then to be commaunded and in subiection and all aspiâ—e to dignityes and honours And because these be of greatest regard with meÌ„ therfore they also who be possessed of these honours are in greatest estimation and be held for great men 10. But the case is far different For if the end for which any thing is done be vile and abiect the actions must needs also be abiect and of the same nature And where the louers of the world do all for an abiect end as for the gaine of money the estimation and opinion of a good name vaine glory reuenge and the like it consequently followeth that all their trauayles actions must also be held most base But in my court the eye and intention is especially bent to the end which am I and from me all humane actions receiue and borrow their worth and dignity And where I reward all the actions that my Religious friends and children do for loue of me with euerlasting glory none of them ought to be reputed either little or abiect but great and noble And he who for loue of me subiecteth himselfe to another giueth an euident signe of a generous and great mind because he omitteth nothing that may be pleasing to me his Lord. 11. Wherfore thou must not my child accompt that base and vile which is done for loue of me and for my glory because a consideratioÌ„ is to be had not so much of the thing as of the affection end for which it is done It is not vile and abiect that maketh an entrance into heauen and is recompensed with an heauenly reward but that is truly vile which creepeth vpon the earth cleaueth fast vnto it and receiueth what is terrene earthly for a compensation and reward How Religious Perfection consisteth in the three Vowes CHAP. V. LORD if Religious Perfection consist in perfect charity and the coniunction with the supreme Good which thou art what need we to busy our selues in other vertues and leaue that which is our end Thou knowest Lord that charity is the Queen and Lady of all vertues and of it dependeth all the law of grace and therfore if we conuert all our cares studyes and cogitatioÌ„s to the purchasing therof we should not labour much about the procuring of other vertues for if we haue but that one vertue we can want nothing 2. It is true my Child that the end scope of Religious perfection is perfect charity vnion with me thy Creatour but how canst thou be able to attaine the end without the due meanes vnto it How wilt thou be vnited with me vnles thou remoue all the things
they might repose all their hope in Gods prouidence 3. The Religious man the lesse he hath and the lesse desire he hath of temporall things is the more apt for the helping of soules And when I did after send them forth to preach the Ghospell all the world ouer did they go loaden with baggage or attended vpon by great traynes of seruants or did they aduertise the citties whither they went of their comming that they might find all manner of thinges prouided and made ready for them No such matter But they went full of the holy Ghost loaden with the weight of my doctrine and incensed with a burning desire of conuerting countryes to the fayth they did like poore men enter into the Citties and Townes where whiles they made their stay by preaching me poore and naked dead vpon the Crosse they caused exceeding motions in their hearers minds Whome when they saw neither to seeke nor to accept of gold or siluer meruailed much And when they further saw them to take so long iournyes al the world ouer in extreme penury and want of things only for the gayning of the soules of others and also to loue want and pouerty they were almost astonished with very admiration and for that cause they were more ready and more easily induced to put their neckes vnder the yoake of the Ghospell These two things do not well suite to gaine soules and to attend withall to our priuate commodityes and pleasures 4. If againe my Sonne thou turne thy selfe to the founders of Religion thou shalt find that they were so great louers of Pouerty as they would not suffer the words Myne and Thine to haue any place amongst them thinking that by these two words is destroyed all the force of Pouerty and if they found any Proprietary amongst them they instantly banished and thrust him out as an infectious person from their Company Let them now speake who be so much afraid of the name of Pouerty whose disciples and followers they be What rule permitted them to haue goods and prouision of their owne Wherfore do they take paynes to get money togeather whether to coÌ„uert it to their owne vse or to leaue it to others howsoeuer they do it euen secular men haue not care to gather riches for any other cause What difference then is there betweene the Religious men and those of the world This is not for a man to beare heauen away by violence but to afflict and vexe himselfe for the gathering of earthly trash togeather The doctrine that I haue deliuered is not so neither be they the followers of their founders and forefathers and seeing they trace not the same steps with them they will neuer come to the same degree of perfection that they did 5. Lord if thou giuest vs not some spur to put vs forwards to loue Pouerty it will easily be abandoned and forsaken for sith it carrieth an outward representation of ignobility contempt and basenes and of being next vnto misery no esteem is made therof Sonne thou art very much deceiued because thou vsest not a distinction In forced Pouerty that which commeth of necessity is contemptible and hated of the world but voluntary Pouerty sith it is a noble and heroicall vertue how can it be ignoble and base If it treadeth vnder foote contemneth all precious stones and the worlds treasure how can it be miserable To the loue of it what may moue vs more then to vnderstand that I the Sonne of God and Lord of Maiesty when I liued on earth betroathed Pouerty vnto my selfe and loued and intertayned it till my dying day And should not this alone worthily induce euery Religious person to loue and honour it For in all Courts he is in greatest honour and regard whome the Prince loueth most 6. But wilt thou vnderstand my Son who is a true louer of Pouerty He it is who most delighteth and reioyceth in it who commendeth and desireth it more then other who thinketh not to offend it either by worke word or by any signe who finally imbraceth and loueth it as an heauenly margarite that maketh the soule most fayre and beautifull in the