13. â—â—5 The practise of that which â—ath bene sated in the precedent chap er chap. 14. 19 How Charitie containes in it the gift of the holy Ghost chap. 15. 722 Of the louing feare of spouses a continuation of the discourse alrea iâ— begune chap 10. 726 How scruâ—le Feaâ—t remaines together with holy Loue. chap. 17. 730 How â—â—â—e makes vse of naturall seruile and mercinarie Feare chap. 18. 734 How sacred Loue containes the 12 fruits of the holy Ghost together with the 8. beatitudes of the Ghospell chap. 19. 740 How diuine Loue makes vse of all the passions and affections of the soule and reduceth them to her obedience chap 2â— 744 That Sadnesse is almost alwayes vnprofitable yea profiâ—e to the seruice of ho y Loue. chap 21. pag. 750. THE TABLE OF THE Twelfth booke CONTAINING CERTAINE ADVISES for the progresse of the soule in holy Loue. THat our progresse in holy â—oue doth not depend of our naturall complexion c aâ— 1. pag 757 That we are to haue a continuall desire to loue ch 2. 7â—9 That to haue the desire of sacred Loue we are to out off all other desires chap 3. pag 762 That our lawfull occasions doe not hinder vs to practise Diuine Loue. chap. 4. 764 A Delightfull example vpon this subiect chap 5. 767 That we are to imploy all the occasions that are presented in the practise of Diuine Loue. chap. 6. 768 That we must haue a care to doe our actions very pe fectly chap 7. 770 A generall meanes whereby to applie our workes to Gods seruice chap. 8. 771 Of certaine other meanes whereby we may applie our workes more particularly to the Loue of God ch 9. 776 An exhortation to the sacrifice which we are to make to God of our free-will chap. 10. 780 Of the motiues we haue to holy Loue. câ—ap 11. 784 A profitable metâ—ode whereby we may imploy these methodes chap. 2. 786 That the Mount of Caluarie is the true Academie of Loue. chap. 13. 788 APPROBATIO Traâ—tatem hunc De Am â—â—et ab illâ—â—trissimo ac Reuerendissimo D. D. FRANC. SALESTO Episcopo Geneuensi conse iptum primo Gallicè in Anâ—licanum ia deinde sermonem studio R D. CARRET Sacerdotis t aâ—luctum ego infrascripâ—us perlegi nimisque in eo inuem quod Catâ—olicae doctrinae conse taneum non sitâ— quinimo totus ardet ignâ—mqâ—e perpetuò diuinum spirat vt è coeâ—â— Gallicano nobis etiam diuisis ab rbe sidus hoc affâ—lgere plurimùm gaâ—dâ—â— de â—em is I a â—entio DatuÌ„ Seâ—t 9 1630. EDMVNDVS STRAâ—FORDVS S. Theol. Professor APPROBATIO Ego infra scriptus testâ—r 〈◊〉 pâ—â—lâ—gâ—â—sâ— versionem cui titulus A treatise of the Loue of â—od Written in french by B. FRANCIS DE SALIS Bishop and Prince of Geneva translated into Engliâ—h by Mâ—LES CAR Priest of the English Colledge of Dâ—W y in eaque nihil deprehendesse contra fidem Catholicam aut bonos more 's Datum anno Domini 163â— Sept. 19. GVILIELMVS HYDARVS Professor Philosophiae in Collegio Anglorum Duaceno APPROBATIO Hic liber cui titul is eâ—t de amâ—re Dei Gallico sermone Conscriptus à ReuereÌ„tâ—s D. D. FRANCISCO DE SALES Episcopo Geneuensi fideliter translatus est in Anglicanam linâ—uà m pot R. D. Milonem alias Thomam Caâ— eum vt fiâ—e dignorum testimonio mihi constirit â—ui â—am linguam â—oderunt nec â—abet aliquid fidei Catholicae aut bonis moribus contra iuÌ„ qua propter vtiliter excuderut Actum Duaci die 23 Septembris 1â—30 GEORGIVS COLVENERIVS S. Theol. Doctor Regius ordinariusque Professor Collegiatae Ecclesiae S. Petri Exaepositus Canonicus Acad. Duâ—c Cancell librorum Censor THE TRANSLATOVR TO THE READER THough it be true courtuous Reader that where honour is not aymed at censure is not dreaded yet that I might neither wrong my authour nor come short in any point of ciuile regard to thee I thought good partly to implore thy fauour partly to facilitate thy reading by the ensuing aduertisements Be pleased therefore to know that our Authour being one of the greatest Diuines of his tyme in France speakes now and then in schoole tearmes and formalities which our English will scarcely beare especially in the highest and hardest matters of diuinitie as predestination the Trinitie c. And againe I desired that so worthy an Authour should rather be heard speake in his owne words then in my translation esteeming FAITH not SMOOTHNESSE the grace therof Hence as farre forth as the language would permit I haue rendred his owne words turning BOVNTIE Bountie saie the like of diuers other words which notwithstanding in the rigour of the schoole should often rather haue bene turned GOODNESSE as being the obiect of the diuine Will Hence also AMITIE I haue translated friendship which following the approued custome of the schooles should rather haue bene turned LOVE in the 212. pag. where it signifieth the holy Ghost But the learned Reader will fauorably accomodate them according to the matter and not reproue such words as necessitie or fidelitie made me admit though they haue not yet gotten so free and knowen course in our English tongue If I put for the rest of the faults in sense or words myne owne little skill and lesse experience and for the faults in the print especially comma's which as they are frequent and serue diuers times for parentheses so being omitted or displaced in lieu of clearing they violate or at least trouble the smoothnesse of the periode the Printers totall ignorance in the tongue so that he will put as soone TVB for but as BVT my excuse will be as full and entire as sincere Some of the cheife faults you may find in the end of the Booke the rest your discretion and courtisie will supplie and pardon Adieu SALES an SAL-CS Francisce vocandus Vtrumque Hoc tibi praeslat AVVS hoc tibi praestat AMOR Whence this burning Globe Loue simbole Loue did send it Whence this burning Booke Loue Maister-peece Loue pend it THE FIRST BOOKE CONTAINING A PREPARATION TO THE WHOLE TREATISE THAT FOR THE BEAVTIE of humane nature God gaue the Gouernement of all the faculties of the soule to the will THE FIRST CHAPTER I. VNION established in distinction breeds Order Order produceth Conueniencie or Proportion and from the Conueniencie of things entire and accomplished riseth Beautie An Armie is then saied to be Faire when it is composed of partes so ranged in order that their distinction is reduced to that proportion which they ought to haue together for the making of one onely armie That Musicke be pleasant the voices must not onely be neate cleare and well distinguished but also so combined betwixt them selues that thereof be made a due Sound and Harmonie by meanes of the Vnion which is in Distinction and the DistinctioÌ„ which is in the Vnion of voices which is not vnfitly termed an According Discord or rather a Discording Accord 2. Now as the Angelicall S. THOMAS following
plainly discouered So the diuine loue of this heart or rather this heart of diuine Loue doth continually discouer our hearts clearely and lookes vpon them with the eye of affection yet doe not we discouer him clearely but onely by halfes For Good God if we could see him as he is we should die of Loue for him being we are mortalls as he himselfe died for vs while he was mortall and as he would yet die if he were not immortall O that we could heare this diuine heart how it sings with an infinitly delicious voice songs of praise to the Diuinitie what ioye THEO what force would our hearts make to flie vp to heauen to heare these songs eternally and verily this deare friend of our hearts inuits vs vnto it Vp rise saieth he goe out of thy selfe take thy flight towards me my doue my most faire to this heauenly Mannour where there is nothing but ioye and nothing is heard but praise and benedictions All there is florishing all is sweete and odoriferous The Turtle which is the most dolefull of all birds is heard to sing in that Land Come my entirely deare beloued and that thou maiest see me more clearely come in at the same windowes by which I behold thee Come and consider my heart in the hole of my open side which was made when my bodie as a ruinous building was so ruthfully dight vpon the tree of the Crosse come and shew me thy face I see it now nor dost thou shew it me then I shall see it and thou shal't shew it me for thou shal'st see that I see thee Let me heare thy voice for I will tune it to myne and so thy face shall be faire and thy voice well tuned O what a delight shall it be vnto our hearts when our voices being tuned and accorded to our Sauiours we shall beare a part in the infinitly delicious praises which the beloued SoÌ„ne sings to his eternall Father Of the soueraigne praise which God giues vnto himselfe and how we exercise BENEVOLENCE in it CHAPTER XII 1. All our Sauiours humane actions are of an infinite merite and value by reason of the person which doth produce them which is the same God with the Father and the holy Ghost yet are they not infinite by nature and essence For as being in a Chamber we receiue not light with proportion to the Sonns brightnesse which streames it out but according to the greatnesse of the window by which it is communicated so our Sauiours humane actions are not infinite though indeede they be of infinite value foralbeit they are the actions of a diuine Person yet are they not produced according to the extent of his infinitie but accordiÌ„g to the finite greatnesse of his humanitie by which they are produced So that as the humane actions of our sweete Sauiour are infinite compared to ours so are they onely finite in comparison of the essentiall infinitie of the Diuinitie They are infinite in value estimation and dignitie as proceeding from a person which is God yet are they finite by nature and essence as being produced of God according to his humane nature and substance which is finite and therefore the praises which are giuen by our Sauiour as he is man not being in all respects infinite cannot fully correspoÌ„d to the infinite greatnesse of the Diuinitie to which they are directed 2. Wherefore after the first rauishment of admiration which doth take vs wheÌ„ we meete with a praise so glorious as is that which our Sauiour renders to his Father we leaue not to auowe that the Diuinitie is yet infinitly more praise-worthy theÌ„ it can be praised either by all the creaturs or by the very humanitie of the eternall Sonne 3. If one did praise the Sunne for its light the more he should set a praising it the more he should find it praise-worthy because he should still discouer more and more brightnesse And if as it is very probable it be the beautie of this light which prouoketh the Larke to singe it is not strang that as she flies more loftily she sings more clearely equally raising her voice and her flight till such time as heardly being able so sing any more she begins to fall in voice and bodie stouping by little and little as from her winge so in her voice So THEO as we mount neerer vnto the Diuinitie by Beneuolence to intone and heare the praises thereof we discouer more clearely that his praise is still aboue our notes And finally we learne that it cannot be praised according to the worth saue onely by it selfe which alone can fit its soueraigne goodnesse with a soueraigne praise Herevpon we crie out GLORIE BE VNTO THE FATHER AND THE SONNE AND TO THE HOLY GHOST and that euery one may know that it is not the glorie of created praises which we wish should be giuen to God by this eiaculation but the essentiall and eternall glorie that is in himselfe by himselfe of himselfe and which is himselfe we adde as it was in the begining so now and shall be for euer and euer AMâ—N As though we should wish That God should be glorified for euer with the glorie which he had before all creaturs in his infinit eternitie and eternall infinitie To this purpose we conclud euery Psalme and Canticle with this verse according to the auncient custome of the Easterne Church which the great S. HIEROME supplicated to the Pope Damasus that he would establishe it here in the west to protest that all the praises of men and Angels are too low to reach home to the Diuine Bounties praise and that to be worthily praised he himselfe is to be his owne glorie praise and benediction 4. O God what a Complacence what a ioye shall it be to the soule to haue her desire fulfilled in seeing her Beloued infinitly praise blesse and magnifie himselfe But from this Complacence there springs a new desire of praise for the soule would gladly praise this so worthy a praise giuen to God by himselfe rendring him heartie thankes for it aÌ„d inuoking againe all things to her succour to come and glorifie the glorie of God with her to blesse his infinit blessings and praise his eterternall praises so that by this repetition and redoubling praises vpon praises she engageth her selfe betwixt Complacence and Beneuolence in a most happie Labirinth of loue being wholy drunk vp and drowned in this immense sweetenesse soueraignely praising the Diuinitie in that that it caÌ„not be sufficiently be praised but by it selfe And though in the beginning the soule in loue had conceiued a certaine desire of praising God sufficiently yet reflecting vpon her selfe againe she protests that she would not wish to haue power to praise him sufficiently but remaines in a most humble Complacence to perceiue that the Diuine Goodnesse is so infinitly praise-worthy that it cannot be sufficiently praised saue by its owne infinitie onely 5. And here the soule rauished with admiration sings the song of sacred
