by Reason yet such Images continuing in the Fancy and such motions in the body the mind vvill be stupified and the resistance of Reason vvill oftimes be so feeble as that in the opinion of the Person it vvill passe for no resistance at all Yea rather the soule vvill be persvvaded that she has deliberatly consented considering the continuance of them after that she vvas fully avvake and had reflected on them 10. Notvvithstanding vnlesse in such soules the Reason doe not only reflect vpon the sinfullnes of such impure thoughts if consented to but likevvise in the very same instant that she makes such a Reflection the Will be deliberately moued to the approuing of them they may be assured that there has passed no culpable consent to them Againe if the generall disposition of such soules be such as that seldome or neuer either Speeches or deliberate Actions doe proceede from them conformable to such impure Imaginations they may confidently iudge that there is no danger of hauing incurred a mortall sin 11. Aboue all things the Deuout soule is to be carefull that she be not disheartned by occasion of such Tentations from pursuing constantly her appointed Recollections the best she can notvvithstanding that then aboue all other times such Thoughts vvill throng into her mind so that she vvill thinke it almost vnlavvfull to appeare before God being full of such impure Images But she is to consider that novv is the proper time to shevv her Fidelity to God No thanks to her if she adhere to God vvhen nature makes no opposition but rather finds a gust in it But if amidst these tempests of corrupt nature she vvill firmely adhere to God vvhen such adhesion becomes so extremely painefull to her this is thankevvorthy then she vvill shevv herselfe a Valiant Soldier of our Lord vvorthy of that testimony that he giues of her vvho has iudged her fit and capable of encountring such furious Enemies 11. A great blessing and happines it is that in all internall Confusions Obscurities c. vvee can allvvaies make an Election of God vvith the Superiour vvill The vvhich being effectually done vvhatsoeuer disorders are in the Imagination or in inferiour nature they doe rather encrease then preiudice our Merit 12. Indeed this is that great most Efficacious and Vniuersall Remedy against all Tentations to vvit an actuall Conuersion of the Soule to God in Prayer For thereby the soule being vnited to God either she vvill loose the Image and Memory of the Tentation for the present Or hovveuer she doth vvith farre more efficacy oppose and vvorke contrary to such Tentations then if she had fixed her Eyes vvith a direct renouncing and detestation of them For in an Actuall Vnion vvith God is included a vertuall detestation of all things contrary to him both for present and future and also therby the soule adheres to her only Good vvith vvhom they are absolutly inconsistent 13. This Remedy therfore vvhich containes in it all the vertue of all other particular Remedies is often and seriously to be recommended to Internall Contemplatiue liuers for indeed none but such as liue abstracted liues can vvithout great force and difficulty be in a disposition at pleasure to introuert and recollect shemselues Hovveuer let euery soule that is capable therof vse it It is the plainest easiest securest and most infallible Cure of all others 14. Those that are throughly practised in Prayer cannot only be vnited in Wâ—ll to God but perceiue themselues to be so vnited vvhilst in the meane time both the representation of those Tentations remaines in the Imagination and vnderstanding and much trouble likevvise in inferiour Nature All vvhich notvvithstanding are not any hindrance or preiudice to such Vnion Yea by occasion of these things a more perfect and intense Vnion may be caused 15. The light obtained by Prayer for the discouering of the Causes Grounds and Remedies of such Tentations and the Grace to resist them is vvonderfull and incredible to those that doe not practise Prayer By neglect of vvhich many liue in the midst of Tentations and yet doe not knovv them to be such Or knovving them yet haue no strength nor vvill to resist them But most certaine it is that a Soule vvhich duely prosecutes Internall Prayer according to her present abilities can scarce possibly be so ouercome vvith a Tentation as habitually to yeild to it or hovveuer to dye in it Indeed there is no security that a Soule ordinarily is capable of in this life but by the meanes of Prayer CHAP. X. § 1. Of Scrupulosities about Externall Duties as the Office Fasting c. § 2. Tender Soules ought to seeke full Information touching such Obligations which is not out of politick ends to be denyed them § 3. 4. 5. 6. Seuerall cases of Indulgence about the Office § 7. 8. 9. 10. Some learned Doctours doe free particular Religious persons not in holy Orders from a necessary Obligation of saying the Office in priuate § 11. An Aduice touching the same 1. IN the next place the speciall Externall Duties about vvhich tender Soules are apt to admit Scrupulosities are many Yea some are so inordinatly timorous that they can give vvay to vnsatisfaction in almost euery thing that they doe or say But the principall and most common especially in Religion are these 1. The obligation of Religious Persons to Pouerty Obedience Regular Fasting Saying of the Office in publick or priuate c. 2. The Duty of Examination of the Conscience in Order to Confession and Confession in selfe with Communicating afterward 2. The generall proper Remedy against Scrupulosity arising vpon occasion of any of these matters is a true information of the Extent of the said Obligations And surely Spirituall Directours are obliged to allovve as much latitude to vvellminded timerous Soules in all these things as Reason vvill possibly admitt considering that such are apt to make a good vse of the greatest condescendency Therfore it vvould be a fault inexcusable before God if Confessours out of a vaine Policy to the end to keepe tender Soules in a continuall dependence and captiuity vnder them should conceale from them any Relaxations allovved by Doctours or iust Reason And timerous Soules vvhen they haue receiued information from Persons capable of knovving and vnlikely to deceiue them they ought to beleiue and rest vpon them and to account all risings of feare or suspicion to the contrary to be vnlavvfull 3. More particularly for as much as concernes the Diuine Office since all that vnderstand Latin may acquaint themselues vvith all the Dispensations and largest allovvances afforded by Doctours I conceiue it most requisite that such ignoraÌ„t tender Soules especially Women as may come to see or reade these InstructioÌ„s should not be left in an ignorance or vncertainty hereabout For vvhy should any additionall burdens of a Religious life lye more heauy on those that are least able to beare them and such as vvill be far from being lesse carefull in
in troublesome disquieting Imaginations and Resueries far more distracting then any Conuersations Therfore they or rather their Superiours ought to take a speciall care that such a dangerous humour be not nourished by discontented Retirements at the times vvhen others are conuersing together and that at all other times they should be busied in such kind of employments as should not be apt to nourish sollicitude Such dispositions if Prudently managed may proue proper for contemplation because their thoughts being not easily dissipated they are disposed for Recollection Wheras on the contrary the same Dispositions being neglected and sufferd to follovv the bent of their Natures they vvill be in danger to fall into terrible Extrauagancies 20. S. Teresa in her Foundations hath a particular Discourse containing excellent Aduices hovv Melancholick Spirits are to be managed Saying that they ought not to be dispenced from Mortifications or employments from which they are auerse notwithstanding this frowardnes of their humour Yet withall that the Superiour in his Cariage towards them ought to make it appeare that all that he imposes so on them proceeds from pure charity and not any crossenes or auersion c. CHAP. VIII § 1. 2. 3. Of the Fourth kind of Generall Mortifications viz. Tranquillity of mind § 4. 5. It may be in the Superiour Soule during the time that there is disquiet in the Sensitiue § 6. 7. 8. How Peace and Tranquillity of soule may be procured § 9. 10. Of a State of Perfect Peace which is the End of a Contemplatiue Life 1. THe Fourth Generall Mortification is a Constant Peacefullnes and Tranquillity of mind maintaining it selfe against all disquieting Passions of Greife Feare Despaire c Of vvhich I shall in this place speake breifly and only in a generall manner being shortly in the follovving Section to treate largely of the cheife Enemy therof vvhich is Feare and Scrupulosity vvhere I shall take notice of the Speciall Motiues or Instruments of procuring such Peace of mind and of restoring it vvhen it is lost 2. Without a reasonable proportion of such Tranquillity obtained a soule vvill be quite disabled from Internall Prayer Therfore she is to vse all care to preserue it and vvhen it is disturbed or lost she must endeauour as soone and after the best manner she can to regaine it till she be able to say None shall take my Peace from me And to vse the vvords of the Psalmist Anima mea in manibus meis semper My soule is alwayes in my hands and disposition and not captiuated by the corrupt Passions of Nature 3. The subiect of this Peace is the Soule according to all its Faculties both knovving and affecting and both in the superiour and Spirituall as also in the inferiour and â—ensitiue portion For not only the Affections of the vvill and Passions of sensuality but also the Reason and Imagination may be disturbed And therfore a Composednes and calmenes is to be procured through all But yet the vvayes and meanes herto necessary are not the same neither does it follovv that vvhen the Inferiour Faculties are in disorder that the same disorder should be communicated to the Superiour also It does not alvvayes lye in our power vvholly to suppresse the instability and obstinacy of the Imagination nor the vnrulines of sensuality vvhich oft times doe resist our Superiour Reasâ—n But vvee are alvvayes enabled by the ordinary Grace of God to keepe in repose our Superiour soule that is to hinder it from attending to the suggestions of the Imagination vvhich vvee may reiect or to deny consent or approbaâ—ion to the motions of sensuality and this aâ— least it must be our great Care to doe 4. Neither ought a vvell-minded soule to be discouraged or deiected at the contradiction that she finds in sensuality But resisting it the best she can she must be resigned and Patient vvith herselfe as she vvould be at the refractory humours of another till that by Gods blessing a longer exercise of Prayer and Mortification doe produce a greater subiection of sensuall Nature to Reason and Grace In the meane time she may comfort herselfe vvith this assurance That all merit and Demerit lyes in the Superiour will and not at all in sensuality considered in it selfe and as diuided from the Will 5. During the Conflict betvveene Reason and sence or Appetite there may be a reall Tranquillity in the Superiour Region of the soule although the Person be not able to discerne that there is any such Quietnes yea on the contrary to fearfull Natures it vvill seeme that vvhensoeuer the sensitiue part is disturbed the spirituall Portion doth also partake of its disorders And this vncertainty mistake and feare that a fault has bene committed is the ground of much scrupulosity and by meanes therof of great vnquietnes indeeed euen in the superiour soule to Persons that are not vvell instructed in the Nature and subordination of the Faculties and Operations of the soule 6. Hovveuer a vvell-minded soule may conclude that there is a calmnes in the Reason and in the vvill a refusall to consent to the suggestions of sensuality euen in the midst of the greatest disorders thereof vvhilst that the combat does not cease and as long as the outward members directed by Reason and moued by the Superiour vvill doe behaue themselues othervvise then the vnruly appetite vvould moue them For example vvhen a person being moued to Anger though he find an vnquiet representation in the Imrgination and a violent heate and motions about the Heart as likewise an auersion in sensitiue nature against the person that hath giuen the prouocation yet if notvvithstanding he refraines himselfe from breaking forth into vvords of Impatience to vvhich his Passion vvould vrge him vvithall contradicts designes of Reuenge suggested by Passion such an one practising Internall Prayer and Mortification is to esteeme himselfe not to haue consented to the motions of corrupt nature although besides the invvard motion of the Appetite he could not hinder markes of his Passion from appearing in his Eyes and the colour of his countenance 7. When vvee seeke to retaaine such Quietnes in the midst of vnquietnes vvee doe it by exercising an Act of Mortification proper to the occasion Euery Act vvherof doth in some degree abate impetuous Nature disposing us for better and more quiet Recollections vvhich vvill procure us a clearer light and more efficacious Grace to resist sensuality aftervvards As on the contrary each Act of immortification doth increase in us Selfe-loue the cause and Roote of all vnquietnes and causes a greater obscurity in the soule indisposing it likevvise to Prayer 8. To the end to procure an Habituall Peacefullnes of mind vvee must be carefull not to doe any of our Actions I meane euen our Actions of Duty vvith impetuousnes and an invvard hastines but vvith a composed calmenes For all acts of impetuosity and violence are so far but effects of Selfe-loue and proceed not from the Diuine Spirit vvhich is
to her I say it is morally impossible for such a soule so louing God deliberately habitually to yeild to the loue of any thinge but God only in order to him or to stop in any inferiour degree of loue to him The frailtie of nature many vnauoydable distractions tentations may generally doe hinder most soules from atteining or euen approaching to such perfection to such vninterrupted attention vnion vvith God as vvas practised by Adam in Innocency by a fevv Perfect soules in all ages But nothing but the vvant of true sincere loue vvil hinder the aspiring therto according to the measure strength of grace that each soule in her order enioyes And both reason experieÌ„ce vvitnesse this truth in all manner of loues lavvfull or vnlawfull For vve see that vvhersoeuer the loue to riches honour Empire or pleasure is the tyrannising Affection so as to cause the person to place his supposed happines in any of these such persons neither vvill nor can being so disposed vvillfully surcease a continuall progresse in pursuinge their designes endlesly neither can they admit an habituall deliberate adherence vvith affection to any other obiect though not ruinous but in an inferiour degree preiudiciall to vvhat they principally affect CAP. II. § 1. Commonly those only are said to aspire to perfection that consecrate themselues to God § 2. A naturall deuotion propension to seeke God of wich the degrees are infinitly various § 3. 4. 5. Yet all ranged vnder two states Actiue Contemplatiue § 6. 7. Generally most soules are of a mix'd temper betweene both hence comes the difficulty of the guiding of soules § 8. At the first Entrance into Internall waies all soules seeme to be of an Actiue temper 1. NOtvvithstanding although all Christians are obliged to aspire to perfection to leade spirituall liues sanctifying all their actions employments by prayer yet the effectuall practise of this obligation is so very rare that in ordinary speech those only are said to Aspire vnto perfection vvho haue bene so highly fauoured by God as to haue bene called by him froÌ„ all sollicitous engagement in vvorldhy affaires so as to make the only buisines employment of their liues to be the seruing adoring louing meditating praying vnto God the attending to follovving his diuine inspirations c. in a state of competent abstraction solitude this most ordinarily perfectly in a religious profession or if in the world yet in a course of life diuided separated from the vvorld 2. There seemes indeed to remaine euen naturally in all soules a certaine propension to seeke God though not at all for himselfe but meerelie for the satisfaction of nature selfe-ends vvhich is a kind of Naturall Deuotion is to be found euen in hereticks yea Iewes heathens this more or lesse according to their seuerall dispositions corporall complexions the varietie of vvhich is vvonderfull almost incredible Novv vvhen diuine grace adioyns it selfe to such good propensions it promotes increases them rectifying vvhat is amisse in them especially by purifying the intention making them to seeke God only for God himselfe no vnvvorthy in feriour Ends of nature but it doth not at all alter the complexion it selfe but conducts soules in spirituall vvaies suitably to their seuerall dispositions by an almost infinite varietie of paths fashions yet all tending to the same generall end vvith is the vnion of our spirits vvith God by perfect loue 3. Notwithstanding all these varieties of dispositions waies of which vve shall treate more fully vvhen vve come to speake of Internall prayer may commodiously enough be reduced in grosse to tvvo rankes to vvit Actiue Contemplatiue spirits Both vvhich aspire to a perfection of vnion in spirit vvith God by perfect loue for that purpose in grosse practise make vse of the same meanes necessary to that end to vvit Mortification Prayer But yet the manner both of their vnion prayer consequently of their mortification also is very different And the roote of such difference is the forementioned variety of propensions naturall dispositions to internall vvayes 4. For first the Propension vvhich is in some soules to Deuotion is of such a nature that it inclines them much to buisy their imagination to frame in their minds motiues to the diuine loue by Internall Discourse so as that vvith out such reasoning vse of images they can seldome vvith any efficacy raise or fixe their affections on God Such dispositions are not patient of much solitude or recollection more then shall be necessary to enable them to produce maintaine a right Intention in outvvard doings vvorkes of charitie to the vvhich they are povverfully inclined And the Mortifications most vvillingly practised by them are vsually eâ—ternall oftentimes voluntarily assumed the vvhich make a great shevv procure very great esteeme from others And proportionably hereto the diuine loue vnion produced by such meanes is verie vigorous but lesse Pure spirituall apt to expresse it selfe by much sensible deuotion tendernes The state therefore perfectioÌ„ of these soules is called the state PerfectioÌ„ of an Active life 3. Againe others are naturally of a propension to seeke God in the obscurity of faith vvith a more profound Introuersion of spirit vvith lesse Actiuity motion in sensitiue nature vvith out the vse of grosser Images yet vvith far greater simplicity Purity efficacy And consequently such soules are not of themselues much inclined to externall vvorkes except vvhen God calls them thereto by secret Inspirations or ingages them therin by command of Superiours but they seeke rather to purifie themselues inflame their hearts in the loue of God by Internall quiet pure Actuations in Spirit by a totall Abstraction from Creatures by Solitude both Externall and especially Internall so disposing them selues to receiue the Influxes Inspirations of God vvhose guidance cheifly they endeauour to follovv in all things And the Mortifications practised by them though lesse remarkable yet are faire more Efficacious being profound and penetrating euen to the most secret deordinations of the Spirit By a Constant pursuance of such Exercises their Spirits becoming naked empty of all strange Affections Images Distractions the Diuine spirit only liues operates in them affording them Light to perceiue strength to subdue selfe-loue in its most secret and to all others imperceptible insinuations And by Consequence they attaine vnto an Vnion vvith God farre more strickt immediate then the former by a loue much more Masculine pure Diuine And the state and Perfection of these happy soules is called the state and Perfection of à Coâ—templatiue Life 6. Now though all Internall Dispositions of soules by wich Mankind is more diuersified then by outward features may conueniently enough be ranged vnder these two states yet wee are not to conceiue that each
of mortification So that no vvonder is it if so very few euen of those vvhose Profession it is to aspire therunto doe find or atteine vnto this End Parâ—ly out of ignorance and errour vvhilst they place Perfection in an exact performance of outvvard Obseruances and Austerities the vvhich though being vvell vsed they may be certainly very proper helps to Perfection and are accordingly to be duly esteemed yet if they be vndertaken for any end of Nature and not for the purifying of the interiour and disposing it for more perfect Praier are of no valevv at all but rather proceede from and nourish Selfe-Loue Pride c. And partly out of vvant of courage and diligence to pursue constantly the vvay that they knovv leades thereto 12. Vpon these grounds Mystick Authours doe teach that though it be a very great aduantage to a soule to treade in these Internall vvaies from her Youth before she be darkned and made sicke vvith vicious Habits the combatting against vvhich vvill cause great difficulty paine and tediousnes to her Yet she vvill hardly arriue vnto the foresaid Actiue vnion and experimentall Perception of Gods Presence in her till almost a declining Age by reason that though her Naturall ill inclinations may be mortified in a reasonable Perfection before that time Yet till such Age there vvill remaine too much vigour in Corporall Nature and an vnstablenes in the invvard senses vvhich vvill hinder that Quietnes and composednes of mind necessary to such an Vnion Whereas some persons of a vvell disposed temper vertuous education haue in a fevv yeares arriued rhereunto though they did not begin an Internall course till their ripe Age but yet supplying that delay by an Heroicall Resolution and vigorous pursuit of the practises proper therunto But as for those that haue bene viciously bred there will be necessary a wonderfull measure of Grace and very extraordinary mortifications before such soules can be fitted therunto 13. Now what hath bene said concerning the length of the vvay and the multiplicity of conditions requisite to the atteining to the End of it is to be vnderstood with relation to the ordinary course of Gods Prouidence But God vvho is the free Maister and disposer of his ovvne Graces may bestovv them vpon vvhom vvhen he pleases either Miraculously encreasing his Grace in some Soules or conferring his supernaturall Fauours before the time that they are ripe for them As he did to S. Catharina of Siena and some others vvho in their younger yeares haue bene fauoured vvith a Passiue vnion Mystick Authours likevvise except from the ordinary course the case vvhere God vpon the death of vvell vvilled and vvell disposed soules hapning bofore Perfection atteind supplieth after some extraordinary manner vvhat vvas vvanting and effects that in a moment vhvich vvould othervvise haue required a long space of time And this say they God frequently doth in regard of the serious feruent vvills that he seeth in such Soules vvhich vvere resolued to prosecute the vvay of his Loue for all their Liues though they should haue lasted neuer so long 14. But be the vvay to Perfection neuer so long the designe it selfe is so Noble and the end so Diuine that a soule can not begin to aspire vnto it too soone nor take too much paines to procure it Yea the very desire and serious pursuance of so heauenly a designe brings so great Blessings to the Soule and puts her in so secure a way of Saluation though she should neuer perfectly atteine vnto it in this life that there is none so old nor so ouer growen with ill Habits but ought to atteÌ„pt with perseuerance pursue it being assured that at least after Death he shall for his good desire and endeauours be revvarded vvith the crovvne due to Contemplatiues For it is enough for a soule to be in the vvay and to correspond to such enablements as she hath receiued And then in vvhat degree of spirit soeuer she dyes she dyes according to the vvill ordination of God to vvhom she must be resigned and consequently she vvill be very happy Whereas if out of despaire of atteining to perfection she should rest and doe as it vvere nothing contenting herselfe vvith outvvard Ceremonious Obseruances she vvill be accounted before God as hauing bene vvanting to performe that vvherto her Profession obliged her Though the truth is the soule being a pure Spirit consisting of mere Actiuity cannot cease doing and desiring some thing so that if her desires operations be not directed to the right End they vvill goe a vvrong vvay and if a Soule doe not continually striue to get out of Nature she vvill plunge her selfe deeper deeper into it 15. The second Motiue to induce a soule to arme herselfe vvith a great courage and strong Resolution in her tendance to Perfection is because as the Wise man says He that sets himselfe to serue our Lord especially in so high and diuine an employment as Contemplation must prepare his soule for Tentations greater and more vnusuall then formerly he had experience of The vvhich Tentations vvill come from all coasts both from vvithout and vvith in 16. For an Internall life being not only a life hidden from the vvorld but likevvise directly contrary to the vvaies of carnall rerson yea euen different from the common notion of vertue and Piety vvhich ordinary Christians yea too many euen in Religion haue also vvho approue only of Actions and vvaies vvhich outvvardly make a faire shevv as solemne performance of Diuine Offices externall formall Regularities mortifications c. Hence it is that very sharpe persecutions haue almost alvvaies attended those vvhom God hath called to reuiue the true spirit of Religion too much generally decayed and in many Religious Communities vterly vnknovven by teaching soules not to neglect but on the contrary to be very carefull in an exact performance and iust esteeme of such Duties but yet to place Perfection in exercises of the Spirit and to esteeme all other obseruances no further then as they serue to aduance and increase Perfection in Spirit since most certaine it is that if in and for themselues alone and vvith out any interiour direction for the purifying of the soule they be esteemed performed as Parts of reall Perfection and not cheefly as Helpes of Internall Deuotion and Purity they vvill rather become Hindrances to Contemplation nourishing Pride Contempt of others c. and be the ruine of true Charity Examples of such Persecutions are obuious in stories vvitnes the suffrings of Thaulerus Suso S. Teresa B. Iohn de Cruce c. 17. Againe in the vvorld the liues of those that God hath called to the Exercises of an Internall life being so different from and vnlike to others though ordinary vvell meaning Christians by reason that they abstract themselues from secular businesses except such as necessarily belong to their vocation likevvife from vvorldly conuersations correspondence and vainely complying freindships Hence it is that