sight of the creatour O how much did the Religious before tyme to please me who were so affected to Pouerty as they held all the riches of this world for toyes and ordure if they were compared with it And for a declaration of their exceeding great affection vnto it they called Pouerty their Lady and Queene and for such they esteemed and vsed it Neither did they this in the first feruour of their conuersion only but the elder they waxed in the seruing of God the more they loued and reuerenced it and for that cause they were very earnest and desirous that they might giue vp their last breath to God vpon the bare ground 7. On the contrary side I am not a litle displeased to see some Religious so little deuoted to Pouerty as those who discommend it haue an horrour to it as a thing to be detested and by deeds also go against it Hence it is that in their meate and drinke in their cloathing and habitation they will be intreated commodiously and daintly yea that better and more commodiously then they intreated themselues in the world and if they haue not euery thing as they list they be troubled and can take no rest at all And what an infelicity is this They giue ouer the world to serue me they leaue all their riches neglect their commodityes and of themselus vow Pouerty that they may euer lead a quiet life and after they be once entred into Religion they suffer themselues to be disquieted and troubled for the things that they forsooke in the world This is nothing but to sing a song of recantation and to reuoke their Vow of perpetuall Pouerty For what difference is there whether thou desire earthly riches or superfluous commodities and recreations when as the one and the other be repugnant to Religious Pouerty 8. But it displeaseth me more that there be some who not finding in Religion all abundance of things as they had in the world do looke backe and craue their coÌ„modities first of one secular man and then of another and make themselues their vassalls and slaues And â—f so to do for their owne vse and commodity be bad how much worse it is then to exact such things of secular men that they may be giuen to others Is it possible that any Religious man should be found who should bind himselfe to secular men for the doing of good turnes to others O infamous madnes of such a Religious person who for so base a thing maketh himself a vassal to so many Of this bad fountaine doth spring for the most part all that loosenesse dissolution and breach of good order and Religious discipline which we see a thing to be lamented in many Religious with our own eyes Woe be to that Religion the Religious wherof be no louers of
but I began also very tymely to obey the precepts of his law whereunto I was not yet bound neither might I be drawn from the obseruation of thē either by shame or confusion or for any daunger of life And as my disciple and Euangelist Iohn wrote I called Obedience my Meate And not without cause sith there was not any thing in this life wherein I tooke so great a pleasure as in doing of my heauenly Fathers will in so much as whatsoeuer hapned bitter or sower became to me sweet thereby For this cause the Chalice of my passion which was to my humanity most bitter was most readily accepted of my spirit as a most sweet cup because it was offered me with the band of Obedience by my Father What Religious man then can with reason refuse obedience which was meate to me It is an ill signe when the Lords Maisters meate cannot content the seruant 2. But what can it be Sonne that pleaseth thee not in Obedience It is because thou seest thy selfe in subiection to a man or that thou art ashamed to be commaunded by another I am the Lord of this vniuerse I am the wisedome of my heauenly father and yet was I in subiection to men neither that by the way alone or for a few tymes but euen from the tyme of my comming into the world vntill my most ignominious death vpon the Crosse Neither obayed I the good and iust alone as my Mother and Ioseph my fosterfather but the vniust and wicked Iudges also as Annas Caiphas Herode and Pilate who though they knew me to be vniustly accused nor that any thing of that which they wickedly obiected could be proued against me did neuerthelesse condemne me to be crowned with thornes to be whipped and to the Crosse it selfe all which I tolerated with patience without making of any appeale or vsing any Apology for my selfe more then that without speaking any word at al. I also obeyed their peruerse seruants who did without cause buffet me spit vpon my face and most ignominiously dragged me vp and downe through the publike streets And of all this I complayned not though I might haue reuenged my selfe and might most iustly haue punished thē for the most extreme iniury that was done vnto me yet I did forbeare and did readily do all that they commaunded me Tell me now whether it be yet any hard and painefull matter for thee to obey Thou art not for Obedience bound fast to a piller there whipt as I was Thou standest not with thy hands bound at thy backe and with a rope put about thy necke drawne and haled through the streets of the Citty as I did and was 3. Can it be possible that thou shouldst be ashamed to obey in good things that redound to thy glory and merit when as thy Lord obeyed in ill things that made to his reproach torments and ignominy Reason now and consider with thy selfe whether it be more conuenient promptly to obey the commaund◠of Superiours or to refuse if any thing be commaunded little pleasing thyne owne appetite And though it be an easy matter to do yet the enemy will cause it to seeme hard and paynefull that thou mayst either not obey at all or that thou loose the merit of Obedience Thy parents Adam and Eue may be produced for an example to whom when as God had giuen a cōmaundmēt to abstaine from the fruit but of one tree only in paradise which was not any sore or hard commaundment sith there were many other fruite-bearing trees in place the crafty enemy of mākind wrought so in their minds as it might seeme an ouer hard commaundement and thereby the more easily draw them to transgresse it It ought not to seeme hard vnto the seruant to go on that way which his Lord Maister went before him with much more difficulty and daunger and though the way should be dangerous so it be not impossible to passe yet meet it is that he go through 4. Sonne as long as the bird is loose and vpon her