of our vnion assisting our weackenesse and ioyning him selfe sensibly vnto vs in so much that we feele him enter and penetrate our hearts with an incomprable delight And sometimes also as he drew vs insensibly to the vnion he continews insensibly to aide and assist vs. And we know not indeede how so great an vnion was made yet know we well that our forces were not able to effect it so that hence we make a cleare iudgment that some secret power workes insensibly in vs. As Marriners loden with iron perceiuing their shipe sale apace with a weake gale doe discouer that they approch to the Adamant rockes which drawes them imperceptibly and see in this sort a a sensible and perceptible aduancement caused by an insensible and imperceptible meanes for so when we see our soule still more and more vnited vnto God as it were by the weake endeauours of our will we doe easily discerne that we haue to soft a gale to saile fast and that it must needes be that the Adamant of our soule drawes vs by the secret influence of his grace which he keepes from our knowledge to th' end it might be more admirable and that without being occupied to discouer his draughts we might with more puritie and simplicitie striue to be vnited to his goodnesse 4. Sometimes this vnion is made so insensibly that our soule neither perceiues the diuine operation in her nor yet her owne cooperation but finds the onely vnion insensibly made to the imitatiō of Iacob who found himselfe married to Lia without thinking of it or rather as another Samson but more happie we finde our selues netted and tied in the bands of holy vnion without hauing euer perceiued it 5. At other times we discerne the pressing the vnion being made by sensible actions as well of Gods side as of ours 6. Sometimes the vnion is made by the will onely and sometimes the vnderstanding hath a part in it because the will doth force it after her and applies it to its obiect making it take a speciall pleasure to be fixed to the cōsideration thereof as we see loue doth endew our corporall eyes with a profound and peculiar attention to staie them in the viewe of what we loue 7. Sometimes this vnion is made by all the faculties of the soule who gather about the will not to be vnited to God themselues not being all capable of it but to assist the will to make her vnion for if euery of the other faculties were applied in particular to their owne obiect the soule working in them could not so wholy giue her selfe to the action by which the vnion with God is made Such is the varietie of vnions 8. See S. MARCIALL for he was as they saie the blessed child mentioned in S. MARKE our Sauiour tooke him lifted him vp and held him for a good space in his armes O pritie little Marciall how happie thou art to be laied hold on taken vp caried vnited ioyned and lock't to the heauenly bosome of a Sauiour and kissed with his sacred mouth without thy cooperation saue onely that thou resisted not the receiuing of those diuine huggings Contrariwise S. SIMEON doth embrace and claspe our Sauiour hard in his bosome our Sauiour giuing no signe of cooperating to this vnion though as the holy Church singeth the oldman bore the child but the child gouerned the oldmā S. BONAVENT touched with a holy humilitie did not onely not vnite hīselfe to our Sauiour but withdrewe himselfe frō his reall presence that is from the holy Sacrament of the Altar when vpon a day hearing Masse our Sauiour came to vnite himselfe vnto him bringing the holy Sacrament vnto him But this vnion being made ah God THEO thinke with what feruour this holy soule closed vp his Sauiour in his heart Cōtrariwise S. CATHARIN of Sienna ardētly desiring our Sauiour in the holy communion pressing and aduancing her soule and affection towards him he came and ioyned himselfe vnto her entring into her mouth with a thousand benedictions So that our Sauiour began the vnion with S. Bonauenture but S. CATHARIN seemed to begin that which she had with our Sauiour The sacred Spouse in the Canticles speakes as though she had practised both the sortes of vnions I am wholy my Beloued's quoth she and his returnes towards me for it is as much as though she had saied I am vnited to my deare friend and he likewise is nere me to th' end that by vniting himselfe more and more vnto me he may become wholly mine my deare friend is to me a posie of Myrrhe he shall remaine betwixt my breastes and I will hold him close to my bosome as a posie of delight My soule saieth Dauid hath stucke to thee ô God and thy right hand hath caught and seised me But in another place she confesseth that she is preuented saying my beloued is wholy mine and I am wholy his we make a holy vnion by which he is ioyned to me and I to him And yet to shew that all the vnion is made by Gods grace which drawes vs vnto it and by its allurements moues our selues and giues life to the motion of our vnion towards him she cries out as being wholy impotent Drawe me yet to testifie that she will not permit herselfe to be drawen as a stone or a slaue but that on her side she will concurre and will mixe her feeble motiōs to her Louers powerfull drought we rūne saieth she in the odours of thy perfumes And to th' end one may knowe that she is strōgly drawen by the will all the powers of the soule will make towards the vnion Drawe me saieth she and we will rūne The Spouse drawes but one and many runns towards the vnion It is the will onely that God aimes at but all the other powers runne after to be vnited to God with her 9. The diuine shepheard of soules prouoked his deare Sunamite to this vnion place me saieth he as a seale vpon thy heart or as a signet vpon thy arme To imprint a signet well vpon waxe one doth not onely ioyne it but euen presse it hard downe so he desireth that we should be vnited vnto him in so strict and close an vnion that we should keepe his markes imprinted vpon vs. 10. The holy loue of our Sauiour doth presse vs ô God what an excellent exemple of vnion He was vnited to our humane nature by grace as a vine to the Elme to make it in some sort participat of his fruite but seeing this vnion ouerthrowen by Adams sinne he made another more close and pressing vnion in the Incarnation wherby humane nature remaines for euer ioyned in personall vnitie to the Diuinitie and to th' end that not humane nature onely but euen euery man might be closely vnited to his Goodnesse he instituted the most holy Sacrament of the Altar in which euery one might participate and vnite his Sauiour to himselfe really and by māner of foode THEO this Sacramentall
Philothie and both of them much different from that which I vsed in the defence of the Crosse know that in nine-teene yeares one learnes and vnlearnes many things that the language of the warrs differs from that of Peace and that a man vseth one manner of speach to young Prentises an other to old iorneymen My purpose is here to speake to soules that are aduanced in deuotion for you must know that we haue in this towne a congregation of young maides and widowes who being retired from the world doe liue vnanimously in God's seruice vnder the protection of his most holy mother and as their pietie and puritie haue often times giuen me great consolations so haue I striuen to returne them the like by a frequent distribution of the holy word which I haue announced vnto them as well in publike sermons as in spirituall conferences yea and that continually in the presence of diuerse Religious men and people of great pietie whence I was often to treate of the most delicate feelings of pietie passing beyond that which I had saied vnto Philothie And I owe a good part of that which now I communicate vnto thee to this blessed assemblie because she that is the mother of them and doth rule knowing that I was writing vpon this subiect and yet that scarcely was I able to accomplish it without Gods very speciall assistance and their continuall sollicitation she tooke a continuall care to praie and make me be praied for to this end and holily coniured me to gather together all the odde ends of leasure which she iudged might be spared here and there from the presse of my incumbrances and to employe them in this And because I beare a great respect to this good soule she had God knowes no little power to animate myne in this occasion I began indeede long agoe to thinke of writing of holy Loue but that thought came farre short of that which this occasion caused to be produced an occasion which I declare vnto you so nakedly and sincerely to the imitation of the Auncients that you may know that I wite onely vpon occasion and that I may find you more fauorable The Pagans held that Phidras neuer represented any thing so perfectly as the DIVINITIE nor Apelles as Alexander One is not alwayes alike happie If I fall short in this Treatise let thy goodnesse flie home and God blesse thy reading To this end I haue dedicated this worke to the Mother of dilection and to the Father of cordiall Loue as I dedicated the Introduction to the Heauenly Child who is the Sauiour of Louers and the Loue of the saued Certes as women while they are strong and able to bring forth their children with ease choose commonly their worldly friends to be their Godfathers But when their feeblenesse and indisposition makes their deliuerie difficile and dangerous they inuoke the Saints of Heauen and vow to make their children be christned by some poore bodie or by some deuote person in the name of S. IOSEPH S. FRANCIS OF ASSICIA S. FRANCIS OF PAVLA S. NICHOLAS or to some other of the Blessed who may obtaine of God their safe deliuerie and that the child may be borne aliue So I while I was not yet Bishope hauing more leasure and lesse apprehension to write I dedicated my little works to Princes of the earth but now being ouercharged with my charge and hauing a thousand impediments I consecrate all to the Princes of Heauen to th' end they may obtaine for me the ligâ—t which is requisite and that if so it may pleaâ— the Diuine will these my writings may haue a birth profitable and fruitfull Thus my deare Reader I beseech God to blesse thee and to enrich thee with his loue Meane while from my very heart I submit all my writings my words and actions to the correction of the most holy Catholike Apostolike and Romaine Church knowing that she is the Pillar and soliditie of truth wherein she caÌ„ neither be deceiued nor deceiue vs and that none caÌ„ haue God for his Father who will not haue this Church for his Mother ANNESSâ— the day of the most louing Apostles S. PETER and S. PAVLE 1616. Blessed be God THE TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS CONTAINED IN this Treatise The first number shewes the Chapter The second the Page THE TABLE OF THE FIRâ—T BOOKE CONTAâ—NING A PREparatioâ— to the whole Treatise THat for thâ— beautie of humane nature God gaue the â—â—uernment of all the faculties of the soule 〈◊〉 the will Chap. 1. pag. 1. How the wâ—â— diuersly gouernes the powers of the soule Chap. 2. pag. 4. How the will gouerns the â—suall appetite Cha. 3. pag. 7. That loue rules ouer all iâ— affections and passions yea gouerns the will albeâ—â— the will hath also a dominion ouer it Chap. 4. pag. 12. Of the affections of the will Chap. 5. pag. 15 How the Loue of God doth rule ouer other Loues Chap. 6. pag. 19 A description of Loue in generall chap 7. pag. 22 VVhat that coÌ„ueniencie is which doth excite loue ch 8. 