old to wit that of Arrius who denied the Son to be coeternal and consubstantial with the Father And that of Sabellius who confounded the Persons in the Trinity putting only a nominal difference whereas they truly differ in their Properties For the Father properly has Innascibility the Son properly Nascibility the Holy Ghost Procession CHAP. XXXIV Of Discretion TRUE Discretion is prudently to judge betwixt the Creator and the Creature what the Creator is and what the Creature Also to discern what is good what better and what the best of all what is bad what worse what the worst of all How much God is to be desired and how much Evil to be detested Also what Reverence one ought to have to his Superior what Clemency and Compassion to his Inferior and what Society to his Equal how he ought to behave himself to the Dead how to the Living how to his Predecessors and how to those that are to succeed him How to his Friends that they be loved in God and how to his Enemies that they be loved for God How secretly before God and how openly before men What refection is to be given to the Flesh and what to the Spirit What Cloths he is to wear When he is to eat when to drink when to abstain and how much and from what meats when to Watch and when to sleep and how much and how long When to pray when to weep and when to do any work How to behave himself to praise and how to reprove When to speak and when to be silent how much for what causes with whom in what place and at what time When to receive when to retain and when to give and how much and to whom and and at what time To order and prudently to discern Concerning all these things is the work of true Discretion This Vertue is the mistress of all Virtues appointing unto them all their Measure and Order But where discretion is not there charity does not observe Order What is to be loved in the first place and what in the last nor measure what is to be loved less and what more S. Augustin testifies where Humility is too much observed the Autority of him that rules is broken There obedience is blind and foolish where one believes he is to obey even in ill things There Liberality is too profuse when one gives without Necessity to Stage-players Where Discretion is not there Fear is dejected into Despair and Hope is turned into Presumtion There Justice shews too great Severity There Patience Mercy Meekness Benignity Goodness dissemble unjust things There Religion is dissolved into Licentiousnes Truth falsified Chastity violated Maturity made light Constancy quite changed This Virtue encreases by the failing of other Virtues For when a man often falls from Humility into Pride or Vain-glory from Charity into Envy from Patience into Anger from Meekness into Rancor from Fervor into Tepidity from Chastity into carnal Concupiscence from love of Poverty into Covetousness from Peace into Disquiet from Union into Discord from Obedience into Rebellion from matutiry into Levity from Religion into Dissolution from Silence into Talkativeness or Detraction from spiritual Love into Carnal from Hope into Presumption from a just Fear into Humane and Servile from Justice into Severity from Mercy into Softness from Constancy into Mutableness from Truth into Falseness then indeed one is made more cautious and more sollicitous and discreet in all things Helps to true Discretion are diligent reading and meditation in the Holy Scriptures continual search into the Examples of Saints frequent Counsel from discreet Persons according to that Tob. 4. Alwayes ask counsel of the wise Whence our Lord to Paul Acts 9. Arise and enter into the City and it shall be told thee what thou art to do In like manner he sent the Lepers Luke 17. Go shew your selves to the Priests Not to one only but to more that if one be less discreet another more discreet may be sought He has an Argument of true Discretion who does all his works with the counsel of the Discreet whom if he cannot always have he discusses all his Works and Affairs in his own Conscience before God with true Discretion and mature Deliberation according to that Eccles 32. Son do nothing without counsel and thou shalt not repent thee afterwards Yet let him not in this neither always believe his own Conscience unless he have the manifest testimony of the Scripture Neither let him by any means wrest the Scripture to his own sense but conform his sense to the Scripture He has an Argument of Indiscretion who above his strength labours in Watchings Fastings Prayers Disciplines and Tears destroying himself in a short time he is made unprofitable in the Service of God for many years But alas there are few in our days guilty of this Excess He has an Argument of false Discretion who being careful not to destroy his Body neglects nothing which makes for its commodity saying to the Lord My Strength I will keep for thee Psal 58. And in the mean time the Spirit faints and pines away for want of spiritual Food which by no means can be had without Labour whence St. Augustin Whilst we fear the weakness of our Flesh we neglect the health of our Soul Because the Flesh if it be daintily fed kills the Spirit As the Moth eats up the Wool and the Fire consumes Wood Hey and Straw so the rebellious and dainty Flesh burns up and consumes the Soul Such an one does not consider that at length his Flesh shall be destroyed although it should enjoy all sorts of Commodities As Secular People giving all pleasure to their Bodies do not serve God the more but are more frequently sick However it is better that the Spirit should live replenished with Grace in a languid Body than that it should be languid or dead in a sound Body CHAP. XXXV Of Congratulation TRUE Congratulation which regards God is to rejoyce with God for all his Beatitude and eternal innate Perfection to wit for his Omnipotency Wisdom Goodness c. and that he wants nothing but is sufficient for himself and all Creatures Also to rejoyce with God for the orderly Disposition of Heaven and Earth and of all things that are in them and for all his Works from the beginning of the World to the end thereof especially for the works of his Incarnation Circumcision Passion Resurrection Ascension and Mission of the Holy Ghost and for all his Judgments manifest and secret about Devils about Souls in Hell Lymbus and Purgatory and about wicked men in the World Also to rejoyce with God for whatsoever Praise and Honour he has from Angels and Saints in Heaven and from Men on Earth True Congratulation to our Neighbours is to rejoyce with all the Angels and Saints for their glory in Heaven to rejoyce with the B. Virgin Mary with the Patriarchs and Prophets with the Apostles and all the Elect with all holy men