winges in the fields she doth what she list but when she is caught and put in a cage she doth as it pleaseth the owner When thou wert in the world thou liuedst as thou listedst thou didst eate at pleasure thou didst whatsoeuer pleased thee because thou wert thyne owne superiour which was then conuenient for thee sith in the world all make profession to do and gouerne themselues as they please and after their owne manner But when thou renouncedst the world thou didst choose to thy selfe another Superiour who might supply my place and thou madest professiō of directing thy life not after thyne owne will and iudgment but after anothers He therefore who beeing in religion continueth to liue after his owne manner as he did in the world declareth that he is not yet gone out of the world to religion or sheweth himselfe to be a Religious man indeed in outward habit who inwardly is a man of the world or rather neither the one nor the other Where Obedience is not there neither Religion can vse it owne name because they cannot long continue subiects sith they be not conioyned with the head 5. The chiefest bulwarke and defence of a Citty is the concord and vnion of the cittizens so the vnion and coniunction of the subiects with the Superiour their head which obedience causeth is the safety of religion Where Obedience is there is consent and consent conserueth and strengthneth euery congregation though there be many in it My Apostles were in number few abiect and contemptible in sight of the world yet did they great matters because they were concordant and so obsequious to me their Superiour as that they might not forgoe their Obedience they chose to loose their liues Therfore he that neglecteth to obey euen in small matters knoweth not the worth of obiedience as the Apostles and their Maister did who were more ready to loose life then to leaue Obedienc◠6. In the warfare of the world the Obedience of the souldiers towards their Generalls and Captaynes is so strict and so straitely obserued as they be hanged for the very least disobedience and yet those that serue in the wars make no Vow of Obediēce at al but only promise vpon their oath to fight against the enemy and to defend and maintayne the Citty or strong hold against him If then the temporall warrefare requireth so exact Obedience neither permitteth any the least disobedience in tryfling matters to passe vnpunished how great vpon iust cause should the spirituall and Religious warfare exact whereinto none is admitted vnles he bind himselfe vnto Obedience by a sollemne Vow And how may any disobedience be tolerated in it sith it is so proper in this warfare to obey the Superiors as if obedience be wanting the spirituall warrefare must needs come to decay 7. There be some who indeed refuse not a Superiour but they would not haue any thing commaunded them
his eye vpon God for loue of whome he obeyth The truly Obedient ceaseth not to obey though he knoweth that an errour is committed in the manner of commaunding neither relenteth he in Obedience though the Superiour be imprudent or subiect to any other imperfection He is deceyued who obeyeth that his Superiour may esteeme much of him or that he may obtaine something at his hands because he is to obey for the loue of me 2. The truly Obedient at what tyme any thing is commaunded runneth not away nor withdraweth himselfe into corners but rather offereth himselfe readily to what is commaunded or to be commaunded The true Obedient regardeth not whether it be from his chief Superiour or from a subordinate but he doth with a like promptitude imbrace the commauÌ„dments of both He that had rather obey in one thing then in another deserueth not the name of a truly Obedient man He that more willingly obeyeth one Superiour then another is not perfectly Obedient He that procureth that to be commaunded him which he desireth looseth rather then gayneth 3. The truly Obedient searcheth not out wherefore or how this or that is inioyned him but it is inough to him to know that it is commaunded The truly Obedient to make Obedience perfect leaueth not his workes at halfes and imperfect He that obeyeth the Superiour for that he is wise louing kind spirituall dexterous or liberall is deceiued because he is to obey him only in that he is my Substitute and holdeth my place Reuerence is not exhibited to my Image and picture for the gold or siluer whereof it is made but because it representeth me whence it is that the like honour is done thereto if it be made of paper or wood as there is when it is of siluer or gold In like manner alâ—â—spect reuerence and Obedience ought to be giuen and vsed to the Superiour not for the vertues wherein he excelleth but because he supplyeth my place and representeth my person The end of the second Booke THE THIRD BOOKE of Religious Perfection Wherein is handled the principall Vertues of a Religious man and wherin perfection most of all consisteth Of Religious Humility CHAP. I. SONNE it is good to speake of Humility but better it is to exercise it by deeds What profiteth it by speaking to deliuer many notable sayings touching Humility if in all that discourse thou seeke after vayne glory and fondly brag of thy selfe The Humble who thinketh lowely of himselfe busieth not himselfe in his owne commendable matters but rather in remembring the praises of others He that seeketh to seeme Humble hunteth after the glory of men groweth in pride and the more humble he would seem the more doth his prid increase within An humble man as he acknowledgeth all his spirituall goods gifts to prooceed from God so doth he conceale them as much as he can and locketh them vp with the key of modesty in some secret place He doth not only repute himselfe in all his workes vnprofitable but the more he laboureth the more he thinketh himselfe bound vnto me For seeing he holdeth whatsoeuer good he doth to be nothing worth he attributeth all his good workes vnto me yea he is ashamed before me that I disdaine not to vse his seruice that is so vile and contemptible an instrument as he thinketh himselfe to be 2. O happy Religious men who do within their breasts intertaine so pious cogitations of Humility for by this they shew themselues the more precious in my sight the more deare vnto me the more abiect and contemptible they make themselues for the loue of me These be those who haue found a fixed seate in my hart whom I most tenderly