28 That loue tends to vnion chap. 9. pag. 32 That the vnion which loue pretends is spirituall chap. 10. pag. 35. That there are two portions in the soule and how chap. 11. pag. 44. That in these 2 portions of the soule there are found 4. different degrees of reason chap. 12. pag. 49 The difference of loues chap. 13. pag. 53 That charitie ought to be named loue chap. 14. p. 55 Of the conueniencie betwixt God and man ch 15. p. 57 That we haue a naturall inclination to loue God aboue all things chap. 16. 61 That we haue not naturally the power to loue God aboue all things chap. 17. 64 That the naturall inclination which we haue to loue God is not without profit chap. 18. 67 THE TABLE OF THE Second Booke THE HISTORIE OF THE GENEration or heauenly birth of Diuine Loue. THat the diuine perfections are but one onely yet an infinite perfection chap. 1. pag 71 Touching the diuine prouidence in generall chap. 3. p. 79 Of the supernaturall prouidence which God vseth towards reasonable creaturs chap. 4. pag. 85 That the heauenly prouidence hath prouided man of a most abundant Redemption cha 5. 90 Of certaine speciall fauours exercised by the diuine prouidence in the Redemption of man chap. 6. 93 How admirable the diuine prouidence is in the diuersitie of graces giuen to men chap. 7. 97 How much God desires we should loue him chap. 8. 100 How the eternall loue of God doth preuent our hearts with his inspirations to th' end we might loue him chap. 9. pag. 104 How we often times repulse the inspiration and refuse to loue chap. 10. 108 That the diuine bountie's will is that we should haue a most excellent loue chap. 11. 112 That diuine inspirations leaue vs in our libertie to follow or repulse them chap. 12. 116 Of the first feelings of Loue which diuine inspirations cause in the soule before she yet receiue
her Manna of delight but Charitie doth conduct vs thither as an Arke of Alliance making way through Iordain that is to Iudgment and shall remaine amidst the people in the heauenlie Land promissed to the true ISRAELITS where neither the Pillar of Faith doth serue as guide nor the MANNA of Hope is vsefull for foode 5. Diuine Loue doth make his abode in the most high and eminent region of the Soule where he doth offer Sacrifice and Holocausts to the Diuinitie as ABRAHAM did and as our Sauiour sacrificed himselfe vpon the tope of CALVARIE to th' end that from so eminent a place he might be heard and obayed of his people that is of all the Faculties and Affections of the Soule which he gouernes with an incomparable sweetnesse For Loue hath none pressed or flaues but brings all things vnder his power with a force so delightfull that as nothing is so forcible as Loue so nothing is so amiable as his Force 6. Vertues are seated in the soule to moderate her motions and Charitie as prime of all the Vertues gouerns ad tempers them all not onely because the first in euery Species of things is as a rule and measure to the rest but also for that God hauing created man to his similitude and liknesse will that as in himselfe so in man all things be ordered for and by Loue. A description of Loue in generall CHAPTER VII 1. THe wil hath so great a sympathie with Good that as soone as she perceiues it she turnes towards it to please her selfe therin as in her desired obiect to which she hath so neerely allyed her selfe that one cannot euen declare her Nature but by the reference she hath to it like as one cannot shew the nature of Good otherwise then by the Affinitie it hath with the will For tell me THEOTIME what other thing is Good then that which euery one doth will And what is the will if not the facultie which beares vs forward and makes vs tend to Good or that which the will esteemes such 2. The will then perceiuing and feeling Good by the help of the Vnderstanding proposing it feeles at the same time a suddaine delight and complacence vpon it which doth sweetly yet powerfully moue and incline her towards this amiable obiect with intention to be vnited thervnto and moues her to search the meanes most proper to attaine this Vnion 3. The will then hath a strict affinitie with Good this affinitie doth produce the complacence which the will doth taste in feeling and perceiuing Good this complacence doth moue and prick forward the will to Good this motion tends to Vnion and and in fine the will put in motion and tending to Good doth search all meanes requisite to atchiue it 4. And truely generally speaking Loue compriseth all this together as a faire Tree whose Roote is the Sympathie which the will hath to Good the Bole is the Complacence her Motion the tope the INQVESTS PVRSVITS and other Endeauours are her Branches but Vnion and Fruition are her Fruits So loue seemes to be composed of these fiue principale parts vnder which a number of other little peeces are contained as we shall find in the processe of this worke 5. Let 's consider I praye you the exercise of an insensible Loue betwixt the ADAMANT and IRON being a true representation of sensible and voluntarie Loue of which we speake IRON then hath such a Sympathie with the ADAMANT that as soone as it is touched with the vertue therof it turnes towards it this done sodainely it begins to stirre and quiuer with a little hopping testifying in that the Complacence it takes and thervpon it doth aduance and beare it selfe towards the ADAMANT striuing by all meanes possible to be vnited vnto it And doe you not see all the parts of a liuely Loue represented in this lifelesse stone 6. But to conclud THEOTIME the Complacence and Motion or Effusion of the will vpon the thing beloued is properly speaking Loue yet so as that the Complacence is but the beginning of Loue and the Motion or Effusion of the heart which ensues is the true essentiall Loue so that th' one and th' other may truly be named Loue but in a diuerse manner for as the breake of day may be termed day so this first Complacence of the heart in the thing beloued may be called Loue because it is the first impression of loue But as the true Heart of the day begins onely from day-breake to the sonne setting so the true essence of Loue doth consiste in the motion and current of the heart flowing immediately from Complacence and ending it's course in Vnion To be short Complacence is the first stirring or motion which Good causeth in the will and this motion is followed by a liquefaction or effusion wherby the soule doth runne and approache towards the thing beloued which is the true and proper Loue. Let 's saie thus Good doth touch sease vpon and engaige the heart by Complacence but by Loue it doth draw conduct and conueigh it to it selfe by Complacence it makes the heart vndertake the iourney but by Loue doth accomplish it Complacence is the awaker of the heart but Loue the operation Complacence giues the Alarum but Loue causeth the March The heart displayes his winges by Complacēce but Loue is it's Flight Loue then to speake distinctly and precisely is no other thing then the motion course and aduancement of the heart towards the thing beloued 7. Many great personages haue bene of opiniō that Loue was no other thing then Complacence it selfe in which they followed a faire semblance of reason For not onely the motion of Loue takes her origine from the Complacence which the heart feeles at the first approach of Good and ends in a second Complacence begotten in the heart by Vnion with the beloued but further it keeps companie with that Complacence not being able to subsist without her who is his Mother and Nource so that as soone as the Complacence ceaseth Loue ceaseth And as the Bee is bred in the honie feed of honie flyeth not abrode but for honie so Loue is borne of Complacence maintained by Complacence and tends to Complacence The poyse of things doth sway moue and staie them t' is the waight of the stone that doth stirre and moue it to discent it is the same waight that makes it continew motion after the externall impression be ended and finally it is the same waight that makes it stop and staie as soone as it hath attained it's Center such is the nature of the Complacence which moues the will she it is that moues and she that makes the will repose in the Vnion of the thing beloued This motion of Loue then hauing her birth conseruation and perfection dependantly of Complacence and being alwayes inseparably adioyned vnto her it is no maruell that these braue wits esteemed Loue and Complacence the same thing though indeede Loue being a true Passion of the mind
and pressing things to an Vnitie S. GREGORIE of NAZIANZEN and S. AVGVSTINE saieth that their friends and they had but one soule and ARISTOTLE approuing euen in his time this manner of speach when saieth he we would expresse how much we loue our friends we saie his and my soule is but one Hatred doth separate vs and Loue doth assemble vs. The end then of loue is no other thing then the vnion of the louer and the beloued That the vnion which loue pretends is spirituall CHATPER X. 1. VVE are neuerthelesse to vnderstand that there are naturall Vnions as those of Similitude Consanguinitie and the Cause with the effect and others which not being naturall may be termed voluntarie for though they be according to nature yet are they not made but by our will as those which rise from benefits and doe vndoubtedly vnite him that receiues them to the giuer those of Companie Conuersation and the like Now Naturall vnion produceth Loue and that Loue being produced inclines vs to another Voluntarie vnion perfecting the naturall so the Father and the Sonne the Mother and Daughter or two Brothers being ioyned in an Naturall vnion by the participation of the same blood are excited by this Vnion to Loue and by that Loue are carried to the Vnion of the will and the minde which may be called Voluntarie because allbeit her foundation is naturall yet is her action deliberate and in these Loues produced by Naturall vnion we must looke for no other correspondence then Vnion it selfe by which nature preuenting the will doth oblige her to approoue loue and perfect the Vnion which she hath already made But for Voluntarie vnions they being after Loue in Effect yet are his Cause as being his onely end and pretention so that as Loue tends to Vnion so Vnion againe doth extend and augment Loue for Loue begets a desire of conuersation and conuersatiō doth nourish and encrease Loue Loue causeth a desire of nuptiall vnion and this Vnion doth reciprocally conserue and dilate Loue so that in euery sense it is true that loue tends to vnion 2. But to what kind of Vnion doth it tend Did you not note THEOTIME that the sacred Spouse did expresse her desire of being vnited to her Spouse by a kisse and that a kisse doth represent the spirituall vnion which is caused by the reciprocall communication of hearts true it is that man loueth but by his will and therefore the end of his Loue is of the nature of his will but his will is spirituall and consequently the vnion which Loue pretends is also spirituall and so much the rather for that the heart seate and source of Loue should not onely not be perfected by vnion with corporall things but euen become more vile 3. It will not hence be inferred that there are not certaine passions in man which as Gumme or Missel to vpon trees by manner of excrement and ouergroth sproute