in the Church and upon Earth for all the gifts they have received and shall receive from God Also to rejoyce with Sinners for their Conversion with the Just for their Confortation and Conservation in Grace and with the Church for the Sacraments and Gifts of the Holy Ghost The exceeding great profit of true Congratulation ought to induce us thereunto for whatsoever Perfection Goodness and Beatitude the omnipotent God has naturally in himself whatsoever Glory the Angels and Saints have in Heaven and whatsoever Grace and Virtue there is in the Church and the faithful have in it all this by Congratulation is made proper to every one It ought to induce us to the same also that the Congratulation of the Father Son and Holy Ghost is the Origine of all Creatures and always was and now is the Principle of all the Divine Works He has an Argument of true Congratulation who is delighted in all things which are in God whom the Order of the Church and all die Works and Judgments of God and the Divine Manners and most holy Examples of our Lord Jesus Christ and of all his Friends do heartily please and he commends them all with his Words and manifests them to others Also who has spiritual Joy in all the natural spiritual and gratuit Gifts of the Angels and Saints in Heaven and of all men on Earth and always and every where according to his Power cooperates with them all He has an Argument of false Congratulation who with his Mouth commends all the Divine Ordination in Heaven and in Earth and the Works of the Just and their Virtues and their holy Life but dispraises them all in his Heart such our Lord upbraids in Esaias chap. 29. This People draws near to me with their Mouth and honours me with their Lips but their Heart is far from me Such are cut off from the Body of the Church who do not by Congratulation participate the Goods of the Body CHAP. XXXVI Of Confidence TRUE and perfect Confidence is a Security of Mind that the omnipotent and faithful God never leaves his Friends according to that Eccles 2. No body has hoped in God and was confounded for who has remained in his Commandments and was forsaken He has true Confidence who is assured that the good God is always present with his Servants in their Afflictions and is always ready to deliver them out of Temptations and to glorifie whom he has delivered according to that Psal 90. I am with him in Tribulation I will deliver him and will glorifie him As he was with Daniel in the Lyons Den Dan. 14. With Noah in the Ark Gen. 7. With Joseph in the Cistern Gen. 37. With the three Children in the fiery Furnace Dan. 3. And all these he most graciously delivered Whence S. Peter 2 Epist 2. The Lord knows how to deliver the Godly out of Temptation And Sarah says in Tobias ch 3. This every one who worships thee holds for certain that his Life if it shall have been proved it shall be crowned but and if he shall have been in Tribulation he shall be delivered and if he shall have been in Correction he may come to thy Mercy For thou art not delighted in our Destruction because after a Tempest thou makest a Calm and after Tears and Weeping thou infusest Joy He has true Confidence who does not doubt but that all his Prayers and all his just Desires are heard For St. Chrysostom says If thou shalt approach to God with this Zeal of Mind and shalt say I will not depart to wit unless I receive thou shalt certainly receive if thou ask such things as it behoves him to give who is asked and as are expedient for thee to receive who askest them This Vertue is very laudable and of great merit before God to which the Apostle exhorts us saying Heb. 10. Do not lose your Confidence which has a great Reward It ought to induce us to true Confidence that the most liberal God without our asking oftentimes gives us greater things of his mere incomprehensible Bounty than we should dare to ask for the Father has created us to the Image of the Trinity and his most holy Son has given us his Flesh for Food and his Blood for Drink and his Soul to be the price of our Redemption And who could ever once have dared to think of such gifts as these The Posture of our Lord Jesus on his Cross ought to induce us to the same for of this St. Bernard says Who would not be raised up to Hope and to a Confidence of obtaining if he would consider the posture of the Body of Christ on the Cross Behold his Head bowed down to kiss thee his Arms stretched out to embrace thee his Hands bored through to give thee Gifts his Side opened to love thee his whole Body stretched forth to bestow his whole self upon thee He has an Argument of true Confidence whose Conscience does not reprehend him of mortal Sins witness St. John 1Epist 3. If our Heart reprehend us not we have Confidence in God and whatsoever we ask we shall receive from him Whence we read of Susanna Dan. 13. Her Heart had confidence in God because she knew her self innocent of the crime objected against her Another Argument of true Confidence he has who continually exercises himself in good Works especially in spiritual Alms which is to remit Injuries and moreover to pray for those who injure us concerning which it is said in Tobias chap. 4. Almsgivings delivers from all Sin and from Death and will not suffer the Soul to go into Darkness Alms-deeds are great Confidence before the most high God to all that do them Another Argument of true Confidence of the pardon of his Sins he has who does true Penance for them in his Youth and Health witness St. Augustin If any man in his last Sickness desire to receive Penance and does receive it and is reconciled at the same time and dies immediately I confess unto you that we do not indeed refuse him what he demands but also we do not presume that he dies well I do not presume that I will not deceive you I do not presume it He who lives well after his Baptism he who is baptized in the Article of Death he who during his Health does Penance is reconciled and lives well afterwards all these dye with Assurance of their Salvation But as for him who does not Penance and who is not reconciled but upon his Death-bed if you ask me if he dye with Assurance of Salvation I will answer you that I am not assured of it And a little after Do I say then he shall be damned I do not say so But do I say then he shall be saved No. What do I say then I know not I do not presume I do not promise I know not Would'st thou fee thy self of this Doubt Would'st thou avoid this Vncertainty Do Penance whilst thou art in Health for