the sight of them is vnacceptable to their Neighbours and acquaintance as if they did silently condemne their liberties For this reason they are apt to raise and disperse euill reports of them calling them Illuminats Pretenders to extraordinary visits and lights Persons that walke in mirabilibus super se 6. Or at least to deride them as silly seduced melancholy spirits that follow vnusuall and dangerous vvaies 18. All these and many other the like persecutions calumnies and contempts a vvell disposed soule that purely seekes God must expect and be armed against And knovving that they doe not come by chance but by the most vvise holy and mercifull Prouidence of God for her good to exercise her courage in the beginning and to giue her an opportunity to testify her true esteeme and loue to God and spirituall things let her from hence not be affrighted but rather pursue Internall vvaies more vigorously as knovving that there can not be a better proofe of the Excellency of them then that they are displeasing to carnall or at least ignorant men vnexperienced in such Diuine vvaies Let her not vvith passion iudge or condemne those that are contrary to her for many of them may haue a good intention and zeale therein though a zeale not directed by knovvledge If therfore she vvill attend to God follovving his Diuine Inspirations c. she vvill see that God vvill giue her light and courage and much invvard security in her vvay 19. But her greatest and more frequent Persecutions vvill be from her ovvne corrupt nature and vitious Habits rooted in the soule the vvhich vvill assault her many times vvith tentations and invvard bitternesses and agonies sharper and stranger then she did expect or could perhaps imagine And no vvonder For her designe and continuall indeauours both in mortification Praier being to raise herselfe out of and aboue nature to contradict nature in all its vaine pleasures and interests she can expect no other but that Nature vvill continually struggle against the spirit especially being inflamed by the Deuill vvho vvill not faile to employ all his Arts all his malice and fury to disturbe a designe so vtterly destructiue to his Infernall Kingdome established in the soules of carnall meÌ„ The vvell minded soule therefore must make a generall strong Resolution to beare all vvith as much quietnes as may be to distrust herselfe intirely to rely only vpon God and to seeke vnto him by Praier and all vvill assuredly be vvell She vvill find that the Yoake of Christ vvhiâ—h at the first vvas burdensome vvill being borne vvith constancy become easy and delightfull Yea though she should neuer be able to subdue the resistance of euill inclinations in her yet as long as there remaines in her a sincere Endeauour after it no such ill Inclinations vvill hinder her happines CAP V. § 1. 2. A 3. motiue to Resolution is the danger of repidity of which the nature and Roote is discouered § 3. 4. 5. The miseries of a Tepide Religious person that is ignorant of Internall waies § 6. 7. Or of one that knowes them but neglects to pursue them § 8. 9. How pestilent such are in a Community § 10. On the otherside an vndiscreete passionate feruour may be as dangerous as negligence 1. A Third yet more pressing Motiue to a couragious ResolutioÌ„ of prosecuting Internall vvaies once begin and a strong proofe of the extreme necessity therof is the consideration of the extreme danger and miseries vnexpressible of a negligent and Tepide life vvhether in Religion or in the vvorld the vvhich not only renders Perfection impossible to be atteined but endangers the very roote of essentiall sanctity and all pretention to Eternall Happines as among other Mystick vvriters Harphius in his tvvelue mortifications earnestly demonstrates 2. Tepidity is a bitter poysonnous Roote fixed in the minds of negligent Christians vvho though out of a seruile feare they absteine from an habituall practise of acknovvledged Mortall Actuall sinnes and therefore groundlesly enough thinke themselues secure from the danger of Hell yet they performe their externall necessary obligations to God and their Brethren sleepily and heartlesly vvithout any true Affection contenting themselues vvith the things hovveuer outvvardly done yea perhaps knovving no Perfection beyond this But in the meane time remaine full of selfe loue invvard Pride sensuall desires auersion from internall conuersation vvith God c. And the ground and cause of this pernicious Tepidity is vvant of affection and esteeme of spirituall things and a voluntary affection to veniall sins not as they are sins but as the obiects of them are casefull or delightfull to nature ioyned vvith a vvillfullnes not to auoyd the occasions of them nor to doe any more in Gods seruice then vvhat themselues iudge to be necessary for the escaping of Hell 3. Such Persons if they liue in Religion must needs passe very vncomfortable and discontented liues hauing excluded themselues from the vaine entertainments and pleasures of the vvorld and yet reteining a strong affection to them in their hearts vvith an incapacity of enioying them They must vndergoe all obligations Austerities and Crosses incideÌ„t to a Religious state vvithout comfort but only in hauing dispatched them vvith very little benefit to their soules and vvith extreme vvearisomenes and vnvvillingnes Novv vvhat a resemblance to Hell hath such a life vvhere there is an impossibility freely to enioy vvhat the soule principally desires and vvhere she is forced continually to doe and suffer such things as are extremely contrary to her inclinations 4. Whereas if soules vvould couragiously at once giue themselues vvholly to God and vvith a discrete feruour combat against corrupt Nature pursuing their Internall Exercises they vvould find that all things vvould cooperate not only to their Eternall good but euen to their present contentment and ioy They vvould find pleasure euen in their greatest mortifications and crosses by considering the loue vvith vvhich God sends them and the great Benefit that their spirit reapes by them What contentment can be greater to any soule then to become a true invvard freind of God chained vnto him vvith a loue the like vvherto neuer vvas betvvene any mortall creatures to know and euen feele that she belongs to God and that God is continually vvatchfull ouer her and carefull of her saluation None of vvhich comforts Tepide soules can hope to tast but on the contrary are not only continually tortured vvith present discontents but much more vvith a feare and horrour considering their doubtfullnes about their future state 5. If such Tepide soules be ignorant of the Internall vvaies of the spirit vvhich vvith out some fault of their ovvne they scarce can be vvhen they come to dye it is not conceiueable vvhat apprehensions and horrours they vvill feele coÌ„sidering that a setled vvillfull affectioÌ„ to veniall sins bring a soule to an imminent danger of a frequent incurring actuall mortall sins the vvhich though they be not of the greater kind
of enormous sins yet they may be no lesse dangerous because lesse corrigible such as are those spirituall sins of Pride Murmuring Factiousnes Enuy Ambition c Besids vvhich hovv is it possible for them to giue an account of sins of Omission of the vvant of perfecting their soules by prayer of the auoyding of vvhich they neuer tooke any care although their Profession and Vovves obliged them therto 6. Againe if Tepidity though not in so high a degree be found in soules that are acquainted speculatiuely vvith the Internall vvaies of the spirit and their obligation to pursue them in order to Perfection but either for vvant of courage dare not apply themselues seriously to them or doe it very faintly coldly or vvith frequent interruptions and only are not resolued to relinquish and abiure such vvaies such as though they haue not a vvillfull affection to veniall sins yet are for the most part vvillfully negligent in resisting them Such soules ought to consider that their case in all respects approaches neare to the miserable condition of the former And they vvill haue guilt enough to take avvay all comfort almost in a Religious state and to giue them iust apprehensions for the future life of vvhich they haue no security 7. For vvhen such soules approach neare vnto Death they vvill then too late consider that for vvant of diligeÌ„t Praier there may be yea assuredly are in them a vvorld of inordinations impurities and defects vndiscouered by them and therfore can neither be acknovvledged nor bevvayled so that they can not haue any assurance of the state and inclinations of their soules Besids they know themselues to haue bene guilty of a life spent in an vninterrupted ingratitude to God vvho gaue them light to see the vvaies to Perfection and vvhich their Profession obliged them to vvalke in and yet vvillfully they neglected to make vse of such light or to make progresse in those vvaies c. and this is an aggrauation of guilt beyond the former They are conscious likevvise of an vnexcusable and long continued vnfaithfullnes neuer almost complying vvith the Diuine inspirations vvhich daily vrged them to put themselues resolutely into that only secure vvay of an Internall life nor euer vigorously resisting the sins and imperfections vvhich they did discouer in themselues c. Such sad thoughts as these pressing as vsually they doe one vpon another neare the approaches of Death vvhat greiuous apprehensions vvhat terrible vncerteinties must they needs cause in Tepide soules then most sensible of dangers and feares so that their liues vvill be full of anguish and continuall remorse and their Deathes very vncomfortable 8. Lastly to all these miseries of a Tepide life this also may be added as an encrease of the guilt and consequently an aggrauation of the dangerous state of soules infected vvith that poyson vvhich is that they doe not only themselues most vngratefully vvithdravv their ovvne affections from God and Diuine things but by their ill example by mispending the time in vaine Extrouerted conuersations by discountenancing those that are fâ—ruourous in Internall vvaies c. they infect their companions and so treacherously defraud Almighty God of the affections of others also So that a Tepide Religious person though giuen to no enormous excesses is oft more harm-full in a Community then an open scandalous liuer because none that hath any care of himselfe but vvill bevvare of such an one as this latter is Whereas a Tepide soule vnperceiueably instills into others the poysonous infection vvhervvith herselfe is tainted 9. From the grounds and considerations here mencioned it doth appeare hovv necessary it is for a deuout soule both in the beginning and pursuance of a Contemplatiue life to excite and fortify her couragious resolution not to be daunted by discouragements either from vvithin or vvithout but at vvhat price soeuer and vvith vvhat labours and suffrings soeuer vvith feruour to perseuere in the exercises and Duties belonging therto accounting Tepidity and spirituall sloath as the very bane of heâ— vvhole Designe the vvhich if it be yeilded vnto though but a little it vvill gather more force and at last grovv irresistible 10. But vvithall she is to be aduised that such her courage and feruour must be exercised not impetuously out of passion or such impulses as a fitt of sensible Deuotion vvill some-times produce in her but this feruour and resolution must cheifly be seated in the Superiour vvill and regulated by spirituall Discretion according to her present forces both naturall and supernaturall and the measure of Grace bestovved on her and no further For there may be as much harme by out running Grace as by nâ—glecting to correspond vnto it Hence it oft comes to passe that many vvellminded soules being either pushed fovvard by an indiscrete passionate Zeale or aduised by vnexperienced Directours to vndertake vnnecessarily and voluntarily either rigorous mortifications or excessiue taskes of Deuotions and vvanting strength to continue them haue become able to doe nothing at all so that affecting too hastily to atteine vnto perfection sooner then God did enable them therto they so ouer burden themselues that they are forced to giue ouer quite all tendance to it Therefore vvee must be contented to proceede in such a pace as may be lasting and that vvill suffise CAP. VI. § 2. c. A confirmation of what hath bene sayd particularly of the necessity of a strong Resolution and courage to perseuere shwed by the Parable of a Pilgrime trauelling to Ierusalem out of SCALA PERFECTIONIS 1. NOW for a further confirmation and more effectuall recommendation of vvhat hath hitherto bene deliuered touching the Nature of a Contemplatiue life in generall the supereminent Noblenes of its end the great difficulties to be expected in it and the absolute necessity of a firme courage to perseuere and continually to make progresse in it vvhatsoeuer it costs vs vvith out vvhich Resolution it is in vaine to sett one step forvvard in these vvaies I vvill here annexe a passage extracted out of that excellent Treatise called Scala perfectionis vvritten by that eminent Contemplatiue D. Walter Hilton a Carthusian Monke In vvhich vnder the Parable of a deuout Pilgrime desirous to trauell to Ierusalem vvhich he interprets the Vision of Peace or Contemplation he deliuers Instructions very proper and efficacious touching the behauiour requisite in a deuout soule for such a iourney the true sense of vvhich Aduises I vvill take liberty so to deliuer breifly as notvvithstanding not to omit any important matter there more largely and according to the old fashion expressed Scala Perfect par 2. cap. 21.22.23 2. There was a man sayth he that had a great desire to goe to Ierusalem And because he knew not the right way he addressed himselfe for aduice to one that he hoped was not vnskillfull in it and asked him whether there was any way passable thither The other answered that the way thither was both long and full of very great
aspire and attaine to such Internall Perfection vvithout vvhich the Externall Obseruances vvould be of no value but rather being finally rested in vvithout farther application to the Spirit empty Hypocriticall Formalities And more particularly as touching the Conferences of the Fathers written by Cassian and expressely recommended to vs by our Holy Father wee reasonably may and ought to iudge that his intention vvas wee should in a speciall manner make vse of the Instructions and Examples there deliuered by prudent holy and experienced Contemplatiues as a Rule and Patterne to vvhich vvee should conforme our selues principally in our Internall Exercises as being much more vsefull and proper for vs then any Instructions about such matters to be found in the writings of others far more learned Holy Fathers of the Church vvho generally direct their speeches to such as leade common liues in the vvorld 18. This obligation being so manifest and vnquestionable hovv can those new Interpreters of our holy Rule be excused that extend the Profession of a Religious Person no further then to the performance of exteriour Obediences and obseruances litterally expressed in the Rule or signified by the expresse commands of Superiours Surely they forget that it is to God only that vvee make our Vowes and not to man but only as his substitute and as appointed by him to take care of the purifying our soules For the destroying therfore of so vnreasonable an Interpretation yet too likely to be embraced by the tepide Spirits of this Age it vvill suffise only to looke vpon the forme of a Religious Profession instituted by our holy Father in the 58. chapter in these words Suscipiendus autem in Oratorio c. that is Let him that is to be receiued to a Religious Profession promise in the presence of the whole Community assembled in the Church before God and his Saints 1. A constant Stability in that state 2. A conuersion of his Manners 3. and Obedience Now of the three things so solemnely and vvith such affrighting circumstances vovved Conuersion of Manners can signify no other thing but Internall Purity of the soule Obedience indeed seemes to regard the outvvard obseruances of the Rule yet surely vvith an eye to the principall end of all externall duties of all Christians and much more of those that aspire to the Perfection of Diuine Loue. And as for Stability it regards both these adding to them a perseuerance and a cōtinuall progresse in both to the end 19. These things considered if God so earnestly protested to the Iewes saying My soule hates your New Moones your solemne Feasts and Sacrifices vvhich yet vvere obseruances ordeined by himselfe and this because those that practised them vvith all exactnes rested in the outvvard actions and neglected invvard purity of the heart typified by them much more vvill God despise and hate an exact performance of Regular Obseruances commanded by man vvhen the practisers of them doe not referre them to the only true end regarded by the Institutour vvhich vvas by them to dispose and fit soules to Internall solitude aptnes to receiue Diuine light Grace and lastly to the practise of pure Contemplatiue Prayer vvithout vvhich a Religious state vvould be no better then a mere outvvard Occupation on Trade And if only so considered it is perhaps lesse perfect then one exercised in the vvorld by vvhich much good commodity may be deriued to others also 20. Againe vvhen such condescending Interpreters doe further say that all our obligation by vertue of a Religious Profession is to be vnderstood only Secundum Regulam according to the Rule We must knovv that this Phrase Secundum Regulam is to be annexed to the Vow of Obedience only importing that a Religious Superiour hath not a vast vnlimited authority but confined to the Rule vvheras there are no limits prescribed to Conuersion of manners to Christian Holines and Perfection in vvhich vve are obliged daily to make a further progresse To the vvhich Duty as by becoming Religious vvee haue a greater obligation so likevvise haue vvee a greater necessity For though by entring into Religion vvee doe auoyde many occasions and tentations to outvvard enormous sins yet vvee can neuer be freed from our thoughts vvhich vvill pursue vs vvhere euer vvee are and more impetuously and dangerously in solitude then in company being indeed the greatest pleasure of man vvhether they be good or bad For in Solitude the soule hath her vvhole free scope vvithout interruption to pursue her thoughts So that a Religious person that can thinke himselfe not obliged and that actually doth not restreine and order his thoughts by diuerting and fixing them on Heauenly and Diuine obiects Such an one if for vvant of opportunity he guard himselfe from outvvard Scandalous crimes yet he vvill more more deeply plunge himselfe in corrupt nature contracting a greater obscurity incapacity of Diuine Grace daily And such invvard Deordinations vvill become more dangerous and incurable then if he had liued in the vvorld vvhere there are so frequent diuersions Novv a poore and most ineffectuall Remedy against these vvill he find in an exact conformity to any externall obseruances vvhatsoeuer yea perhaps they vvill serue to increase such ill habits of soule by breeding Pride and security in it 21. A much better and more proffitable Interpreter of our holy Rule therfore is Deuout S. Bernard in many passages in his vvorks and particularly in those vvords of his in an Epistle to William an Abbot of the same Order Attendite in Regulam Dei c. that is Be attentiue to the Rule of God The kingdome of God is within you that is it consists not outwardly in the fashion of our cloathes or manner of our corporall Dyet but in the vertues of our inner man But you will say What doest thou so inforce vpon vs spirituall Dutyes as that thou condemnest a care of the externall Obseruāces enioyned by the Rule of S. Benedict No by no meanes But my meaning is That the former Spirituall Duties must necessarily and indispensably be done and yet these laster must not be omitted But otherwise when it shall happen that one of these two must be omitted in such case these are much rather to be omitted then those former For by how much the Spirit is more excellent and noble then the body by so much are spirituall exercises more proffitable then corporall 22. Neither vvill it auaile the forementioned Interpreters to say that their meaning is not to preiudice the obligation of Religious Persons to internall Duties but only to shevv that such obligation is grounded on the Diuine Lavv imposed on them as Christians and not on an Externall Lavv made by man and voluntarily vndergone For in opposition to this Excuse besides vvhat hath bene sayd cōcerning the making of our Vovves to God and the expresse obligation therin to an Internall Cōuersion of Māners vvee are to knovv that by vertue of our Religious Vowes vvee are obliged to a far
vvas God himselfe vvho by the ministry of an Angell taught S. Anthony this art most secure method of aspiring to Contemplation vvhen being vnable to keepe his mind continually bent in actuall Prayer he grevv vveary of solitude in a nere disposition to quitt it At vvhich time an Angelâ— appearing to him busily employed in making Baskets of the rindes of Palmes signified to him that it vvas Gods vvill that he should after the same manner intermit his deuotions so spending the time that he could not employ in Prayer 10. Such vvere the Externall daily employments of the ancient Contemplatiues so great vertue did they find in them for the aduancement of their spirit By vvhich meanes so many of them attained to so sublime a degree of Contemplation yea generally most of them arriued to very great simplicity of spirit almost continuall recollectednes 11. But vvhen aftervvards by the most plentifully-flowing Charity of deuout Christians there vvas not only taken from Religious all necessity of sustaining themselues by Corporall labours but they vvere moreouer richly furnished and enabled to supply the vvants of many others Wee may vvell iudge that it vvould become a hard matter to persvvade a continuance of much Manuall labour purely and only for the greater good of the Spirit vvhen othervvise it vvas both needles and afflicting to the Body Hence it came to passe that since necessarily some Employment besides Prayer must be found out for the entertaining of those Solitary liuers Learning as the most noble of all other vvas made choice of yet so that for many Ages corporall labours vvere not vvholly excluded 12. Yet â—his vvas not the sole nor I suppose the principall GrouÌ„ds of so great and almost vniuersall a Change as aftervvard follovved in the manners and fashion of a Coenobiticall life But vvee may reasonably impute the said Exchange of labours for Studies in a principall manner to the good Prouidence of God ouer his Church that stood in such extreme neede of another sort of labourers in Gods vineyard and consequently to the Charity of Religious men themselues vvho during that most horrible ignorance and deprauation reigning ouer all the vvorld almost besides thought themselues obliged to repay the vvonderfull Charity of good Christians by extending a greater Charity in communicating to them Spirituall and Heauenly things for their temporall Hence came a necessity of engaging themselues in the Cure of soules and Gouernment of the Church the vvhich indeede for seuerall Ages vvas in a sort vvholly sustained by them yea moreouer by their zeale labours and wisedome the light of Diuine Truth vvas spread abroad among Heathens also and many Prouinces and Kingdomes adioyned to the Church These things considered no vvonder is there if the introducing of Reading and studies in the place of Manuall labours vvas vnauoydably necessary 13. But perhaps some there may be not so vvell affected or pleased vvith the present reputation or commodidities enioyed by Religious Persons that assenting to vvhat hath bene here sayd vvill notvvithstanding inferre That since Learning is novv become so much dilated in the vvorld by the zeale and Charity of Ancient Monasticall Religious there is no longer any the like necessity of their interessing themselues in Ecclesiasticall affaires and therfore that they ought to returne to their old Corporall Employments and labours 14. Herto it may be replied that euen still there is much neede of theÌ„ considering the far greater frequentation of Sacraments in these dayes aboue the Ancient times But moreouer if in these times vvherin learning and knovvledge is so exposed to all sorts of men Religious persons should quitt studies returning to their ancient employment of Manuall labours from vvhich as hath bene sayd God himselfe did doubtles vvithdravv them Besides that their Ignorance vvould render them the vniuersall obiects of contempt through the vvhole Church it vvould likevvise expose them as for their states as a Prey to all that either enuyed or coueted the scarse subsisteÌ„ce left them and as to their soules they vvould be obnoxious to be turned hither and thither by the variety of Directours that vvould vndertake to guide them And by these meanes all men vvould be deterred from adioyning themselues vnto them for continuing a Succession 15. Novv though as hath bene sayd such a change hath bene after this manner made in the externall Employments of Religious persons Yet still the same essentiall indispensable obligation of aspiring to Contemplation remaines For the attaining to vvhich although studies ioyned vvith Prayer seeme in some regards to be lesse aduantageous then anciently such labours as the Aegyptian Monkes c. vndertooke were Yet it hath pleased God in goodnes to his seruaÌ„ts in a good measure to recompence that disaduantage by raising vp seuerall Holy persons to teach more accurately then formerly the knovvledge and practise of pure Internall Contemplatiue Prayer For since it cannot be denyed that to persons far more distracted by studies then anciently they vvere by labours vvhich did not hinder a moderate quiet attention to God Vocall Prayer though neuer so much prolonged has not ordinarily speaking sufficient force to recollect the mind habitually or to suppresse and cure the many inordinate Affections of corrupt nature Hence it is that the vse of appointed daily Recollections hath seemed to be of absolute necessity vvithout vvhich the Spirit of Contemplation vvould be quite lost So that to such Prayer vvee may most principally impute the great lights and helpes for Contemplation afforded by some later Saints in Religious Orders and in the vvorld also to the great benefit of Gods Church That sole Exercise in a good measure making amends for all other Defects in vvhich vvee seeme to come short of the Ancients CHAP. VII § 1. Of speciall Duties of Religious Persons § 2. A Religious Person ought to desire to be alwaies vnder Obedience § 3. 4. Qualities necessary in a Religious Superiour § 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. That Actiue Spirits are very improper to gouerne such as are Contemplatiue The grounds of the difference § 10. A fearfull Example in Bernardinus Othinus Shewing how dangerous the neglect of Internall Prayer is in a Religious Superiour 1. HAVING thus largely set dovvne the proper and only End of a Religious Profession to vvit Purity and Simplicity of soule to be obtained by Recollected Contemplatiue Praier alone I vvill further adde some more speciall Duties belonging to Religious Persons according to their seuerall Relations and qualities as Superiours or other subordinate Officers Subiects c. For as for the proper vertues of a Religious state as Obedience Poverty Humility c. the handling of them is reserued to the follovving Treatise 2. Novv vvith vvhat mind a Deuout soule ought to embrace a Religious Profession is signified to vs in that notable Passage in our Holy Fathers Rule vvhere he sayth In Coenobio degens desiderat sibi Abbatem praeesse that is Whosoeuer liues in a Religious Community is desirous that
publick good is concerned 5. Generally there is great feruour in Soules at their first entrance into Religion Therfore if any one shevv vnrulines Obstinacy and Indeuotion during their Nouiceship small good is to be expected from them 6. A litle Deuoutnes vvill not serue to counteruaile ill inclinations to lying dissembling factiousnes an humour of calummating c For a great and scarse to be hoped for measure of Grace vvill be requisite to subdue such pernicious Qualities On the contrary a good Nature euen vvhere there is not so much Deuotion yet vvill beare vp a Soule and make her a tolerable member of a Community It is likevvise a great Disposition for Grace vvhich it may vvell be hoped vvill one day follovv and that such an one vvill become Deuout Especially this may be hoped for in those that haue naturally a good sound Iudgment vvhich is much to be considered 7. Novv by a good Nature I meane not such an one as is generally in the vvorld stiled so to vvit a facility and easines to grant a request or to comply vvith others On the contrary for as much as regards a Coenobiticall life I account such to be an ill nature being easily seduced and peruerted By a good Nature therefore in this place I meane such an one as is indued vvith Modesty Gentlenes Quietnes Humility Patience loue of Truth and other such Morally good Qualities vvhich are good Dispositions for Christian Perfection Novv a person of an ill Nature that vvill make a good shevv out of hope to steale a Profession ought the rather for his dissimulation to be reiected 8. And indeed Subtile Natures are much to be taken heede of Some Nouices vvill behaue themselues so cunningly as at the end of their Probation none can be able to produce any speciall accusation against them yet they may in their conscience beleiue them to be vnfitt In this case euery one is to follovv their ovvne iudgement And especiall heede is to be taken of the iudgement of the Master or Mistrisse of the Nouices who are most to be credited as hauing the opportunity meanes to espy and penetrate more deeply into their Interiour Dispositions 9. This Goodnes or vertuousnes of Nature is an Essentiall Point and farre more to be regarded then those Accidentall ones as strength of Bodily complexion Acutenes of Wit Gracefullnes of Behauiour skill in Singing Nobility Portion c. And particularly for this last hovv far Religious Soules ought to be from regarding riches or gaine in matters of this Nature or for such carnall Ends to admit those that are vnfit or vvhom God hath not sent The Generall Decree of the Church in the first Oecumenicall Councell of Lateran can 64. vvill shevv besides the practise of Antiquity as vvee may reade in an Epistle of S. Augustin Surely the only vvay of founding Conuents securely euen in regard of Temporalities is by making choice only of those to vvhom God hath giuen fitting dispositions vvherby vvee may engage his Omnipotence in their preseruation 10. Those therfore vpon vvhose Suffrages the Admission and Profession of New-comers doe depend are to consider that they are intrusted by the vvhole Congregation vvith a matter of such consequence as not only the present but future vvellfare or ruine of Conuents is interessed in their proceedings all vvhich trust they shall betray if any vndue consideration of friendship kindred gaine c. or a zeale of multiplying Conuents vvhich is but carnall shall corrupt their iudgments 11. Surely therfore in all reason none should be admitted into Communities professing the aspiring to Contemplation but only such as are disposed therto and that are vvilling yea desirous to spend their vvhole Liues in Solitude Praier Regular Obseruances without any designes or thoughts of euer being employed abroad yet alvvayes vvith an entire submission to the Ordinances of Superiours 12. And indeed as vvas said before concerning Superiours that Actiue Spirits being to direct the Contemplatiue doe endanger the extinguishing of the Spirit of Contemplation so likevvise if such be vvithout choice admitted the same mischeife vvill follovv Yea I am persvvaded that many Actiue Spirits though of a Good seemly outvvard cariage are no lesse harmfull to a Community then a lesser number of loose Spirits And the reason is because by their good Exteriour shevv they vvill seeme vvorthy of Superiority to vvhich also their Activity vvill incline them And those are they indeed saith Thaulerus that are Persecutours of Contemplation for hauing a good opinion of themselues and their ovvne vvayes vvhich loose Spirits haue not they thinke themselues euen obliged to depresse those other good soules that doe not iudge those externall exercises and fashions suitable to their Profession And for this reason they vvill by faction seeke to encrease their number yea and to strengthen their ovvne party they vvill not spare to ioyne vvith loose Spirits for their ovvne Interests yeilding to their disorders Neither vvhen they haue compassed their Ends by the ruine of the Spirit of Contemplation vvill Vnquietnes cease For in a Community vvholly consisting of Actiue Spirits factions and partialities for seuerall Ends and designes will neuer be wāting 13. Novv the same care that Superiours ought to haue about the choice and Admission of vertuous and fitt soules into Communities must be continued in the managing and directing of them being admitted Great care therfore is to be taken that the misbehauiour of Nouices doe not proceed from vvant of knovvledge Instruction in matters of the Spirit That so it may appeare that if they doe not vvell it is for vvāt of good vvill and not of Light Now it is not to be expected that Nouices should be perfect it vvill suffise that they seriously tend to it by a constant pursuance of Internall Praier and Abstraction of Life 14. Aboue all things therfore Superiours ought to allovv to their subiects a competent time dayly for their Recollections vvhich is the foode of the soule and to deny vvhich vvould be a greater Tyrāny then to refuse corporall foode to slaues after their trauaile He deserues not the name of a Religious man saith Caietan No not of a Christian saith Thaulerus that doth not euery day spend some reasonable space in his Interiour S. Bernard vvould not excuse euen Pope Eugenius himselfe in the midst of those continually most distractiue vveighty affaires of the Popedome from this duty The vvant vvherof is more harmfull to the Soule then that of corporall foode is to the Body For he that fasts one day besides the present paine he finds vvill the next haue a better and more eager appetite But a soule that through neglect is depriued of her dayly foode of Praier vvill the next day haue a lesse stomack and disposition to it and so in time vvill come vvillingly and euen vvith pleasure to starue in Spirit And to such neglect and loathing of Prayer she vvill come if Superiours doe hinder or indeed not encourage her