vp amongst and about Loue which notwithstanding are neither Loue nor any part therof but excrements and superfluities of the same which are so farre from an aptitude to maintaine or accomplish Loue that it doth endamage and weaken it and in time if they be not weeded away doe vtterly ruinate it See the reason hereof 4. According to the multitude of operatiōs be they of the same or of a diuerse Nature to which the soule doth applie her selfe she performs them lesse perfectly and vigorously because she being finite her actiue vertue is also finite so that furnishing her actiuitie to diuerse operations it is necessarie that each one of thē haue lesse therof so that one attētiue to diuerse things is lesse intēce in euery of them It is not possible that one should at the same time exactly discerne the feature of the face by the eyes and by the eare distinguish the harmonie of an excellent musique nor at the same instant be attentiue to figure and colour If our affection be to talke our attention is for no other thing 5. Yet am I not ignorant what is saied of CESAR nor incredulous of that which so many great personages assures vs of ORIGIN that they could apply their attentions at the same time to diuerse obiects Yet euery one doth confesse that according to the measure in which they were applyed to many they were lesse in euery one of the same there is then a difference betwixt to see heare and vnderstand much and to see heare and vnderstand better For he that seeth better seeth lesse and he that seeth more seeth not so well t' is rare that he who knowes much knowes that well which he knoweth because the vertue and force of the vnderstanding being scatered vpon the knowledge of diuerse things is lesse stronge and vigourous then when it is restrained to the consideration of one onely obiect Hence it is that when the soule imploies her forces in diuerse operations of Loue The actiō so diuided is lesse vigorous We haue three sorts of actions of Loue the spirituall reasonable and Sensitiue when Loue lets runne his forces through all these three operations doubtlesse it is more Extense but lesse Intense but when it runnes through one operation onely it is more Intense though lesse Extense Doe we not see that fire the Symbole of loue forced to make way by the onely mouth of the Cannon makes a prodigious flashe which had bene much lesse if it had found vent by two or three passages sythence then that Loue is an acte of our will he that desires to haue it not onely noble and generous but also very vigorous and actiue must containe the vertue and force of it within the limits of spirituall operations for he that would applie it to the Sensitiue operatiōs of the soule should so farre fourth weaken the Intellectuall in which essentiall loue consisteth 6. The auncient PHILOSOPHERS attained to the knowledge of two Extases the one wherof did place our selues aboue our selues the other deiected vs and set vs below our selues as though they would haue saied that man was of a Nature betwixt Angels and Beasts in his intellectuall part participating the Angelicall Nature and in his sensitiue the Nature of Beasts and yet that he could by good moderation of life and a continuall care had of himselfe deliuer and infrancise himselfe of this meane condition so that applying and exercising himselfe frequently in Intellectuall actions he might bring himselfe nearer to the nature of Angels then Beasts but if he did much applie himselfe to Sensible actions he made a discent from his midle condition to that of beasts And because an Extasie is no other thing then a going out of ones selfe whether one goe vpwards or downewards he is truely in an Extasie Those then that touched with intellectuall and diuine pleasures doe permit their heart to be rauished with those touches are truly out of them selues that is aboue the condition of their Nature but by a blessed and wishfull departure by which entering
into a more noble and eminent estate they are as much Angels by the operation of their soule as men by the substance of their Nature and are either to be instiled Humane Angels or Angelicall men On the contrarie side those that enticed with sensuall pleasurs giue them selues ouer to the enioying of them descend from their middle condition to the lowest of brute Beasts and merit as well to be called Brutall by their operations as men by Nature vnhappie to be out of themselues for no better end then to enter into a condition infinitly vnworthy of their naturall estate and calling 7. Now according as the Extasie is more great either aboue or below vs by so much it doth more hinder the soule to returne to her selfe and produce contrarie operations to the Extasie in which she is so those Angelicall men which are rauished in God and heauenly things during their Extasie doe quite loose the vse of the attention of sense motion and all exteriour actions because their soule to th' end she may applie her vertue and actiuitie more entirely and attentiuely to that diuine obiect doth retire and withdraw it from all her other faculties wholy to deturne them from thence And in like manner brutish men rauished by sensuall pleasure especially by that of sense in generall doe wholy loose the vse of reason and vnderstanding because their miserable soules to haue a more entire and attentiue gust of their brutall obiect doe diuert themselues from spirituall operations to giue themselues with more vigour to brutall and bestiall ones mystically imitating herein the one HELIAS taken vp in the fierie Chariot to the Cōpanie of Angels th' other NABVCHODONOSOR debased to the ranke of brute beasts 8. Hence then I saie that when the Soule practiseth Loue by actions of sense so that she is carried below her selfe it is impossible that therby the exercise of her Superiour loue should not be so much the more weakned In such sort that true and Essentiall loue is so farre from being ayeded and conserued by the vnion to which Sensuall loue tends that it is impared dissipated and perisheth therby IACOBS Oxen plowed the ground as long as the idle Asses fed by them eating the pasture dew to the labouring Oxen. As long as the Intellectuall part of our soule is employed in honest vertuous loue vpon any obiect worthy therof it comes to passe often times that the senses and faculties of the inferiour part tend to their proper vnion and graise thervpon though Vnion be onely due vnto the Heart and Soule which alone is able to produce true and Substantiall Loue. 9. HELISEVS hauing cured NAMAN the SYRIAN pleasing himselfe in the obligation he had put vpon him refused the gold money and other moueables which were offered him But his trustlesse seruant IESSE running after him demanded and tooke against his Maister pleasure that which he had refused Intellectuall ād cordiall loue which either is or should be the Maister of our Heart doth refuse all sorts of corporall and Sensible Vnions and is contented with good-will onely but the powers of the Sensitiue part which are or should be the Hand-maids of the Spirit doe demande seeke after and take that which reason refused and without her leaue doth make after their abiect seruile and dishonorable loues as another IESSE violating the puritie of their Maisters intention to wit the Spirit And in what proportion the Soule doth conuert her selfe to such grosse Vnions in the same she doth diuert her selfe from the delicate Intellectuall and cordiall vnion 10. You see then planely THEOTIME that these Vnions which tend to Sensible Complacence and passions are so farre from producing or conseruing Loue that they doe greatly hurt and render it extreamely weake So when the incestuous AMMON who languished and died as it were in the Loue of THAMAR had once arriued at these Sēsuall and Brutall Vnions his heart was so robbed of Cordiall loue that neuer after he could endure to see her but with indignitie pushed her out violating no lesse cruelly the Right of loue then he had impudently stained that of blood 11. Basill Rosmarie Marigouls Isope Cloues Camimell Nutmeygs Lemmans and Muske put together and incorporated doe yeeld a truly delightfull odour by the mixture of their good smells yet not nigh that of the water which is thence distilled in which the sweetes of all these Ingredients squised from their bodies are mixed in a more excellent manner meeting to the making vp of a most perfect odour which doth penetrate the sense of smelling farre more liuely then it would if together with the waters the bodies of the Ingredients were found mingled and vnited So loue may be found in the Vnions of sensuall powers mixed with the Vnions of intellectuall powers but neuer so excellently as then when the sole Heart and Courage abstracted from all corporall affections vnited together doe purifie and Spiritualize Loue. For the sent of affections by such mixture is not onely sweeter and better but more liuely actiue and solide 12. True it is that many hauing rustike earthy and vile hearts doe put a rate vpon Loues as vpon pieces of gold where the most massiue and weightie are the best and most currant for so their opinion goes that Brutish loue is more strong because it is more violent and turbulent more solide because more grosse and terreane greater because more sensible and rough but contrariwise Loue is as fire which by how much more it's matter is delicate by so much the flames are more cleare and faire which cannot be better extinguihed then by depressing them and couering them with earth for in like manner by how much more abstract and spirituall the subiect of loue is by so much his actions are more liuely subsistent and permanent nor is there a more easie way to ruinate it then by prostituting it to vile and terreane actiōs The difference as S. GREGORIE saieth betwixt spirituall and corporall pleasurs is that corporall ones beget a desire before we obtaine them and being obtained a disgust but spirituall ones contrariwise bring disgust before we haue them and being had pleasure so that brutall loue which thinkes by the Vnion which he maketh with the Beloued to perfect and crowne his desires finding that to the contrarie he destroieth them in ending them is left in disgust of such Vnion Which moued the great Philosopher to saie that almost euery beast after the enioying of his most ardent and pressing corporall pleasure remaines sad mournefull and astonished as a Marchant who hauing fed him selfe with hope of great gaines doth finde his hopes frustrated and his barke engaiged in a rude Hauen whereas Intellectuall loue finding in the Vnion made with her obiect contentment passing his hopes accomplishing in the surplus his complacence he continewes it in vniting himselfe and continually doth further vnite himselfe in continuing it That there are two portions in the soule and how CHAPTER XII 1. VVE haue but