loue and with whome I â—reate and conuerse familiarily These be â—hey whome I raise vp and honour in my court of heauen in the sight of my eternall Father and in the presence of my holy Angels In the Kingdome of heauen he hath not the more honorable place who was most honoured on earth but he who was â—he more humble and therefore my spirit doth not without cause repose vpon the humble because he is diffident of his owne forces relyeth altogeather vpoÌ„ my grace I haue reason to communicate my grace to the humble because they do for the loue of me renounce their owne honour and estimation so greatly esteemed of in the world I do vpon good cause bestow a most noble Crowne vpon the humble in heauen for that whiles they liued on earth they tooke the crowne from their owne head and layd it at my feet 3. Before I came downe from heauen into the earth I was most particularly affected to Humility therfore I chose an humble Mother I was no sooner borne then that I began to exercise Humility by deeds For when as I was the Lord of glory I became a seruant subiected my selfe to men and in processe of tyme I did set vp a schoole of Humility and such as resorted vnto it I informed by deeds by wordes to Humility vntill my dying day In like manner my Disciples made a profession of Humility And this is the cause wherfore I had a perpetuall warre with Pride for so much as I euer hated Pride the capitall sworne enemy to Humility which I so tenderly loued And sith the matter standeth thus let euery one that is wise iudge whether it be conuenient that there should in Religion that is in my Family any proud Religious man haue place or that it were fitting that a proud scholer should be admitted and receyued into the schoole of Humility Hence it is that some Religious do not go forwards in spirit because they be not exercised in the booke of Humility which is the foundation of spirituall life neither do study to imitate me who am their Maister It little profiteth the scholler to frequent the schooles if he follow not his booke nor exercise himselfe in those things that be taught in the schoole 4. There be many amongst the Religious who of theÌ„selues confesse that they be sinners carelesse dull slouthfull and nothing at al but if any other should say so much of them they are eftsoons troubled moued murmure for the matter seeke to defend their own estimation honour and these men are far from Humility For a man in words to confesse himselfe to be nothing and yet in hart to hold himselfe for somthing is false and counterfait Humility And to haue a desire to be esteemed of others is notable arrogancy But the greater gifts an humble man hath the more doth he abase himselfe before others 5. Desirest thou to know my Sonne what Humility worketh in a Religious man First it inclyneth his mind to thinke submissiuely of himselfe secondly when need is it moueth him to manifest his own vtility basenes euen by outward action He that is lowly in his talke going conuersation and other his actions declareth himselfe to be a contemner of himselfe
it for our good 9. O my soule not to loue God as hâ— is to be loued is not to loue him at all Hâ— ought to be loued respectfully not for the good or euill he can or may do vs in this oâ— the other life but for himselfe and all other things are to be loued in him and for him He must be loued strongly for Charity putteth away all vayne feare and ministreth ability courage to ouercome all difficultyes and to beare all aduersityes patiently He is to be loued with all the hart with all the soule with all the mind and with all the forces And to loue with all the actions inward and outward is to loue wisely sweetly feruently and continually He is to be loued aboue all thinges and so we shall loue him if we prefer him before all creatures if we would choose rather to dye a thousand deaths then to offend him by one mortall sinne 10. Sonne not all that thinke they loue me do so neither all who thinke they intertaine Charity at home do it Charity being the queene of all vertues entreth into no mans house vnles be she intertayned as a Queene neither stayeth she therein vnles he receyue her as a Queene and honour her for such Moreouer I am to be loued not by words but in deeds and my will is that loue be manifested by workes and not by the tongue alone How dost thou loue me if thou seldome thinkest of me when thou thinkest of me thou dost it only by the way passing in a languishing manner This is not to loue with all thy hart not with all thy mind How doest thou loue me when whole dayes weeks and moneths passe that thou speakest neither of me nor of any thing appertayning to me nor doest not willingly heare them who treate of good matters 11. Loue shut vp within the breast can neither forbeare to speake of me nor stop the eares from hearing men talke of me and how canst thou with truth affirme that thou louest me if thou attend not to those thinges that I speake vnto thee in thy hart Or if thou be attentiue wherfore dost thou not regard them Who loueth truly suffereth not any word of the beloued to fal in vaine out of his mouth but layeth them vp within his hart in store and there diligently examineth them and reflecteth vpon them How dost thou loue me if when thou art able thou dost it not or giuest not with a ready mind when any thing is asked or demaunded of thee for the loue of me It is not hard for a true louer to repay lesse loue to the beloued who hath giuen him his hart before more then that himselfe also How louest thou me if thou wilt not suffer any incommodity for my sake not expose thy selfe to any danger Who loueth from the hart will not sticke to dye for his beloued 12. How canst thou say thou louest me if in obseruing my commaundements thou findest so great difficulty and art so negligent as thou mayst seeme not to keep them but forced and against thy will Loue may not endure delay neither is it disgusted at all but doth with great alacrity the will of the beloued How can it be that thou louest me with al thy soule when thou art so greatly deuoted to thyne owne estimation and to other tryfling thinges that agree very little with my will He that loueth another besids me and not for me either loueth me not at all or loueth me not as he should How canst thou affirme that thou louest me if thou neither â—oue nor respect thy Superiours as they deserue who supply my place when as I haue plainly declared