our selues begin that worke wherin our eternall glory and beatitude in heauen cheifly must consist For gods holye Sainctes clearlye behouldinge his nature essence are replenished with an infinite knowledge to iudge what goodnes glorye his Maiestie is worthy of also with an infinite desire and loue that he possesse the same Which burning desire loue of theirs when behouldinge God they see it fulfilled in more perfecte sorte then they can wishe imagine or comprehende they are rauished with vnspeakable ioyes gladnes The happye Sainctes in heauen haue the manifest vision perfect fruition of all his goodnes therefore their knowledg loue ioy is perfect We sinfull wormes on earthe by the lighte of our catholicke faith though obscurelye yet moste certainlye firmlye beleue the same which they behoulde And therefore God will that we occupy our powers as much as we can in the same loue desire ioy of the infinite goodnes glory of our Lorde For the more we loue him ioye in his goodnes here on earth the more perfecte and greater shall oure loue ioyes be in heauen I conceiue all this said Probus but many without doubt haue obteyned the perfecte loue of God requyred in this lyfe withoute all this adoe or knowledg of this way you haue taught me Many haue indeede said Alphonso loued God perfectly before this way was either known to me or taught in this manner by any that I haue hard but surely the ordinary way to get it haith bene this in substance For it is gathered owt of the holy Scriptures accordinge to the declaration of the holye Doctoures which haue writen of this matter Many haue thought thinke still that they haue gotten it verie easelye withowt these reasons meanes but comonly they fayled of it gott but the weake imperfecte loue which I spake of before If you thinke good we will now passe to the loue of oure neighbours Doe so I pray you said Probus OF THE LOVE OF OVR Neighboure AS the loue of God said Alphonso requyred before it all the exercyses and considerations we spake of so the loue of our neighbour of our selues requyred before theÌ„ the loue of god For it is necessary that these two loues procede from the loue of god otherwyse they can not be good or well ordered You muste know then that he which desireth to serue please God must mark and obserue two things The first is what God would haue him to doe The seconde in what manner he would haue it done For he shoulde haue small thanke or rewarde with God that shâ—uld doe his commaundemente if he did it not in the manner he commaunded it He haith bidden vs to loue one an other saying This is my precept that you loue one an other and with this in what sorte also we should doe it sayinge as I haue loued you He then that doth the firste shall not haue the high reward due to that loue except also he doe the seconde Now therefore to knowe how we ought one to loue an other we must consider how our Lord loued vs. First by many waies meanes he drew induced vs to the loue of god Then he taught vs by his owne example to suffer patiently all the aduersities of this world neuer sacking the raynes to vain delights aboue that which might be necessary to the sustentation of his body Then he dyed for vs that we mighte haue thereby vertues grace glorye In this kind of loue he meruelously exceeded was a most vehemente enemye to all vayne loue which now passeth among vs is ordinarily verie corrupt infecticus to our soules created to be the temples of God Accordinge to this example therefore of our Lorde we ought to frame our Loue towardes our neighboures castinge away all vanities which are accustomed to mixe them selues with our loue as to be much affected to some persons for that we see them vertuous deuout and in their conuersat on to be mylde graccous amiable In the loue of whom often good menns hartes are taken captyue finding greife disquietnes trouble of mynde to be without them or not to talke with them or not to be mutually beloued estemed of them All which kinde of affection loue is vaine and hurtfull to the seruantes of God Me think said Probus we mighte well loue others in this forte because we see them goddes seruants cheifly if we doe it for God If your frend said Alphonso had a seruant the loue of whom shoulde so hould captiue your hart so greatly increase that it more delighted you to conuâ—se and talke with him then with your frende were it not manifest that now you loue not the seruant for your frende but because his conuersation nature is sweete gratefull to you For though your loue towards that seruant begâ—n for your frendes sake yet now it is become inordinate and excessiue more for your owne pleasure delight you take in the seruant then wholly for respect of your frend Euen thus we may speake of that loue you rehearsed It is playne mockerie to say it is loue of our neighbour purely for god notwithstanding there be perhaps some part of spirituall loue therewith But he that is truly wholly addicted to God taketh noe parte from him but geuethe him all occupying bestowing his wholl affection on him or in some thinge that is wholly ordered or directed to him as such vaine loue can not be beinge more for some thing in a creature then for God Our loue should be towardes all