similitude there is an incomparable correspondence betwixt God and man by reason of their reciprocall perfection not that God can receiue any perfection from man but because as man cannot be perfected but by the diuine Bountie so the diuine Bountie can scarcely so well exercise it's perfection out of it selfe as vpon our humanitie th' one hath great want and capicitie to receiue good th' other great abundance and inclination to bestow it nothing is so agreeable to pouertie as a liberall abundance nor to a liberall abundance as a needie pouertie and by how much the good is more abundant by so much more strong is the inclination to poure fourth and communicate it selfe By how much more the poore man is in want by so much greater is his appetite to receiue as an emptie thing to fill it selfe The concurrence then of abundance and pouertie is most sweete and agreeable nor could one almost haue discerned whether the abounding good hath a greater contentment in opening and communicating it selfe or the needie and indigent good in receiuing and drawing to it selfe if our Sauiour had not saied that there is a greater felicitie in giuing then in receiuing but where there is more felicitie there is more satisfactiō and therefore the diuine bountie receiues greater pleasure in giuing then we in receiuing 5. Mothers haue sometimes their breasts so fruitfull and abundant that they cannot containe but giue them some child to sucke and though the child draw the pappe with great ardour yet doth the Mother giue it more ardently the sucking child pressed by it's necessitie and the nourishing Mother pressed with her fecunditie 6. The sacred Spouse wished for the holy kisse of vnion ô saieth she let him deigne me a kisse of his mouth But is there Sympathie enough ô thou Beloued of the Beloued betwixt thee and thy heauēly Spouse to come to the vnion which thou desirest I quoth she giue me this kisse of vnion ô thou deare friend of my heart for thy dugges are better then wine though perfumed with excellent odours New wine works and boyles in it selfe by vertue of it's goodnesse and cannot be contained within the peece and thy dugges are yet better they presse thy breast with continuall shuttings pouring out their superabundant milke as wishing to be discharged of it and to draw the children of thy heart to sucke them they poure out a more powerfully drawing odour then all the odours of perfums so that THEOTIME we stand in neede of Gods abundance being poore and needie but Gods abundance hath no neede of our pouertie but by reason of the excellencie of his perfection and bountie Bountie which is not at all bettered by communication For it doth acquire nothing in pouring it selfe out of it selfe but contrariwise giues but our pouertie would remaine abiect and miserable if it were not enriched by the diuine abundance 7. Our soule then seeing that nothing can perfectly content her and that nothing the world can afforde is able to fill her capacitie considering that her vnderstanding hath an infinite inclination still to know more and her will an vnwearied appetite to search and loue good hath she not reason to crie out Ah I am not then made for this world There is a soueraigne good on which I depend an infinite workman who hath impressed in me this endlesse desire of knowing and this insatiable appetite and therfore I must tend and extend my selfe towards him to vnite and ioyne my selfe to his bountie to whom I appertaine and am Such is the sympathie betwixt God and mans soule That we haue a naturall inclination to loue God aboue all things CHAPTER XVI 1. IF there were any of that integritie ād originall iustice in which ADAM was created though otherwise not helped by any other assistance then that which he affordeth to all Creaturs in common to produce actions befitting their naturs they should not onely haue an inclination to loue God aboue all things but euen naturally they could put in execution that so iust an inclination for as this heauenly authour and Nature-maister doth cooperate and lend his strong hand to the fiers ascent to the waters course towards the sea to the earth's discent vnto the Center and it's abode there So hauing with his owne finger planted in mans heart a speciall naturall inclination not onely to loue good in generall but in particular and aboue all things to loue his diuine goodnesse which is better and more amiable then all things together The sweetnesse of his soueraigne prouidence required that he should cōtribute to the happie men of whom we speake as much helpe as should be necessarie to practise ād effect that inclinatiō And of one side this helpe should be naturall as being agreeable to nature and tending to the loue of God as he is authour and soueraigne Maister of nature and on th' other side it should be supernaturall because it would correspond not with mans pure nature but with nature adorned enriched and honoured by originall iustice which is a supernaturall qualitie proceeding from Gods speciall fauour But as touching loue aboue all things which should be exercised according to this helpe it should be called naturall because vertuous actions take their names from their obiects and motiues and this loue wherof we speake should tend onely to God as acknowledged to be Authour Lord ad soueraigne of euery creature by a naturall light onely and consequently to be amiable and estimable aboue all things by naturall propension and inclination 2. And although now our humane nature be not endewed with that health and originall Iustice which the first man had in his Creation and that contrariwise we are greatly depraued by sinne yet notwithstanding the holy inclination of of louing God aboue all things staies with vs as also the naturall light by which we see his soueraigne goodnesse more amiable then all other things and it is impossible that one thinking attentiuely vpon God yea euen by naturall discourse onely should not feele a certaine touch of loue which the secret inclination of our nature doth excite in the bottome of our hearts by which at the prime apprehēsion of this prime and soueraigne obiect the will is preuented and perceiues her selfe stirred vp to a complacence in him 3. It happens often amongst PARTRIDGES that one steals away an others egges with intention to sit them whether moued by a greedinesse to become Mothers or a stupiditie which makes them mistake their owne And behould a strang thing yet not without good testimonie the young one which was hatched and nourished vnder the winges of a strāger Partridge at her true Mothers first call who had laied the egge whence she was hatched quits the pilching Partridge renders her selfe to her first Mother and puts her selfe into her Couie by the correspondance which she hath with her first origine a correspondance notwithstanding which appeared not but remained secret shut vp and as it were put a sleepe in
his order rancke place distance and proportion And one not acquainted with the secret would be astonished to see proceede from one Act so great varietie of effects So THEOTIME Nature as a Painter multiplies and diuersifies her Acts according as the workes she hath in hand are diuerse and she takes great time to finish great effects But God as the Stamper gaue being to all the diuersitie of Creaturs which haue bene are or shall be by one onely touch of his omnipotent will drawing from his Idea as from a well grauen stampe this admirable difference of persons and other things which succeede in seasons ages and times in their due order and being this Soueraigne vnitie of the diuine Act being opposed to Confusion and Disorder not to Distinction and Varietie which it implies in the composition of beautie reducing all Differences and Diuersities to Proportion Proportion to Order and Order to the Vnitie of the world which compriseth all things created visible and inuisible all which together are called the Vniuerse peraduenture because their Diuersitie is reduced to Vnitie as though one would saie One-diuerse that is One and Diuerse Vnitie with Diuersitie or Diuersitie with Vnitie 6. In somme the soueraigne diuine Vnitie doth diuersifie and his permanent Eternitie giues change to all things because the perfection of this vnitie being aboue all difference and varietie it is able to furnish all the diuersities of created perfections with their being and contains a vertue to produce them In signe of which the Scripture relats that God in the beginning saied let the lights be made in the firmament of heauē and let them separate daie from night and let them be signes for times daies and yeares further we see euen to this daie a perpetuall reuolution of times and seasons which shall continew till the end of the world to teach vs that as One word of his commanding will Doth all the world with motion fill So the onely eternall will of his diuine Maiestie extends his force from age to age yea to the ages of ages to all that hath bene is or shall be eternally nothing at all hauing any beeing but by this sole most simple and most eternall diuine Act to which be honour and glorie Amen Touching the diuine prouidence in generall CHAPTER III. 1. GOd then THEOTIME needes no diuersitie of Acts syth that one onely diuine Act of his All puissant will by reason of it's infinite perfection is sufficient to produce all the varietie of workes But we mortalls must treate of them in such an intelligible methode and manner as our small capacities may attaine vnto Following which in treating of the Diuine prouidence let vs consider I praie you the raigne of the great SALOMON as a perfect modell of the art of good gouernment 2. This great king then knowing by diuine inspiration that the Weale-publicke dependeth vpon Religion as the Bodie vpon the Soule and Religion vpon the Weale-publicke as the Soule vpon the Bodie he disposed in his minde of all the parts requisite as well for the establishment of Religion as that of the Common-wealth and touching Religion he determined that a Temple was to be erected of such and such a length breadth and hight so many Porches and Portalls so many windowes and so fourth concerning the rest which belonged to the Temple Then so many Sacryficers so many Singers and other officers of the Temple And as for the Common wealth he ordained to make a Royall Palace and a Court for his Maiestie in it so many Stewards so many Gentlemen and other Courtiers And for the people Iudges and other Magistrats who were to execute Iustice further for the assurance of his kingdome and establishment of the wealpublicks repose wherof himselfe was partaker he appointed in time of peace a powrefull Preparation for warre and to this effect two hundred and fiftie Commanders in diuerse charges fortie thousand horse and all that great furniture which the Scripture and Historians doe testifie 3. Now hauing thus made his count and disposed in himselfe of all the principall things requisite for his Kingdome he came to the Act of Prouidence and passed in his cogitation all things necessarie for the structure of the Temple to maintaine the sacred Officers Ministers Royall Magistrats and men of armes which he had proiected he resolued to send to HIERAM for fit timber to begin commerce with PERV and OPHIR and to take all conuenient meanes to procure all things requisite for the entertainement and good conduct of his enterprise Neither staied he there THEOTIME for hauing made his proiect and deliberated in himselfe about the proper meanes to accomplish it comming to the practise he created officers according to his determination and by a good gouernment caused prouision to be made of all things requisite to comply with and execute their charges so that hauing the knowledge of the art of well gouerning he executed that disposition which he had passed in his mind touching the creation of Officers of euery sort and effected his Prouidence by the good gouernment which he vsed and so his art of good gouernment which consisted in disposition prouidence or foresight was practised in the creation of Officers Gouernment and good carriage of things But for so much as that dispositiō was frutelesse without the Creation of Officers and Creation also vaine without Prouidence which lookes for necessaries for the conseruation of Officers created or erected and in fine that this Conseruation effected by good gouernment is no other thing then Prouidence put in execution and therfore not onely the Disposition but also the Creation and good gouernment of SALOMON were called by the name PROVIDENCE nor doe we indeede saie that a man is prouident vnlesse he gouerne well 4. Now THEOTIME speaking of heauenly things according to the impression made in vs by the consideration of humane things we affirme that God hauing had an eternall and most perfect knowledge of the Art of making the world for his glorie First in his diuine Vnderstanding he disposed all the principall parts of the Vniuerse which might render him honour to wit Angelicall and Humane Nature and in the Angelicall Nature the varietie of Hierarchies and Orders taught vs by the sacred Scripture and holy Doctours as also amongst Men he ordained that there should be so great diuersitie as we see Further in this same Eternitie he made accompt in himselfe and foresaw all the meanes requisite for Men and Angels to come to the end for which he had ordained them and so made the Act of his prouidence and without staying there to effect his Disposition he Actually created Angels and men and to effect his Prouidēce he did and doth furnish reasonable Creatures with all things necessarie to attaine Glorie So that to speake in a word the Soueraigne prouidence is no other thing then the Act wherby God doth furnish mē or Angels with the meanes necessarie or profitable to the obtaining of their end