Who gives by Compulsion or for Favor or for hope of Grace in this Life and Glory in the other or for fear of the Judge who has commanded to give and who will not permit the Transgression of this his Precept to pass unpunished CHAP. XVIII Of Truth TRUTH is right and just when the Mind Tongue and Works truly agree so that what one thinks in his Heart he utters with his Mouth and performs by his Deeds after the Example of the Apostle inviting us Phil. 3. Brethren be ye Imitators of me and observe those that is imitate those who walk so as ye have our pattern That is says the Gloss As I believe teach and live He is true who inviolably observes all his Vows to God or men and by Deed fulfills all his words once spoken unless he somtimes change them upon better consideration According to that of Isidore In ill promises rescind thy faith and in an a sinful Vow change thy purpose so God Almighty somtimes has changed his Sentence as is manifest in Ezechias and the Ninevites For he told Ezechias by Esaias that he should dy and yet after his tears he added fifteen years to his life Esai 38. and he told the Ninevites by the preaching of Jonas that within forty days their City should be destroyed which notwithstanding upon the humiliation of King and People he permitted to stand Jona 3. It ought to induce us to the love of the Truth that Christ is the Truth Joh. 14. And because Truth is ever amiable in it self And although Truth be sometimes grievous and intolerable to some this is not from Truth but from their own perverse Will which they would gladly fulfill if the Truth were not contrary unto them To the chaste and humble Truth is amiable which commends Chastity and Humility and detests Impurity and Pride because she is very contrary to the Impure and Proud who have strengthened themselves in her opposites Also because Truth overcomes all things 3 Esdras 3. And because Truth is immutable as our Lord Jesus saies Luke 16. Heaven and Earth shall sooner pass away than one title fall from the Law And in S. Math. Ch. 5. Verily I say unto you until Heaven and Earth pass away one Iota or one title shall not fall from the Law until all things be done An Argument of Truth is when a man neither for the Favour of any one nor for his own Advantage nor for loss of Goods or Life leaves the Truth Nor Dissembles nor Conceals it in others Nor ever on purpose sayes or designs to say any thing that is false Nor goes from his word once spoken unless for a just Cause After the example of Balaam saying Num. 22. If Balack would give me a house full of Gold and Silver I cannot change the word of my Lord to speak more or less And also after the Example of Jeremy Micheas Daniel and other Prophets who could by no means be overcome to deviate never so little from the Truth by word or deed An Argument of Falsity is to have one thing in the Mouth and another in the Heart and easily to go from his word without any profitable or necessary reason For not only he is a betrayer of the Truth as says St. Chrysostom who transgressing the Truth manifestly speaks a Lye in place of Truth but also he who does not freely speak the Truth which he ought freely to speak or does not freely defend the Truth which he ought freely to defend For as a Priest is obliged freely to preach the Truth which he has heard from God so a Lay-man is obliged faithfully to defend the Truth which he has heard from the Priests and is proved in the Scriptures which if he do not do he is a Betrayer of the Truth CHAP. XIX Of Meekness TRUE Meekness or Gentleness is when for Injuries and Affronts the Mind is not exasperated nor is any bitterness of Heart manifested exteriourly but he who is injured is as a man not hearing and not having Reproofs in his Mouth Psal 37. After the Example of Jesus Christ concerning whom Esaias chap. 53. And he shall not open his mouth he shall be led as a Sheep to the Slaughter and as a Lamb before the Shearer he shall be dumb and not open his mouth Whence the Gloss upon St. Matthew says He is meek whom Sowerness or Bitterness of Mind does not affect but the simplicity of Faith instructs to endure all Injustice He is meek whom neither Rancor nor Anger affects but he suffers all contentedly Of this great Virtue our Lord made himself as it were the Master which he would not have done if it had not been of highest Perfection Learn says he Mat. 11. of me because I am meek and humble of Heart The meek does not provoke nor is he provoked he does not hurt nor does he contrive to hurt he is meek who over-rules bad manners Hitherto the Gloss The Beatitude promised by Christ our Lord ought to induce us to the Love of Meekness Mat. 5. Blessed are the meek for they shall possess the Earth St. Augustin That Earth I believe of which it is said in Psal 141. Thou art my Hope my Portion in the Land of the Living And a little after Blessed are the Meek because they shall possess the Earth out of which they cannot be driven Of this Earth Psal 36. But the meek shall inherit the Earth and shall be delighted in much Peace Also S. Peter 1 Ep. 5. He will give Glory to the Meek to wit God Further Let the Meek hear and be glad Psal 33. An Argument of true Meekness is when the Mind does not murmur in Affliction nor does the reviled return biting Words nor shew any bitterness in his Countenance but always reserves his Mind quiet for the Inhabitation of God An Argument of false Meekness is when a man utters soft and mild Words and shews a meek Countenance and yet bears a grievous Bitterness in his Mind CHAP. XX. Of Faith TRUE Faith is to believe the Father and Son and Holy Ghost to be one true God and that in these three Persons there is one indivisible Deity equal Glory co-eternal Majesty Every one of them is uncreated immense eternal supremely Good Wise Omnipotent God and Lord nor are there three uncreated immense eternal good wise omnipotent or three Gods or three Lords but there is one uncreated immense eternal good wise omnipotent only God and Lord. And amongst these three Persons none is before or after because they are co-eternal nor is any one lesser or greater because they are as to all things and in all things equal yet they differ in their Properties because the Father is unbegotten having his Origine from none but the Son is begotten by the Father Light of Light True God of True God the Holy Ghost is neither created nor begotten but equally proceeding from both Also true Faith commands us to believe that our Lord Jesus Christ is true