the seruants of our Father aswell our enemies as frendes with so great affection as may proceede from the loue we haue to him that all other affections sett asyde onelye that may haue place which we owe vnto God To auoyde caste of all which supersiuous affections those things may help which I toulde you of before speakinge of the naturall affection of ioy of the vse of our will How then said Probus shoulde we loue our neighboures Our loue to them said Alphonso shoulde springe altogether from the loue of God that considering they are so highly beloued of him that he would yeld him self to death for them when yet they were his enemies we shoulde loue them all so much as to help them in all that is good nedefull for their bodies soules lyke as we are wonte loue them that muche delight vs Yea this we should do though their conuersation weare molestfull odious vnto vs entreatinge them curteously prouiding for their necessities as for them which are tenderly beloued of our heauenly Lorde Father who willeth commaundeth vs so to doe All this we ought to doe with as seruent a will as we caÌ„ for gratifying pleasinge obeyinge our Lorde how iniurious noysome soeuer they be vnto vs. It is verie harde said Probus for to beare such tender affection to
our enemies as we may doe to our frends benefactoures Our corrupt natures said Alphonso finde difficultie to loue our enemies but the children of God must not mesure nor order their actions by the inclination motions of their corrupte affections but by the rule of gods holy will and commaundement And a resolute will of seruing God maketh them noe lesse firme constante in louing him whom their owne inordinate affections would hate then him whom by the aboundance of benefites good turnes they are inclyned to loue Yet with all this you muste know that albeit our loue ought to be in this sort equally to euery one yet ought we first to shew it in good effects and benefites towards them that are vertuous them we are behoulden vnto For godds will is that our charitie be ordâ—rly disposed preferringe in these good benefites euery one according as we are diuersly bound vnto them God haith also said Probus commaunded vs to loue our neighboures as we loue our selues which is an other manner of louinge them then as our Sauiour loued vs. He haith commaunded so indeede said Alphonso but this manner the other are all one in effect substaÌ„ce if they be rightly vnderstoode For the loue which we shoulde haue to our selues ought to be the same and in the same manner as our Sauioure loued vs. We will therefore if it please you goe forward declare in what sort we are to loue our selues Doe so I ptay you said Probus for it can not but be a pleasant hearinge without all perill of offending any euery one being desireous to loue him self as much as may be OF THE LOVE OF OVR SELVES OVr naturall inclination said Alphonso to the loue of our selues is so great vehemente that God haith not geuen vs any commauÌ„dement thereof yet by the blyndnes corruption of sinn we haue in most part lost our iudgment knowledge how we ought to doe it He therefore that would truly loue himself must obserue three thinges First that by all meanes he procure any thinge wheareby he knoweth any good may come to him self Secondly that he flee and auoyde whatsoeuer may bring him damage or euill Thirdly that he refuse not to offer yelde him self to any difficulties for obteyninge his owne good Our naturall reason and the lighte of our Catholick faith sufficientlye teach vs which be true goodes euills which be apparent deceitfull And we must be verey circumspect diligent that we erre not in discerning these or folow not the vnreasonable inclinations appetites of our owne sensualitie takinge that for good which indeede is hurtfull or fleeing that as euill which in truthe is our good Now he that would enrich him self with good thinges must know that in euery good he desirethe or may obteyne two thinges are to be considered One is the good that may come to himself by that thing The other is that it is godds will desire that he haue that thing Of these two he ought litle or noe whitt to esteme the benefite or good that may happeÌ„ to him self of the thing he desireth or doth as it is his owne In respecte of the seconde that it is the seruice of God the fulfilling of his holy will as I toulde you before in the fifth instruction speaking of the end of all our actions desires Our Lord haith geuen vs a preceous ornament or Iewell where-with we may excedingly enriche our selues at any tyme that is our appetite and will the which we as it were gilde with coper or tinne when we desyre loue anything for our owne good benefite And againe we adorne bewtify it with diuyne goulde wheÌ„ forgeating our selues we desire and loue any good thing onely for pleasing seruinge our Lorde fulfilling his will For the more we for geat ourselues haue care of godds honour glorie the more care haithe God ouer vs agiane to enriche vs with all goodnes Wherefore he that spiritually loueth him self must euer as worldly men doe study how to make better all his goodes substance wheÌ„ he knoweth the way how it may easily be done What more is to be said of this poynt I referr you