nor affording so great edification c 12. It vvere folly inexcusable Pride for soules not diligently faithfully pursuing Internall Prayer not yet perfectly practising patience Resignation in Crosses necessary mortifications sent by God or attending their present condition of life to attempt the vndertaking of those vvhich belong not to them but are merely deuised by themselues For vvanting a Diuine light hovv can they perceiue or iudge them to be proper for them And if they be vnable to encounter difficulties vvhich are ordinary necessary vvhy should they thinke themselues prepared for extraordinary ones So that there is nothing vvhich makes these to be supportable but only that they proceed from selfe-iudgment selfe-vvill by consequence are more pleasing then distastfull to nature 13. The inconueniences attending the indiscreet passionate vse of such Mortifications are much greater in an Internall life tending to Contemplation then in an Actiue Because liberty of Spirit is much more necessary in the former then in this latter The vvhich Liberty is extremely preiudiced by such vnnecessary obligations and fetters laid by a soule vpon herselfe 14. And for this reason the supernumerary Mortifications vvhich may proue more vsefull vvhich are least preiudiciall to this Liberty are those that least vvorke vpon the mind as corporall labours not of obligation are more beneficiall then the ouer-multiplying of voluntary vocall Prayers the practise vvherof vvill probably preiudice the true exercise not only of Internall recollections but also of such vocall Prayers as are of obligation Aod of all others the most beneficiall are those that regard not-doing as more silence more solitude c. then a person by regular ordinances is obliged to Such Mortifications as these if the person vse discretion abstaine from imposing on himselfe an obliging necessity may sometimes be proffitably vndertaken by more imperfect soules 15. I doe not therfore vvholly exclude euen imperfect soules from the vse of extraordinary Mortifications for such may be Gods vvill that they may vndertake them and vpon that supposition most certaine it is that they vvill much hasten their aduancement to Perfection As he that runns if he be able to hold on will sooner come to his iourneyes end then he that contents himselfe vvith an ordinary trauelling pace But if indiscreetly he vvill force himselfe to run beyōd his breath and strength that aduantage vvhich he got for a little vvhile vvill not counteruaile the losse he sustaines aftervvard 16. Novv the signes and markes by vvhich a soule may informe herselfe whether the extraordinary Mortifications assumed by her doe proceed from a safe good principle that is from a Diuine Motiue not an Impulse of nature passion may be these She may esteeme them to come from God 1. If she beare herselfe vvell in the ordinary mortifications of necessity supporting chearfully courageously both the vsuall Austerities of her Religious state also all accidentall crosses 2. In case it be vvith the aduice Approbation of her spirituall Directour that is skillfull in discerning of spirits 3. If the soule in the continuance of it find a chearfullnes resolutenes for if there follovv any discontentednes or melancholy that is a very ill signe 4. If the occasion of vndertaking it vvas a quiet constant Internall inuitation not some sudden humour of Passion Remorse or some fitt of sensible Deuotion or an ambition to imitate others c Especially if the matter of the Mortification haue any perill in it to corporall health c for then the impulse to vndertake it had need be very certaine strong 5. If by perseuerance in it the vertue of Humility be increased 6. Lastly if it dispose the soule to better Recollection to a greater constancy feruour in Prayer 17. But to conclude this point There are very fevv that need complaine of vvant of mortifications or that are put to a necessity of seeking them All obseruances vvhatsoeuer euen the least that are practised in Religion or in the submission to a spirituall Directour and much more all contradictions humiliations Pennances are proffitable mortifications Yea euen the Acts of Authority practised by Superiours if they be done not out of nature or a loue of commanding but in obedience to the Rule vvith a foresight that God vvill expect an account concerning them are such also And if all these be too little a faithfull pursuance of Internall prayer together with Abstraction of life will sufficiently abate nature vvill no doubt generally speaking be effectuall to bring soules to Perfection if they liue out their due time And if not yet death finding them in the right way vvill bring them to their desired end And lastly such is the care tendernes of God tovvards soules that truely cordially consecrate themselues to him that if these mortifications be not sufficient he will by a speciall Prouidence procure others such as shall be most proper Yea a very sublime Mystick Authour confidently protesteth That rather then such a soule shall receiue preiudice by the want of them God will by a miracle immediately prouide them or by a supernaturall light forcible impulse direct moue her to find them CHAP. VI. § 1. Of certaine sorts of Mortifications which are more generall § 2. 3. 4. The first is Abstraction of life Wherin it consists c. § 5. 6. c. The second is Solitude Seuerall kinds of Solitude The benefits of it And the meanes to procure it The strictnes of S. Benedicts Rule in requiring it Perfect Solitude is only for such as are perfect 1. AFTER this generall Distinction of Mortifications before vvee come to the speciall kinds regarding the seuerall passions or affections of the soule to be mortified for indeed the only subiect of Mortification are our affections not any other faculties but only in order to our affections I vvill breifly set downe more vniuersall vnlimited Mortifications that is such as regard not any one single Passion but many yea either the whole person or some member that is the Instrument of many passions as the tongue Such indefinite Mortifications are these 1 Abstraction of life 2. Solitude 3. Silence 4. Peace or tranquillity of mind 2. Frist therfore for Abstraction the duty thereof consists in this that vvee abstaine 1. From intermedling vvith things not pertaining to vs And 2. For such things as belong to vs to doe that vvee doe them with a reseruednes of our affections not povvring them out vpon them being due only to God himselfe Yet this does not hinder vs from doing our duty vvith a sufficient attention care 3. That vvee not only relinquish all vnnecessary conuersations correspondencies Complementall visits c but likevvise all engagement of affections in particular freindships This last is necessary in Religious communities because from such freindships proceed Parcialities factions murmurings most dangerous Distractions multiplicity for the auoyding
Pleasures sake and not for vertue it is our Selues only that vvee loue in such a Person vvhom vvee then loue not properly as a PersoÌ„ but as a thing pleasurable to vs. But by a Loue of Freindship vvee doe at least vvee professe to loue the Person for the Persons sake and to seeke therin not our ovvne good but only the Persons for vvhose greater good vvee are vvilling to neglect our ovvne yea sometimes for the Persons contentment safety c. to sacrifice our ovvne contentment or may be our life also Thus far Freindship hath bene described in Ancient and latter times And Charity is by all acknovvledged to be a Loue of Freindship to God and for his sake only to men or our selues 5. Indeede if vvee narrovvly examine the matter vvee shall find that there neither is nor can be aâ—y other true freindship but Charity or the Loue vvhich vvee beare to God or for God And that all other pretended Freindships either among Heathens or Christians are mere sensuall Selfe-loue For though in some Freindâ—hips as they are called some haue professed so absolute a purity and freedome from selfe-interests as for their freinds sake to neglect not only all temporall respects of Riches Honour Pleasure c but also vvillingly exposed their Liues Yet indeed the true Motiue of all vvas a Sensuall loue vnto theÌ„selues For therfore for their freinds sake they made choice of Death rather then to liue depriued of them because the vvant of so great a Sensuall contentment vvas far more bitter insupportable to them then the paine of suffring death which vvould quickly be finished vvheras the languour and torture of the other vvould neuer haue ceased till death 6. But Charity is only and in the most strict sense a Freindship because therin all our Loue is terminated in God only vvee loue nothing but him or for him Yea vvee direct the loue not only of all other Creatures but also of our selues only to him 7. Novv in vvhat sence it is vsually sayd that our loue to God must be a free vnconcerned loue renouncing all interest or expectation of revvard as a Motiue therto and hovv this purely free loue may nothwitstanding consist with yea be grounded vpon a hope of retribution in Heauen consisting in the vision and fruition of God see the following Appendix at the End of the last Treatise CHAP. III. § 1. 2. The proper Seate of Charity is the Superiour will not the sensitiue Affections Though oft in Beginners it operates much there § 3. 4. Seuerall Acts or Fruits of Charity § 5. 6. The securest Practise of Diuine Loue is by selfe Abnegation § 7. Propriety makes and fills Hell And Resignation Heauen 1. THE most precious Vertue of Charity resides not in Sensuality Neither is it a painfull longing of the soule vvhich causes motions in the Heart Yea though it become such a loue as Mysticks call a languishing Loue yet it is not such as sensuall Loues vse to be a troublesome vnquiet Passion But it is seated in the Superiour soule being a quiet but most resolute determination of the Superiour Will to seeke God and a perfect vnion vvith him the vvhich Resolution she vvill not giue ouer for any distractions or occurring difficulties vvhatsoeuer Yea then it is oft most excellent and perfect vvhen the heart or inferiour Nature receiues the least contentment by it yea on the contrary feeles the greatest disgusts and desolations And such a Resolution is grounded on an high esteeme vvee haue by Faith of the Infinite Perfections of God and the innumerable obligations layd by him on vs. This makes an inflamed soule to despise all things vvhatsoeuer for God and to tend to him vvith a resolution of enioying him though vvith the losse of Pleasure Riches Honour yea and the Life it selfe 2. Yet so generous a Loue as this is not gotten suddenly At the first it is very imperfect much allayed by selfe-interest and seeking contentment to Nature euen in the Actions done for God so that vvere it not that ordinarily during such a State of Imperfection God cherishes the soule with sensible Comforts gusts vvhich she feeles in the Exercise of her loue to him she vvould scarce haue courage enough to proceede 3. The Acts Effects and Fruits proper to pure Charity or Diuine Freindship are 1. To be vnited in affection to God as our Cheife only Good vvith vvhom in some sort vvee are one 2 Out of Loue to him to take ioy in his Perfections congratulating vvith him therfore exulting that he is adored glorified by Angells Saints 3. To will and consent to the immutability of those Perfections 4. To desire and occasions being giuen to endeauour that all creatures may loue and adore him That infidells and sinners may be conuerted to him that so he may raigne by Loue in all 5. To be sorry for all offences both our ovvne and others committed against him 6. In pure Loue to him to determine faithfully and vnchangeably to serue him 7. To take iâ—y in all things that please him 8. With indifferency to accept of all things from his hands as vvell things displeasing to our natures as pleasing 9. To be sorry for all things that are contrary to his Holy vvill 10. To Loue all things that belong to him meerly for that reason 11. For his sake to loue all men Yea euen our Enemies Persecutours Nay moreouer to endeauour to expresse some effects of loue more to them then others as being speciall Instruments of procuring greater good to vs then our freinds are 12. To doe all the Honour vvee can to him and all the seruice vvee can to others for his sake 13. In nothing to seeke temporall commodity but only to please him 14. To imitate him in all his Perfections that are imitable and particularly for his sake to loue others vvith the like freedome of loue vvherwith he hath loued vs not seeking any commodity to himselfe therby 15. To endeauour to serue him the best vvee can and yet vvithall to reioice that he is serued more perfectly by others 16. To serue and loue him only in the seruice Loue that vvee shevv to Superiours Equalls or Inferiours 17. To resolue neuer to accept of any Contentment but in him nor other happines but only Him And therfore not to rest vvith affection in any of his gifts but only in himselfe 18. Neuer to set bounds to the measure of our Loue but still to endeauour to loue him more and better 19. To desire to suffer for him here being for the present contented vvith hope only of enioying for the future 20. To hate our selues our corrupt natures our insensiblenes of his goodnes c. vvith a most perfect hatred Neuer being vveary in persecuting and mortifying our selues 21. To loue him equally in his commands as in his revvards 22. To congratulate take contentment in any Act of temporall seuerity exercised by him on vs. 23. Neuer
good Resolution let her accordingly vvith courage put in execution daily Often renevving it vvhen she finds herselfe to become slack or negligent 9. Lastly in the Execution of these Duties and of all other her Employments she must alvvaies haue at least a vertuall Intention of directing them all to God making him the finall End of all and often times likevvise she must frame an Actuall Intention of the same Novv vvhen God is indeede and in the true disposition of the soule the End of her Actions he communicates a Supernaturality a kind of Diuinity vnto them And vnlesse he be truly the End they haue no merit at all 10. Novv it being certaine that only by the practise of Internall Prayer this Purity of Intention can be obtained In vvhat danger are those Soules that doe vvholly neglect it Neither vvill a fevv interrupted occasionall Offrings of our Actions to God be sufficient to procure a Stable habit of such Purity vvithout constant sett Exercises of Praier Mortification All the vertue that such Oblations haue is a litle to diminish the Impurity of those particular Actions but they doe not at all or very inconsiderably increase or strengthen the Habit of Diuine Loue in the Soule The vertue therfore of such Acts is to be measured according to the state that the soule is in 11. If an Internall liuer doe practise such occasionall Offrings of daily Actions I should aduise him 1. Not to multiply such Acts too thicke one vpon the other so as to endanger to hurt the Head or distract the Imagination or hinder the necessary liberty of Spirit 2. Let not them be a hindrance to other more perfect proffitable Eleuations of the Spirit to God or Aspirations if the soule find herselfe inuited therto or if they be rellishing to her 12. It is vnquestionable that the offring of our suffrings to God vvill be far more proffitable to the soule then the Offring of mere Workes that haue in them litle or nothing contrary to our Naturall Inclinations Yet euen that also vvithout constant Praier vvill be of litle force 13. I dare vvith confidence professe that the obseruing of the foresaied Simple Directions vvill be far more auaileable to the procuring Purity of intention in most soules then such a curious Examination of our daily vvorks as is prescribed by a late vvorthy Contemplatiue of our Nation vvho requires in euery vvorke Sixe Qualities punctually to be obserued viz. That it be done 1. Actually 2. Oneâ—y 3. Willingly 4. Assuredly 5. Clearly 6. Speedily for the Loue Glory of God And he exacts of a soule carefully to search vvhether any of these Conditions haue bene vvanting and consequently to be more circumspect in the future Which surely vvould be an Employment extreamly distractiue and full of Sollicitude Though it may be he himselfe found much good by such a practise and vvas able to doe it vvith Simplicity 4. It is far more easy for an Imperfect soule to exercise Purity of Intention in Actions that are of obligation done either in Order to any Law or any command of Superiours then in those that are left to her ovvne Choice And therfore it vvould be good for such an one either to haue her daily ordinary Employments prescribed to her by her Spirituall Directour or to ordaine them to her selfe vpon good consideration before hand yet so as not to preiudice due Liberty of Spirit 15. In euery Recollection the soule doth either directly expressly or at least vertually renew her first Fundamentall Purpose of tending in all her Actions Externall and Internall to the perfect Loue of God and then also she discouereth correcteth such defects and transgressions of this Purpose as haue passed out of the times of Praier Our Recollections therfore are the Fountaine Roote vvhence all our future vvorks haue their vertue merit in them Purity of Intention is most perfectly Exercised 16. The doings or suffrings of a Contemplatiue liuer though oft times vvith much repugnancy in inferiour Nature yet doe partake more of Purity of Intention Merit then the voluntary Actions of Actiue liuers or of one that does not constantly pursue Internall Prayer albeit the actions of these doe seeme to be done vvith greater alacrity facility to the doer seeme to proceede purely out of Charity and vvithall cause great admiration in the eyes of the Beholders The reason is because the Actions of the former are done purely out of a Diuine Inspiration and also in great Simplicity vnity their regard to God being not hindred by the Images accompanying such Actions Wheras Actiue liuers immediatly contemplate Multiplicity Yea in Praier it selfe they are not vvithout Multiplicity though they doe direct that Multiplicity more directly to one then in Actions out of Prayer 17. Now since Purity of Intention consists in regarding God vvith Simplicity that is vvithout mixture of Images or affections to Creatures it concerns Internall liuers to vse as great care Discretion as may be not to intrude themselues vnnecessarily into Distractiue Employments 18. Euen the most Perfect Soules are apt to haue lesse Purity of Intention in things gratefull to Nature then in such as are Mortifying Therfore in the former they may doe vvell to frame an Actuall vpright Intention 19. The repugnancy that Contemplatiue liuers doe find oftimes in the discharge of Externall Employments proceeds not so much out of any unvvillingnes to obey as out of an auersnes from leauing their Internall Solitude and Abstraction Yet such repugnancy in inferiour Nature is easily subdued at least so far that it shall not be a hindrance to Obedience and Duty 20. True Purity of Intention is best discerned in the beginning of an Action For ordinarily vvee sett vpon Externall vvorkes out of a sudden impulse and liking of Nature And afterwards vvee cousen our selues vvith a forced good intention fastned vpon them so thinking that in them vvee doe purely seeke the glory of God and faintly renouncing our interests of Nature It is indeede better to doe thus then to continue such Actions vpon the same Motiues vpon vvhich they vvere begun But no Actions are perfectly Meritorious and pure but such as haue for their first Principle a Diuine Light impulse and are continued in vertue of the same 21. Therfore a certaine Antient holy Hermite vvas accustomed before he set vpon any vvorke to make a pause for some time like one vvhose thoughts vvere busied about some other matter And being asked vvhy he did so He ansvvered All our Actions are in themselues nothing worth But like a rough vnshapen peice of Timber they haue no Gracefullnes in them vnlesse wee adorne guild them ouer with a Pure Intention directing them to the Loue Glory of God Or as one that is to shoote at a Marke doth first carefully fixe his eye vpon it otherwise he will shoote at randome So do I fixe my Eye vpon God who is to be our only
Marke and for this reason before I begin any worke I doe seriously offer it to God begging his assistance 22. Actiue liuers had neede in almost all their Actions of moment to frame an Actuall Intention but not so the Contemplatiue vvho are alvvaies habitually vnited to God For such iterations of Actuall intention vvould cause too much distraction to them 23. To Conclude hovv difficult and vneasy soeuer to Nature the attaining to Purity of Intention be because therby the very Soule of Corrupt Nature vvhich is Propriety is rooted out Yet since it is absolutly necessary in an Internall life therfore considering Gods promise that he neuer vvill be vvanting to our Endeauours Soules of good vvills vvill find it neither impossible nor of so great Difficulty as at first it appeared if they vvill attempt it vvith a strong Resolution To quicken fortifie vvhich Resolution I vvill end this Discourse vvith that peircing saying of Harphius O how great and hidden deceits of Corrupt Nature will appeare saith he and be discouered and consequently be seuerely punished after this life for that Soules haue not here bene purified and made Deiforme in their Intentions God Almighty giue vs the grace to discouer novv and reforme this perillous and secret selfe-seeking of Nature to the Glory of his Holy Name AMEN CHAP. V. § 1. 2. Of the Louing of God in our selues other Creatures And how the loue to our selues is to be Ordered § 3. Euen that loue which is Duty in Heaâ—hens c. is defectuous § 4. Wee can not loue others truly meritoriously till wee first loue God § 5. 6. 7. All Affections not proceeding from Charity are to be mortified § 8. All Intellectuall Creatures are the Obiects of our Charity except the damned Soules Deuills § 9. Of the Order of Charity § 10. 11. 12 13. 14. Those are most to be loued euen aboue our selues whom God loues most Yet certaine Duties proceeding from loue as Honour Sustenance Almes c. are first to be extended to Parents Freinds c and specially to our Selues § 15. 16. 17. Further Proofes of this § 18. Whether Beauty c. may be a Motiue of Loue. § 19. 20. 21. 22. Of loue extended to Enemies Who are esteemed Enemies § 23. Great Grace required to practise this Duty aright § 24. 25. Degrees of loue to supposed Enemies And the fruits therof § 26 Of a Speciall kind of loue called Philadelphia or loue of the Fraternity of Beleiuing Holy Christian Catholicks 1. BEFORE Wee end the Subiect of Diuine Loue something is to be said of Loue to our Selues our Neighbours in and for God For as for the loue vvhich out of God vvee beare to our Selues or any others it is not vvorth the treating of as being altogether defectuous and grounded in Nature And the more vehement it is the more defectuous is it 2. The right Ordring therfore of Our loue to our Selues and our Brethren consists in this 1. That the Motiue of our loue must be the Diuine vvill Command 2. The ground therof must be the relation in vvhich vvee stand to God as capable of the Communication of Diuine Graces and Beatitude 3. The End must be to bring our Selues and others either by our Endeauours Exhortaions c. or by our Praiers to God that he may be loued Glorified by vs in the doing of vvhich consists our Perfection Happines 4. Lastly the subiect of this Loue must be the Superiour vvill especially As for tendernesse of nature distracting sollicitudes vnquiet images in the minde touching those vvee loue the best safest course vvould be to mortify diminish them as much as may be as proceeding from a naturall sensuall affection the vvhich as far as it does not flovv from the Superiour soule is not subordinate directed to the loue of God is defectuous 3. Hence appeares First That affections in Persons that are strangers from the true Faith are full of defectuousnesse in all the particular respects before mentioned For though for example the loue vvhich Children ovve to their Parents the affections mutually due betvveene Husbands Wiues c be for the substance according to the Law of Nature right reason consequently so far conformable to the Diuine Will so that the vvant or refusall of such loue the neglect of the Duties Offices required by such relations is a great sin yet there can bâ— no merit either in such loue or the effects of it by reason that it is neither from the Motiue of Diuine Charity nor directed to the Glorifying of God by perfect loue from vvhich all merit proceedeth 4. Secondly it followes from hence that vvee can neither meritoriously loue our selues nor our Brethren till first vvee are firmely rooted in the loue of God because Charity to our selues or others is indeed only loue to God by Reflection or the louing of God in things belonging to him vvhich he either loues or may loue 5. Therfore an Internall liuer ought to mortify all sensuall affection to creatures I meane all particular freindships intimacies vvhich are not grounded vpon the necessary foundation of the Diuine Loue And as for such affections as are necessarily due by vertue of some respects relations that God has put betvveene our selues any others such an one ought as much as may be to roote them out of the sensuall portion of the soule because there they vvill cause great distractions hindrances of our most necessary loue to God 6. A serious care to practise according to this Aduice is very necessary especially in Religious CoÌ„munities both for our ovvne good others For besides that sensuall freindships grounded on externall or sensuall respects are most vnbeseeming Persons that haue consecrated themselues only to God infinitly preiudiciall to abstraction recollectednes of mind much more if they be betweene Persons of different sexes such particular intimatcies cannot chuse but cause particulities factions particular designes c to the great disturbance harme of the Community 7. The least defectuous amongst the grounds of a particular friendship may be the resentment gratitude for benefits especially spirituall ones that haue ben receiued But yet euen in this case also vvee ought to preuent the settling of amity in the sensuall part of the soule content our selues vvith requiting such obligations by our Prayers or by a returne of proportionable benefits 8. Novv Charity is to be extended to all Intellectuall Creatures that is to all Angells all men vvhether aliue or dead except only the reprobate Angells damned soules which are not obiects of our Charity in as much as they are not capable of enioying God vvhich is the ground of Charity And the effects of our Charity to the glorified Saints Angells must be a congratulation vvith them for their happines for the loue vvhich they beare to God vvhich God vvill eternally beare reciprocally to them