was taken away be restored Against this it is said in Ecclesiasticus Chap. 34. One building and another throwing down what profit have they but their Labour He throws down who is sorry for his Sins he builds who continues in a will to Sin concerning such a building St. Augustin says Out of a perverse will is made lust or desire And whilst lust is served there is made a custom And whilst a custom is not resisted there is made a necessity CHAP. XL. Of Confession TRUE Confession is a sincere and rightful manifestation of Sins without concealment to a Priest This our Lord commanded when he said to the Lepers Luk. 17. Go shew your selves to the Priest And St. James chap. 5. Confess your Sins to one another To true Confession it is required that it be entire pure discreet faithful and perfect According to that of Lamentations 2. Pour out thy Heart as Water before the sight of the Lord. By pouring out is noted the Integrity for we must not industriously tell our Sins by drops which we have never confessed but whatsoever we can together call to Mind must altogether be poured out before one Priest as Water Where it is noted Confession ought to be simple and pure not made out of servile Fear or by Compulsion but purely and simply for God Thy Heart where is noted Discretion For not only our Words and Deeds Commissions and Omissions are to be confessed but also our unclean Thoughts and morose Affections inordinate Intentions noxious Wills perverse Judgment and rash Suspicions for Origen says That in that day Thoughts shall accuse and defend Souls not the Thoughts which then shall be but which are now in us of which certain Marks shall be left in the Heart as it were in Wax Before the Sight of God Where is noted the Fidelity and Perfection of Confession for all things are to be considered according to the Acknowledgment of God for where we acknowledge one Sin he in his Wisdom sees a thousand The assured Remission of Sins and the cleansing of the Soul ought to induce us to a true Confession according to that 1 Jo. 1. If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all Iniquity And because the Father Son and Holy Ghost are obliged to Remission and Pardon according to that Although God knows all things yet he expects the Voice of Confession For Christ has cause to intercede for thee and the Father has cause to pardon thee and whatsoever the Son wills the Father also wills and the Holy Ghost He has an Argument of true Confession who pours out all his Sins as Water so that there remain neither colour as in the pouring out of Milk nor Fatness or Savor as in the pouring out of Oyl or Blood nor smell as in the pouring out of Wine or Vinegar The colour remains when the Sin is told but the Occasion Provocation to sin is concealed as it happens in Gluttony or Fornication the Fatness or Savour remains when the Sin is told but quantity or long continuance of the delight in which Reason was wholly drowned is concealed according to that Psal 108. It has entred like Water into his Bowels and like Oyl into his very Bones The Smell remains when the Sin is told but the Infamy or bad Example and Scandal of others is concealed But he who rightly confesses manifests both the Sin and what went before it and what followed after it It is an Argument of true Confession when one confesses his Sins in Number Weight and Measure We must confess in Number that is how often we have sinned because a Wound often renewed is more slowly cured Also in Measure when one confesses the continuance of Sin for he who is longer sick sooner dies In Weight that is the grievousness of our Sins for Sin is aggravated from a sacred Place as a Church or Church-yard from a sacred Time or Person as if it were a Clergy-man who was hurt if a religious or married Person with whom one sinned An Argument of false Confession is when one confesses lest he should be reputed an Infidel or that he may be accounted more holy or lest the Holy Communion should be denyed him to his Confusion as Saul confessed lest he should have been confounded before fore the People by the Prophet Samuel CHAP. XLI Of Penance TRUE external Penance is an Abstinence from lawful things when pardon is asked for unlawful as says the Scripture So Penitents and Religious Persons abstain from Flesh reject Fine Cloaths Fast Watch afflict themselves with Disciplines keep Silence break their own Will and refrain from many Delights which would have been lawful to them if they never had committed any thing unlawful This our Lord and S. John Baptist commanded saying Do Penance for the Kingdom of God is at hand Math. 4. 3. The Necessity of true Penance ought to induce us thereunto for without it there is no Salvation our Lord saying Luke 13. Vnless ye have Penance ye shall all in like manner perish And S. Augustin Sins be they little be they great they cannot be unpunished Whence the Lord enjoyned David Penance for his Sin in numbring his People that he should either suffer seven years Famine or three years the Vengeance of his Enemies or three days Pestilence and David chose for himself and his People the common scourge of Death By this is signified that every one shall certainly be punished for his Sins either in Hell signified by the seven years Famine or in Purgatory signified by the Violence of Enemies for three Months or with temporal Punishment signified by the Pestilence of three Years So it is profitable to us to choose for our selves the easiest Penance and which soon passes away An Argument of true Penance is a due commensuration of the Pain to the Fault that according to the quantity of the Fault be the quantity and gravity of the Pain according to the delight of the Fault the bitterness of the Pain according to the length of the Fault the length of the Pain and according to the multiplicity of the Fault the multiplicity of the Pain as S. John prescribes Matth. 3. Do worthy fruits of Penance For as particular Infirmities of the Body have necessarily particular Medicines and no Medicine is of such efficacy as that it can cure all Diseases so also special kinds of Sins have their special Penance For Pride is not directly cured by Alms-giving nor Rancor and Envy by Prayer nor Covetousness by Fasting nor Impurity by Watching c. But we directly satisfie for Pride by Humility for Avarice by giving of Alms for Impurity by the chastizement of the Flesh with Hair-shirts and Disciplines for Gluttony by Fasting for Talkativeness by Prayer for Envy by Charity and remission of Injuries for Rapine and unjust possessions by Restitution c. But if any one as St. Chrysostom says cannot fulfill the whole Order of