to our conference of the hatred of our selues For the seconde also which is the fleeing of all euill I nede to say noe more but he that truly loueth him self must este me nothing euill or hurtfull to him so flee it but onely fâ—inne the occasions thereof Now for the thirde which is to offer himself to any difficultie or daungers for getting his own good I must admonish him diligently to exercyse himself in the thinges that I haue said before but principally in the hatred of him self in humilitie in patience and in the foure naturall affections or passions of his soule Is there then no more necessary said Probus for obteyninge this true loue of our selues One thinge more said Alphonso is to be obserued and practised diligently and that is It hapneth dailye that we doe or say somthing otherwyse then we should haue done or becometh vs for which they that see or heare knowing our defect or imperfection may think the worse of vs the lesse esteme vs. In which case we must consider first the confusion that foloweth vs thereby In this confusion we must not comfort or animate our selues in thinking that others perhaps regarded not what we did or said or that perhaps they haue forgotten it or that it should not trouble vs because other men fall often into the like defects This I say we should not doe but with great loue embrace that confusion think that others marked vs verie well account worse of vs worthily contemne vs as vnprofitable vnperfect men For in doing thus we make a vehement acte of patience and humilitie and shortlye produce most excellent habitts of them and finally doe great seruice to God if we referr it to him The other thing we are to consider in such cases is the euill example we geue thereby and the dishonoure or lesse glory to God For this therefore the seruant of God must produce an acte of sorow for that he haith bene by that speach or fact perhaps some occasion of euill or lesse seruiceable to his Lorde then he might or shoulde haue bene and thus shall he reape coÌ„modity both on the one and the other This is all I haue to say of the loue of our selues vnlesse you be vnsatisfied in some thing I am verie well satissyed in all you haue spoken said Probus I vetelye thinke that whosoeuer would frame him self to serue God in this sorte you haue toulde me should not onely increase excedinglye his owne meritt glory in heauen but moreouer leade a most ioyfull sweete lyfe in earth He should noe doubt finde much comfort ioye sweetenes said Alphonso seruing God in this sorte but he muste beware he reste not in this
doe my best endeuour therein said Probus THE FIRST INSTRVCTIon shewing to what ende God created Man placed him vpon earth CAP. 2 THe first instruction said Alphonso the foundation of all often seriously to be considered is that God as the holy Scripures and Fathers teach created and sent vs into this world not to enioy rest in the transitory commodities pleasures thereof but that taking of godds creatures so muche as may suffyce our necessities we occupy bestow our selues and all the reste we haue in seruing honoring our lord who haith prepared for our rewarde the blisse of heauen wherein we shall possesse for euer God him self that is an infinite good and in him all good thinges more aboundantly then we can imagin To honour serue God therfore my sonn are we come into this world All we doo besydes this is nothing els but loste laboure vaine hurtfull tryfling dishonorable to the noble children of such a father as God is No doubt father said Probus but we were created to serue God as you say But what kynde of seruice dothe God requyre of man is by man of bounde dutie to be performed THE SECOND INSTRVCtion of two manners how to serue god how Man is bounde vnto them CAP. 3. THere be two sortes of seruinge god said Alphonso two waies in lyke manner are we bounde to serue him The sirste is in the obseruing of godds commaundementes which we are all bounde to kepe vnder paine of eternall damnation to hell fyre The second is more perfect is this that forsakinge all earthlye thinges and withdrawinge our hartes from the loue thereof we caste oure affection wholly vpon our heauenlye Father which is an infinite goodnes in all thinges laboure to be of the same spirit will with him accordinge to the example which our Sauioure the naturall Sonn of God left vs whiles he serued here on earth not for any nede of his owne but to instruct vs how we ought to serue our Lorde This way Christ taught the yong man which had kept the commaundementes when he said If thou wilt be perfect geue all thou hast to the poore com folow me How are Christians bounde to this manner of seruice said Probus Not vnder payne of eternall damnation said Alphonso as in the first way but by a Law of frendshipp with god of equity gratitude wherein all the children of God that woulde not be reckned base-minded vngratefull foolish should moste carefully keepe them selues that they may appere the worthy children of so graceous a Father For to all it is geuen in commaundement that we loue our Lord with all our soule with all our hart with all our minde and with all our strength And to all he said Be you perfect as your heauenly Father is As he deserueth