him in the Graces properly deseruing Loue Yet seuerall effects of Charity of other vertues or qualities in vs flovving from Charity are in the first place after God to be exhibited to our selues aftervvard to those that God hath placed neare to vs respectiuely according to the degrees of nearnes 15. For Charity being an affection rather of the Will then the sensitiue faculties seemes to be a certaine esteeme valevv set vpon persons consequently an adhesion of the vvill tendance to an internall vnion of Spirit vvith them Novv questionlesse this esteeme though due to all in as much as all either doe or may participate of God graces happines yet in the highest degree of it it is most due to those that most deserue it or that are most like vnto God So that to valevv our selues or any mortall freinds or kindred before the Glorified Saints vvould be irrationall vnseemely Charity vvould then be disorderly contrary to vvhat the Holy Ghost saith Ordinauit in me Charitatem He hath fitly duly ordred Charity in mee True it is that by reason of selfe-loue selfe-interest vvhich is neuer vvholly rooted out of vs in this life as likevvise the great dominion that sensitiue nature oft takes in our actions vvee can hardly preuent or hinder loue from shevving a greater regard to our selues our nearest freinds yet as far as it is an affection of the will so it may yea in perfect soules it is stronger tovvards those that are nearest to God 16. But as for some speciall Offices duties vvhich in vs doe or ought to flovv from Charity thâ—y are to be exhibited according as God hath placed persons in seuerall relations to vs. Novv it being euident that God hath made vs nearest to our selues hath intrusted to euery particular person the care of his ovvne soule before all others therfore euery one is obliged to bestovv his cheife sollicitude endeauours vpon the adorning of his ovvne soule the directing of it to Happines As for other men certaine generall duties of this nature are vpon occasions only to be exhibited towards all Hence vvee are generally commanded to Exhort Edifie Reproove c. one an other But these duties are to be the employment particular charge only of those that God hath called to the care of soules yet so as that no soules are so strictly intrusted to any one as his ovvne so that vpon no pretence can it be lavvfull for any one to neglect the care of his ovvne soule And in the exteÌ„ding of these offices of spirituall or corporall Charity reason requires that other circumstances being equall vvee should preferre those that haue nearest relation to vs except vvhen strangers doe stand in far greater necessity for they are then to be accounted as nearest to vs as it vvere committed to our Charge 17. Therfore externall workes of Charity other offices though they ought all to be payd out of Charity Honour to whom honour is due Feare to whom Feare c. Yet they are not to follow the order of Charity but of Proximity so that in equall necessity vvee are to preferre our Parents kindred neare neighbours speciall freinds in regard of giuing Almes c before those that may challenge the preference in the affection of Pure Charity as being more Holy more beloued of God It may notvvithstanding happen that in some cases there may be a doubt hovv the order of Charity is to be obserued But a soule that follovves internall Prayer vvill not want a light to direct her To giue particular rules vvould be tedious impertinent to the present designe This therfore may suffise concerning the order of Charity in generall 18. It may be demanded Whether externall corporall endowments as youth beauty gracefullnes c may be permitted to enter as a motiue into the loue that wee beare to others I ansvver that such corporall perfections being Gifts of God may lavvfully as such be motiues of loue namely to those that are so perfect as that they can vse them as steps to asceÌ„d by them to a higher purer loue of God in and for them vvho is beauty it Selfe But as for imperfect sensuall Persons it vvould be vnlawfull a tempting of God to giue a free deliberate scope to their loue of others specially of different sexes for the regard of beauty since vvee knovv it vvill powerfully vvithdraw their affections from God fixe them on creatures after the fovvlest manner Therfore the necessary care of our selues requires that vvee should not so much as looke stavedly fixedly on the tentation of beauty much lesse fauour the attraction of it 19. Before vvee conclude this so necessary a point concerning Charity some vvhat is to be sayd touching the most Christian duty of loue to our Enemies True it is that the loue of Christ vvill not permit vs to exercise enmity towards any Person in the least degree since Charity is to be vniuersally extended to all But enemies I call those that are in their nature auerse from vs or incensed by some prouocation or that are indeed enemies to our Holy Profession or that vvould dravv vs to sin c. 20. As for these latter sort of enemies they are indeed truly such and their actions vvee must abhorre also vvith discretion auoyd their company but vvee must not hate their persons nor be vvanting in any office of Charity towards them when occasion is offred 21. But touching the former sort of those that as it is to be hoped vvithout an vtter breach of Charity doe in externall matters doe ill offices to vs or are contrary to our designes such vvee ought to esteeme as indeed our freinds perhaps if vvee regard the proffit of our soules vvee could lesse spare them then those vvee call our most officious freinds vvho doe but flatter or nourish selfe-loue in vs. It is only as to the feeling of nature that vvee esteeme such to be enemies But really vvee are to behaue our selues towards them as Gods Instruments for our great good Yea as far as prudence vvill permit vvee are to iudge beleiue that they loue vs intend our good in things that they doe crosse to our nature 22. Now till vvee come to a perfect simplicity of thought vvhich vvill not be till vvee approach to a state of Perfection vvee must be carefull neither by vvords nor deeds to procure them the least harme in any kind no not so much as in thought to vvish it them On the contrary vvee must loue them still principally for this because God loues them and desires their saluation vvhich it is to be hoped he vvill effectually procure 23. But to doe an office so necessary yet vvithall so contrary to the inclinations of corrupt nature a great measure of grace is requisite the vvhich is not to be had vvithout ansvverable efficacious Internall Praier seriously pursued the vvhich ioyned vvith good
herselfe in the point of Gluttony And the maine mischeife of the tentation is preuented vvhen vvee are come to cast of the habituall affection to eating drinking especially to feasting the vvhich brings many inconueniences to an Internall liuer as 1. losse of time 2. Perill of intemperance other misbehauiour 3. Hurtfull distractions 4. Indisposition to Prayer 5. Intemperance likevvise in another vse of the tongue to vvit talking c. 4. Imperfecter soules therfore must make it their care in Refections to auoyd these speciall defects To vvit Eating or Drinking 1. Too much 2. With too great earnestnes 3. Too hastily preuenting the due times 4. Delicatly 5. With a precedent studiousnes to prouide pleasing meates c. In respect of the two first qualities or defects such soules may happen to offend vvho yet in a good measure haue attayned to a spirituall disesteeme neglect of those things that please sensuality For they on occasions may be tempted to eate vvith some excesse and ardour But rarely doe such offend in the follovving qualities 5. Now the Markes by vvhich a soule may discerne vvhether she haue in her a disaffection to sensuall pleasures are 1. If her chiefe delight esteeme be in Exercises of the Spirit that she diligently pursues them 2. If she seekes not after nor willingly admits extraordinary feastings 3. If being alone she does not entertaine herselfe vvith the thought of such things nor talks of them vvith gust 4. If when she is forced to take Refections she takes them as of necessity duty 5. If she could be content so that Gods vvill vvere such to be depriued of all things that might please tast c. 6. In case that necessary Ciuility shall oblige a spirituall person to be present at a feast he may doe vvell to be vvatchfull ouer himselfe at the beginning And this he may the more easily doe because then others being more eager to their meate vvill lesse marke him And to entertayne the time vvhich is ordinarily long let him chuse such meats as are the lightest of the easiest digestion For so doing he may both seeme to auoyd singularity in abstaining more then others yet in effect eate far lesse In a vvord let him goe thither vvith a mind affection to abstinence retaine such affection 7. This one vnauoydable misery there is in eating drinking hovv temperatly soeuer That a soule for such a time for some space aftervvards is forced to descend from that height of Spirit that she had attayned to by vertue of her precedent Recollection So that if before she had a sight experimentall perception that God was all herselfe nothing she vvill aftervvards haue no other sight of this but her ordinary sight of Faith by reason that her Spirits are more actiue her internall senses filled vvith Images vapours 8. Yet a soule is not to abridge herselfe of a necessary quantity in Refection for her Prayers sake or other Internall Exercises for that vvould for a long time after doe more harme to the spirit by too much enfeebling the body Neither is she to iudge that she has offended by excesse because she finds a heauines and perhaps some indigestion for some space after Refection For this may proceed from that debility of complexion vvhich ordinarily attends a spirituall life since as S. Hildegardis saith The loue of God doth not vsually dwell in robustious bodies 9. It is not our petty failings through frailty or ignorance and much losse our supposed failings iudged so by our scrupulosity that can cause God to be auerted from vs or that vvill hinder our vnion vvith him For for such defects vvee shall be attoaned vvith God in our next Recollections or it may be sooner But those are indeed preiudiciall defects vvhich proceede from a setled affection to sensuall obiects 10. To correct the vice of Eagernes in eating Abbot Isacius aduised his Monks that when they stretched forth their hands for the receiuing of their meate or drinke they should doe it with a certaine mentall vnwillingnes 11. Let euery one content himselfe vvith vvhat God by Superiours prouides for him accounting that hovv meane or course soeuer to be the very best for him not that vvhich cannot be procured vvithout sollicitude impatience Neither ought any to iustify or excuse his impatience out of an opinion of obligation that euery one has to take care of the body for the seruice of the spirit For the spirit is far more endammaged by such impatience sollicitude then any thing they can desire for the body can doe it good 12. Wee haue small reason to loue the body for it is that vvhich one way or other is the cause of almost all the sins vvhich the soule commits To cherish therfore satisfy its inordinate desires is to make prouision for sin as if our naturall corruption did not sufficiently incline vs therto 13. The infirmity of our body may sometimes require not only healthy but also well tasting meats not for the satisfying of our sensuality but the vpholding of our strength as S. Augustin saith In vvhich case meats of good rellish euen as such may be sought for yea ought to be so this for the recreating and comforting of nature And such corporall consolation may also haue a good effect vpon the Spirit But vvhere no such necessity is to seeke for such meates is against the Rules of Religious temperance And euen during such necessity to seeke them either vvith sollicitude or so as may be preiudiciall to the Community is contrary to Religious Pouerty Resignation 14. As many defects hindrances to spirituall progres doe flovv by occasions of Refection so on the contrary to vvell-minded soules it may be the occasion of some aduantages for their progresse in Spirit For 1. It obliges a soule to vvatch pray that she be not ouercome by the Tentation 2. It may giue occasion for the exercise of Patience in case of the vvant of things contentfull to nature as likevvise of temperance in the vse of them 3. The experience of our frequent excesses beyond true necessity may afford great matter for the Exercise of Humility 4. By the means of Resection there is giuen to soules certaine pausings diuersions from spirituall workings necessary to enable them making good vse therof to worke aftervvards more vigorously intensely 15. Vix perfectus discernit c. sâ—ith S. Gregory A perfect soule doth scarce discerne the secret Tentations subtle subreption of sensuality vrging soules to take more then necessity or obedience require the only light necessary for such discerning comes from internall Praier And moreouer till the soule by Praier be raysed aboue sensuality she cannot haue strength enough to resist all the inordinate desires therof vvhich she doth discerne And vvhen soules are arriued to Perfect Praier of Contemplation they oppose such desires rather by neglecting forgetting the body then by
the mortification of vvhich vvee are novv to treate of is such an one as is incident more particularly to tender Deuout soules especially women that pursue the exercises of a Contemplatiue life the vvhich is vsually called Scrupulosity vvhich is a mixd kind of Passion the most contrary to that peace of mind necessary in a spirituall course of any other as being enuenomed vvith vvhatsoeuer causes anxiety and invvard torments almost in all other Passions It regards Sin and Hell the most abhorred and most terrible obiects of all others and it is composed of all the bitternesses that are found in Feare Despaire ineffectuall Desires vncertainty of Iudgement Iealousy c. And penetrating to the very mind and Spirit obscuring and troubling the Vnde stanâ—ing our only Directour and torturing the Will by plucking it violently contrary vvayes almost at the same time it causes the most pestilent disorders that a vvell-meaning soule is capable of in so much as if it be obstinatly cherished it sometimes ends in direct Frensy or vvhich is vvorse a desperate forsaking of all Duties of vertue and Piety And vvhere it is in a lesse Degree yet it causes Images so distracting so intimely penetrating so closely sticking to the mind and by consequence is so destructiue to Praier with Recollectednes that it deserues all care and Prudence to be vsed for the preuenting or expelling it 4. For vvhich purpose I vvill here according to the best light that God has giuen me afford such tender soules as are vpon this Rack of Scrupulosity the best Aduices I can and such ac if they vvill haue the courage to practise accordingly I doe not doubt but through Gods helpe they vvill be preserued from the dangerous consequences of such a Passion I shall insist vvith more then an ordinary copiousnes vpon this subiect because this so dangerous a Passion is but too ordinary among soules of the best dispositions 5. But in the first place I must make this Protestation that these foll wing Instructions in vvhich a great yet necessary condescendenâ—y is allovved in many cases doe belong vnto application of them only to be made by such tender fearfull soules as desire and intend sincerely to follow Internall Praier and other Duties of a Spirituall life with as much courage diligence as their frailty will permit Such doe indeed too often stand in neede and are vvorthy of all assistance indulgence that Reason and a good conscience can possibly allovv as being persons thrt vvill probably turne all to the glory of God good of their soules and not to the ease or contentment of sensuall nature vvhich they account their greatest Enemie and much lesse to vnlavvfull liberty 6. I doe protest therfore against all extrouerted Liuers or any of different Tempers and Exercises that shall presume to apply or assume vnto themselues any indulgences c. here not belonging to them For they vvill but misleade themselues and reape harme by so doing It seldome falls out that such persons haue a feare of a sin committed or of the mortall heynousnes of it but that it is very likely that it is such an one and has bene committed And therfore for no difficulty of nature nor for the auoyding of trouble of mind ought they to expect any dispensations from due Examinations of their Conscience expresse Confessions c Wheras a thousand to one the forementioned tender soules doe take those for mortall sins vvhich are mere Tentations yea perhaps pure mistakes And therfore to oblige them to such strict Examiâ—ations or Confessions vvould only nourish their most distracting Anguishes of mind furnish them vvith nevv matters of Scrupulosity 7. Novv to encourage such tender vvell-minded soules to make vse of these or any other the like Aduices proper for theÌ„ I desire them to take notice that that very Disposition to vvit a tender fearfullnes of offending God vvhich renders them obnoxious to this so pernicious a Passion is such an one as if they can auoide this inconuenience vvill be the most aduantageous of all others to enable them to make a speedy progresse in Internall waies and to attaine to Purity of heart the immediate disposition to Contemplation aboue all other So that this is the only snare that the Deuill has to hinder them namely by taking aduantage from such Tendernes to fill their minds full of multiplicity and vnquiet Apprehensions With the vvhich snare if they suffer themselues to be entangled they vvill find that Scrupulosity vvill be far from being effectuall to cure any of their Imperfections yea it vvill make Contemplatiue Praier impossible to be attained And God grant that those be the vvorst and most dangerous effects of it 8. Such Tendernes of Conscience that is naturall to many frequently happens to be much encreased immediatly after the entring into an Internall course of life And therfore then especiall care ought to be vsed for for the preuenting of the fearfull Apprehensions vvhich are the vsuall consequences of it And the ground of such encrease of TeÌ„dernes at that time is not so much a conscience of former sins as too seuere a Iudgment of their present Imperfections the vvhich seeme to be multiplied by reason of the continuall opposition that corrupt nature giues to their present Exercises as likevvise because â—y the practise of such Exercises they haue a New light to discouer a vvorld of Defects formerly inuisible to them Hence they become fearfull of their present Condition and knovving as yet no other remedy but Confession they torment themselues vvith anxious preparations therto And their feares yet not ceasing by hauing receiued Absolution and besides the same opposition of sensuality against Internall Prayer continuing they begin to susâ—ect their former Confessions vvhich therfore they renew so that all their thoughts almost are taken vp vvith these suspicions of themselues unsatisfactions in their Confessions c And by giuing vvay to such anxious customary Confessions to vvhich also perhaps they are encouraged by their indiscreete Guides they endanger themselues to contract an incurable Disease of most pernicious Scrupulosity and Seruile Feare from vvhich terrible anguishes deiectednes and heartlesnes in all Spirituall Duties doe follovv vvith danger of rendring the State of Religion or at least of an Internall Life begun a condition lesse fruitfull yea more dangerous then a common Extrouerted life in the vvorld vvould haue bene 9. Deuout foules therfore are earnestly vvished to make timely prouision against these Inconueniencies courageously to resist Scrupulosiâ—y in the beginning according to the Aduices here follovving And aboue all things to vse their best endeauours and Prudence as far as it belongs to them as likevvise their Praiers to God that they fall not into the hands of Directours that vvill feede this Humour to them in such a state most pernicious of frequent iterated Confessions either particular or Generall If such care be had in the beginning there is no disease more easily curable
vvhereas by progresse it gathers such Strength disordering the Imagination disquieting the Passions and corrupting euen the Iudgment also that it is scarce possible to find a Remedy 10. Novv to the end that the follovving Aduices may be more cleare and distinct vvee vvill sort them according to the seuerall Grounds from vvhich vsually Scrupulosity doth proceede The vvhich are 1. Either Intervall Tentations by suspected sinfull Thoughts and Imaginations 2. Or certaine Defects or supposed Defects incurred about Externall Obligations as Sâ—yâ—ng the Office Fasting c. In both vvhiâ—h Cases there is a strong Suspicion of sin incurred and an vncertainty of vvhat heynousnes that sin in from vvhenâ—e follovv vnquiet Examinations Scrupulous Confessions often repeated c First therfore vvee vviâ—l treate of Feare Scrupulosity arising from Inward Tentations by ill Imaginations or Thoughts And aftervvard of the other CHAP. IX § 1. Of Scrupulosity arising from certaine Inward Tentations § 2. 3. Tentations are not in themselues ill But rather a Marke of Gods loue Yet they are not to be sought § 4. Internall Tentations very purifying § 5. 6. 7. 8. Of Inward Tentations resting only in the mind And Aduices against them § 9. Likewise touching those that cause also Effects and motions in corporall nature § 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Prayer is by no meanes to be omitted for Tentations As being the best and securest Remedy In as much as all Tentations are most efficaciously and perfectly resisted by conuersion of the soule with Loue to God 1. THE Speciall kinds of Inward Tentations vvhich doe ordinarily afford matter of Feare Scrupulosity to vvell-minded tender soules are First either such ill Imaginations or Thoughts as rest in the mind alone without any other outvvard Effect such are Thoughts 1. Of Infidelity 2. Of Blasphemy 3. Of Despaire c. Or Secondly such as withall haue or may cause an alteration in the Body such are Thoughts of Impurity Anger c. 2. Now concerning Tentations in generall the Deuout Soule is to consider That it is no sin to haue them yea being sent vs by God they are meant for our good and to giue vs occasion to merit by them And those vvhich God sends vs are the most proper for vs. For if they vvere in our ovvne choice vvee should chuse least and last of all those that are most fit to humble vs and to vvithdraw our Affections from our selues and Creatures so that the more displeasing to vs and afflicting that any Tentations are the more proffitable are they Let none therfore be dismayed at the approach of Tentations but since Selfe-Loue cannot be cured but by application of things contrary therto let vs accept of them as a speciall gift of God assuring our selues that it vvould be perillous to be long without them And if vvee cannot clearly see hovv our present Tentations can turne to our proffit vvee ought to content our selues that God sees it othervvise he vvho is Infinite vvisedome and Goodnes vvould neuer haue permitted them to befall vs Therfore let Faith supply knowledge or curiosity 3. Neuerthelesse wee must not voluntarily seeke Tentations for qui amat periculum peribit in eo He that loues danger shall perish therein sayth the Wiseman God vvill not deny spirituall strength to resist make good vse of Tentations that by his Prouidence befall vs yea although it vvas by some precedent fault negligence of ours that they befell vs But he has made no promise to secure vs in a Danger into vvhich vvee voluntarily runne 4. More particularly Internall Tentations are more beneficiall and purifying and they doe more profoundly humble vs then doe outward paines or Persecutions 1. Because they discouer vnto vs not the malice of others but our ovvne sinfull natures prone of themselues to all abominations 2. And by them vvee come to be deliuered not from other creatures but from our selues in vvhich separation our cheifest last conquered difficulty consists 3. They send vs for remedy to none but God For vvhat effect can any assistance medicines or other helpes of Creatures haue against our ovvne Thoughts 5. And as for the Speciall forenamed Tentations a vvell-minded soule ought to consider That the simple passing of such thoughts or Imaginations in the mind is no sin at all though they should rest there neuer so long vvithout aduertence but only the giuing a deliberate consent vnto them Neither is it in the povver of a Soule either to preuent or banish them at pleasure Because the Imagination is not so subiect to Reason as that it can be commanded to entertaine no Images but such as Reason vvill allovv But it is distempered according to the disposition of the Humours and Spirits in the Body and sometimes the Deuill also is permitted to iniect or raise Images to the disquieting of tender soules But he can force none to consent to the suggestions proceeding from them 6. There is lesse danger of consenting vnto Tentations merely spirituall such as are Thoughts of Blasphemy Despaire c And consequently lesse likelyhood of Scrupulâ—siâ—y from a suspicion of such consent Though sometimes they may be so violent and so obstinatly adhering that the fancy vvill become extreamly disordered and the soule vvill thinke herselfe to be in a kind of Hell vvhere there is nothing but blaspheming and hating of God 7. Her best Remedy is quietly to turne her thoughts some other vvay and rather neglect then force herselfe to combat them vvith contrary thoughts For by neglecting of them the impression that they make in the Imagination vvill be diminished She may doe vvell also by words or outvvard gestures to signify her renouncing and detestation of them As in a Tentation of Blasphemy let her pronounce vvords and expresse postures of Adoration of God Praise Loue c Let her be also the more diligent in frequenting the Quire continuing more carefully in Postures of Humility before him And doing thus let her banish all suspicions of hauing consented as being morally impossible 8. Certaine it is that hovv troublesome horrible soeuer such Tentations may seeme to be yet they being quietly resisted or rather neglected doe vvonderfully purify the soule establishing Diuine loue most firmely and deeply in the spirit More-ouer by occasion of them the Superiour Soule is enabled to transcend all the disorders and tumults in Inferiour Nature adhering to God during the greatest coÌ„tradictions of sensuality 9. As for the other sort of Interiour Tentations vvhich are more grosse causing oft disorderly motions and effects in Corporall Nature It vvill be more difficult to persvvade timerous soules that they haue not consented Both by reason that such Imaginations are more pertinacious and sticking to the corporall Humours and spirits and also because inferiour Nature is povverfully inclined to a liking of them in somuch as that reall effects alterations may be vvrought in the body before that Reason be fully avvake to resist them Yea and after the resistance made