was subject also both to good Men and bad yea even to the very Devils Moreover because all things sensible and insensible are obedient unto God and he has subjected them to Man to the end that he might understand that himself ought to be subject unto God The Sun and Moon were obedient unto Joshua Josh 10. The Earth to Moses when it swallowed up Cone Dathan and Abiram Numb 16. The Sea to St. Peter when he walked upon it Matth. 14. And to Moses when it drowned Pharaoh and his Army Exod. 14. Serpents to the Magicians in Egypt Exod. 7. Wild Beasts to the Eremites and Holy Fathers in Egypt as we read in their Lives The Air Snow and Hail to Samuel 1 Sam. 12. The Rain to Elias 1 Kings 17.18 And the Fire to him also which burnt up two Companies of fifty men a piece 2 Kings 1. The Birds to the Holy Father S. Francis The Devils to the Apostles and Diseases to Holy men who delivered the sick from them and many other Creatures to Moses in Egypt Exod. 7.8 9 10. And because all things are obedient to God in Heaven under Heaven in Purgatory and in Hell therefore deservedly man ought to obey God in all things fulfilling his Will and Commandments St. Bernard gives us the signs of true Obedience The truly obedient knows no delayes abhorrs putting off till to morrow is ignorant of Slowness prevents the Command puts in readiness the Eyes to see the Ears to hear he Tongue to speak the Hands to work the Feet to go he gathers up his whole self that he may fulfill the the Will of him that commands him The same St. Bernard says moreover Every good obedient Man gives up his Will and his Nill to wit into the hands of his Superiour that he may be able to say My Heart is ready O God my Heart is ready ready to do whatsoever thou shalt command me ready to obey at thy Beck yea sooner than thy Beck ready to attend to thee to serve may Neighbour to watch over my self and to rest in Contemplation of heavenly things A sign of Disobedience is when a Subject judges the Command of his Superiour to be unjust and hence murmurs in his Heart then he excuses himself as though he were neither able nor ought to fulfill the Command afterwards he subtilly devises divert ways of evading the Precept At last he persuades some or other by Counsel or Entreaties to hinder or retract the Command Not so Abraham who went away in the Night that he might forthwith fulfill what was commanded him leaving his Servants at the Foot of the Mountain lest they should hinder him from killing his most dear Son and therefore deserved a large Benediction for himself and his Seed CHAP. IV. Of Patience TRue and perfect Patience is when one endures Injuries patiently not only when he is guilty but also when he is innocent after the Example of Job saying I have not sinned and my Eye dwells in Bitterness Job 17. And although an Injury be more intolerable to the Innocent than to the Culpable yet an Injury both may and ought to be borne much more contentedly when no Fault remorces the Conscience than when one has deserved a Vexation for some precedent Fault according to St. Peter who says Let none of you suffer as a Murtherer or a Thief or a Reviler or a Coveter of other mens Goods but if as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God on this Account 1 Pet. 4. For it is better that ye suffer if so be the Will of God for well-doing than for doing ill 1 Pet. 3. For what Glory is it if doing ill and being buffetted ye bear it patiently But if doing well you suffer with Patience this is gracious before God 1 Pet. 2. That Patience is praise-worthy which endures Injuries patiently not only from the bad but also from those who seem to be good and Friends nor only for bad Deeds but even also for good Then the Soul is the beloved of God among the Daughters as a Lilly among Thorns Cant. 1. For a Lilly though it be pricked by Thorns it retains notwithstanding it 's Whiteness and sends forth a more fragrant Smell than if it were not pricked So a Soul the Spouse of God if it be afflicted by those who seem to be of the number and Society of the Sons of God yet it is not provoked to Impatience but endeavours carefully to preserve the Candour of a good Conscience and the sweet Odour of a good Name He is truly patient that not only endures patiently Troubles that are brought upon him but also desires Troubles should be brought upon him after the Example of Jesus Christ saying My Heart has looked for Reproach and Affliction Psal 68. The truly patient does not murmur amidst his Sufferings after the Example of Job who amidst his Pressures did not speak a foolish Word against God Job 1. but with a cheerful Mind he rejoyces in the Grievances he suffers and from the bottom of his Heart gives Thanks for them The truly Patient never excuses himself for any Injury that is done him even tho' asked but commits his Cause to the All-faithful God who in his own time will not fail to manifest the Innocency of all who suffer wrongfully as our Lord Jesus being interrogated by Pilate when falsly accused answered not a Word The truly Patient complains to none of the Injuries he suffers because by Complaints and Excuses the Mind is sometimes alleviated which Alleviation he regards not but alone with God he bears his Trouble until his pious and faithful Lord repeal it by some inward Comfort There are three things which deservedly incite true Patience The one is to understand that for our Sins we have deserved the eternal and bitter Pains of Hell for Exchange whereof we are afflicted with Corporal Inconveniences The other is that our Lord Jesus Christ by many divers and great Injuries suffered by him for a long time deserved for us that we might return his Love by being molested a little time The third is That the just God according to the Length Greatness and Sharpness of our Sufferings will weigh the Length Continuance Delight and Sweetness of our Joys the Apostle St. Paul testifying That a momentary light Tribulation for the present works for us on high above Measure an eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4. A sign of true Patience is not to revenge our selves when it is in our Power and also to hinder others from revenging of us after the Example of David who hindred Shimei from being kill'd who cast Stones and Dirt at him and call'd him a Man of Blood 2 Sam. 16. But the truly patient rather devoutly prays for those who injure him as did our Lord Jesus effectually for his Crucifiers and blessed Stephen for those who stoned him Yea the truly patient even compells Almighty God to have Mercy on those who injure him as did Moses saying