much blame that going to som place for dispatch of som weightie necessary affaires neglecting leauing the thing he wente to doe trifleth away his tyme in vyle sportes abiect thinges so likewise is he much blame worthy that being borne into this world to serue the high maiestie of God with all his powers abilities which seruice is most due vnto God most profitable to the seruant yet omittethe it because it is not commaunded him vnder paine of death bestowing him self in the mean season in a meaner and more abiecte kynde of seruice mixed with muche worldly vanitie that most swiftly passeth away bringethe with it much euill And albeit God haith left it in our free choice and curtefye yet the bound of frendshipp equitie gratitude requireth that we endeuoure to serue him to whom all honour and seruice is most due in the best manner we are able The first way to serue God said Probus is plame manifest to all Christians but the other apperteyneth onely to you Eremites to religious persons and Clargie men As the first said Alphonso is common to all Christians taught euery where so there is no Christian but he may be taught learn performe the seconde I can hardly think so said Probus for we may not all forsake the world cast all our hartes vpon this perfect seruinge of God you speake of No person said Alphonso is made a Christian before he first solemnly renownce the worlde with all the pompes vanities thereof yelde him self to the obedience seruice of God And therefore the profession not onely of Ermits religious persons Priestes but of all true Christians also is to forsake the world serue their Lord with all they are haue For as I said God created man for this ende for all temporall earthly things no man doth rightly vse them or can haue them but to his exceedinge harme vnlesse he turne them wholly to the seruice honoure of his Lorde whose in truth they be not mannes but for a litle tyme to vse as god haith ordeyned commaunded which seruice we ought to yeld to God not onely in keping his generall commaundements but in the perfectest manner as Christ our Lord by his owne exawple haith taught vs all And this seconde is that which now I purpose to teach you that is how ryche men artificers all sorts of people may serue their Lord and God most perfectlye This will be most comfortable to vs of the world said Probus but it semeth a most difficult thing to be done THE THIRD INSTRVCTION Of the wofull ruine destruction made in mannes soule body by sinne by reason whereof he fyndeth greate difficultye in seruinge God CAP. 4 YOu must know moreouer saide Alphonso that if man had continued in the happy state wherin God created him at the first when he placed him in paradise it had bene noe difficultie for him to haue serued God in most perfect manner to haue wrought any good For thē by originall iustice his sesuality inferior powers were kept in most semely order perfect obedience to his reasō will And these againe were guyded assisted by singular abundante graces easily to obey serue God woorke any good But after once by the euill vse of his free will he sinned transgressed the commaundement of his Lord he with all his progeny were spoyled of those graceous giftes cast owt of that happy state place into the banishment of this miserable worlde His appetites his will and whole soule became so infirme diseased that loathing the infinite good for which he was created as a thinge wherein now he tooke noe delight or pleasant taste auerst from all good he is euer since inclyned to euill and can desyre or loue scarsly any other thinges but abiect viceous hurtfull By reason of that greauous losse wofull chaunge mankynde euer since haith founde much difficultie in the seruice of god or doinge well Our concupiscence and inferioure powers being now for want of originall
credit prayses c. Out frailty is such said Probus our necessitie so great that oftentimes we can not be gladd of iniuries tribulations and the lyke nor refuse thinges delectable and prosperous It somtimes said Alphonso through weaknes of body or because as yet we haue not gotten so muche vertue as were nedefull for our sufferinge of aduersities ioyfully but we must flee thē and our persecutoures or againe procure and receiue delicate and pleasant thinges In such cases I say we muste looke that we doe these thinges with actuall intention for auoyding greater euills and sorow also much in that by fleing aduersities and troubles we depart from a thing which should further vs to so great a good as is the loue of God And againe that by takinge delectable thinges we omitt and forgo the sharpe which are most due vnto vs for punishment of our sinnes negligences All this moreouer we ought to doe with humble prayer to our Lord that he would vouchsaife to strengthen vs in body and soule for better resistinge oure owne frailtie whereby through defect of our vertue it is needefull we auoyde such trouble or vse such delightfull thinges and that also by his grace we may be disposed notwithstanding these impediments of our infirmitie perfectly to loue him What remedye helpe haue we said Probus if we finde our selues verie dull heauy whiles we endeuour to produce these actes of loue to bring all our