against conscience or vvhat may be sayd to be Doubtfull accounting euery thing that they feare vvithout being able to giue any tolerable reason of their feare to be against conscience and to be Doubtfull It is therfore the spirituall Directour or experienced Confessour only that is to be iudge of these things vvho has no interest at all in the busines but the good of his Penitents soule vvho can iudge vvithout Passion vvho is appointed by God to be iudge and vvhose vnfaithfull dealing the Penitent hath no reason to suspect 5. There is no possible vvay to be ridde from scruples besides the hauing immediate recourse to God by humble resigned Prayer but an entire indispensable obedience to prudent Confessours proceeding according to these or the like grounds and instructions According to vvhich if such tender soules take the courage to practise notvvithstanding any feares in sensitiue Nature they vvill find their feares to decrease Wheras if they neglect or obstinatly refuse to put them in practise their feares vvill not only grow far more dangerous but they vvill become inexcusable before Almighty God and contract the heynous sin of disobedience ingratitude and vvillfull obstinacy resistance against the light vvhich God has giuen them 6. But vvithall they must knovv that they vvill neuer haue sufficient strength and Grace to obey against passion except they seriously practise Internall Prayer the vvhich alone vvill make their Obedience to become by custome far more easy and also freed from that horrour vvhich at the first they will feele in sensitiue Nature 7. Neither ought they to suspect that their Confessours set ouer them by God for their good doe not vnderstand their case aright True it is they doe not feele the paines they suffer no more then Corporall Physitions doe their Patients But yet they knovv the causes of it far better then themselues proceeding by a Supernaturall light not clowded by Passion And vvhy should they pretend to knovv the causes being ignorant of them What interest is likely to corrupt their iudgment Would they for no reward or gaine incurre the displeasure of God 8. Notwithstanding so subtile such soules are to their owne preiudice that though they should yeild that their Confessour knevv their past state yet they see some nevv Circumstance vvhich vvas either forgotten or they doubt so the vvhich may perhaps alter the vvhole Case As likewise euery nevv sin or defect has somevvhat in it to their seeming different from the former by vvhich they make a shift to scape from Obedience Yet they must knovv that not all these shifts vvill excuse them before God 9. Yea they ought to consider that though indeed it vvere true that the Confessour should happen to be mistaken Notvvithstanding the Penitent practising bona fide according to his Orders in a point of this Nature about Confession vvhich is not a Morall Precept should commit no sin nor incurre the least danger by it yea being an Act of Obedience for Gods sake and in opposition to Naturall Passion it should be an occasion of merit to them So that though the sins suspected by them vvere indeed Mortall yet he iudging othervvise they vvould not be obliged to confesse them 10. But it is vvonderfull to see in soules very distrustfull of themselues in all other matters such an obstinate selfe-iudgment in this that they vvill neuer be perswaded that they are Scrupulous though their vvitts be almost perished by Scrupulosity For if this vvere once admitted plaine reason vvould conuince them that they ought not to be their ovvne Iudges As likevvise in soules othervvise very innocent humble and most pliable to Obediēce the pertinacious disobedience in this point of abstaining from confessing or renewing Confessions of things forbidden them to be confessed is very strange So that against the command of their present Confessour and the Aduice of all the most learned Doctours they vvill persist in their reluctance And if their Confessour vvill not admit them they vvill forbeare no meanes to find out others though vvholly vnacquainted vvith their state to heare their Scrupulosities And vvhat other ground can there be of such disorder but only selfe-loue deeply rooted in corrupt Nature and oftimes the suggestion of the Deuill to vvhich such soules by reason of their disordered Imaginations and Passions are miserably exposed They had rather confesse their vertues for faults as their hauing resisted their feares in compliance vvith Obedience then their really greatest fault vvhich is selfe Iudgment and Disobedience 11. A Scrupulous fearfull Soule hauing bene commanded to forbeare Examination and confession of such particulars as doe cause vnquietnes in her vvhen she comes to put this in practise a double Feare vvill present it selfe to her the one of disobeying her Confessour and the other of going against her naturall Iudgment vvhich is contrary to her Confessours But she ought to consider that the former Feare has nothing of nature in it yea that it contradicts Nature in its most sensible part and therfore is far more vvorthy to take place As for the Feare of going against her ovvne Iudgment it proceeds vvholly and only from Nature selfe-loue and a desire to be ridd of her present paine that the memory of her faults causes in her or the Suggestions of the Deuill vrging her to disobedience Therfore if she cannot expell this Feare out of sensitiue Nature she must accept it as a paine but vvithall contradict it as a Tentation 12. She ought to assure herselfe that more harme comes to her and incomparably greater impediments in her Exercise of Prayer c. by indiscreete Confessions or Examinations made merely to satisfy Scrupulosity then by all the Defects that she vvould Confesse the which being generally incurred out of frailty doe far lesse estrange her from God then such Confessions doe by vvhich she is habituated in selfe-vvill selfe-iudgment and Seruile Feare All vvhich are the more perillous in as much as they haue a pretence of Duty to God and to the Orders of his Church as also of humility and a desire to receiue benefit by the Sacrament c. 13. Common Reason vvill dictate that it is most vnfitt that any one should be iudge of his ovvne state iust at a time vvhen a Tentation or violent Feare is actually predominant the vvhich doe put the soule in a strange confusion and darknes What a folly therfore presumption vvould it be for a vvoman ignonorant passionate and fearefull to challenge the Office of a Iudge in this Case and to thinke to regulate the Iudge that sits in Gods seate 14. Let therfore fearefull soules that are forbidden the vsuall waies of curious Examinations of Conscience nice Confessions Whensoeuer any scruple or suspicion concerning a Mortall Sin comes into their Minds that vvould vrge them to run for ease to Confession or that vvould affright them from communicating let them I say content themselues vvith asking their ovvne Consciences in one glance of their minds Doe
22. This most Heroycall Humility can only be exercised in the Act of Contemplation for then only it is that a soule feeles her owne nothing vvithout intending to reflect vpon it At all other times she in some degree feeles the false supposed being of herselfe creatures Because it is only in Actuall Pure prayer that the images of them are expelled vvith the Images the Affections to them also 23. Notvvithstanding a great measure proportion of the vertue of such prayer remaines is operatiue also aftervvards out of prayer for if the soule doe see creatures she neuer sees them as in themselues but only in relation to God so in them humbles herselfe to God loues God in them And if she reflect vpon herselfe turne her eyes invvard into her spirit desiring to find God there there vvill not be any considerable imperfection obscurity or staine that will darken her view of God but she will discouer it and most perfectly hate it 24. As for sins or imperfections in others though neuer so heynous they are no hindrance to her seeing of God because either she transcends marks them not or is by their meanes vrged to a nearer more feruent loue of him for his patience to a greater Zeale for his honour impaired by the sins of men to a greater compassion towards sinners 25. But the least imperfection in herselfe being really a hindrance to her immediate vnion vvith God perfect sight of him is in so great a light as she then enioyes perfectly seene perfectly abhorred by her Yea such faults as to her naturall vnderstanding formerly appeared no bigger then moates doo in vertue of this supernaturall light seeme as mountaines And defects which she before neuer dreamed or imagined to be in herselfe she now sees not only to be but to abound beare great sway in her To this purpose saith S. Gregory l. 22. Moral c. 1. Sancti Viri quo altiùs apud Deum proficiunt eò subtiliùs indignos se deprehendunt quia dum proximi luci fiunt quidquid in illis latebat inueniunt That is Holy men the higher that they raise themselues approaching to God the more clearly doe they perceiue their owne vnworthines Because being incompassed with a purer light they discouer in themselues those defects which before they could not see 26. Hence it appeares that there is a great difference betweene the knowledge of our owne Nothing the feeling or perception of it The former may be got by a little meditation or by reading of Schoole Diuinity vvhich teaches demonstrates how that of our selues wee are nothing but mere dependences on the only true Being of God Wheras the Feeling of our owne nothing vvill neuer be attained by study or meditation alone but by the raising purifying of our soules by Prayer The Deuill hath the knowledge of the nothingnes of creatures in a far greater perfection then any man yet he hath nothing at all of the feeling Novv it is only the feeling of our not-being that is true perfect Humility as on the contrary the feeling of our being is Pride 27. Novv this Feeling of our not-being has two degrees 1. The first is in regard of the corporall or sensitiue faculties to vvit vvhen the soule is so raised aboue the body all desires concerning it that it hath lost all care sollicitude about it hauing mortified in a great measure all inferiour Passions This is a high degree of Humility but not yet perfect as may appeare plainly by this That after a soule hath attained herto by a Passiue Vnion there ordinarily follovves the great Priuation or desolation in vvhich she finds herselfe to be yet full of her selfe her ovvne being combatted vvith may risings repugnances 2. The second degree follovves after that the said Priuation ceases in vvhich the soule exercises herselfe after a far more sublime manner begins then to haue a more perfect feeling of her not-being consisting in an Abstraction from the soule herselfe all her faculties operations all vvhich are so lost annihilated in God that in her exercises of most pure Prayer she cannot perceyue distinctly any vvorking either in the vnderstanding or Will not being able to vnderstand or giue an account of vvhat she does vvhen she Prayes 28. The Authour of Secrets sentiers saith that soules vvhich are arriued to this state of perfect vnion are yet ordinarily permitted by God to descend oft from their high Abstractions into their inferiour nature euen as they vvere during their state of entrance into a spirituall course So that according to his doctrine during such a descent they must needs be full of the feeling of their ovvne being But the◠saith he they from this Descent doe by little little through their internall exercises ascend higher ther◠they vvere euer before And such Ascents Descents interchangeably continue all their liues Thus saith Barbanzon perhaps out of experience of vvhat passed in his ovvne soule But vvhether from thence he had sufficient warrant to apply this obseruation so generally I leaue to the determination of the Perfect who only can iudge of such matters 29. But alas these Contemplations consequently the said blessed fruites of them are very rare not at all in our ovvne povver to come to at pleasure in as much as a soule does not arriue to the perfection of Prayer till after a Passiue vnion or Contemplation vvherto vvell may vvee dispose our selues according to our povver but it is in the free vvill pleasure of God to conferre it on vvhom vvhen in vvhat manner it pleaseth him 30. But hovveuer let not Beginners nor Proficients in spirituality be discouraged for that as yet they cannot find in themselues or at least very imperfectly a perception of their not-being not hauing as yet a supernaturall Intellectuall species euidently euen palpably representing to their minds Gods Totality their owne Nothing the vvhich species it is not the nature of Actiue exercises to produce It is a great blessing of God to them that he has giuen them the courage to aspire thervnto And perseuering in the vvaies leading thither they vvill certainly arriue to the partaking of the substance of this sublime humility in vertue of vvhich alone all other vertues vvill be perfectly exercised by them in as much as by it they vvill come to knovv both God themselues aright be in an immediate Disposition as our holy Father sayes to that perfect charity which expells all feare for vvhich reason he only treates particularly largely of this vertue of Obedience vvhich is a branch of it 31. Wee ought therfore neuer to cease praying that God vvould reueyle vnto vs our ovvne nothing his all-being for Prayer is the only effectuall meanes to attaine vnto it As for exteriour Acts expressions of Humility if they flovv from prayer they may be proffitable acceptable to God
life Yea vvee find examples of Saints that vpon commands of Superiours haue cast themselues into riuers or leaped dovvne precipices or taken coales of fire into their hands c. But vvee are to suppose that in these cases there vvas a speciall Diuine Instinct both in the Superiour commanding the Subiects obeying As the Euents shevved the sayd Subiects hauing neuer miscaried but bene miraculously deliuered from any harme by vvhat they so did in Obedience And therfore the like Examples cannot be dravvne into a Rule 16. The seuerall Defects in point of Obedience the auoyding of vvhich defects constitutes seuerall Degrees of true Religious Obedience are reckoned by Turrecremata to be these vvhich follovv viz. 1. To doe some but not all things enioyned 2. If all yet imperfectly incompletely 3. Or not in the manner requisite 4. Or not vpon the first simple bidding but expecting a second command or perhaps one in forme in vertue of Obedience 5. Or to doe it vvith reluctance vnvvillingenes 6. Or after the discussing the reasonablenes lavvfullnes of the command 7. To goe slowly lazily about it 8. To doe it rashly vvithout fit preparation 9. For want of a resolute purpose before-hand to obey absolutely and vniuersally to be in a readines to contradict vvhen commands come vpon the sudden rather then to hasten to obey 10. Then to obey indeed yet not vvithout repining or at least a shevv of it in the countenance 11. Or howeuer vvith sadnes deiectednes 12. To obey in greater matters but not so readily in small 13. To obey in the substance of the thing commanded but not according to the intention of the Superiour or lavv 14. The command being vnpleasing to suspect or iudge ill of the Superiours intention 15. To make pretended excuses of insufficiency 16. To be of so troublesome frovvard an humour as to discourage the Superiour from imposing any commands 17. Out of an opinion of ones ovvne iudgment or sufficiency to sleight the Superiours vvay of gouernment 18. To seeke to draw the Superiour to ones ovvne vvay opinions and so in effect to become as Superiour 19. When one does the thing commanded to doe it vvith a vvillling-fraudulent insufficiency 20. Not to doe it vvith all chearfullnes and readines 21. Lastly not to obey vvith a perfect intention for Gods Glory Loue 17. Novv least a Beginner should be discouraged seeing so many conditions requisite to perfect Obedience so many defects to be auoyded he must consider that God does not expect at the first from him an Obedience in all points perfect It is vvell that he doe the command vvithout sin that is not making the principall Motiue to be outward sensuall respects vvithout behauing himselfe vvith a deliberate defectuousnes murmuring c. By practise in obeying according to ones povver a soule vvill by little little vveare avvay the defects as it is in the learning of any art or trade An Obedience though imperfect so it be not sinfull meriteth somevvhat and besides it disposeth the person to amend it the next time by taking notice of the defect and being vvilling to be admonished 18. It is no meruaile neither is it a fault that the body being vvearied exhausted vvith many obediences there should thereupon be found in inferiour nature a reluctance But the mind or vvill should neuer be vveary or backvvard but remaine euer inuincible forcing inferiour nature to comply to the vtmost of her povver but yet according to Discretion 19. In case a Superiour cōmand a subiect things not only heauy greiuous to nature but euen such as are apparently contrary to health corporall strength as a rigorous conformity to Regular abstinences fasting vvatchings c The Subiect must neither refuse the command nor shevv any vnvvillingnes to obey but hauing after good consideration experience found himselfe vnable infirme he may lavvfully declare vnto the Superiour such his infirmity so he doe it as the Rule expresses it Patienter opportune With Patience taking an opportune time for it not suddenly querulously in Passion But in case the Superiour doe persist the subiect must obey submitting both body vvill iudgment so committing the issue to God And then the successe vvhat euer it be cannot but be good 20. If the thing commanded be gratefull to nature honourable pleasing c it is not good nor secure to be ouer-forvvard in obeying It vvere better so it might be done vvithout offence to seeke to auoyd it vvishing that others might rather be employed or hovveuer to vndertake it as obedience only as it were against our vvills But if the matter be harsh to nature vvee are to doe it vvith all possible readines chearfullnes being desirous that others should be exempted from it 21. It is not very hard internally to resolue vniuersally to forsake ones ovvne vvill submitting it to another But really actually to performe this at all times vvhensoeuer Obediences are imposed that frequently vvhen the things are of difficulty contradiction to nature and it may be imposed by a Superiour against vvhom the subiect hath some disaffection in nature or of vvhom he hath a meane opinion vvhen the subiect himselfe is in an ill humour of obeying or vvhen the obediences though performed neuer so chearfully exactly yet are vsually ill accepted censured c this requires a great courage perfect selfe-deniall much more to perseuere in such Obedience to the end of ones life vvith meekenes patient subiection 22. And a yet greater degree of perfection is it to vvhich notvvitstanding Internall liuers ought to aspire for a Religious Person that is hardly iniuriously treated by his Superiour to be content desirous that he should continue to vse him so or vvorse so it might be without offence to God so that no harme might come to the Superiours soule thereby 23. There are no commands though neuer so impertinent or distracting that can preiudice perfect soules that are come to an established state of recollection habitually enioy the Diuine presence But great harme danger may come therby to the imperfect The vvhich notvvithstanding by patience quietnes meekenes in obeying may come to make their proffit euen from them also so that though they loose one vvay by a hindrance to their Recollection they may repaire that losse by rooting these vertues more firmely in their soules Hovveuer the Superiour must expect to haue a seuere account required of him for indiscreete harmfull impositions layd vpon his Subiects 24. A memorable example of Obedience ioyned vvith a mortification very sensible to humble soules to vvit a mortification caused by an obligation to accept vndue vnproportionable honour vvee reade of in the Story of the Great S. Basile vvho hauing obtained at his ovvne request from a neighbour Bishop a Preist to attend him recommended as an humble obedient Person S. Basile for a
ouer our Passions that they breake not forth so as to indispose vs euen for present Recollection much lesse for the appoynted Recollection vvhich is to follovv 6. Such as doe practise Mortification in a measure suitable to their state therby rooting out those inordinate Assections vvhich cause distraction in Prayer are hindrances to a state of recollectednes For as that fundamentall Precept of louing God obliges a soule at least neuer to doe any thing contrary therto so does that of Prayer oblige that vvee should allvvaies be in a disposition readines to it 20. Therfore let soules consider in vvhat an vnsecure and dangerous state they remaine that content themselues vvith a fevv heartles distracted Vocall Prayers Since not any tentation can be resisted without an Actuall Exercise of Prayer that the best Prayer that the soule can make Besides it is not with Prayer as vvith other Arts or habits A student by cessation from study doth not presently loose nor so much as diminish the knowledge that he had before But a soule that is not in Actuall Prayer or at least in an immediate disposition an habituall desire of Prayer sinkes presently into nature looses much of that strength that she had formerly There are not alvvaies occasions to exercise particular vertues as Temperance Patience Chastity c Because Tentations doe not alvvaies assault vs But vvee may alvvaies pray alvvaies vvee haue need so to doe For a soule except she be in Prayer or that the vertue of Prayer be aliue in her is in a state of Distraction disunion from God consequently exposed to all manner of enemies being vvithall depriued of the only meanes to resist them so that the dangers miseries of an vnrecollected life are inexplicable CHAP. V. § 1. The second condition requisite in Affectiue Prayer to wit Feruour or Deuotion § 2. 3. 4. The seate of this Deuotion is not necessarily the Sensitiue part of the soule § 5. 6. 7. Of a twofold sensible Deuotion § 7. It is neither to be neglected nor too much prised § 8. 9. Certaine Exteriour Effects of sensible Deuotion from which great inconueniences may ensue § 10. Sensible Deuotion no sure signe of true grace A fearfull example thereof § 11. 12. 23. What vse Imperfect soules are to make of it § 14. Feares are to be repressed § 15. Perfect soules in small danger by it § 16. Of the Prayer of Aridity quite contrary to sensible yet not to true Deuotion § 17. 18. 19. The excellent Benefits that may come from the Prayer of Aridity § 20. The causes of Aridities § 21 22. Vocall Prayer meditation not so much subiect therto § 23. 24. More good comes from Prayer of Aridity courageously pursued then from the Prayer of sensible Deuotion § 25. The superiour soule its good disposition does not depend on the temper of sensitiue nature § 26. 27. Meanes to beget courage in the Prayer of Aridity § 25. How a soule is to behaue herselfe in the most violent Distresses in Prayer § 29. The Prayer exercised by imperfect soules during Aridities is not properly in spirit 1. AS 1. Prayer for the quantity or extension of it is to be incessant at least the vertue of it is to be an ingredient in all other vvorkes vvhether they be study labour conuersation c. the vvhich may be vvithout any preiudice at all to the vvorke yea to the great improuement supernaturalizing of it so far that vvhere Prayer is vvanting the most specious workes are of no value at all so in the next place 2. As to the Quality or Intension of it it ought to be instantissima sayth our Holy Father in Prolog with all possible feruour earnestnes For Prayer being the most immediate most perfect Act of Charity to God ought like Charity it selfe to procede ex toto corde ex tota anima ex totis viribus from the whole heart the whole soule the whole strength Therfore as he offends against the precept of Charity that employes either his spirit sensitiue soule or corporall strength on any thing but God or vvhich has respect to God his loue or glory So if in our Prayer vvee doe vvillingly suffer our thoughts to vvander vpon any thing but God or if vvee harbour any desire in sensitiue nature that vvould hinder the free tendance of our spirit to God in Prayer or if vvee employ our corporall strength about any other matter but such as may ought to be intended for God in our Prayers vvee doe so far neglect to correspond to this duty of Feruour Instance vvhich ought to be in Prayer 2. Notvvithstanding this is not so to be vnderstood as if vvee vvere obliged either to employ our corporall forces or members or to force our sensible Affections to concurre in our Prayers to God or as if God did require that this Feruour should allvvaies be in Sensitiue nature For that is not alvvaies in our povver yea on the contrary the sensuall part moves often against our vvills being insensible auerse impatient of accompanying our spirituall Actuations vvhich commonly doe mortify contradict the desires of nature 2. And moreouer vvhen sensible Feruour deuotion doth insinuate it selfe in our recollections especially in imperfect soules it does rather indanger to depresse the operations of the spirit then aduance them does perhaps more nourish selfe-loue then contribute to the increase of Diuine loue 3. It is sufficient therfore if this Feruour be in our Superiour vvill alone though sensitiue nature seeme to partake nothing of it So that our Prayers may then be said to be Instant feruorous vvhen the Will out of a vvorthy high esteeme of this most necessary most excellent Duty resolutely vvith perseuerance pursues them notvvithstanding any contradictions in nature or discouragements from vvithout for that must needs be a great feruour of spirit that contradicts the contrary malignant feruour of nature vnderualevves all sensible case contentment compared vvith the spirituall good that is caused by Prayer 4. This is that good Quality vvhich our Sauiour in the Parable of him who at midnight went to his neighbour to borrow three loaues of bread for the entertainment of a freind that was then arriued calls by a homely name to vvit Improbitatem or as it is in the Originall Impudence The vvhich quality notvvithstanding he requires in our prayers to God promises an infallible successe thereto Novv that Improbity or impudence implies an importunate earnestnes a resolution to take no deniall nor to stand vpon nice ciuilities but ra her then to returne empty to force out a grant euen by wearying out the person to vvhom vvee addresse our selues So that it includes both a great feruour an vncessant perseuerance in such feruour The vvhich is in a high degree in those vvho spend their vvhole liues as it vvere in one continuall Prayer yea in one only petition
vvhich is to be vnited in vvill affection to God only 5. These therfore being tvvo qualities requisite in Prayer 1. Earnestnes or feruour 2. perseuerance both vvhich are likevvise included in the tearme Instantissima giuen to Prayer by our holy Father Imperfect soules vvill be apt to suspect oftimes that their Prayers are vnefficacious as being depriued of these conditions 1. The former vvhen they doe not perceiue a tendernes melting Deuotion in sensitiue Nature 2. And the later they vvill feare is vvanting vvhâ—nsoeuer they find themselues though vnvvillingly distracted Therfore to the end to preuent mistakes that a right iudgment may be made of these two to vvit sensible Deuotion Distractions I vvill treate of them both shevving vvhat good or ill effects may proceede from the former And vvhat remedies may be applied to hinder any inconueniences from the latter 6. There is a twofold sensible Deuotion 1. The first is that vvhich vvee novv speake of vvhich is found in good but imperfect soules it begins in sensitiue nature causing great tendernesses there froÌ„ theÌ„ce it mounts vp to the spirit producing good melting affections to God especially in discoursiue Prayer to the Humanity suffrings of our Lord 2. Another sensible Deuotion there is of perfect soules the which begins in the spirit abounding there ouer-flovves by communication descends into Inferiour sensitiue nature causing like effects to the former Now there is little neede to giue cautions of Instructions concerning the vse of this Because Perfect soules walking in a cleare light being established in a generous Loue of the Superiour vvill tovvards God are not in danger to be transported vvith the pleasing effects vvhich it is apt to produce in Inferiour nature nor to fall into spirituall Gluttony by vvhich their affections may be vvithdravvn from God fixed on such meane Gifts of his as these are That therfore vvhich I shall here speake concerning Sensible Deuotion is to be applied vnto that vvhich is fouÌ„d in soules lesse perfect for for such only all these Instructions vvere meant 7. Suâ—h soules then are to be informed That though sensible Deuotion be indeed at the first a good gift of God intended by him for their encouragement aduancement in his pure loue As it is therfore not to be neglected so neither is it ouer highly to be prised For as very good effects may flovv from it being vvell discreetely vsed so on the contrary vvithout such discretion it may proue very pernicious endangering to plunge them more deeply in selfe-loue corrupt nature in vvhich it is much immersed And so it vvould produce an effect directly contrary to that for which Prayer was ordained A soule therfore is to separate that which is good proffitable in such Deuotion from that which is imperfect dangerous renouncing mortifying this latter with discretion giuing way making her proffit of the other 8. The speciall signes effects of such sensible Deuotion are oftimes very conspicuous in the Alteration caused by it in corporall nature dravving teares from the eyes procuring heate and reddnes in the face springing motions in the heart like to the leaping of a fiâ—h in the waters saith Harphius And in some it causes so perceiueable an opening and shutting in the heart saith he that it may be heard And from such vnusuall Motions agitations about the heart a windy vapour will now then mount vp to the head causing a pricking paine there the which if the head be not strong may continue a good space yea if good care be not taken to interrupt such impetuosities of the spirits the blood vvill first boyle aftervvards vvill grovv thicke and â—â—ngealed incapable of motion And this once hapâ—â—â—ng the invvard sweetnesses formerly felt vvill be turned into sadnes deiection and stupidity thence vvill follovv complaints that the soule is forsaken of God yea she vvill be in danger desperately to renounce all further seeking of God And the more that she shall endeauour to recouer her former sensible affections the farther vvill she be from it impatience for this vvill render her still more indisposed more darkened in the vnderstanding more stupified in her affections 9. Novv all these inconueniences proceede from selfe-loue a too gluttonous delectation in sensible sweetnesses The vvhich if they be accompanied vvith any extraordinary Visits there vvill follovv it is to be feared yet far more dangerous effects in vnprepared soules the vvhich vvill probably take occasion from thence to nourish Pride in themselues a contempt of others 10. To abate the too high esteeme that vnwary soules may haue of this sensible feruour deuotion it may be obserued that it is not allvvaies a signe of a good disposition or holines in the soule for vvee reade of seuerall impious persons that haue enioyed it so History makes mention of a certaine vvicked Tyrant called William Prince of Iuliers hovv at his deuotions in the midnight of our Lords Natuity he twice or thrice felt so great an internall svveetnes in diuine visitations that he professed aftervvard that he vvould be content to purchase vvith the losse of halfe his dominion such another consolation Yet after his death it vvas reueiled to a certaine Holy person that he vvas in hell condemned to torments equall to those that that vvicked persecuting Imperour Maxentius suffred 11. The roote of such sensible svveetnesses is oftentimes a mere naturall temper of body Yea by Gods permission the Deuill also vvill be forvvard enough to raise increase it in immortified selfe-vvilled soules knovving that they vvill make ill vse of it either to the augmenting of their pride or to a presumptuous vndertaking of mortifications aboue their strength by vvhich in a short time their spirits vvill be so exhausted their forces enfeebled that they vvill become vnable any more to correspond vvith diuine Grace euen in duties necessarily belonging to their Profession And vvhen this happens then all sweetnes of Deuotion ceases in place therof succeede Anguishes scrupulosities pusillanimity perhaps euen desperation Therfore vvell-minded soules are to take speciall care of preuenting these effects of sensible deuotion the vvhich vvithout great vigilance they are in danger to incurre And thereupon Harphius aduises earnestly such to moderate vvith discretion the violent impulses of their internall desires to God for saith he if they shall allvvaies to the vtmost extent of their ability pursue them they vvill find themselues in a short time quite exhausted disabled to performe euen easyer and more necessary obligations 12. The true vse benefit therfore that imperfect soules ought to make of sensible Deuotion vvhen God sends it is this That without resting much on it or forcing themselues to continue it they should make it an instrument to fortify establish the solide true loue esteeme of God in the superiour soule to coÌ„firme an vnshaken resolution in themselues neuer