fasted every day except the Solemn Feasts Jud. 8. The great Profit which comes from the mortification of the Flesh ought to induce us to it For by the mortification of the Flesh the Spirit is strengthened in Spiritual exercises According to that of the Apostle 2 Cor. 12. For when I am weak in the Flesh then I am strong in Spirit And on the contrary by the cherishing of the Flesh the rigor of the Spirit is damped in Spiritual exercises according to that of St. Augustin The delicate Flesh burns up and consumes the Soul as the Fire Stubble An Argument of true Mortification is when no Pleasure but only what 's necessary is allowed to the Flesh according to that of the Apostle Rom. 8. We are Debtors not to the Flesh that we should live according to the Flesh For pleasure exacts many more things and more delicate than necessity requires but necessity is contented with a few things And the Apostle subjoyns the Evil which follows Pleasure saying If ye shall live according to the Flesh ye shall dye but if by the Spirit ye shall mortifie the Deeds of the Flesh ye shall live But the Works of the Flesh are manifest which are Fornication Vncleanness Immodesty Luxury Serving of Idols Witchcrafts Enmities Contentions Emulations Anger 's Brawlings Dissensions Sects Envies Murthers Drunkennesses Junkettings and such like which I fore-tel you as I have fore-told you that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Gal. 5. Another Argument is when any one according to the Counsel of Jesus Christ hates his own Soul in this World for our Lord himself says Luk. 14. If any one come to me and do not hate his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brothers and Sisters and moreover his own Soul he cannot be my Disciple Which St. Gregory expounding says For then we well hate our own Soul when we do not yield to it 's carnal Desires when we break it's Appetites resist it's Pleasures that therefore which by being contemned is led to something that 's better is as it were loved through Hatred But he who does not restrain his Soul from it's Concupiscences precipitates himself into the Snares of the Devil according to that of Ecclesiasticus chap. 18. If thou yieldest to thy Soul her Concupiscences she will make thee a Joy to thine Enemies As Dalila delivered up the valiant Sampson to the Philistins to be mocked Jud. 16. He has not an Argument of true Mortification who only bridles his Belly and Mouth from the Pleasure of Meat and Drink but bridles not his Tongue from unlawful Words nor his Sight Hearing Tasting Smell and Touching from their Delight nor his Heart from voluptuous Thoughts and Affections For it is a small matter to restrain the Mouth and Belly from Meats when the Heart and the five Senses are sed with Delights Whence St. Chrysostom They who abstain from Meats and do ill they imitate the Devils to whom not Meat but Wickedness is always present CHAP. XXXIX Of Contrition TRUE Contrition is a grief for Sins voluntarily assumed according to the quantity and quality of the Crimes with a purpose of confessing and making Satisfaction proceeding from the free grace of God for a natural Grief or a Grief without grace profits or is good for nothing Jeremy expresses the quantity of the Grief when he says Make to thy self the mourning for an only Son This the Lord commanded in Joel saying Cut your Hearts To this cutting are helpful the Thorns Nails Rods Whips Cross and Spear which cut the body of our Lord Jesus Christ True Contrition is very rare as testifies St. Gregory We must know that there are some who although leaving the World they offer indeed all they have and yet have not Compunction in the good things which they do nor must we always believe there is true Compunction where there are Sighs and Tears for such things are often wont to come from the fear of Hell or from the consideration of some Damage or from natural Grief or from natural Compassion when one remembers the Enormity of his Crimes or the most bitter Passion of Jesus Christ To true Contrition is required a grief for all the Sins we have committed and for all the good we have omitted and for all the Graces neglected to our selves and others and also for those which might by occasion of us be committed or neglected It will move us to true Contrition if we seriously think what we have lost by Sin to wit the Holy Ghost with his Gifts and all gratuit Graces the Friendship of the B. Trinity and the Society of the celestial Court Also what we have got by Sin to wit eternal Death the Malediction of God the Father as the Psalmist testifies Psal 118. Cursed are they who decline from thy Commandments The Hatred of our Lord Jesus Christ who hates all those who work Iniquity The departure of the Holy Ghost Who takes himself away even from Thoughts which are without Vnderstanding as he says in the book of Wisdom chap. 1. But much more from wicked Works for these are worse and more horrible than the very pains of Hell as says St. Chrysostom The great Profit also proceeding from the same ought to induce us thereunto for the least Contrition effaces all the blots of the Soul kills eternal Death confers the Benediction of God the Father restores the Friendship of God the Son the Familiarity of the Holy Ghost and the Society of the supernal Citizens And Contrition how little soever it be more satisfies than the greatest Alms we can give All these things often weighed in the ballance of the Heart are inductive of true Compunction He has an Argument of true Contrition who does so detest the filthiness of Sin that he would rather chuse all the pains of Purgatory than commit any Sin against his most gracious God and who would expose himself rather to the pains of Hell with Eleazarus than for the future deliberately commit any Sin which also St. Augustin says ought rather to be chosen And who would most willingly endure the torments of all the Martyrs that he might hereby merit never more to commit any Sin and who would offer himself to all the Sufferings of the Sick and Poor that he might duely satisfie God for his Offences He has an Argument of false Contrition who although he weep bitterly for the Sins he has committed yet instantly after his Grief he is not afraid to commit the same or other Sins Against this it is said in Ecclesiasticus ch 34. He who is washed from the Dead and again touches the dead what doth his washing profit him In like manner he who is sorry for his past Sins and does not resolve for the future to leave his Sins to wit his Pride Envy carnal Friendship fleshly Delights or the unjust Possession of the Goods of others Concerning which S Augustin says The Sin is not forgiven unles that which