that the honour or contempt that is done to them is done to me He loueth not truly who conformeth not himselfe to his beloued Of the Religious mans Charity to his Neighbour CHAP. III. SONNE thou shalt find some in the world who desire not that any honour â—e giuen them thou shalt find those who refuse dignityes and honours thou shalt find also those who receyue not the gifts fauours or presents that others giue vnto them but thou shalt not find him who dereth not to be loued of others especially with due and respectiue loue which for that it causeth vnto the beloued neither suspition nor disgust is wont naturally to please Many loue their neighbour but they know not how to loue and therefore their loue is otherwhiles fruiteles as also hurtfull I gaue a commandment of louing thy Neighbour and declared the manner of louing him If thou loue thy Neighbour because he is thy kinsman or friend or because he is thy Countryman thou dost nothing this is not Charity tending to Heauen but naturall loue creeping vpon the earth and common to Infidells and Barbarians If thou loue him for any commodity or gayne that thou receyuest of him or hopest from him thou louest thy selfe 〈◊〉 not thy Neighbour and this is calleâ— Loue of Concupiscence neither is it of anâ— longer continuance then is the profit hoped for thereby To loue our Neighbouâ— for our owne commodity is not Charity but rather merchandize 2. Charity truly effecteth that thâ— Neighbour be loued because he is created to my likenes and is capable of euerlasting blisse True Charity disposeth that our Neighbour be loued for God and in God and he that loueth after this manner loueth all the poore equally with the rich the nobly borne and the ignoble he imbraceth all and wisheth them life euerlasting He loueth them as well in tyme of aduersity as of prosperity for he who ceaseth to loue his Neighbour in tyme of necessity manifesteth plainly that he loueth him not for me All this I vnderstood when I commaunded a man to loue his Neighbour as himselfe that is that thou shouldst wish vnto him what thou wishest to thy selfe And as thou must loue thy selfe â—n God and for God by obeying his law on earth that thou mayst afterwards haue thy reward in heauen so oughtest thou to loue thy Neighbour as capable of the same beatitude with thee O if the Religious would obserue this manner of louing their Neighbour there would not be seene so many partialityes in Religions and Churches 3. Some be loued most of all because they are learned and kind others because they be rich and in grace others because they are gentlemen or of noble bloud and those that be not such they regard not O fraud deceit What hath Charity coÌ„mon with learning and riches as if a man that is not rich or learned or well apparelled were not to be loued Charity hath in the first place an eye to me and for that cause loueth all in me But there is another misery more to be pittied that some do therefore loue others because they haue the same complexion of nature and of bloud with them This is not Charity but a carnall affection an enemy to true Charity Charity dilateth it selfe far more wide for it extendeth
Finaly the reward of Mortification is so excellent as a man for the purchasing of it should not forbeare to take any manner of paynes â—â—ough it were neuer so great A good soulâ—â—ar to encourage himselfe to the paynes â—hat are to be taken in the fight and to â—he victory thinketh euer and anone vpon â—ereward â—f Discretion required in a Religious man CHAP. VIII SONNE he that vseth not an eauen payre of ballance is easily deceaued in weighing euen so he who vseth not disâ—retion and prudence in his actions oftenâ—ymes committeth so great errour as no remedy or redresse is to be found in either helping them or taking them away If thou â—xceed in chastening thy body it will be weakned lay down his burden and refuse â—o discharge the seruice it oweth to the â—oule againe if thou be ouer remisse in mortifying it it will eftsoons rebell and turne the heels against thee and kicke For this cause DiscretioÌ„ is necessary which teacheth how to vse the ballance and how to keep them eauen that the one rise not ouermuch nor the other be let downe too much And this is the salt that must season mans actions that they may retaine the commendation of vertues and may be pleasing vnto me They oftentimes come sooner to the aâ—pointed races end who hold on with a moderate pace then they who run in hast For he that hasteth with a moderation doth neither easily fall nor is soone wearyed but he that maketh ouermuch hast though he fall not is yet soone wearied so either commeth not at all or with much a do to the place whither he intended 2. O how great hurt especially in Religion worketh Indiscretion to the Religious who vse neither direction nor couÌ„saile in doing of pennances and in continuing a more seuere course of life They thinke they please me when they mortify their bodyes ouer much by fastings disciplines wearing of haire and watchings but they are deceiued For the good that is done with Discretion hath the commendation of vertue pleaseth me but what is done without Discretion is a vice and defectiue and pleaseth me nothing at all This their spirit meriteth not the name of feruour but rather of indiscreet fury for as much as within a while they become so weake in body as they neither profit theÌ„selues nor others He that spurreth his horse ouer much vpon the way is forced to stay in it this I iustly permit for a punishmeÌ„t of their pride of indiscretion For if they would submit themselues to the iudgment of their Ghostly Fathers or Superiours that they might go the more securely on in the way of spirit they should neuer precipitate theÌ„selues into these inconueniences Pennance and austerity ought to be such as they may not ouerthrow and destroy nature but the vices therof 3. O how much better might they do and more pleasingly vnto me if their pennances mortification were euer accompanyed with two noble vertues with Humility I say wherby they should submit themselues to the iudgment of their spirituall Fathers and Obedience wherby they might do what they commaund them For by the direction of these two vertues they might the more securely enter into the rough and vneauen way of Pennance and might merit much more before God None hath euer been a good guide and iudge for himselfe 4. Many of them commit another