Ordinarie generation by man and woman finally by Extraordinarie generation of a woman without man he determined that the worke should be effected by the last way and of all the women he might haue choisen to this end he made choice of the most holy virgin our Lady by meanes wherof the Sauiour of our soules should not onely be Man but euen a Child of mankind 4. Furthermore the Sacred prouidence determined to produce all the other things as well naturall as supernaturall in behalfe of our Sauiour to th' end that men and Angels in seruing him might participate his glorie in sequall wherof though God would create as well men as Angels endewed with Freewill and possessed of Libertie to elect good or euill yet neuerthelesse to testifie that of his part they were dedicated to glorie he created them all in Originall Iustice which is no other thing then A most sweete loue disposing conuerting and weighing them to eternall felicitie 5. But because this Supreame Wisdome had deliberated to temper this Originall Loue in such sort with the will of his Creaturs that Loue should not force the will but should leaue her in her freedome he foresaw that a part yet the lesse of the Angelicall nature voluntarily quitting the diuine loue should consequently loose their Glorie And for that the Angelicall nature could not offend herein but by an expresse malice without temptation or motiue whatsoeuer which might pleade their excuse and that on the other side the farre greater part of that same nature remained constant in the seruice of theire Sauiour God who had so amply glorified his Mercy in the worke of the Creation of Angels would also magnifie his Iustice and for his indignations sake resolued for euer to abandon that woefull and accursed troope of Traitours who in the furie of their Rebellion had so villanously abandoned him 6. He also foresaw well that the first man would abuse his libertie and forsaking Grace would loose Glorie yet would he not treate humane nature so rigorously as he deliberated to treate the angelicall T' was humane nature wherof he had determined to take a blessed peace to vnite it to his Deitie He saw that it was a feeble nature a winde which passeth and returns not that is which is dissipated in passing He considered the surprise which Satan made against the first man and weighed the gteatnesse of the temptation which animated him He saw that all the race of men perished by the fault of one onely so that moued by these reasons he beheld our nature with the eye of Pitie and resolued to take it to his Mercy 7. But to th' end that the sweetnesse of his Mercy might be adorned with the beautie of his Iustice he deliberated to saue man by way of a rigorous Redemption which being it could not well be effected but by his Sonne he concluded that he should redeeme man not onely by the price of one of his amourous actions though more then most sufficient to ransome a thousand millions of worlds but euen by all the innumerable amourous actions and dolourous passions which he should doe or suffer till death and death of the crosse to which he determined him that so he might be made a companion of our Miseries to make vs afterwards companions of his Glorie showing therby the riches of his Bountie in this copious abundant superabundant magnificent and excessiue Redemption which regained and restored vs all necessaries to attaine Glorie so that no man can euer plaine as though the Diuine mercy were deficient to any That the heauenly prouidence hath prouided man of a most abundant redemption CHAPTER V. 1. NOw THEOTIME affirming that God had seene and willed first one thing and then secondly another obseruing an order in his wills I intended it according to my declaration made before to wit that though all this passed in a most sole and most simple Act yet in that Act the order distinctiō and dependence of things were no lesse obserued thē in case there had bene indeede many Acts in the Vnderstanding and will of God And sith that euery well ordered will determined to will diuerse obiects equally present doth loue better and aboue all the rest that which is most amiable it followeth that the Soueraigne Prouidence making his eternall purpose and designe of all which he would produce he first willed and Loued by a preference of Excellencie the most amiable obiect of his Loue which is our Sauiour and then the other Creaturs by degrees according as they more or lesse belonge to his seruice honour and glorie 2. Thus was all things made for that Deified Mā who for this cause is called THE FIRST BEGOTTEN OF ALL CREATVRS possessed by the diuine Maiestie in the beginning of his wayes before he made any thing created in the beginning before ages For in him all things are made he is before all and all things are established in him and he is the head of all the Church hauing the Primacie in and through all things The principall reason of planting the vine is the fruite and therfore the fruite is the first thing desired and aimed at though the leaues and the buds are first produced So our great Sauiour was the first in the Diuine Intention and in the Eternall Proiect which the Diuine Prouidence made of the production of Creaturs and in contemplation of this desired fruite the Vine of the world was planted and the succession of many generations established which as leaues or blossoms doe preceede it as forerunners and fit preparatiues for the production of that Grape which the sacred Spouse doth so much praise in the Canticles and the iuyce of which doth reioyce God and Man 3. But now my THEOTIME who can doubt of the abundance of meanes to saluation hauing so great a Sauiour in consideration of whom we were made and by the merits of whom we were ransomed For he dyed for all because all were dead and his Mercy was more Soueraigne to buie the Race of mortalls then Adams Miserie was Venimous to loose it And so farre was ADAMS fault from surmounting the Diuine Benignitie that contrariwise it was therby excited and prouoked So that by a most sweete and most louing ANTIPERISTASIS and contention it receiued vigour fuom it's aduersaries presence and as recollecting it's forces to vanquish it caused grace to superabound where iniquitie had abounded Whence the holy Church by a pious excesse of admiration cryes out vpon EASTER EVE O Sinne of ADAM truly necessarie which was cancelled by the death of IESVS-CHRIST ô Blessed fault which merited to haue such and so great a Redemour Certes THEOTIME we may saie as did that Auncient we were lost if we had not bene lost that is our losse brought vs profit sythens in effect humane nature hath receiued more graces by the redemdemption of her Sauiour then euer she should haue receiued by Adam's innocencie if he had perseuered therin 4. For though the Diuine Prouidence
hath left in man deepe markes of his anger yea euen a middest the graces of his Mercy as for example the necessitie of death sicknesse labours the rebellion of the sensualitie yet the Diuine Assistance hauing the vpper hand of all these takes pleasure to conuert these miseries to the greatest aduantage of such as loue him making Patience rise out of their trauailes the Contempt of the world out of the necessitie of death a thousand victories ouer Concupiscence and as the Rainebowe touching the Thorne ASPALATHVS makes it more odoriferous then the Lillie so our Sauiours Redemption touching our miseries makes them more profitable and amiable then Originall Iustice could euer haue bene The Angels in heauen saieth our Sauiour doe more ioy in one penitent sinner them in nintie nine iust and so the State of Redemption is an hundred times better then that of Innocencie Verily by being watered with our Sauiours Blood caused by the Isoppe of the Crosse we are reduced to a whitnesse incomparably more excellent then the snow of innocencie returning out of the Flood of health with NAMAN more pure and vnspotted as though we had neuer bene Leprous to th' end that the diuine Maiestie as he hath also ordained we should doe might not be ouercome by euill but ouercome euill by good that his Mercy as a sacred oyle might keepe aboue Iudgment and his commiseration surpasse all his workes Of certaine speciall fauours exercised by the diuine prouidence in the Redemption of man CHAPTER VI. 1. CErtainly God doth admirably show the riches of his incomprehensible power in this great varietie of things which we see in Nature Yet doth he make the Treasurs of his infinite Bountie more magnificently appeare in the incomparable varietie of benefits which we acknowledge in Grace For THEOTIME he was not content with the holy excesse of his Mercy in sending to his people that is to Mankind a generall and vniuersall Redemption by meanes wherof euery one might be saued but moreouer he diuersified it in so many sorts that his Liberalitie did shine amiddest that varietie and that varietie againe did mutually imbellish his Lliberalitie 2. And following this he first of all prepared for his most holy Mother a fauour worthy the loue of a Sonne who being most wise omnipotent and good was to prouide himselfe of a Mother to his liking and thefore he ordained that his Redemption should be applied to her by way of a preseruatiue to th' end that sinne which ranne from generation to generation might stop before it came at her so that she was ransomed in so excellent a manner that although the Torrent of originall iniquitie came rolling her vnfortunate waters vpon the Conception of this sacred Lady euen with as great impetuositie as against the daughters of ADAM yet being arriued there it did not dare a further passage but made a sodaine staie as did of old the waters of Iordaine in the daies of IOSVE and for the same respect for the flood stopt his course in reuerence of the Ark of Alliance which passed and originall sinne made his waters retire adoring and dreading the presence of the true Tabernacle of Eternall Alliance 3. In this sort then God deturned all bondage from his glorious Mother giuing her the good of both the states of humane nature retaining the Innocencie which the first ADAM had lost and enioying in an excellent sort the Redemption which the second did acquire Whence as a garden of election which was to bring fourth the fruite of life she was made florishing in all sorts of perfections This sonne of eternall loue hauing thus decked his Mother with a Robe of gold wrought in faire varietie that she might be the Queene of his right hand that is to saie the first of the elect which should enioy the delightes of God's right hand so that this sacred Mother as being altogether reserued for her Sonne was by him infranchised not onely from damnation but euen from all danger of damnation giuing her Assurance of grace and the Perfection of grace not vnlike an Aurora who beginning to appeare encreaseth continually in brightnesse till perfect day light Admirable redemption Master-pece of the Redemour and Prime of all Redemptions by which the sonne with a truly filiall heart preuented his Mother in the benedictions of sweetnesse he preserued her not onely from sinne as he did the Angels but euen from all danger of sinne and euery thing that might diuert of hinder her in the exercise of holy Loue. Protesting that amongst all the reasonable Creaturs he had chosen this Mother was his onely Doue his entirely perfect his wholie deare well beloued without all paragon and comparison 4. God also