to desist from seeking him by the internall vvayes of the spirit euen in times of desertion aridity 13. And if they vvill make this vse of it then from vvhat cause soeuer it proceedes yea though the deuill himselfe helping or changing the body should haue caused it no harme can come vnto them thereby For a soule is most secure vvhiles she neglects disesteemes the effects of sensible deuotion as far as they are pleasing to sensitiue nature transcending it shall endeauour to exercise herselfe tovvards God quietly yet resolutely in the Superiour vvill And by the like practise may a soule obtaine the like security in all extraordinary doubtfull Cases of visions Exâ—asies c 14. More particularly for as much as concernes Teares vvhich are vsuall effects of sensible Deuotion a soule must be vvary that she giue not free scope vnto them vvhat euer the obiect or cause be vvhether it be compassion to our Lords suffrings or contrition for her ovvne sins c In all cases it is best to suppresse them rather then to giue them a free liberty to flovv For othervvise besides the harme that may outvvardly happen to the body by empairing the health or vveakening the head they vvill keepe her still belovv in sensitiue nature immortification vvith little or no aduancement tovvards the true Loue of God On the contrary they doe hinder the eleuation of the spirit by obscuring the mind that it cannot discouer her secret defects nor vvhat vvould best keepe her in her vvay Let her therfore exercise these Acts in the Superiour soule Will from vvhence all merit comes and by vvhich they are performed vvith quietnes stillnes yet vvithall more efficaciously then in sensitiue nature 15. The case is othervvise in Perfect soules vvhen God by an extraordinary Grace bestovves on them the Gift of teares as to S. Arsenius vvho is said to haue flovved almost continually vvith them For in this case they doe begin from the Spirit vvhose operations Inferiour Nature doth not at all hinder but rather promote in them And such teares flovv tanquam pluuia in vellus like a shower of raine into a fleece of wooll vvithout the least disturbance bitternes in inferiour nature vvhich is a Grace very rarely if at all granted to imperfect soules And therfore those vpon vvhom it is bestovved may no doubt vvill vvithout any danger comply vvith it since it can flovv from no other cause but God only the effect of it vvill not be to depresse the spirit but rather to draw sensitiue nature vpward into the spirit causing it likewise to concurre in the exercise of Diuine Loue so as that the soule may say vvith Dauid Cor meum caro mea exult auerunt in Deum viuum sensitiue nature not only ioyning vvith the spirit in seruing louing of God but likevvise finding its contentment therein vvithout the least preiudice to the spirit And the vvay to attaine to this solide secure sensible Feruour is by a discreet vnderualuing repressing of that vvhich is originally merely sensible 16. Novv it vvill not be impertinent on this occasion to take notice of another sort of temper in Prayer of a quite contrary nature in the which the inferiour soule seemes to haue no part at all in the actuations of the spirit towards God yea is not only vnactiue but very repugnant vnto them finding a great deale of vneasines paine in them so that the vvhole Prayer seemes to be made by the Spirit the heart or sensitiue appetite in the meane time finding much bitternes in it and the Imagination in a sort refusing to suggest necessary Images therto any further then as the Superiour Soule by vertue of the dominion it hath ouer it doth euen by mere force constraine it 17. There are scarce any soules that giue themselues to internall Prayer but some time or other doe find themselues in great indisposition therto hauing great obscurities in the mind great insensibility in the affections So that if imperfect soules be not vvell instructed prepared they vvill be in danger in case that such contradictions in inferiour nature continue long to be deiected yea and perhaps deterred from pursuing Prayer For they vvill be apt to thinke that their Recollections are to no purpose at all since for as much as seemes to them vvhatsoeuer they thinke or actuate tovvards God is mere losse of time and of no vvorth at all therfore that it vvould be more proffitable for them to employ their time some other vvay 18. Yea some soules there are conducted by Allmighty God by no other vvay but only by such Prayer of Aridity finding no sensible contentment in any Recollections but on the contrary continuall paine contradiction And yet by a priuy Grace courage imprinted deepely in the spirit cease not for all that but resolutely breake through all difficulties and continue the best they can their internall Exercises to the great aduancement of their spirit 19. It vvill indeed be very hard and morally impossible for any soules but such as haue naturally a good propension to introuersion to continue constant to their Recollections vvhen Aridities Obscurities and Desolations continue a long time For it is this propension alone asâ—isted by Diuine Grace that holds them to their Recollections that enables them to beare themselues vp in all their difficulties and tentations 20. The causes of this Aridity and indisposition to Prayer ordinarily speaking for sometimes God for the triall of his seruants may oft doth send or permit such tentations to fall on them are principally a certaine particular naturall complexion of some especially of those vvho by their corporall temper are most fitted for the exercise of sensible affections for of all others such are most obnoxious to these aridities and obscurities because the humours and spirits of the body together vvith the change of vveather c haue a far greater influence vpon these sensible Affections then vpon the mere operations either of the vnderstanding or vvill vvhich doe not so much depend vpon the body And therfore vvhensoeuer the said corporall disposition comes by any accident to be altered such affectionate soules are apt to fall into these internall distresses being in such an afflicting disconsolate condition they are not able to helpe themselues by any discourse to vvhich ordinarily they are indisposed From this ground it is that deuout Women vvho naturally doe more abound vvith sensible affections then men are more subiect to be afflicted persecuted vvith these aridities 21. Such Discouragements doe least appeare in Vocall Prayer the vvhich befits all kinds of spirits all sorts of tempers vvhether they discourse internally or not and whether they can produce internall Acts of the vvill vpon conceiued Images or not for all these at all times and hovvsoeuer they are corporally disposed may make their proffit more or lesse of Vocall Prayers 22. The Prayer of Meditation likewise
in those for whom it is proper is not vsually much assalted with such Aridities except it be sometimes tovvards the end of such Prayer vvhen soules vvould endeauour to dravv good affections from a precedent Motiue considered by the vnderstanding for then the heart may sometimes proue barren or auerse from such affections But hovveuer they that practise Meditation may find some remedy by surceasing the producing of affections may either betake themselues to exercise mere Acts of the vvill vvhich are not so affectiue or retire themselues to their internall discourse 23. The paine anguish that good soules suffer from these aridities is very greiuous being a kind of continuall martyrdome And therfore the merit of constancy in Prayer notvvithstanding such discouragments in nature is the greater And soules to vvhom God shall giue such constancy vvill find their exercise◠both much more secure howeuer disgustfull they be yea much more proffitable then if they had flowed vvith sensible affections For all manner of good is gotten by Prayer of Aridity courageously prosecuted all vertues are exercised in it it is both Prayer and most efficacious Mortification too 24. And indeed the only generall effectuall Remedy against any inconueniences that may be caused by such aridities is this generosity of resolution not to seeke contentment in Nature by Internall Exercises nor to quit them for any dullnes coldnes or auersion vvhatsoeuer Let but soules doe the best they can or knovv they vvill find that their spirituall progresse in the true solide only meritorious Loue of God vvill not at all be hindred but rather aduanced by such frovvard indispositions of corrupt nature 25. And such courage effectuall Resolution may vvell enough consist vvith these discouragements for the spirit vvhose operations doe not much depend on the corporall disposition may in the midst of all sensible aridities obscurities performe its functions vvith great efficacy The intellectiue faculty is at all times capable of illumination the vvill of receiuing Grace strength from God And the light grace vvhich vvee receiue at such times are far more pure Diuine then vvhen corporall affections doe abound For then they are communicated purely to the spirit And consequently the operations performed in vertue of such light grace are more noble and meritorious because it is apparent that nature neither does nor can mingle her ovvne interests in them so that they may confidently be adiudged to be supernaturall Diuine The essentiall proffit of a soule consists in the light loue of the spirit Such light loue therfore vvhich are got vvith so much difficulty in such strugling of nature is far more pure generous vvithall more solidely rooted in the soule then that vvhich is got by the exercise of sensible affections because all the vvhile there is a continuall combat against selfe-loue all the most secret subtile deepely hidden snares of it So that all Vertues becoming thus rooted in the depth of the spirit hauing bene produced by the meanes in the midst of the sharpest Tentations there is lesse feare that they vvill be extinguished by other follovving Tryalls 26. Novv at the first to the end to attaine vnto this most necessary courageousnes of mind such soules may doe vvell to helpe themselues during their aridities vvith the best motiues most efficacious Affections that they can furnish themselues vvithall either out of their ovvne Inuention or by collection out of bookes as likevvise frequently to vrge euen force themselues to the loue of God by such eiaculatory Prayers desires as these O my God when shall I loue thee as thou deseruest When shall I loue as I am loued by thee O that I were freed from my selfe that I may only loue thee Excita potentiam tuam veni Veni Domine noli tardare Exurgat Deus dissipentur inimici eius c 27. Such Affections as these let a deuout soule exercise in her recollections likevvise the best she can in case she cannot see hovv other vvayes to doe better although vvithout any gust or sensible contentment And God vvill not faile to accept plentifully revvard her good vvill therby promote her in such manner as he best knovves She may be sure that since he has giuen her the generous courage to serue him vvithout present vvages he vvill at least in the next life multiply revvards vpon her infinitely aboue her expectation And she ought to account it a proofe of his speciall loue esteeme of her that he has selected her to be a Martyr of loue a souldier to vvhose courage he commits the most difficult hazardous Employments 28. In Case that internall distresses in Prayer be so violent that the soule to her seeming can only keepe herselfe in an outvvard posture of prayer all that she thinkes or does appearing to her so vtterly voyd of all spirit of deuotion loue Reuerence to God that she may rather suspect it to be iniurious to him let her be patient abstaine from disquieting her mind vvith murmuring complaints by all meanes let her be sure not to betake herselfe to consolation in creatures or recreatiue diuersions in times appoynted for Recollection then all vvill be very vvell God vvill require no more of her then she is vvell able to doe he knovves that it is not in her povver alvvayes to subdue nature yet she may must allvvaies vvithdravv her consent from its sinfull suggestions doing so there vvill be no danger Therfore for vvhat she cannot doe let her be humbled resigned And such humble Resignation will proue a very efficacious Prayer 29. Novv it is not to be supposed that Internall Prayer exercised by imperfect soules during Aridities through the aduantage of a naturall propension is a truly Pure spirituall Prayer Because as yet their exercise is indeed in sense yet it is in the nobler supremer part of sensuality tending much tovvard the spirit vvhereby they in that case doe enioy an Internall light more cleare pure then vvhilst they exercise vvith flovving affections in so much as their operations are then abstracted from grosser sensuality And the more strong that their propension to introuersion is the more easily quickly doe they raise themselues to that cleare superiour region of light And the reason is because such a propension aptitude to internall vvayes dravves the persons endovved vvith it more more deepely tovvard the spirit in the perfect operations vvherof consists the consūmation of an Internall life CHAP. VI. § 1. 2. A second discouragement in prayer opposite to Perseuerance to wit Distractions § 3. Distractions are a necessary effect of Originall sin c. § 4. 5. Distractions about obiects to which wee heare an inordinate Affection are most harmfull § 6. A remedy against them § 7. 8. 9. Remedies against all inconueniences that may come from Distractions § 10. Difference
of sensitiue nature vvhere it is ioynd or combind vvitâ— the Superiour spirituall will 5. Novv vvhether of these two that is Acts or Affâ—ctions are to be practised respectiuely by soules that must depend vpon the obseruation and experience that each soule has of her ovvne naturall disposition inclination Generally soules are more disposed to the exercise of immediate Acts the vvhich likevvise are both more proffitable more secure And therefore in the follovving discourse I shall most insist vpon them 6. And as for the exercise of sensible Affections it belongs only to such soules as in their naturall temper are more tender and affectionate vvhose loue expresses it selfe vvith great liquefaction in sensible nature so that they are easily moued to teares and doe feele warmth quick motions about the heart c vvhich effects or symptomes do not argue loue to be greater for it may be as cordiall more firme generous Actiue in others vvho seldome or neuer feele such effects 7. Such tender soules as these hauing vvithall a naturall good propension to seeke God in their Interiour can easily exercise their affections to God in and by their corporall nature vvithout troubling themselues vvith seeking reasons motiues for it Yea in a short time they come to haue a kind of disgust in inuenting or considering motiues represented by the vnderstanding 8. As for the manner hovv such soules are to behaue themselues in their Recollections the speciall Instructions follovving concerning the Exercising of immediate Acts of the Will vvill serue so that there vvill be no need of repeating them tvvice 9. The principall care that such soules ought to haue is to endeauour to rayse this their loue out of sensitiue nature to the Superiour spirituall vvill by vvhose operations alone the soule is truly perfected Therfore according to the Aduices formerly giuen touching sensible Deuotion they are to mortify and restrayne rather then to giue scope to teares and other tendernesses of nature in Prayer c And some other particulars vvhich doe concerne Affections as distinct from Acts of the will shall hereafter be occasionally taken notice of 10. Novv besides these sensible Acts of loue there are others vvhich are pureâ—y in spirit vvhich among all the operations of the will are the most sublime that can be exercised in this life For they cannot be vsed by a soule so as to be her constant vsuall exercise till she be come to a perfect degree of Mortification vvhich ordinarily is not before a Passiue Vnion after vvhich they are exercised in a manner so Spirituall Diuine that the vnexperienced cannot conceiue nor the experienced expresse These are certaine painfull yet delightfull longings afâ—er God certaine languishing eleuations of spirit tovvards an vnknown darke Diuine Obiect The Desire absence of vvhich causes a tedious disgust of all sensible contentments yea euen in spirituall things also But of such operations as these it will be seasonable to speake vvhen vvee come to treate of Perfect Contemplation 11. As touching the most proffitable Exercises of Immediate Acts of the will the practise thereof in grosse is after this manner The soules ayme is to recollect herselfe by that generall notion that Faith giues her of God but being not able to doe this presently she doth in her mind and by the helpe of the Imagination represent vnto herselfe some Diuine Obiect as some one or more perfections of God or some Mystery of Faith as the Incarnation Tranfiguration Passion Agony or dereliction of our Lord c And therupon vvithout such discoursing as is vsed in Meditation she doth immediatly vvithout more adoe produce Acts or affections one after an other tovvards God or vpon herselfe vvith reference to God Adoring giuing thanks humbling herselfe in his presence Resigning herselfe to his vvill c. 12. This Exercise is more easy to learne and comprehend then Meditation because so many Rules are not necessary to it neither is there in it such study or exercising the abilities of the vnderstanding or Imagination It is indeed a very plaine downe-right and simple Exercise consisting meerly in the efficacy of the vvill But notvvithstanding such plaine simplicity it is a far more Noble Exercise then that of Meditation as being the fruict and result of it For vvhatsoeuer the vnderstanding operates vvith reference to God can produce no good effect vpon the soule further then it hath relation to and Influence on the vvill by disposing it to submit and Resigne it selfe to God or to tend tovvards him by Acts of loue Adoration c. 13. Novv this Exercise although likevvise it be not so busy and laborious as Meditation yet it may vvill often times seeme to some soules euen after they haue made a reasonable progresse in it to be more harsh difficult But the good will and Resolution of the soule persisting in it vvill by Gods grace ouercome all difficulties 14. An Aduice therfore it is againe and againe to be repeated and neuer to be forgotten to vvit That the Deuout well-minded soule that shall be called by God to walke in these Internall waies of Prayer be couragious and diligent in the pursuance of them after the best manner she can amidst all Desolations Obscurities and Distractions practising these Exercises as much as may be in the Superiour will not caring whether sensitiue nature concurre therein or no. 15. In forced immediate Acts of the Will especially at the beginning there is some degree of MeditatioÌ„ vvhich is the thinking on the obiect and therupon internally producing the Act or Affection it selfe quietly continuing and resting in it till all the vertue of it be spent There is likevvise alvvaies some vse of Images And in the beginning these Images are more grosse but aftervvards by practise they grovv more pure and all manner of discourse ceaseth Yea the soule vvill begin to reiect all distinct Images and apprehend God vvithout any particular representation only by that obscure notion vvhich Faith informes vs of his Totality and Incomprehensibility And this only is Truth vvhearas alll distinct Images are but imperfect shadowes of Truth 16. Novv hovv great is the security of a soule thus operating purely by the Will How free is she from those Errours and dangers into vvhich she may be lead by the curious searching subtilty of the vnderstanding Here God himselfe is only her light and not any Imagination of her ovvne Though Images should intrude themselues perforce into the fancy or be iniected by the deuill yet the soule vvill not vvith the vvill apply herselfe to such Images but either diuerts her mind from them or transcends and renounces them And vvithout Images stirring vp sensuality and the Rationall vvill the deuill cannot produce the least harme or danger to the soule nor hinder her Vnion vvith God 17. The more plaine and simple that Acts of the will are for the manner of expression the more proper and efficacious are they to cause a good
perills doth totall Resignation cut of And this not only for Meum tuum or vvorldly propriety in a secular state for the regulating vvhereof there are such endles volumes of vseles perplexed Cases dispersed euery vvhere But also in externall matters in a religious life either vvith regard to Superiours or among Religious Persons themselues or tovvards Externes Yea for matters of doubts merely Internall being such as are in question betvveene God fearfull or scrupulous Soules All these I say are cut of by a totall Resignation the vvhich doth tend to simplicity peace the possession of that one thing vvhich our Sauiour saith is only to be counted necessary to vvit the Diuine will vvhich is God himselfe so doth reiect all other things that may hinder or delay the soule from attaining to that one only necessary good 5. Hence it follovves that that soule vvhich is resigned both for externall internall matters is not only freed from perills that may come from tentations or contradictions but in a manner from all doubts questions and debates Whereas the vnresigned soule is in a state vvherein nothing can satisfy or secure her conscience 6. A soule that is in the practise of the Prayer of Resignation ought not to interrupt or omit the producing of Acts conformable thereto notvvithstanding any failings or transgressings against good Resolutions formerly made if so be such failings proceede out of frailty or sudden Passions being then oftimes more in sensuality then in the superiour vvill so haue lesse fault in them For notvvithstanding such failings Resignations heartily made vvill not proue in vaine but in time vvill come to good issue 7. In consideration of the eminent Excellencie of this duty of Resignation I haue adioyned seuerall Exercises of the Acts of that vertue exemplifying in all kinds of difficulties regarding either externall or Internall obiects touching outvvard goods freinds ctc as likewise all accidents that may befall the body as sicknes Paines want of conueniences or necessaries c. And lastly touching the soule as Aridities Tentations c for the practising of vvhich exercises besides the Aduices giuen in the last Chapter vvhich ought to be applied to this present purpose I thought expedient to adde certaine more peculiar instructions here follovving 8. When the Exercise of Resignation in Prayer comes to be the ordinary daily exercise of a soule then she is established in the Vnitiue way properly so called And vvell-minded quiet soules vvill soone be ready and ripe for the practise both externall internall of this heauenly Vertue 9. Concerning the matter or obiects of resignation the vvhich are generally matters of difficulty contradiction to nature either they are 1. Such difficulties as are sure to happen 2. Or only probably of vvhich probably there may be seuerall degrees 3. Or very vnlikely but yet possible 4. or lastly altogether impossible Novv in all these Resignation may be proffitably exercised But the better the more likely that the things are to happen And the best most necessary Resignation of all is in things sure to be fall vs vvhich belong to our state especially such against vvhich our nature finds the greatest difficulty 10. Novv since these last doe most frequently occurre to our minds in our Recollections therfore vvee must be the more industrious courageous to ouercome them by framing Internall Acts of our iudgment will to entertaine the said difficulties that so vvee may be prepared against the time that they doe really befall vs. 11. Novv hauing made efficacious preualent Acts of Internall Resignation if vvhen the said difficulties doe de facto happen vvee doe truly really accept embrace them vvith our superiour vvill vvhatsoeuer repugnance vvee find in our sensitiue nature this vvill much more aduance the soule in diuine loue increase the good habit of Resignation then many bare Internall Acts vvould doe by vvhich the soule doth only represent a difficulty in the imagination resoluing vvith the vvill to accept it 12. In performing these Acts internally a soule must be very carefull to exercise them with most profound humility a distrust of her ovvne ability to resist any tentation or contradiction And vvith an entire trust and dependance on Gods grace vvith a firme faith in him that he vvill assist her at all times vvhensoeuer he shall bring such tryalls vpon her 13. For this reason I haue frequently expressed the Acts of Resignation either by vvay of Oblation deliuery of the soule into Gods hands to be entirely disposed of by him Or of petition that in all such occurrences not our ovvne vvill but Gods vvill should be performed As for the Acts vvhich are made by way of Resolution or purpose though they seeme to argue some confidence in our ovvne strength yet the deuout exerciser ought in his mind to exclude all such confidence 14. The most perfect vvay of producing Acts of Resignation as likevvise all other Acts is by intending pureâ—y the loue of God seeking his glory renouncing all inferiour vnvvorthy Interests of our ovvne And therfore Alphonsus in his Method of seruing God in his excellent Chapter of Prayer exhorts all deuout soules either expressely or vertually to exercise Prayer vvith this intention But as for the exercise of Aspirations an expresse direct intention of Gods glory vvill scarce consist vvith it because that sublime Exercise vvill not admit any reflected Act to be mixed Though implicitely vertually they containe as much or more 15. A soule needs not allvvaies to oblige herselfe in her recollections in order to goe through the follovving Patternes formes of Resignation according to all the examples giuen as she vvas aduised to doe in other immediate Acts. But she may alter interrupt omitt or adde others as she shall see cause or according to her present need or as they shall be interiourly suggested to her by God or her ovvne thoughts 16. In the beginning of the exercising this degree of Prayer I conceiue it vvill be the best course for a soule to single out and make choyce of such Acts of Resignation as doe regard such daily occurring difficulties to vvhich nature hath lesse auersion to resigne herselfe And from these to ascend aftervvards by degrees to matters of more difficulty till at last by Gods grace she be enabled to accept euen those things from vvhich nature doth most abhorre For if she should suddenly aduenture vpon Acts aboue her present strength forces of mind she vvill be in danger to be deiected finding that she vvants internall courage to vndertake or submit to such difficulties represented to her mind 17. And indeed according to this method God himselfe in his most vvise and blessed Prouidence deales vvith vs proportioning our trialls and afflictions to our present strength and to the measure of grace vvhich he giues vs sending to imperfect soules only ordinary tentations as S. Paul saith 1. Cor. 7. and reseruing the greater