errour who do in the spirituall way rely vpon their owne iudgment and that is that while they obserue not the meane in mortification of their body they ordinarily are not solicitous about the extirpating of the vices of mind And though they should not transgresse in any thingels then that in the way of spirit they would not be directed by them whome I haue appointed to gouerne in my place should not this defect arising of Pride be a most dangerous vice and fault of the will Tell me what good will it do a Religious man to chastize and punish his body and in mynd to intertaine his owne will and inordinate affections I omit to say that such be oftentymes moued of vayne glory to do those outward mortifications that others may see them though the same be moderate more then to the inward that are not seen to men which yet are not hidden from myne eyes and which I greatly esteeme because the austerity of life is not in so great a regard with me as is the mortification of the vices of the mind 5. Moreouer the hurt that the indiscreet do vnto others is not little for as much as they who follow their example do also imitate their indiscretion which is vicious and cause of many euills Others againe obseruing the inconueniences and the infirmityes that those men fall into who were ouermuch giuen to their pennances and mortifications of body are cleane and wholy auerted from those pious â—nd holy actions fearing least themselues â—lso by exercising them might preiudice â—nd hurt their owne health Neither is it â—n all certainly to iudge that those incommodityes will not follow of pennances out of the indiscretion and pride of them who haue refused to be aduised by others He that seeketh not to auert the mischiefe and hurt that is preiudiciall to himselfe others shall be punished both for himselfe and for others 6. Lord seeing our flesh is one of our three capitall enemyes and so troublesome as it molesteth vs both night and day wherefore is it that thou wilt not haue it afflicted and punished I haue heard it said that he who maketh ouermuch of his flesh doth nourish intertaine an enemy within his owne house giueth him occasion of raising warre against him Were it not therefore a point of wisdome and better to make warre vpon it then that it should first of all assayle vs Neither seemeth there any danger in punishing it ouermuch or in vsing of excesse sith the Scripture sayth that none euer hated his owne flesh 7. Sonne my Scripture also sayth that the seruice done to me must be reasonable and discreet that may not exceed or go beyond the appointed bounds It is indeed my will that the flesh be mortified punished but yet with moderation And though thy flesh be an enemy vnto thee yet thou must remember with all that it is the soules instrument and therefore it must be in such sort handled as it may not rebell against her spirit and yet may serue the soule in her owne functions But if thou exceed in punishing it it will languish and pyne away and so it will not be able not only not to serue thee but it will stand in need of the seruice of others it selfe He that is to walke well must shun the extremes 8. Some are openly tempted of the Diuel to multiply one sinne vpon another and they be those ouer whom he vsurpeth a full and absolute commaund Others againe because they be not yet caught in his snares vnder pretence of good he induceth to sinne as when he proposeth
O how displeasing is it vnto me whiles I see some Religious to haue a most earnest desire to vnderstand â—omething touching the state of their paâ—ents and to receiue letters from them For what is it els but to seeke an occasion of â—rouble and of distraction in their prayers â—t is not much to haue forsaken parents in body vnles thou also abandon them in mind and cogitation O how wisely did some seruants of myne who hauing receiued letters of their friends from far countryes for the conseruing of their quiet and peace of mind threw them vnread into the fire O lamentable folly of some Religious persons Their parents by them left in the world haue laid a side all care and memory of them whiles they againe be day and night sollicitous and anxious about them 5. Neither do those Religious lesse offend me who do not only wish but also by all manner of diligence on their part seeke to raise their parents or kyn to great dignityes and therefore they subiect themselues to the men of the world that they may gaine and wyn their fauour these men do greatly preiudice both their ownâ— authority and their Religion Sonne dost thou not see that is not to serue me but thy friends Seest thou not that is not to furnish and enrich thy soule but to make others rich by many temporall commodityes What rule perscribeth that thou shouldst play thy parents Procuratour Haue an eye to thy selfe for I assure thee that in the latter iudgment I will not demaund of thee whether thy parents were great in this life nor whether thou shewdst thy selfe diligent in procuring them dignityes and honours but will rather exact an accompt of thee whether thou hast busyed and intangled thy self in such affaires This is not the way of Religious perfection but the way of loosing all spirit and all piety togeather 6. Is it not an exceeding great madnes for a Religious man to be most cowardly and negligent in running the way of perfection whereto he was bound and to be most cunning and to shew a great witt about the raising of his friends vp to great dignityes in the world And what is worse then it It more displeaseth me that there be Religious who take more care that their parents and friends abound in temporall commodityes then in spirituall Whence it is that they very seldome and withall coldly aduise them to the exercise of vertues but they often and in very earnest manner excite them to the procuring of earthly riches Sonne what will the dignityes and titles of thy friends do thee good if thou be imperfect What reward expectest thou froÌ„ me if thou trauailest takest paynes only for flesh and bloud Certes thou shouldst prouide better for thy selfe and for their soules good if thou wouldst direct them in the way of vertue and by so doing thy merit would be the greater and their soules good should be the more securely promoted That the Religious man ought to vse greaâ— prudence and circumspection in the company of others CHAP. V. SONNE all the Religious with whom thou liuest be my beloued children