God and true Man eternally born of his Father according to his Deity but temporally born of his Mother according to his Humanity and in all things equal to his Father according to his Divinity who assumed a Soul out of nothing and Flesh of the most pure Blood of the B. Virgin Mary Impassible and immortal according to his Divinity passible and mortal according to his Humanity Moreover he who has true Faith believes all the Articles of Faith firmly and without doubting seven belonging to the Divinity and seven to the Humanity of Jesus Christ The Faith of the ancient Faithful to wit of Abraham Isaac and Jacob Moses and such like ought to induce us to true Faith Also of Infidels and Gentiles to wit Job Rahab the Harlot and such like By this all the Ancients pleased God And without Faith it is impossible to please God as the Apostle says Heb. 11. There is a double benefit of Faith which also ought to induce us unto it For true Faith can do all things and obtaines all things Witness our Lord Jesus Christ who saies Mark. 9. All things are possible to him that believes And Chap. 11. All things whatsoever ye ask in Prayer believe that ye shall receive them and they shall happen unto you And in the same chapter Verily I say unto you That whosoever shall say to this Mountain Be taken away and be cast into the Sea and shall not doubt in his Heart that whatsoever he shall say may be done it shall be done As the Caspian mountains at the Prayer of Alexander were united S. Antoninus An Argument of true Faith is a frequent Exercise of good Works For as the Body is dead without the Spirit so Faith without Works is dead As says S. James Chap. 2. An Argument of false Faith is not to believe the Scripture in all things but to think that all things happen by Destiny or by the course of Nature and not from the Providence of God Also S. Chrysostom says He does not believe God to be who does those things secretly God being present which he is afraid to do publickly men being present Also S. Hierom He is no true Christian who dares not die in the state in which he dares live Alas there were many hereticks of old of which S. Hierom writes We so confess free Will as we say that we always want the help of God And that they do as well err who with Manichaeus say a man cannot avoid Sin as those who with Jovinian say a man cannot Sin because both take away the Liberty of the Soul But we say Man has always both Power to sin and also Power not to sin CHAP. XXI Of Hope TRUE and perfect Hope is a certain Expectation of future Beatitude proceeding from the Grace of God and antecedent Merits these two are necessary to Hope For the Grace of God is not preserved but by Merits and no Body is saved by Merits without Grace Hope therefore without Merits is not Hope but Presumption He has true Hope who though he often exercise himself in good Works yet he never confides in his own Merits but only in the superabundant Goodness and Bounty of God knowing not whether his good Works please God or no seeing all our Righteousness is as the Cloth of a menstruous Woman Isa 64. He has true Hope who offers to God a just Sacrifice according to that Sacrifice a Sacrifice of Justice and hope in the Lord Psal 4. A just Sacrifice is our Lord Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God who upon the Altar of the Cross offered himself to God for the Sins of the whole World a more ample Satisfaction than the whole World did owe. For as St. Ambrose says one drop of so precious Blood had sufficed to redeem all Mankind but he poured it out abundantly that he might shew the abundance of his Love In this Sacrifice is all our Hope and Health according to that of St. Bernard I have sinned a great Sin my Conscience is troubled but not to despair because I remember the Wounds of my Lord for he was wounded for our Iniquities What is so to Death which may not be cured by the Death of Christ If then so powerful and so effectual a Medicine come into my Mind I can no longer be terrified with the malignity of my Disease And therefore it is manifest he mistook who said my Iniquity is greater than that I may deserve Pardon Gen. 4. And a little after I what is wanting to me in my self confidently usurp to me out of the Bowels of my Lord because they flow with Mercy nor are Holes wanting through which they may flow forth They have pierced his Hands and his Feet Psal 21. and opened his Side with a Lance that through these Chincks I might suck Honey out of the Rock and Oyl out of a hard Stone Deut. 32. That is Might taste and see how sweet the Lord is Psal 33. And a little after The piercing Nail is made to me an Opening Key that I may see the Will of my Lord. And why should I not see through the hole The Nail cryes the Wound crys that God is in Christ reconciling the World to himself Again a little after The Secrets of his Heart is manifest through the Holes of his Body The great Sacrament of Piety is manifest The Bowels of the Mercies of our Lord are manifest with which from on high he has visited us Luke 1. For why should not Bowels be seen through Wounds For in what O Lord could it be seen more clearely than in thy Wounds that thou art sweet and mild and of great Mercy For greater Mercy than this has none than that one should lay down his Life for those that are appointed and condemned to dye Wherefore my merit is the Mercy of my Lord. Hitherto S. Bernard The Mercy of our Lord manifestly appeared in many things for he Fasted Watched Prayed Sweat was Weary Wept was Whipt Suffered was Crucified that in him we might have a Supply of all our Wants We ought to be induced to the Hope of Beatitude by the exceeding great Love of our Lord Jesus which constrained him to purchase our Salvation with so sharp Dolors And that we might not miss of the Salvation he has merited for us he has given us his Angels for our Protection his Scriptures for our instruction and his own and his Saints Examples to point out our way and his Body and Blood for our Comfort and Strength He has an Argument of true Hope who valiantly resists Evils and is courageous in doing Good who manfully attempts hard things and stoutly perseveres in them according to that Psalm 30. Behave yourselves like men and let your Heart be strengthened all ye that Hope in the Lord. He has an Argument of false Hope who transgresses the Divine Precepts and his Vows neglecting to correct his Life according to the Scripture and presuming over-much upon the Goodness of God