appointed other sauours for a small number of rare Creaturs whom he would assure from the perill of damnation as certainly he did S. IOHN BAPTIST and probably IEREMIE with certaine others which the Diuine Prouiuidence seased vpon in their mothers wombe and stated vpon them a Perpetuitie of Grace by which they might remaine firme in his Loue though subiect to delaies and veniall sinnes which are contrarie to the perfection of Loue not to Loue it selfe and these soules in regard of others are as Queenes continually crowned with Charitie holding the principall place in the loue of their Sauiour next to his Mother who is Queene of Queenes A Queene not onely crowned with Loue but with the Perfectiō of loue yea which is yet more crowned with her owne Sonne the soueraigne obiect of Loue being that childrē are theire Fathers and Mothers crownes 5. There are yet other soules which God determined for a time to leaue exposed to the danger not of loosing their saluation but yet in perill to loose his Loue yea he permitted them to loose it in effect not assuring them Loue for the whole time of their life but onely for the periode therof and for certaine precedent times Such were the APOSTLES DAVID MADELAINE and diuerse others who for a time remained out of God's grace but in the end being throughly conuerted they were confirmed in grace vntill death so that though from thence they continued subiect to imperfections yet were they exempt from all mortall sinne and consequently from danger of loosing the Diuine loue and were as the heauenly spouse his sacred soules adorned indeede with a wedding garment of this holy loue yet for all that not crowned a crowne being an ornament of the head that is of the prime part of a man now the first yeares of the Soules of this ranck hauing bene subiect to terreane loue they were not to be adorned with the crowne of heauenly loue but it is sufficient for them to weare the Robe which renders them capable of the marriage-bede with the heauenly Spouse and to be eternally happie with him How admirable the diuine prouidence is in the diuersitie of graces giuen to men CHAPTER VII 1. THere was then in the eternall Prouidence an incomparable fauour for the Queene of Queenes
Mother of faire Dilection and altogether most entirely perfect There were also for certaine others some speciall fauours After this the soueraigne Bountie poured an abundance of graces and benedictions vpon the whole race of mankind and the nature of Angels with which all were watered as with a light which illuminateth euery man comming into this world euery one receiued their portion as of seed which falls not onely vpon the good ground but vpon the high way amōgst thornes and vpō rockes that all might be vnexcusable before the Redeemour if they should not imploy this most aboundant Redemption for their soules health 2. But albeit THEOTIME that this most aboundant sufficiencie of grace be thus poured vpon all humane nature and that in this we are all equall that a rich aboundāce of benedictions is presented to vs all yet the varietie of these fauours is so great that one cannot saie whether the greatnesse of these graces in so great a diuersitie or the diuersitie in such greatnesses be more admirable For who sees not that the meanes of Saluation amongst Christians are greater and more efficacious then amongst Barbarians and againe that amongst Christians there are People and Townes where the Pastors are more profitable and capable Now to denie that these exteriour meanes were benefits of the diuine Prouidence or to doubt whether they did auaile to the saluatiō and perfection of soules were to be vngratfull to the diuine Bountie and belye certaine experience by which we see that ordinarily where these exteriour helpes abound the interiour are more efficacious and succeede better 3. Certes as we see that there are neuer found two men perfectly resembling th' one thother in naturall giftes so are there neuer any found wholy equall in supernaturall ones The Angels as great S. AVGVSTINE and S. THOMAS assure vs receiued grace with proportion to the varietie of their naturall conditions Now they are all either of a different species or at least of a different condition being they are distinguished one from another therfore according to the diuersitie of Angels there are different graces And though grace is not giuen to men according to their naturall conditions yet the diuine sweetenesse ioyeth and as one would saie exulteth in the production of graces infinitly diuersifying them to the end that out of his varietie the faire enamell of his Redemption and mercy might appeare whence the Church vpon the Feasts of euery Confessour and Bishop doth sing There was not found the like to him and as in heauen none knowes the new name saue him that receiues it because ech one of the Blessed hath his owne a part according to the new beeing of glorie which he attained So in earth euery one doth receiue a grace so particular that all are diuerse Our Sauiour doth also compare his grace to Pearles which as Plinnie saith are otherwise called Vnions because euery one of them are so singular in their qualities that neuer two of them are found perfectly like And as one starre is different from another in brightnesse so shall one passe another in glorie a sure signe of their aduantage in Grace Now this varietie in Grace or this grace in varietie composeth a most sacred beautie and most sweete harmonie reioysing all the holy citie of the heauenly Hierusalem 4. But we must be very warie neuer to make enquirie why the supreame wisdome bestowes a GRACE rather vpon one thē another nor why she makes her fauours abound rather in one behalfe thē another No THEOTIME neuer enter into this curiositie For hauing all of vs sufficiently yea abundantly that which is requisite to saluation what reason can any creature liuing haue to complaine if it please God to bestow his graces more amply vpon one then another If one should demand why God made MELONS greater then STRAWBEARIES or LYLIES greater then VIOLETS why ROSMARIE is not a ROSE or why the Clouegillow flour is not a Turnesole why the Peacocke is more beautifull then the Rate or why the Figue is sweete and the Lemmā sourishe one would laugh at such demandes and saie poore man sith the beautie of the world doth require varietie it is necessarie there should be difference and inequalitie in things and that the one should not be thother For which cause the one is little th' other great the one bitter the other sweete the one more the other lesse faire Now it is the same in supernaturall things euery one hath his gifte one thus and another thus saieth the Holy Ghost It is then an impertinencie to search why S. PAVLE had not the grace of S. PETER or S. PETER that of S. PAVLE why S. ANTONIE was not S. ATHANASIVS or he S. HIEROME for one would answere these demands that the Church is a garden diapred with infinite flowers it was necessary then they should be of diuerse quantities diuerse coulours diuerse odours in fine of different perfections euery of them haue their worth grace and beautie and all of them in the collection of their varieties doe make vp a most gratefull perfection of beautie How much God desires we should loue him CHAPTER VIII 1. ALthough our Sauiours Redemption be applyed vnto vs in as many different manners as there be soules yet so notwithstanding that the vniuersall meanes of our Saluation is Loue which goes through all and without which nothing is profitable as elsewhere we shall declare The Cherubin was placed at the gate of the earthlie Paradice with his firie sword to teach vs that none shall enter into the heauenlie Paradice who is not pearced through with the sword of loue For this cause THEOTIME the sweete IESVS who bought vs with his blood desireth infinitly that we should loue him that we might eternally be saued and desires we might be saued that we might loue him eternally his loue tending to our saluation and our saluation to his loue Ah saieth he I came to put fire into the world to what end but that it should burne But to set out more to the life the vehemencie of his desire he commandeth vs this loue in admirable termes Thou shalt loue saieth he the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule with all thy force this is the first and greatest Commandement Good God THEOTIME how amourous the diuine heart is of our loue had it not bene sufficient to haue published a permission by which we might haue had leaue to loue him as LABAN permitted Iacob to loue his faire RACHEL and to gaine her by seruices ah no! he made a further declaration of his amourous passion of loue to vs and commandes vs to loue him with all our powre least the consideration of his maiestie and our miserie which puts vs in so great a distance and inequalitie or other pretext whatsoeuer might diuert vs from his loue In which THEOTIME he well shewes that he did not leaue in vs a naturall inclination to loue for nothing For to th' end it might not
to be fed with the Diuine substance it selfe taken into our soule by the mouth of our vnderstanding and that which passeth all delight is that as mothers are not contented in feeding their babes with their milke which is their owne substance â—f they doe not also put the nible of their dugge into their mouthes that they might not receiue their substance in a spoone or other instrument but euen in and by their owne substance it seruing as well for foode as a conduite to conuey it to the deere little suckling So God our Father is not contented to make vs receiue his proper substance in our vnderstanding that is to make vs see his Diuinitie but by an Abisse of his sweetenesse himselfe will applie his substance to our soule to th' end that we might no longer vnderstand by species or representation but in it selfe and by it selfe so that his fatherly and eternall substance is both SPECIES and OBIECT to our vnderstanding Then these diuine promisses shal be practised in an excellent manner I will leade her into the solitude and speake vnto her heart and giue her sucke reioyce with Hierusalem in ioye that you may drink and be filled with the dugge of his consolation and that you may sucke and be delighted with the whole abundance of his glorie you shall be carried to the Pap and be lulled vpon the knee 4. Infinite blisse THEOT And which was not promised onely but we haue earnest of it in the Blessed Sacrament that perpetuall Feast of Diuine Grace For in it we receiue the blood of our Sauiour in his flesh and his flesh in his blood his blood being applied vnto vs by meanes of his flesh his substance by his substance euen to our corporall mouth to th' end we might know that so he will applie vnto vs his Diuine essence in the eternall Feast of his Glorie True it is this fauour is really done vnto vs euen here but couertly vnder SACRAMENTALL SPECIES AND APPARENCES whereas in heauen the Diuinitie will giue himselfe openly and we shall see him face to face as he is Of the eternall vnion of the blessed spirits with God in the vision of the eternall birth of the Sonne of God CHAPTER XII 1. O Holy and diuine Spirit eternall Loue of the Father and the Sonne be propitious to myne infancie Our vnderstanding shall then see God THEO yes it shall see God face to face contemplating by a view of true and reall presence the Diuine essence it selfe and in it the infinite beauties thereof all-power all-goodnesse all-wisdome all-iustice and the rest of this Abisse of perfections 2. The vnderstanding then shall clearely see the infinite knowledge which God the Father had from all eternitie of his owne beautie for the expression of which in himselfe he pronounced and saied eternally the MOT the WORD or the most singular and most infinite speech or diction which comprising and representing all the perfection of the Father can be but one same God most one with him without diuision or separation We shall then also see that eternall and admirable generation of the diuine WORD and Sonne by which