my charity wherwith I tender them iâ— not partiall but generall for I loue all I wish vnto all the true good And I desire that thou also by my example wouldst loue all indifferently and wish vnto all perfection in this life and euerlasting glory in the next for so perfect Religious Charity requireth O how much do the particuler familiarityes of some Religious persons displease me who contract the charity that they should extend to all to two or three with whome they continually keep company and by their bad example do greatly offend others And how is it possible I should not hate such conuersation The amity and friendship that hurteth the coÌ„munity was neuer good neither had euer a good ending but euer brought forth some euill as murmurations obloquies complaints dissentions wherby though no other great mischiefe should follow these conuersations would be dangerous pernicious inough to Religion 2. Sith thou art a member of a Religious community thou art euery way and by all meanes bound not only to loue it but also for the loue of it to suffer something not pleasing to thy liking For we see that a man to be conserued in health some member therof is oftentymes either tormented with cutting and searing or quite cut off from the body for that the meÌ„bers be naturally ordained for the conseruation of the wholy body If therefore thou louest thy Religion wherof thou art a member thou must haue a care that it be preserued whole and entire to remoue all thinges from it that may any way hurt it among which not without cause is an ouermuch familiarity with some particuler persons He that loueth truly is most circumspect and carefull not to offend the beloued in any thing But we see that Communityes be not a little offended hurt by priuate friendship especially if the same be betweene persons desirous of a more free life who be held neither in the number of the very spirituall nor of the well mortifyed Wherefore it followeth that he who forbeareth not from such like conuersation that offendeth the rest of thâ— company is not a louer of the community nor of his Religion I know wel that somâ— Religious person is otherwhiles found who taketh very little or no care at all oâ— loue his Religion and little regardeâ— whether it goeth on well or ill so he may not himselfe want his own commodityes But euery Religious person must know that Religion is his mother and if he louâ— it not and vseth it not as his mother hâ— shall not himselfe be dealt with as with a sonne but as ingratefull shall be one day punished as he deserueth 3. Neither am I ignorant that therâ— be not wanting of those who excuse themselues that they are of their own nature complexion very melancholy and foâ— that cause do vse only the company oâ— few And whence hast thou learned thaâ— the Religious must vse the direction and conduct of nature and complexion If nature should incline thee to ease and ydlenes or to pride might thou giue thy selfe to ease and pride But remember sonne thaâ— thou art now become Religious that thou mighst ouercome nature and mortify thâ— inordinate desires of bloud or of complexion Now then it appeareth that the affection of particuler familiarity sith it is not conforme to a Religious spirit must needs be inordinate Neither is it good if thou sayst That in this particuler conuersation there is no euill nor any peruerse end intended for it carryeth a shew of an euill great inough when others are therby offended and that the Superiours reprehend and find fault with it 4. Lord it is thy will that all should profit in spirit vse those meanes which may help to spirituall profit I then find by experience that I profit more in spirit by often conuersing with
of all thinges Consider fourthly how foolish and ill aduised that man should be who being escaped out of the dangers of the sea by the help of a good ship wherinto he had got himselfe he should fill it with water by little and little for so doing he should in coÌ„clusion sinke the ship drown himselfe withall Thinke then thou dost the same For being escaped out of the sea of this world and got into the ship of holy Religion and resuming the thinges which thou hadst formerly forsaken for the satisfying and fulfilling of thy own will is nothing els but more shamefully to ruyne thy selfe then thou wouldst haue done in the world And therfore acknowledge thyne owne blindnes herein haue nothing to do with this so dangerous a vice of propriety lay hold vpon thy most sweet Sauiour dying naked vpon the Crosse and to that purpose renew thy vow of Pouerty which thou hast formerly preseÌ„ted vnto him with all possible feruour and affection as thou didst when thou first madest it Of the Vow of Enclosure THAT thy Enclosure which thou keepest may be pleasing to God profitable to thy selfe thou must keep it of a pure and free wil for that the Religious person who keepeth it not but in body in will runneth all the world ouer besides that that she neuer inioyeth true repose looseth all the fruite and benefit of her Enclosure Consider my child how many graces thou hast receaued by the meanes thereof how many occasiâ—ns thou hast auoyded of offending God yea into how many sinnes thou wouldst haue fallen if it had been in thy liberty to go forth at thy pleasure and it may be that if thou hadst not been debarred of thy liberty in this behalfe thou hadst been peraduenture euen now tormeÌ„ted in hell fire for all eternity God hath deliuered thee from these and other like dangers not to be numbred by the meanes of this thy Enclosure for this thou hast most iust cause to loue it And seeing thou hast made a promise of it to God thou must keep it exactly to the end thou maist merit and make thy profit therof Of the Ioy which the Religious ought to make vpon the day of their Conuersion and what ioy it ought to be vnto them IT would be good to haue a particuler deuotion of thy Vows that is to say that euery yeare thou make a festiuity of the Day that thou didst enter into Religion and madest thy vowes For as we euery yeare celebrate the day of the dedication of a materiall Church so ought we in like manner and with more iust reason keep solemne the day of the dedication of our Soule which is the liuing Temple of the Maiesty diuine And for the well effecting thereof thou mayst practise and do these three thinges 1. In the first place thou must make a generall Confession of all the yeare past 2. In the second