concerning his sufficiency yea he may represent vnto him his iust grounds of feare least such an Employment should proue notably preiudiciall to his soule Protesting likevvise that he does not desire any kind of preeminence ouer others c 2. Yet if the Superiour notvvithstanding such humble sincere Remonstrances of the Subiect shall persist in a resolution to impose on him any such office vvhatsoeuer the Superiours motiue be vvhether necessity Reason or euen Passion the Subiect must submit himselfe accept of it vvillingly vvhatsoeuer reluctance there be in the imagination or nature against it But let him accept it vvith a pure Intention for God in the spirit of obedience Especially if the office be gratefull to nature or to the sensuall or ambitious desires of it 3. Notwithstanding considering his ovvne frailty the tentations likely to accompany such an employment he ought to vndertake it vvith some feare apprehension least vvithout extraordinary vvatchfullnes in Prayer he may come to be corrupted or oppressed by it 5. In this regard therfore the subiect ought oftentimes to renew rectify his Intention about it at least in his recollections twice a day For for vvant of care in this poynt it oft falls out that the Office vvhich at first vvas vndertaken out of obedience to God Superiours comes aftervvard to be executed for selfe-vvill sensuall complacence after that the spirit of deuotion is abated or extinguished 6. Indeed so contrary preiudiciall to the spirit of Contemplatiue Prayer are the distractions sollicitudes vvhich attend Offices that 1. Religious subiects during the time of vacancy vvhen they are more illuminated ought to forethinke imprint in their hearts good purposes neuer to offer themselues to such dangers vvhen they shall befall them to carry themselues in them vigilantly prudently according to their former light least entring vpon them vnprouided they should proue mischeiuous destructiue to all deuotion 2. And againe Superiours if they vvill consider that their principall care ought to be for the good of soules vvill thinke it concernes them to be very nice in exposing to such perills their subiects before that the spirit of deuotion charity be firmly rooted in their hearts for they also shall be accountable for the harme that their subiects soules shall so incurre 7. Some Superiours either being of Actiue spirits not knovving or not duly esteeming Internall vvayes Or perhaps mistakingly beleiuing their subiects to be more affected to externall Employments then interiour thereupon vnvvarily heape on them businesses to the hindrance of their recollections In this case the Subiect ought to acquaint his Superiour vvith the invvard disposition of his soule hovv much good he finds by a constant Exercise of Prayer vvhat dammage the vvant of it causeth to his imperfect soule but this being done he must resolue to submit in case his superiour still thinke fit to employ him 8. In such circumstances let not the subiect be troubled if he find it hard to abstaine from shevving some outvvard markes of vnvvillingnes hovveuer in his superiour vvill he be resigned For indeed to shevv chearfullnes argues in an imperfect soule rather a contentednes to be dispenced from prayer not sufficiently esteemed by him then a loue to obedience Yea such a seeming vnwillingnes vvill afford him a double mortification 1. In that he contradicts sensuality in the discharge of obedience 2. In that he incurres in the opinion of others an esteeme of being immortified the vvhich vvill be a meanes to humble him 9. When an Internall liuer is once actually duly engaged in an office In the first place he ought seriously to consider that coming out of a state of Abstraction solitude into busines he vvill thenceforvvard vvalke in lesse light then formerly yet vvill be exposed to far greater perills by reason of many vnauoydable occasions of distraction Impatience satisfaction of sensuality c of vvhich he had little experience in time past Therfore he must resolue to keepe a more watchfull guard ouer himselfe least busines bring him to a forgetfullnes of his soule of all former Instructions good purposes 10. Secondly to the end to secure himselfe from such perills he must in the Actuall execution of businesses be vvary that he doe not fixe his mind more intently affectionatly on theÌ„ then meere necessity shall require Let him oft call to mind his former good resolutions reuiew againe againe these or the like Instructions For vvithout such preuentions it can scarce be auoyded but that he vvill decay in spirit grovv negligently tepide in his spirituall Exercises since corrupt nature vvill be very forvvard to take any colourable pretences of quitting Internall Recollections the only support of a spirituall life the vvhich novv vvill become more irkesome by reason of greater dissipation of thoughts more frequent occasions of falling into immortifications And therfore soules vvill be apt to thinke that the nature of their present Employments is such as that they vvill not consist vvith the obligations of an Internall life Then they vvill catch hold of any aduantage to dispence vvith them for that pupose making vse of such popular sayings as this That euery good worke is a Prayer c. 11. Thirdly more particularly in this state of Actiue employments a soule must be carefull as far as the Office vvill permit not only to continue the practise of her former mortifications principally for the tongue senses but also to make good vse of those many nevv mortifications vvhich the discharge of her employment vvill afford her occasions to exercise And indeed since probably she cannot enioy that repose of spirit requisite to serious perfect Recollections she ought the best she can to recompence that defect by increasing the practise of Mortification and patience by vvhich meanes she vvill aduance herselfe in spirit 12. Fourthâ—y she must remember that the doctrine of Abstraction most necessary in an internall life has place also euen in distractiue Offices at least thus far that the person is not to meddle in things that belong not to his present Employment And for such things as doe belong therto he must be carefull as to doe them vvell faithfully so vvithout bestovving on them more sollicitude then shall necessarily be required performing them seriously but yet vvith composednes and tranquillity of mind not suffring them to distract or encomber his memory before the time come for the executing of them And then abstaining from passion impetuousnes from engaging his affections to them A deuout soule thus constantly discharging her Office vvill come to that liberty easines and setlednes of spirit that necessary employments vvill breed in her no harmfull distractions the cause of vvhich is inordinate loue to creatures 13. But Fifthly lastly her principall care must be about her Prayer Although by occasion of busines she cannot so habitually continue in a recollected state yet at
is to be admitted for that purpose for as S. Bernard sayes As man was not made for the woman but the woman for man so spirituall Exercises were not made for corporaâ—l but Corporall for spirituall 34. Notvvithstanding there is beyond this a perfection to be recommended to the Imitation of such internall liuers vvhose grace feruour haue rendred them in a capacity of aspiring to it the vvhich the same S. Bernard hath both by his Instructions admirable Example deliuered Hippocrates saith he doth teach to saue liues in this world but Christ his Apostles doe teach to loose liues he that will saue his life shall loose it Now which of these two Maisters doâ— yee chuse to follow Truly that religious man plainly shewes whom he chuses for his Maister who saith This meate is ill for the eyes that for the head the other for the stomacke c Novv such nicenes as this the holy Father so earnestly protests against as allmost to deny the vse of Physicke to be lavvfull The only proper medicinall remedy for Religious Persons being Abstinence Yea it is obserued that he purposely made choyce of vnvvholesome places to build his Monasteries in as being desirous that his Religious should rather be infirme then robustious 35. Hovveuer in the choyce vse of diet or Phisick euery one must follovv that Diuine light of discretion vvhich God giues them allvvaies auoyding superfluities sometimes contenting themselues vvith the vvant euen of necessaries They must account themselues obliged to continue the practise of the same Internall duties though after another manner increasing the mortification of the vvill vvhich is a mortification far more pure perfect though they be forced to allovv a little more to the body their minds are to be set vpon the benefits vvhich sicknes brings vvith it to vse all endeauours to possesse themselues of them Considering 1. That they haue a continuall occasion of exercising Patience resignation the greatest blessings that a soule is capable of 2. That they haue opportunity for more free pure lesse distracted Recollections so that their Prayer mortifications doe inseparably attend one another 3. In a vvord they are now in such a state by vvhich the greatest Saints haue more surely more speedily aduanced themselues to perfection then by many yeares voluntary externall corporall labours austerities 36. Thaulerus hath a saying That the condition of the dearest most perfect seruants of God is to haue their soules full of the Diuine loue their bodies full of paines And that when they feele no paines nor other afflictions they greatly apprehend least God haue forgotten them but their comfort returnes when God visits ihem with any corporall or worldly affliction Then they euen feele that it stands well with them for then they are in a state that of all other doth best dispose for the Diuine vnion 37. The suffrings of our Lord are neuer is perfectly vnderstood by reading or meditating as vvhen deuout soules themselues tast of the like then they see and comfortably tast his loue to them If their paines be supportable they doe inuite them to vnite themselues to God by expresse Acts of Resignation But if they be so excessiue that they become incapable of making expresse formall Prayers then the very suffring of those paines vvith patience peace of mind is a most sublime and efficacious Prayer Then is the proper season for those Gemitus inenarrabiles those grones which cannot be vttered vvhich as S. Paul saith the holy Spirit suggests to suffring humble deuout soules 38. And here by the vvay I vvould recommend to those Charitable persons that doe attend on the sicke a care to behaue themselues as becomes them in those mortifications that attend such an Office that they vvould beare vvith the passionate humours of their Patients not iudge them for small excesses That they would freely charitably administer vvhat shall be requisite to their present state being assured that God vvill neuer be vvaÌ„ting to those that haue left all for him novv depend only vpon him he vvill rather enrich them more for their charity then suffer them to be endammaged by it It may be it is for the sicke Patients sake that the healthfull enioy a comfortable subsistence Let them herein imitate the tendernes of our holy Father to the sicke his care likevvise to admonish their Attendants of their duty in the 36. chapter of his Rule 39. But aboue all things a deuout soule ought to iudge that God hath sent her the most proffitable triall of sicknes not to the end to discharge her of her dayly Recollections but rather that she may pursue them after a more efficacious manner Probably she vvill not be able to obserue exactly her former appoynted times of Prayer as also through disturbance of humours spirits she vvill find great Distractions yet if lifting vp her spirit as vvell as she can she offer both her paines distractions to God vvithall if in times out of Prayer she be vvatchfull ouer herselfe not to giue vvay either to the inordinate Appetites or impatiences of nature but to be in a continuall state of Resignation she vvill haue little reason to complaine of the imperfections of her Prayer 40. A soule can haue no excuse for neglecting this most necessary duty of Prayer the times of vvhich may more securely be obserued in sicknes then in health For vvho vvould trouble or interrupt such an one against his vvill or vvho vvould not permit him to be alone or to rest vvhensoeuer he has no mind to continue Conuersation Hovveuer if the deuout soule should stand in need she may ought to vse all lavvfull foresight industry excuses sleights that may be to preuent the being hindred or interrupted 41. Novv because Pâ—ysicke inwardly taken does much encomber the stomacke indispose for Prayer Therfore I vvould aduise the sicke Person 1. Not to be forward to seeke or accept of all Receipts that freinds visitants are apt to prescribe 2. When he is to take Physicke vvhether in the morning or euening so to order his times as not to take it till he haue performed his appoynted Recollection 3. Not to receiue Physick no nor repasts ofter or more then shall be necessary not too much neglecting the body but yet being carefull rather to attend to the necessities of the spirit Let our Patient therfore stoutly resist the inuitations tendernesses of freinds that are apt to vrge him to eate more or oftner then shall be needfull And vvhatsoeuer he shall receiue let him take it in the name of God for his sake neither vvith auidity if it be pleasing to nature nor vvith murmuring if displeasing 42 It vvill be exceeding difficult during paine or any great Infirmity to vse Discoursiue Meditation The exercise of Acts of the will much more of Aspirations is a far more proper Prayer in such a case Therfore
only in an imperfect state bur also in an immediate disposition to a sinfull Defect by reason that where God doth not wholly possesse the soule the very Images of creatures cannot but more or lesse defile her Hovv comfortable therfore how only secure is a life of Prayer 18. Those that are vnexperienced may and often doe call this a state of Idlenes and vnproffitable cessation as Martha complained against her Sister Mary But those that haue attained to a tast of it know it to be the Busines of all Businesses as S. Bernard calls it True it is they doe not without a speciall and certaine Inspiration from God interesse themselues in externall businesses nor perhaps employ much of their time and Deuotions in expresse Prayers for common necessities yet those vnexpressible Deuotions vvhich they Exercise in vvhich they tacitely inuolue the needs of the vvhole Church are far more preualent vvith God then the busy endeauours Prayers of ten thousand others A fevv such secret vnknovvn seruants of God are the Chariots horsemen the strength and bulvvarkes of the Kingdomes Churches vvhere they liue 19. I knovv that some Mysticke Authours doe constitute seuerall distinct states follovving Actiue Contemplation As Barbanson makes mention of the state of the Diuine Presence in the soule after that of the manifestation of God to the Spirit c and in all these great variety of ascents descents c Likevvise F. Ben. Canfield in his last most perfect state of the Essentiall supereminent Will of God makes mention of seuerall distinct Exercises as Denudation an Actiue Passiue Annihilation c These Authours perhaps spoke according to the Experience of the Diuine Operations in their ovvne soules vvith regard to their particular manner of Prayer Therfore I conceiue that vvhat they deliuer needs not to be esteemed a common measure for all Neither vvill I deny but that there may be distinct States some of vvhich I vvill mention as the great Desolation c. But it vvill be to no purpose subtilly to search into them Those happy soules vvhom God shall so highly fauour as to bring them to the Mount of Vision and Contemplation vvill haue no need of light from any but God to conduct them in those hidden Diuine Pathes And the vnexperienced vvill reape but little proffit from such curious enquiries 20. I vvill therfore content my selfe vvith deliuering in a generall manner 1. The nature of the Praier proper to the state of Actiue Contemplation 2. And from thence I vvill proceede to treate modestly concerning Passiue Vnion the seuerall kinds of it 3. To which I will adde a breife discourse of that Great Desolation vvhich vsually followes the said Vnion 4. And then I will conclude the vvhole Booke vvith a very short Description of the state of Perfection CHAP. II § 1. 2. Of the Prayer proper to the state of Centemplation to wit Aspirations and wâ—y they are so called § 3. Examples of Aspirations § 4. â— c. Agreement difference betweene Aspirations and other internall Acts. § 11. 12. c. How a soule becomes ripe for Aspirations passes to them § 16. 17. Aspirations may be exercised in externall busines and why § 18. 19. Great variety of Aspirations to wit with or without words c. § 23. 24. c. The great Benefit and fruits of Aspirations 1. INTERNALL Prayer proper to the State of Actiue Contemplation consists of certaine most purely spirituall operations of the Will longing thirsting after God an Vnion with him in the supreme point of the spirit vvhere his most proper dvvelling is 2. These Perfect Operations are by Spirituall Authours seuerally named as Eleuations Inward stirrings of the spirit Aspirations c Wee vvill in the follovving Discourse make vse for the most part of this last terme of Aspirations as most proper in a generall notion to expresse the sayd Operations For 1. by them the soule in a Holy ambition doth aspire to rayse eleuate herselfe out of inferiour Nature to mount to the Apicem spiritus vvhich is Gods throne 2. By them the soule being inflamed vvith Diuine Loue doth breath forth her ardent affections to God as the Heart forces the lungs to send forth that aire vvhich they had formerly sucked in that they may dravv in fresher aire to refrigerate it so that in both there is a quick reciprocall motion of emptying filling of rising falling For after euery Aspiration there is a short descent then a mounting higher then before 3. Because as our outward breathing is an action as it vvere purely naturall performed vvithout any labour at all or so much as election So a soule rooted in Charity breathes forth these pure Aspirations vvithout any force vsed vpon herselfe they flovving from her freely both as to the matter and manner of them in a sort naturally 4. Because as the motions made in Breathing doe not hinder but rather aduance all other motions operations so may Aspirations be exercised during other ordinary Employments vvithout any preiudice to either or vvithout any considerable distraction Except they be such Businesses that doe require a speciall fixed attention of the mind vvith serious study Novv in such Employments if they be imposed by necessity or Obedience the soule ought to quit her Aspirations And so doing she vvill gaine as much by her Obedience as she vvould by Prayer 3. Novv these Aspirations are certaine short liuely affections of the soule by vvhich she expresses a thirsty longing after God such as these are My God when shall I loue thee alone When shall I be vnited to thee Whom haue I in heauen or earth but thee alone O that thou wouldst liue raigne alone in my soule O my God thou alone suffisest mee Doest not thou know O my God that I loue thee only Let mee be nothing be thou all O my God O loue O loue O infinite vniuersall Good When shall I come appeare before the face of thee O my God! Let mee loue thee only that is sufficient When shall I dye that my God alone may liue in mee c. 4. Novv the same Affections such as these that are vsed in the Prayer of Aspirations may also be vsed for as much as concernes the expression and sense of them in the exercise of immediate Acts and euen in Meditation it selfe But yet the manner by vvhich the soule produces the sayd Affections are in many respects different in Perfect Imperfect soules and the sayd Aspirations are of a quite different nature from other forced immediate Acts of the Will 5. For first such feruorous Affections tending directly immediately to God are the entire matter in the Exercise of Aspirations Wheras in immediate Acts they are only novv then interlaced But the ordinary matter of such Acts is the doing or forbearing any thing for God as in Acts of Resignation c. 6.
Molestation and Affliction Yea in that case it may reasonably be iudged that they are strongly assisted vvith Gods Holq Spirit since they ouercome so great tentations of the Euill Spirit 21. The twelfth and last Rule It cannot proceede from a Good Spirit vvhen Soules visited vvith Reuelations c shall obstinatly beleiue them to be of God after they haue bene condemned by experienced Superiours and Directours Vnlesse the persons be able to yeild most conuincing Proofes therof and moreouer shall seriously professe that God together vvith the secrets reueyled hath imprinted in their Soules this assurance and beleife also Certaine it is that Obedience is a most secure Remedy against all possible inconueniences and can doe no harme in no cases This is that that S. Teresa seriously enioynes and most constantly practised herselfe and this in very strange circumstances vvhen the Confessarius condemning her vvas both vnlearned impertinent c. But vvithall Spirituall Directours ought not to be rash in their proceedings nor to iudge till after a long experience and knovvledge of the invvard dispositions of the Persons and a due vveighing of the nature of the Reuelations discouered to them It is likevvise requisite that those that take vpon them to iudge of these things be themselues deuout exercised in Prayer and in good state towards God to the end they may from him receiue Light to direct others 22. In the next place as touching the manner hovv a Soule after the receiuing of such Supernaturall fauours is to behaue herselfe The principall care that she ought to haue is that she doe not beare a deliberate and fixed loue to such things vvhich is due to God only And consequently that she doe not either expressly or implicitely pray to God to haue such Visions Reuelations c. Or in case that God vvithout her Prayers hath sent them that she doe not vsually vvithout necessity talke of such matters or loue to heare others talke of them for these are signes of an vndue affection to them 23. B. Iohn de Cruce saith that vvhen God doth after an extraordinary manner make known vnto humble soules his vvill that they should take in hand some great Employment by meanes vvhereof they may likely gaine a great Esteeme of Excellency and probably vvill be in danger to conceiue some extraordinary vvorth to be in themselues for vvhich they are so highly fauoured by God vvhich conceit the Deuill vvill not fayle to cherish and encrease He doth ofentimes rather encrease then diminish the feare and repugnance that they had formerly to such things causing in them a desire and readines much rather to the vndergoing of some vile or base Offices Thus he dealt vvith Moyses vvhen he sent him to Pharao and thus vvith Ieremy c. But it happens quite contrary vvhen the bidding is from the Deuill counterfeyting priuily a Diuine Mission for he vvith his Commissions causeth a forvvardnes in soules to take vpon them Employments of Excellency or othervvise gratefull to Nature as also a great auersion from those that either suspect or vvould dissvvade them from such vndertakings 24. A Soule therfore is by serious consideration to raise and encrease in herselfe an apprehension and auersion from such matters saying vvith S. Peter Exi a me c. Goe from mee O Lord for I am a sinfull man And by exercising so proffitable a mortification she vvill secure herselfe from all perills and render herselfe very acceptable to God Serious Instructions to a disappropriation and mortifying our loue to such things are to be found in Scala Perfectionis Angela de Fulginio and particularly in the Booke called Interiour Abnegaâ—ion there is this passage To God it belongeth to giue rare and Excellent Gifts and to the Soule it belongeth to refuse them It is suitable to the Diuine Goodnes to approach vnto a Soule and the Soules duty is in humility to draw back as S. Peter did It belongs to God to eleuate the Soule and her duty is to humble and abase herselfe For as our Nature in euery thing and vpon euery occasion desireth a proper Excellency and Sublimity yea euen in things holy and appertaining to God so our Spirit illuminated by Grace which is Superiour to our Nature ought incessantly in all things and occasions to seeke to be depriued of all Excellency except in Essentiall vertues and to embrace all pouerty and lownes euen in Sacred things that so she be not lesse carefull and resolute to ouercome herselfe then Nature is to seeke herselfe Thus there must be a continuall contestation betwene God and the humble Soule c. And especially those Soules that are most inclind forward to embrace these high and gratefull things must necessarily make such resistance not yeilding till pure necessity forces them and till God take from them all power to withdraw themselues and to refuse the Excellences of that Grace whereunto he at the same time so continually and powerfully vrgeth and draweth them Instructions to the same purpose vvee find in Auilas Epistles 25. This vvas the practise of the holy Virgin Coleta vvho vvhen God offred to reueyle vnto her diuers Secrets ansvvered Lord God it suffiseth mee only to know thee and the sins in which I haue offended thee and to obtaine thy pardon for them But most notable in this regard is the Example of Suso vvhen God commanded him to publish to all Estates in the vvorld the Pope Bishops Abbots c. their vices and Enormities represented to him in the Vision of the Nine Rocks He out of that habituall feare and humility that vvas in him did so resist the executing such a Charge that till he vvas adiured and commanded in the Name of the Holy Trinity and and so forced to it euen against his vvill he had neuer yeilded And then also he submitted himselfe vvith much bevvayling his misery expressing his feare of the danger of Pride and therefore humbly begging that his Name might be conceiled from the vvorld and lastly protesting his Desire and loue to be directed to nothing but only to God himselfe His resistance indeed vvas so obstinate that God told him that if he had not knovvn that it proceeded from true but indiscreet Humility he vvould presently haue cast him into Hell for it 26. Those therfore that are fauoured vvith extraordinary Graces if they did duly consider their state and danger vvould find little ground to exalt themselues or to despise others that are in a more lovv but vvithall far more secure vvay 27. Novv for the preuenting and auoyding the great danger of ill vsing such Fauours and Diuine Graces to the feeding of selfe loue and Pride Spirituall Authours doe seriously enioyne such Persons so visited by God not to trust their ovvne Iudgments or to determine vvhether they come from God or not and much lesse to put in practise any thing of consequence vpon such Reuelations but to refer themselues to the Iudgment and Aduice of others 28. And herein great
Of the Vnderstanding 2. Of the Will and 3. The sensitiue Faculties likevvise 10. First in regard of the Vnderstanding there is therby a Diuine Light communicated not reuealing or discouering any new Verities but affording a most firme cleare assurance and experimentall perception of those Verities of Catholick Religion vvhich are the Obiects of our Faith the vvhich assurance the soule perceiues to be Diuinely Communicated to her 11. O happy Euidence of our Catholick Beleife No thankes to them that beleiue after such sight vvhich is more euident then any thing vvee see vvith our corporall Eyes Surely the first knovvledge and assurance that the Primitiue Christians had of the Mysteries of our Religion came by such Contemplations communicated to the Apostles c. as S. Paul vvitnesses of himselfe for one Who savv and euen felt the truth of vvhat they preached and deliuered by Tradition to others 12. Such Contemplations as this made S. Teresa so confident in the Points of her Beleife that it seemed to her that she vvas able to dispute vvith and confound all the Hereticks in the vvorld But yet therin she might perhaps be deceiued if that God did not further enable her then by such Contemplations only For though they serued to establish most firmely her ovvne Beleife yet vvould they not suffise to enable her to dispute vvith and conuince others Because neither could she intelligibly enough expresse vvhat she had seene And if she could yet vvould not all beleiue her nor were they rationally obliged to doe so And therfore doubtles she vvould neuer haue vndertaken of her ovvne accord vvithout a speciall Motion and inuitation from God to haue entred into any such Disputes Indeed if God had vrged her therto then doubtles he vvould haue giuen her an especiall assistance and force 13. A soule that is nevvly avvakened as it vvere from such a Contemplation or Vnion coming to reade the holy Scriptures or any Spirituall Booke vvill peirce far more deeply into the Verities contained in them vvill see clearer Lights and feele far more perfect Tasts of the Diuine Truthes therin then euer before So that all the knowledge that she formerly had vvill seeme vnto her meere darknes and a knovvledge of the outward letter only vvheras novv she penetrates into the internall Spirit of the vvritings 14. In the next place the change that is made by this Supernaturall Vnion vvith regard to the Will Affections is equally admirable In so much as many yeares spent in mortification other Internall Exercises will not so purify the soule as a fevv minutes passed in such a Diuine Inaction Here it is indeed that a soule perfectly feeles her owne nothing and Gods totality thereby is strangely aduanced in Humility the Diuine Loue. For being so immediatly vnited to God so illustrated vvith his heauenly light inflamed vvith his loue all Creatures herselfe aboue all are become as nothing yea perfectly odious to her Besides there are many secret defects in a soule so subtile Intime that they can neither he cured nor so much as discouered but by a Passiue Vnion In so much as hereby the soule is aduanced to Perfection in a manner Degree not to be imagined far more efficaciously then by all the former actions of her life putt together so that the follovving Aspirations Eleuations of the spirit become far more pure efficacious then before And indeed vvere it not for such good Fruits effects vpon the Will such Passiue Vnions vvould be little proffitable vnto the soule For our merit consists in our owne free Acts produced in vertue of Diuine Grace assisting vs not in the operations simply vvherin God is only Agent vvee Patients 15. In the third place these supernaturall Vnions are of that vertue that they doe vvholly subdue the Imagination other Internall senses to the Superiour Soule so that they cannot as they list vvander to fro but are reduced to such a happy seruitude to the spirit that vvithout any stresse or violence they are brought to attend it in all its employments occasions Or if the Imagination doe sometimes vvander yet it neuer fastens it selfe vvith delight on any externall perishing obiects by reason that selfe-loue is in a sort extinguished in the soule so that it may easily be reduced or hovvsoeuer by its vvandrings it doth not hinder or interrupt the operations of the Spirit 16. Moreouer it is obserued by Mysticks that soules vvhich formerly during the precedent lesse perfect Exercises vvere of quite different euen contrary dispositions naturall complexions after such supernaturall Vnions do come to a very neare resemblance to one an other As wee see that seuerall vvaies or pathes vvhich from far distant places leade to a Citty the nearer they approach to the Citty the nearer also doe they come to one an other at last fall into make one common high vvay And the reason hereof is because nature its particular affections inclinations are novv so vvorne euen burnt out by the fire of Diuine Loue Grace that it is the Spirit of God that is the only principle of all their Actions the vvhich therefore must needs be vniforme like to one another 17. It vvill be no vvonder if these things here spoken of a supernaturall Passiue Vnion shall seeme incredible or perhaps to be but dreames of Extrauagant or Melancholicke Spirits not only to those that are strangers from the Catholicke Faith but those Catholicks also that are vnexperiēced in Internall vvayes Yet if they vvould consider that all this hath bene deliuered by the testimony of most deuout humble spiritually prudent Persons some of them very learned also vvho professe to vvrite nothing but vvhat themselues haue had experience of and this by an Internall command of Gods Spirit for the edification of others they vvill perhaps iudge more vvarily of these things And vvithall considering that out of the Catholick Church no such Diuine Graces and Communications were euer heard of they vvill howeuer reape this benefit by them if not to dispose themselues the best they can for the enioying them at least they vvill abhorre all nouelties in doctrines continue vnshaken and Obedient Children to the Church CHAP. V. § 1. 2. 3. Of the great Desolation vsually following an Intellectuall Passiue Vnion § 4. 5. c. A description of the Nature woefull bitternes of this Desolation § 8. How a Deuout soule does or ought to behaue herselfe therin § 9. The great Benefits and fruits proceeding from this Desertion well vndergone 1. A Soule hauing once experienced such extraordinary Diuine Fauours will be apt to say vvith the Psalmist Non mouebor in aeternum I shall neuer be moued thou Lord of thy Goodnesse hast made my Hill so strong But if she thinke so she vvill find herselfe strangely deceiued For as the vvhole course of a spirituall life consists of perpetuall changes of Eleuations and