he reveal his secret to his Servants But he revealed all his Will and all Perfection to his Apostles by his only begotten Son as he says Jo. 15. All things whatsoever which I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you To the end that they might reveal the same to Posterity which also they have faithfully done For their sound went out into all the Earth and their Words unto the ends of the World Psal 18. But amongst the Apostles he revealed and declared his greatest Secrets to S. John the Evangelist and to S. Paul Amongst other things he revealed to them the eight Beatitudes saying Mat. 5. Blessed are the poor in Spirit c. Blessed are the Meek c. which Beatitudes contain in them great Perfection and declare the perfect Will of God There is a difference betwixt Contemplation Meditation and Cogitation for in Cogitation the Mind wanders in Meditation it finds out something in Contemplation it admires Cogitation is without Labour and without Fruit Meditation is with Labour and with Fruit Contemplation is without Labour and with Fruit. We are brought to the Contemplation of God by three Degrees concerning which St. Gregory The first is That the Soul recollect it self to it self The Second is that it see it self what it is thus recollected The Third is That it arise above it self and submit it self attending to the Contemplation of it's invisible Maker But it can by no means recollect it self to it self unless it have first learnt to restrain the Phantasms of terrestrial and celestial Images from the Eye of the Mind unless it have learnt to reject and trample upon whatsoever shall occur to it's Thought from the corporeal Sight Hearing Smelling Tasting or Touching that it may seek it self such within as it is without those for whilst it thinks upon those things it turns over within it self as it were certain shadows of Bodies Therefore all those things are to be driven away from the Eyes of the Mind by the hand of Discretion that the Soul may consider it self such as it is created under God above the Body that being vivificated by the Superior it may vivificated the Inferior which it administers We often will consider the invisible nature of Almighty God but we are not able and the Soul wearied with those difficulties returns to it self and makes to it self of it self degrees of Ascensions that first of all if it be able it may consider it self and then find out that Nature which is above it as far as it is able But if our Mind shall be dispersed in carnal Images it is by no means sufficient to consider it self or the Nature of the Soul because by as many Thoughts as it is lead it is as it were blinded by so many Obstacles The first Degree therefore is that the Soul c. The Motives to Contemplation are the ineffable Sweetness which is there perceived the admirable Perfection which is there learn'd the principal of all Beatitude which is there found for the Fountain of all Beatitude the most High God is there known and what is known that is loved and what is truly loved is desired and laboured for that it may be obtained and what is industriously laboured for that is at length acquired and when at length it shall be acquired it is possessed with endless Delight Of this St. Bernard A Soul which has once learnt of our Lord and has received of him to enter into her self and in her most inward recesses to pant after the presence of God and to seek his Face alwayes for God is a Spirit and they who seek him must walk in the Spirit and not in the Flesh that they may live according to the Flesh Such a Soul I say I know not whether she would count it more horrible and painful to experiment Hell it self for a time than after having tasted the Sweetness of this spiritual Study to go out again to the Allurements or rather to the Troubles of the Flesh and to return to the insatiable Curiosity of the Senses Ecclesiastes saying chap. 2. The Eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the Ear with hearing For hear an experienced man what he says Thou art good says he O Lord to those who hope in thee to the Soul which seeks thee From this Good if any one should have endeavoured to have averted that holy Soul I believe he would hardly have taken it otherwise than if he should have seen himself to have been cast out of Paradise and from the very Entrance of Glory Hear yet another like unto this My Heart says he has said to thee my Face has sought thee thy Face O Lord will I seek Whence he said But it is good for me to adhere to God And also speaking to his Soul he says Be converted O my Soul into thy Rest because the Lord has done well unto thee I say therefore unto you that there is nothing which one who has received this Favour does so much fear as lest being left by the Divine Grace it should be necessary for him to go out again to the Consolations yea the Desolations of the Flesh and again to suffer the Tumults of his carnal Senses In this Contemplation was St. Augustin when he said But it displeased me that I lived in the World and it was a great burden to me my sensual Desires not now inflaming me as they were wont with the hope of Honour and Money to endure that so grievous Servitude For now those things did not delight me by reason of thy sweetness and of the beauty of thy House which I loved He has an Argument of true Contemplation who is weary of living in this miserable World saying with B. Tobias chap. 3. It is better for me to dye than to live And with H. Job chap. 10. My Soul is weary of my Life And with St. Paul Rom. 7. Vnhappy Man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death And he who thirsts after the Fountain of Life saying with the Psalmist As the Hart thirsts after Fountains of Water so thirsts my Soul after thee O God Psal 41. Whence St. Gregory A contemplative Life is to retain indeed in the heart the Love of God and our Neighbour but to rest from exterior Action and to inhere only in the desire of the Creator so that nothing is now to be done but all Cares being trampled under Foot the Soul burns with desire to see the Face of it's Creator so that now it knows how to bear with Grief the weight of the corruptible Flesh and with all it's Forces to desire to be present amidst the sweet-singing Quires of Angels and to be mixed with the caelestial Citizens to rejoyce before God for eternal Incorruption He has an Argument of false Contemplation who holds something concerning God or some Perfection of God contrary to the Holy Scriptures which notwithstanding he temerariously defends by Reasons And hence came Heresies of