thou must offer thy selfe anew to God to serue him in perpetuall Pouerty Chastity Obedience and Enclosure being sory for not hauing for the tyme past perfectly kept that which thou hast promised him and for hauing profited so meanely in vertue and in his holy seruice 3. Lastly thou must take new hart new forces renewing thy holy purposes and thy first desires and feruours returning to thy exercises intermitted and endeauouring to perfect thy selfe in them Further thou must see if thou canst by the grace of God find out any other meanes more proper and easy for helping of thee to put in execution all that which thou art to do and in particuler thou must haue at al tyms this desire to renew thy selfe in the vertue of prayer and in the exercise of all other vertues O how would this festiuity and celebration of this thy Conuersion day of entring into ReligioÌ„ haue profited thee if thou hadst done it as thou shouldst But thy own slouth and negligence hath beene an occasion that thou hast omitted to vse the meanes and helps that God hath affoarded thee And therefore pray thou instantly that he would please to pardon thy passed faults and to giue thee grace to do thy endeauour better for the tyme to come FINIS THE RELIGIOVS MANS LOOKING-GLASSE Or a short way of attayning to Perfection in Religion I The principall study of a Religious man 1. TO deny himselfe 2. To roote out Vices 3. To plante Vertues 4. To dye to himselfe and to the world 5. To loue God II. What is necessary to obtaine peace of the mind 1. To desire and seek what is most humble and abiect 2. To keep silence 3. Not to contradict 4. Not to intrude himselfe 5. With indifferency to accept all things at Gods hand III. A Religious man must exercise himselfe continually 1. In Humility and Charity 2. In Patience and Mortification 3. In Reading and Praying 4. In Meditation of the life of Christ 5. In Communication with God IIII. Thinges specially to be auoyded by a Religious man 1. The familiarity of Women 2. Singularity and proper iudgment 3. Selfe-will and selfe-loue 4. Idlenes and the care of the belly 5. Pride and Vaine-glory V. What a Religious man must do at home and in his Cell or Chamber 1. To thinke God to be present and to see all thinges 2. To withstand the suggestions of the Diuell 3. To read and study how to do and liue well 4. To stir vp himselfe to Prayer and Meditation 5. To arme himselfe that he may go forth with safety and profit VI. The office of a Superiour towards his subiects 1 To loue all alike 2. To be watchful that Religious discipline be obserued 3. To be exemplar himselfe vnto al. 4. To instruct and correct in spirit of lenity and mildenes 5. To pray to God for all VII The office of a subiect towards his Superiour 1. To loue him as his Father 2. To honour him as his Lord. 3. To heare him as a Doctor or Teacher 4. To obey him as Christ himselfe 5. To pray to God for him VIII A Religious mans offiâ—e and duty towards his brethren 1. To loue them all in our Lord. 2. To hold them all fâ—r his betters 3. To admonish them in Charity 4. To support them with Patience 5. To edify them by good Example IX What is to be done in the morning early 1. To arise speedily at the tyme appointed 2. Forthwith to present himselfe in Gods sight and seruice 3. To giue him thanks for that nights preseruation 4. To conceiue good purposes 5. To craue help and grace for the due execution thereof X. What is to be obserued about Prayer and Meditation 1. To prepare the mind and the matter 2. To expell Thoughts which diuert or hinder vs. 3. To perseuere therein with Constancy 4. With an humble hart to follow the inspirations of the Holy Ghost 5. To be sorry for the defects committed therein and to giue thankes for the good successe if any hath beene XI What thinges are often to be handled and thought vpon in Prayer 1. The Knowledge of our selues and sorrow for our sinnes 2. The foure last thinges of man 3. The benefits of God 4. The life and passion of Christ 5. Conuersation with God and his Saints XII What is to be obserued about Confession 1. To examine our Conscience well 2. To be hartily sorry for our sinnes 3. To confesse our sinnes entierly 4. Earnestly to purpose amendment of our life 5. Forthwith to fulfill the pennance inioyned vs. XIII What is to be obserued about the Sacrifice of the Masse 1. To clense the Conscience first by Confession 2. To come vnto it with an humble and contrite hart 3. With reuerence and deuotion to offer it vp to the glory of God for himselfe and for the Church 4. To communicate with a spirituall hungar and Charity 5. To go away with thankesgiuing XIIII What is to be done after Masse 1. In hart to hide himselfe with Christ 2. To offer himselfe all that he is or can tâ— Christ 3. To lay open his owne and others neceâ—sityes vnto Christ 4. To aske of Christ many thinges for himselfe and for others 5. To desire long after eternal Happineâ—â— XV. What is to be obserued in saying Office 1. To purge the hart from whatsoeuer otheâ— thoughts 2. To procure deuotion 3. To attend to the sense of the words anâ— to God 4. To speake the words distinctly and perfectly 5. Not to make hast to come to an end XVI What is to be done about the Examen of the Conscience 1. To aske light of God 2. To giue thankes for his benefits 3. To discusse and examine well the Conscience 4. To be sorry for our sinnes 5. To purpose amendment XVII What is to be pondered in the examination of the Conscience 1. The transgression of thy Vowes 2. Thy tepidity coldnes in Gods seruice 3. The distraction of thy mind 4. The bad motions of thy mynd 5. Detractions and Murmurations XVIII What is to be obserued in the Refectory 1. To be silent 2. To seeke mortification 3. To eate and drinke soberly 4. To be attent to that which is read 5. To feed the soule spiritually XIX How to behaue thy selfe abroad without dores 1. Diligently to guard and keep the gates of thy senses 2. To obserue and keep Grauity and Religious Modesty 3. Not to giue eare to Vanityes or Noueltyes 4. To speake and treat of spiritual matters 5. To dispatch quickly and soone returne home XX. To be obserued in thy bad 1. To commend thy selfe to God to thy Angell Guardian and other thy holy Patrons 2. To thinke of Death and of thy graue 3. To arme thy selfe against temptations and suggestions of the Diuell 4. To call vpon God as often as thou awakest 5. Not to lye longer theÌ„ thou must needs FINIS