vnderstanding and feruour in the vvill being in a manner extinguished Yet out of this darkenes God produces Light and strength from this Infirmity 8. For the truth is that in this case of Desolation the soule doth by her Free Will or rather in the center of the Spirit beyond all her faculties remaine in a constant Vnion adhesion to God although no such Vnion doe appeare vnto her yea though it seemes to her that she is not only estranged but euen auerted from God And by vertue of that most secret but firme adhesion she makes election of God as her only Good The vvhich may to any but herselfe sufficiently appeare by her cariage during that State For she breakes not out into any murmurings she seekes not to comfort herselfe by admitting any inordinate Externall solaces not doth any thing deliberately by vvhich to rid herselfe from such an afflicting Estate sooner or othervvise then God vvould haue her to doe She practises Tranquillity of mind in the midst of a tempest of passions in sensitiue nature She exercises Resignation without the least contentment to herselfe therin she learnes Patiēce in the midst of impatiēce Resignatiō in the midst of irresignatiō In a vvord she yeilds herselfe as a prey vnto Almighty God to be cast into this most sharpe Purgatory of Loue. The vvhich is an immediate Dispoition to an established State of Perfection 9. More particularly the Fruits Benefits flovving from this most sad estate supported vvith Patience Tranquillity of spirit are vvonderfull 1. For first hereby the deuout soule obtaines a nevv Light to penetrate into the Mystery of our Lords desertion in the Garden on the Crosse from this light a most enflamed loue to him Now she ceases to vvander vvhy he should deprecate a cupp so mortally bitter as this that it should vvorke such strange effects on him or that he should cry out Eli Eli lammasabacthani by this Desertion of his vvhich lasted till the very last moment of his life she hopes to haue an end put to hers 2. Now she learnes by experience to make a Diuision betvvene the supreme Portion of the Spirit and inferiour Nature yea betvvene the Summity of the Spirit and the faculties of the same For that Portion of her by vvhich she cleaues to God seemes to be an other third person distinct from her selfe that suffers complaines and desires For she chuses God and at the same time feares that her Will chuses and consents to sin she is mightily supported by God and yet she thinkes him vtterly estranged and separated from her Thus at last she perceiues that she can operate vvithout any perceptible vse of her Faculties 3. Hereby she learnes a perfect disappropriation and Transcendence euen of the highest Gifts and Graces of God and a contentation to be depriued of the greatest Blessings that God has to bestovv on her except only Himselfe 4. The sight of the vnexpressible vveakenesse and peruersnesse of nature left to it selfe vvithout any sensible Influences of Grace vpon the inferiour faculties produces in her a most profound Humility and Hatred of herselfe 5. Lastly by this most sharpe Purgatory of Loue she enters into a state of most Perfect Confidence in God of Tranquillity of mind and Security of Gods vnchangeable Loue to her not to be disturbed by any possible future Affliction For vvhat has a soule left to feare that can vvith a peaceable mind support yea and make her benefit of the Absence of God himselfe CHAP. VI. § 1. 2. 3. Of the End of all the precedent Exercises and of all the changes in a Spirituall Life to wit a Stable State of Perfection and Prayer § 4. 5. Wherein that State consists the testimony of Suso § 6. 7. The wonderfull Purity and sublimity of the soules operations in this State out of Barbanson c. § 9. 10. Of the VNION OF NOTHING VVITH NOTHING c. § 11. The sublimity of Angelicall loue in perfect Soules § 12. A conclusion of the whole Booke 1. IT remaines only for a conclusion of the vvhole Booke that something be sayd of the End of all these Exercises of Mortification and Prayer in vvhich there is so great variety of Degrees and changes 2. And surely that End must needs be supereminently excellent for the attaining vvhereof such incredible labour both interiour and exteriour must be vndertaken and vvhereto such vvonderfull Diuine Graces and Visits are only instrumentall Dispositions Suso writing from his ovvne Experience concerning the foresayd Passiue Vnion by vvhich a soule hath a distinct Vievv of of God her Originall sayes That though the sayd Contemplation continued but as it vvere a moment it so replenished his Heart vvith ioy that he vvondred it did not cleaue asunder On the other side vpon the subsequent most contrary Visitation by a spirituall Desertion the Heart becomes so replenished vvith bitternesse and Anguish as if all Gilead had not Balme enough to assvvage it 3. And for vvhat End all this Surely not that a man should rest finally in the Ioy conceiued by such a fruition nor meerly to torture the soule by such a bitter Desolation Our supreme Happines is not Receiuing but Louing All these fauours therfore and all these suffrings doe end in this namely the accomplishing of this Loue in our soules So that all our Perfection consists in a state of Loue and an entire Conformity with the Diuine Will 4. There are therfore in a Spirituall Life no strange Nouelties or wonders pretended to Diuine Loue is all It begins with Loue and Resignation and there it ends likevvise All the Difference is in the Degrees luster of it Loue euen in its most imperfect State is most diuinely Beautifull the vvhich Beauty is vvonderfully encreased by Exercise But vvhen by such fiery Tryalls and Purifications as also by so neare approaches as are made to the Fountaine of Beauty and Light in Passiue Vnions this loue is exalted to its Perfection Hovv nevv hovv admirable and incomprehensible to vs imperfect soules is the manner of the Exercising of it vvee must content our selues to heare those speake of it that haue had some experience in it And if vvhat they say be incomprehensible to vs vvee ought not to vvonder at it 5. That vvhich the forementioned Suso in his Ninth Rocke vvrites of the nature of this Loue in grosse is not so abstruse O how small sayes he is the number of those Perfect soules And yet as few as they are God sets them as Pillars to support his Chruch So that if it were not for them it would be in danger to be dissipated The Prayer of one such soule is of more efficacy then of all Christians besides They approach very neere to God their Originall and yet such is the vile esteeme that they haue of themselues they themselues are not assured of this Yet by fits a certaine Clarity or Glimpse of their Prime Principle is Communicated to them by which
though in themselues veniall yet doe much obscure the Diuine light vveaken its efficacy Yea euen in those things vvherein such imperfect soules doe for the substance of the Action its essentialls follovv the direction of Gods Spirit yet by mixing of sensuall Interests ends suggested by the false teacher they doe diminish its luster beauty valevv And so subtile is the spirit of nature that it oft makes its false suggestions passe for Diuine Inspirations seldome misses the insinuating its poyson in some degree either into the beginning or continuation of our best actions 5. From these vnquestionable grounds thus truly layd it follovves euidently That in all good Actions especially in the Internall wayes of the spirit which conduct to Contemplation Perfection God alone is our only maister directour creatures vven he is pleased to vse them are only his Instruments So that all other teachers vvhatsoeuer vvhether the light of reason or externall Directours or Rules prescribed in bookes c are no further nor othervvise to be follovved or hearkened to then as they are subordinate conformable to the Internall Directions Inspirations of Gods Holy spirit or as God inuites Instructs moues vs to haue recourse vnto them by them to be informed in his vvill by him enabled to performe it And that if they be made vse of any other vvayes they vvill certainly misleade vs. 5. This is by all Mysticall vvriters acknovvledged so fundamentall a truth that vvithout acknovvledging it vvorking according to it it is in vaine to enter into the exercises of an Internall Contemplatiue life So that to say as too commonlie it is said by Authours vvho pretend to be spirituall but haue no tast of these mystike matters Take all your Instructions from vvithout from Externall teachers or bookes is all one as to say haue nothing at all to doe vvith the vvayes of Contemplation vvhich can be taught by no other but God or by those vvhom God specially instructs appoynts determinately for the Disciples present exigence So that it is God only that internally teaches both the Teacher Disciple his inspirations are the only lesson for both All our light therfore is from Diuine Illumination all our strength as to these things is from the Diuine operation of the Holy Ghost on our vvills affections 7. Novv to the end that this so important a verity may more distinctly be declared more firmely imprinted in the minds of all those that desire to be Gods schollers in the internall vvaies of his Diuine loue they are to take notice that the Inspirations vvhich are here acknovvledged to be the only safe rule of all our actions though of the same nature yet doe extend further to more other particular obiects then the Diuine light or Grace by vvhich good Christians liuing common liues in the vvorld are lead extends to yea then it does euen in those that seeke perfectiō by the exercises of an Actiue life 8. The light vertue of Common Grace affords generally to all good Christians that seriously indeauour to saue their soules such Internall Illuminations motions as are sufficient to direct them for the resisting of any sinfull tentation or to performe any necessary act of vertue in circumstances vvherin they are obliged though this Direction be oft obeyd vvith many circumstantiall defects And their Actions are so far no further meritorious pleasing to God then as they proceed from such Internall Grace or inspiration But as for other Actions vvhich in their ovvne nature are not absolutly of necessary obligation the vvhich notvvithstanding might be made Instrumentall to the aduancing perfecting of holines in their soules such as are the ordinary vsually esteemed Indifferent Actions of their liues to a due improouement of such Actions they haue neither the light nor the strength or very seldome by reason that they liue distracted liues not vsing such solitude recollection as are necessary for the disposing of soules to the receiuing such an extraordinary light vertue And as for those that tend to Perfection by Actiue exercises euen the more perfect although they atteine therby a far greater measure of light grace by vvhich they performe their necessary duties of holines more perfectly vvith a more pure Intention likeevvise make far greater benefit for their aduancement by Actions occurrences more indifferent yet they also for vvant of habituall Introuersion recollectednes of mind doe passe ouer vvithout benefit the greatest part of their ordinary actions 9. But as for Contemplatiue liuers those I meane that haue made a sufficient progres tovvards Perfection besides the cōmon grace light or Inspirations necessary for a due performance of essentiall Duties the vvhich they enioy in a far more sublime manner degree so as to purify their actions from a vvorld of secret impurities subtle mixture of the Interests ends of corrupt nature inuisible to all other soules Besides this light I say vvhich is presupposed prerequired they vvalke in a continuall supernaturall light are guided by assiduous Inspirations in regard of their most ordinary in themselues indifferent Actions occurrences in all vvhich they clearly see hovv they are to be haue themselues so as to doe vvill of God by them also to improoue themselues in the Diuine loue the vvhich extraordinary light is communicated vnto them only by vertue of their almost continuall Recollectednes Introuersion attention to God in their spirits 11. More particularly by this Internall diuine light an Internall liuer is or may be directed 1. In the manner circumstances vvhen vvhere hovv any vertue may most proffitably perfectly be exercised For as for the substantiall Act of such a vertue the necessary obliging circumstances in vvhich it cannot vvith out mortall sin be omitted the light of common sanctifying Grace vvill suffise to direct 2. In the manner frequency length change other circumstances of Internall prayer 3. In Actions or omissions vvhich absolutely considered may seeme in themselues Indifferent at the present there may be as to ordinary light an vncertainty vvhether the doing or omission is the more perfect This is discouered to the soule by these Supernaturall Inspirations light such Actions or Omissions are for example Reading study of such or such matters vvalking conuersing staying in or quitting solitude in ones Cell taking a iourney vndertaking or refusing an employment accepting or refusing Inuitations c In all vvhich things well-minded soules by solitude introuersion disposing themselues will not faile to haue a supernaturall light impulse communicated to them which will enable them to make choyce of that side of the doubt vvhich if they correspond therto vvill most aduance them in spirit suite vvith the Diuine vvill Whereas vvithout such light generally soules are directed by an obscure light impulse of nature carnall ends or Interests vvithout
the least benefit of their spirit yea to their greater distraction dissipation 12. Generally ordinarily speaking vvhen there is proposed the doing or not doing of any externall vvorke that both of them are in themselues lavvfull the Diuine Inspiration in Contemplatiue soules moues to the Not-doing Because the absteining from much externall vvorking the increasing in Internall solitude of spirit is more suitable to their present state to that abstraction of life vvhich they professe Except vvhen the doing may proue a more beneficiall mortificatioÌ„ to selfe-loue or other inordinate Affection of corrupt nature 13. The speciall poynts matters of Omissions vvhich among others are vsually the Obiects of such diuine Calls Inspirations may be such as these viz. 1. To eschevv vnnecessary though permitted conuersations correspondences vvith others either by speaking or vvriting 2. To be very vvary sparing in the vse of the tongue 3. not sollicitously to auoyd occasions of mortifications or afflictions 4. to auoyd the encombring our selves vvith busines not perteining to vs. 5. to fly honours Offices care ouer others the like 6. not to craue this or that vnnecessary thing or commodity but to be content vvith out them 7. not to question or expostulate vvhy such a thing vvas said or done but to hold patience to let things be as they are 8. not to complaine of or accuse any 9. In cases of supportable not harmfull oppressions to absteine froÌ„ Appeals to higher Superiours 10. To auoyd the voluntary causing or procuring a change in our present coÌ„dition employmeÌ„t place c. 11. To quiet compose all manner of passions rising in the heart all troubles in mind to preserue the soule in peace tranquillity cheerfullnes in Gods seruice 1â— to auoyd such things or doings as vvill distract our minds vvith dissipating Images 13. to forbeare breake of all particular partiall freindships compliances 14. To preserue conuenient Liberty of spirit to absteine from enconbring or insnaring our selues by any voluntarily assumed taskes obligations c though in matters in themselues good but vvhich may becoming obligatory proue hindrances to better things 15. In a vvord the Diuine Inspirations of vvhich vve here treate doe euer tend to a simplicity in Thoughts vvords deeds to all things vvhich may aduance the more perfect exercise of Obedience Humility Resignation purity of Prayer purity of intention c so that vvhatsoeuer is contrary to any of these is to be reiected as a diabolicall suggestion 14. As for extraordinary Supernaturall Inspirations Illuminations apparitions voyces conuersations with spirits messages from heauen c a spirituall Internall liuer is forbidden to pretend to or so much as desire them yea rather to pray against them least he should abuse them to vanity pride And hovveuer neuer to admit or esteeme them for such much lesse to put in execution any thing that seemes to be such a vvay commanded till they haue bene first examined iudged approued by Superiours c But of this particular vve shall speake more herafter 15. The Diuine Inspirations lights Impulses or Calls of vvhich vve here speake are 1. Either such as are immediatly communicated to the soule alone 2. or also mediately vvith the concurrence of some other person or thing to vvit by the meane of an Externall Directour or else by the vse reading or hearing read Spirituall or other pious Bookes We vvill in the first place treate of this latter vvay of vnderstanding the Diuine vvill because it is both more easy to be discerned also it is the vvay by vvhich commonly imperfect soules are first instructed CAP. II. § 1. 2. Why an Externall Guide is necessary in the beginning § 3. 4. 5. 6. The conditions of such a Guide of which the principall is Experience in the same waies beyond learning c. § 7. 8. Actiue spirits cannot be fit guides for Contemplatiue § 9. 10. Actuall Illumination oft necessary to externall Directours § 11. 12. 13. The office of a directour may not be voluntarily assumed or sought § 14. 15. Lay-persons may be spirituall Guides to Religious Yea woemen § 16. That is no preiudice to the spirit of an Order § 17. Conditions necessary in Directours § 18. 19. Directours must teach their disciples to seeke light from God § 20. Sincerity obedience necessary in the disciple § 21. The Gift of discerning spirits necessary in a directour § 22. His instructions must be generall § 23. 24. Frequent consultations harmfull § 25. Two generall remedies against difficulties viz. 1. Riddance 2. Patience § 26. 27. The directour must not with vnnecessary questions raise Doubts § 28. Great danger from vnnecessary conuersation of Directours with woemen § 29. More particular aduises referred to other following places 1. A soule that comes out of the world to a religious Contemplatiue life or that liuing yet in the vvorld is abstracted from the vvorld aspires to a state of Perfection at the first ordinarily vvill stand in need of an Externall Instructour guide for most matters that concerne her in that vvay The reason is because that such soules although being supposed to be in the state Grace they haue sufficient Internall light to direct them in the ordinary Duties of a Christian life for the auoyding of sin performing the necessary Acts of vertues requisite yet as to the proper practises of Internall vvaies to the ordering of common Actions to the aduancing of themselues tovvards Contemplation they are indeed penitùs animales gouerned by sense the obscure deceitfull light of naturall reason scarse knovving vvhat an Internall Inspiration vvith regard to such matters is hovveuer very much disabled are they to discerne or correspond to such an Inspiration And for this reason their naturall light generall knovvledge that they haue of their ovvne insufficiency to be their ovvne directours in a nevv vnknovvn state vvill tell them that they must haue recourse to other guides skilled in those things of vvhich themselues haue no experience Yet euen this seeking submitting themselues vnto Externall directours is not to be esteemed merely an Act of nature or guided only by a naturall light but of such Inspirations supernaturall light vvhich atteâ—d the Actions of all good Christians by vvhich they are taught moued to distrust themselues not knowing as yet how to dispose themselues for the receiuing supernaturall lights from God much lesse to merit them Grace directs them to vse the mediation of others to heare obâ—y God speaking ordeining by them 2. But the necessity of an Externall Instructour is generally only at the beginning of a Contemplatiue course For after that soules by the meanes of generall Directions giuen a competent pursuit of Internall Exercises haue bene once put conueniently setled in a rightway how to seeke for more light from God alone they must not afterwards out of leuity curiosity or
on the other side Voluntary Mortifications are such as on our ovvne heads vvithout the Aduice iudgment of those that are acquainted vvith our Interiour vvee voluntarily assume or impose on our selues either because vvee haue seene or read of others that haue done the like thervpon vvithout further due consideration of our ovvne state or abilities vvee vvill hope they vvill aduance vs as much in the vvay of perfection such are Voluntary corporall fasts beyond vvhat the Church or Regular obseruance doe require Wearing of hairecloth chaines c obstinate silence during the times that the orders of the community doe appoint conuersations c. To these may be abded an assuming the taske of saying so many Vocall Prayers Rosaries c. 4. This Distinction being premised the deuout Reader is to take notice that vvhatsoeuer hitherto hath or shall be spoken of the vse end benefits of Mortification is to be vnderstood applied only to mortifications of necessity and not to such as are voluntary And moreouer that all these Instructions Directions are intended only for such soules vvhether Religious or others as are entred or desirous to enter into an Internall course tending to Contemplation 5. As touching therefore the former sort of Necessary mortifications according to the vvhole latitude before expressed a deuout soule is to be exhorted as being her duty obligation vvith all courage feruour to accept chearfully vndergoe them considering that besides the foremencioned inestimable Benefits attending them they are of great security free from all perill of errour indiscretion or pride 6. But as for Voluntary mortifications those I meane vvhich are properly such vvee haue nothing to doe vvith them yea moreouer I should neuer persvvade a spirituall Disciple to assume any considerable mortifications besides such as attend his present state of life till he can assure himselfe that he has a good Call to them that is till after that hauing spent a considerable time in Internall prayer he haue receiued light to iudge of their fitnes for him Grace or spirituall strength to vndertake pursue them chearfully vvithall has the approbation of his Superiour or spirituall Directour Yea though he had a body as strong as Samson vvithall a very good inclination to Internall vvaies I should hardly be the first proposer mouer inciter of him to such extraordinary mortifications vnlesse some speciall occasion required them for a remedy against any speciall tentations then assalting him In vvhich case they are not indeed to be esteemed extraordinary and voluntary although supernumerary but considering the present state ordinary necessary Yea if such an one should aske my counsell about the vse of such mortifications vpon examination I should find it to be doubtfull vvhether it vvas vpon a Diuine Inspiration that he vvas moued to desire them I should take the surer course that is to dissvvade him from the vndertaking of them 7. It is true vvee find in reading the liues of Saints that most of them haue practised them many euen from their infancy But this shevves that spirits fit for extraordinary mortifications are rarely to be found being only such as God himselfe leades after an extraordinary manner to make them Examples of the povver of his Grace to the Edification of many vsing them for his Instruments in great vvorkes As for vs vvee are not to suppose that God esteemes vs fit or intends vs for such extraordinary matters Therfore it may suffise vs to vndergoe such mortifications as God himselfe has prouided for vs beleiuing him to knovv vvhat is best for vs most proportionable 8. In all our holy Rule there is no prouision nor order made for such extraordinary or supernumerary mortifications but only in the 49. Cap. about diet in the time of Lent c. And then it is forbidden to vndertake such vvithout the Approbation of the Superiour the neglect of vvhich Approbation is imputed to rashnes For our holy Father as he knevv the inestimable benefit of mortifications vvhich come from God therfore he is exact in requiring conformity to the Austerities commanded in the Rule so on the other side vvas he not ignorant of the great inconueniences that probably attend the vndertaking such extraordinary ones by imperfect soules vvhich are commonly induced thereto merely out of a fancy humour or sudden passion for such are seldome attended vvith any blessing from God vvho neither is obliged nor ordinarily vvill bestovv his grace Spirituall strength for the vndergoing of any morcifications but such as are sent by him or euidently ordained by his inspiration And experience vvitnesses this because vvee seldome see soules to perseuere in those vvhich they assume by their ovvne free election And vvhiles they performe them it is vvith little or no purity of Intention herevpon it is that our holy Father expressly declares that the Diuine Inspiration grace is to be acknovvledged the roote of all religious voluntary Austerities by those vvords of his Cap. 40. Quibus donat Deus tolerantiam Abstinentiae That is To whom God hath giuen the courage or strength to suffer extraordinary abstinence Adding vvithall that such voluntary Abstinences must be offred to God cum gaudio Sancti Spiritus with ioy of the holy Ghost 9. Great caution therfore is to be vsed in the reading making vse of Instructions examples found especially concerning this point in spirituall Bookes Because othervvise a soule vvill be in danger to plunge herselfe into great inconueniences difficulties for vvhilst she does imitate such extraordinary practises it is to be feared being yet imperfect she vvill entertaine a proud conceipt of herselfe not receiuing Grace to perseuere she vvill be apt to dravv from thence matter of scrupulosity deiection so far as perhaps to become disheartned from further tendance in the vvay of the spirit Yea such a soule vvill be lyable to contract therby an obscurity in her vnderstanding especially if she be vnlearned by vvhich she vvill become disabled to distinguish Necessary Mortifications from voluntary 10. It is a very hard to many soules vvould proue a dangerous Aduice vvhich some Spirituall Authours giue viz. That a Spirituall Disciple should in euery thing that is of it selfe indifferent in case that seuerall obiect be offred to choyce take that vvhich is most contrary to his naturall Inclination As if many seuerall dishes vvere set before vs to eate only that vvhich vvee least like thus to liue in a continuall contradiction crossing of nature 11. Surely no soules but such as are in a good measure perfect are capable of making good vse of such aduises for only such can vvith facility discretion proffit practise them As for the lesse perfect if they practise them vvith any vvillingnes it is to be feared that the true ground is because therby they doe couertly comply vvith nature some orher vvay nourishing selfe-esteeme contempt of others not so courageous