motions into the obedience seruice of God for so it often hapneth in other exercyses of deuotion well doinge The same may happen also in this high woork said Alphonso but then we may assure our selues that it cometh because we wante the holy hatred of our selues which is the foundation most principall disposition to this loue of God Or again because there cleueth in our hartes some inordinate affection to some earthly thinge as loue of neede lesse delectation or affection to some person or busines not rightly ordered Wherefore he that feleth him self so dull must search owt diligently in him self such defect or affection and take it away by contrary actes as we taughte before and shall more hereafter For to inclyne our will to produce actes of the loue of God aboue all thinges withowt hauinge first gotten the holy hatred of our selues or whiles our affection to any earthly thing that may deilght vs endureth not being ordeyned or referred either actuallye or virtually to God is much lyke as if a man would cutt with a hammer thinges requiringe a raisoure or sharpe knyfe For the perfection excellency of this loue the least act wherof may aduance a man to a highe degree of eternall glory in heauen doth not permitt with it any such vyle baise thinge Besides this also the seruant of God must be warie of the assaultes of his mortall enemy the deuil who neuer ceaseth to molest and hinder them that goe forwarde in any vertue but moste maliceously goeth abowt to harme and ouerthrow them that endeuour to obteyne this most holy loue of God What way I pray you said Probus can he cheefly hinder vs Among many other said Alphonso he hindrethe vs by one which is verie secrett yet much daungerous hurtfull that is by a certain meane estimation contempt negligence couldnes of the minde towardes the woork of the loue of God which some persons haue whiles they think heare or reade the cheife poynt of it to consiste in the desyre of Godds perfections goodnes glorie in ioying in them as I said before How can this said Probus happen to any man in this holy woork It hapneth said Alphonso because they litle conceiue or marke the worthines of this thing the enemy doth assaile trouble them withall And principally it chanceth to them that are not preuēted with the swetenes which this loue is accustomed to bringe with it For they hearing as I said euen now this loue to consist in this that we desire inwardly feele in our selues a complacency ioy for all the infinit goodnes and glory which are in god this onely for God they wax could thinking this worke not to be so high excellent as it is but iudge other woorkes aswell corporall as spirituall to excede this to be more beseeming godds seruantes as preachinge disputing gouerninge others feighting for the faith almes deedes fasting afflictions and the lyke Whereupon said Probus commeth this false conceipt of theirs It commeth said Alphonso firste by reason the deuill tempteth them and withall the taist and appetite of their soule is distempered and corrupted as I toulde you yester nighte in the fourth instruction by the example of the sick man that by reason of his infected taist desireth hurtfull meates and taketh loath with wholesom What remedie haue we against this noysom impediment said Probus We must prouyde first said Alphonso that our corrupt appetite be cured as I said in the fourth instructiō which done they that feele this couldnes haue this wrong estimation shall incontinent perceiue all other workes how worthy meruelous soeuer they seme to be verie abiect base 1 Cor in respecte of this loue as S. Paule teacheth vs. And our Saui ur him self beinge the eternall wisdom of God which can not erre or deceiue vs haith chosen commaunded the same aboue all thinges which may be done in heauen or earth A reason hereof you may haue also if you consider that albeit our free will the actes thereof which I toulde you before in the fourth instruction to be of greateste dignitie in vs be of them selues litle worth or of small commoditie Yet may we make them of inestimable dignitie valew if we vnite our will most strongly fasten it to the will of God which is of an infinite excellency in such manner ioyning ours vnto his that it be not carried to any other thinge but what his blessed will desireth For then the acte desire of our infirme base free will groweth to be of infinite valewe and dignitie when forsaking our selues we take the desire of that infinite will which is God who incessantly willeth loueth ioyeth for the infinite good worthines he haith Why requyreth God said Probus that we shoulde desire loue ioye in this sort as he euer doth He would haue vs doe it said Alphouso first for that his loue goodnes to vs would haue our abiect free will aduaunced to so greate nobilitie honour as to haue an act of infinite and diuine valew Againe because seing he haith created vs to so great a good as to enioy him self it is iuste that we yelde him this seruice at least as to occupye our selues all the tyme of our mortall lyfe in louing him and ioying for his good glorye as we see faithfull seruantes louinge exceedingly to reioyce for the goodes honour their Lordes gett Thirdlye that heare on earth we may occupye