he was eternally borne to the image and likenesse of the Father a liuelie and naturall Image and likenesse not representing any accidents nor extrinsicall thing sith in God all is Substance nor can there be any accident all is interiour nor can ther be there any exteriour thing but an image representing the proper substance so liuely so naturally as well essentially as substantially that therfore it can be no other thing then the same God with him without distinction or differeÌ„ce at all either in essence or substance saue onely the distinction of persons for how could it be that this diuine sonne was the true liuelily liuely truely naturall image resemblance and figure of the infinite beautie and substance of the Father if it did not represent infinitly to the life and nature the infinite perfections of the Father and how could it infinitly represent infinite perfections if it were not infinitly perfect and how could it be infinitly perfect if it were not God and how could it be God if it were not the same God with the Father 3. The sonne then the infinite image and figure of his infinite Father is one onely God most singular and infinite with his Father there being no difference of substance betwixt them but onely the distinction of persons which distinction of persons as it is wholy necessarie so it is most sufficient to this that the Father pronounce and that the sonne should be the word pronounced that the Father speake and the Sonne be the word or the diction that the Father expresse and the Sonne be the image liknesse or figure expressed and in somme that the Father be Father and the Sonne Sonne two distinct persons but one onely Essence or Diuinitie so that God who is sole is not solitarie for he is sole in his most singular and simple Deitie yet is not solitarie because he is Father and Sonne in two persons O THEO what ioye what iubelie in the celebritie of this eternall birth keept in the SpleÌ„dour of Saints keept in seeing it and seene in keeping it 4. Milde S. BERNARD as yet a young child at Chatillon vpon Seine on Christmasse Eue expected in the Church while they begun the diuine Office and in this expectation the poore child fell into a light slumber meanewhile ô God what sweetenesse he saw in SPIRIT yet in a vision very distinct and cleare how the Sonne of God hauing espoused humane nature and becoming a little child in his mothers most pure entrals sprung virginally from her sacred wombe with a heauanly Maiestie masked in an humble mildenesse As Spouse who in a royall guise From mariage bed doth ioyfull rise A Vision THEO which did so replenish the little BERNARDS louely heart with content iubilation and spirituall dainties that he had all his life an extreame sense of it and therefore though after as a sacred Bee he daily culled out of all the diuine mysteries the honie of a thousand sweete aÌ„d heauenly consolations yet had he a more particular sweetenesse in the solemnitie of the Natiuitie and spoake with a singular gust of this birth of his Maister But alas I beseech thee THE if a mysticall and imaginarie vision of the temporall and humane birth of the Sonne of God by which he proceeded man from a woman virgin from a virgin doth rauish and so highly content the heart of a child what shall it be when our minds lightned with the â—ight of glorie shall see this eternall birth by which the Sonne doth proceede GOD from GOD LIGHT from LIGHT a TRVE GOD from a TRVE GOD diuinely and eternally then shall our minds be ioyned by an incomprehensible complacence to this obiect of delight and by an vnchangeable attention shall remaine vnited to it for euer Of the vnion of the Blessed with God in the vision of the Holy Ghost's
about to beleeue And in another place the same Sainte speaking of sinners whereof God doth leaue the on in his iniquitie raysing th' other Now why he retaines the one and not t'other it is not possible to comprehend it nor lawfull to make inquests into it syth we know it is from him we stand and not from him we fall and againe this is couered and remoued from manes reach at least from myne 7. Loe THEO the most saintly way of Philosophyzing in this behalfe and therefore I haue allwaies reputed the learned modestie and most wise humilitie of the Seraphicall Doctor sainct Bonauenture admirable and amiable in the discourse which he makes of the reason why the Diuine prouidence doth ordaine the Elect to eternall life Peraduenture saieth he it is by a foresight of the good works which will be done by him that is drawen in so much as they proceede in some sort from the will but to be able to declare what good workes they are which by their foresight moue Gods will I know not perfectly nor will I make inquisition thervpon there are no other reasons then certaine conueniencies so that we might assigne one while it were another Wherefore we cannot with assurance point out the true reason nor the true motiue of Gods will herein for as S. Augustine saieth notwithstanding that the truth of it is most certaine yet is it so remoued from our thougts that we can speake nothing assuredly of it vnlesse it be reuealed by him who knowes all things and wheras it was not expedient for our saluation that we should haue knowledge of these secreets but was more profitable we should be ignorant of them to keepe vs in humilitie God would not reueale them yea the holy Apostle durst not inquire of them but testified the insufficiencie of our vnderstanding in that matter when he cried out ô depth of the wisdome and knowledge of God! could one speake more saintly THEO of so saintly a mysterie and indeede they are the words of a most saintly and prudent Doctor of the Church An exhortation to the affectionat submission which we are to make to the Decrees of the diuine prouidence CHAPTER VIII 1. LEt vs loue then THEO and adore in humilitie of SPIRITE this depth of Gods iudgments which as S. AVGVSTINE saieth the holy Apostle discouers not but admires when he cries out ô the depth of Gods iudgment Who can counte the sands of the sea the drops of raine and measure the largnesse of the Abisse saieth that excellent S. GREGORIE of Nazianzen and who can sound the depth of the diuine wisdome by which all things were created and moderated as she pleaseth and iudgeth fit For indeede it sufficeth that by the Apostles example we should admire it without sticking in the difficultie and obscuritie thereof ô depth of the wisdome and knowledge of God! ô how inscrutable are his iudgments and how inaccessible his wayes who hath knowen the sense of our Lord and who hath bene his counsellour THEO the reasons of Gods will cannot be penetrated by our wit till we shall see his face who toucheth from the one end to the other powerfully and disposeth all things sweetely doing all that he doth in number waight and measure and to whom the Psalmist saieth Lord thou hast done all things in wisdome 2. How often doth it happen that we are ignorant why and how the workes of men are done And yet saieth the same holy Bishope of Nazianzen the Artificer is not ignorant though we be ignorant in his Arte nor are the things of this world rashly and imprudently done though we know not the reasons of them Entering into a Clok-makers shoppe we shall sometimes find a cloke no greater then an Oringe which yet hath in it an hundred or two hundred peices whereof some serue for the style others to stricke the houre or giue the morning ALARME you shall see in it little wheeles one turning to the right another to the left hand one aboue another belowe and the plumbs which with a mesured pace doe balance its motion on euery side and we admire how Art could ioyne together such a number of minute peices with so iust a correspondance neither knowing what each little peice serues for nor to what purpose it was made in that sort vnlesse the Maister tell it vs knowing onely in grosse that all is either for shew or to stricke It is reported that the good Indians will stand whole dayes musing vpon a cloke to heare it strike at the time prefixed and not being able to gesse how it is done they doe not for all that saie that it is without Art or reason but are taken with loue and respect towards their keepres admiring them as more then mortalls THEO we see in this manner the vniuerse but especially humane nature a clocke composed of so great varietie of actions and motions that we cannot but be astonished at it And we know in generall that these so diuersly ordered peices serue all either to point out as a hand God's most holy iustice or as a bell of praise to sound the triumphant mercy of his goodnesse But to know the particular vse of euery peice how it is ordered to the generall end or why it is made so we cannot conceiue vnlesse the soueraigne workman instruct vs Now he conceals his Art from vs to th' end that with more reuerence we might admire it till in heauen he shall rauish vs with the sweetenesse of his wisedome where in the aboundance of his loue he will discouer vnto vs the reasons meanes and motiues of all that passed in the world to the aduantage of our eternall saluation 3. We resemble saieth yet againe the great Nazianzen those who are troubled with a giddinesse or turning of the head for they thinke that all rūnes roūd with them topsie turnie though it be but their braine and imagination which turne not the things about them for so when we meete with any euents whereof the causes are vnknowen vnto vs we deeme the world is gouerned without reason because we are ignorant of it Let vs beleeue then that as God is the maker and father of all things so takes he care of all things by his prouidence which doth imbrace and sustaine all the Machine of creatures But especially let vs beleeue that he doth rule our affaires ours who know him though our life be tossed with so great contrarietie of accidents whereof we know not the reasons to th' end by chance that not being able to attaine to this knowledge we might admire the soueraigne reason of God surpassing all things for with vs things easily knowen are easily despised but that which out-tops our wit by how much it is more hard to be knowen by so much it excites a greater admiration in vs. Truely the reasons of the diuine prouidence were low placed if our smale wits could reach vnto them they should be lesse amiable in their sweetenesse and lesse
adhered and ioyned himselfe so neerely indissolubly and infinitly to our nature that neuer was any thing so straightly ioyned and pressed to the humanitie as is now the most sacred Diuinitie in the person of the Sonno of God 4. he ranne wholy into vs and as it were dissolued his greatnesse to bring it downe to the forme and figure of our littlenesse whence he is instyled a Source of liuing water dewe and rayne of Heauen 5. He was in extasie not onely in that as S. DENIS saieth by the excesse of his louing goodnesse he became in a certaine manner out of himselfe extending his prouidence to all things and beeing in all things but also in that as S. Paule saieth he did in a sort forsake and emptie himselfe drayned his greatnesse and glorie deposed himselfe of the Throne of his incomprehensible Maiestie and if it be lawfull so to saie annihilated himselfe to stoope downe to our humanitie to fill vs with his Diuinitie to replenish vs with his goodnesse to rayse vs to his dignitie and bestow vpon vs the Diuine beeing of the children of God And he of whom it is so frequent written I LIVE SAIED OVR LORD pleased afterwards according to his Apostles language to saie I liue now not I but man liues in me man is my life and to die for man is my gaines my life is hidden with man in God He that did inhabit in himselfe lodgeth now in vs and he that was liuing froÌ„ all eternitie in the bosome of his eternall Father becomes mortall in the bosome of his temporall mother He that liued eternally by his owne Diuine life liued temporally a humane life And he that from eternitie had bene onely God shall be for all eternitie man too so did the loue of man rauish God and draw him into an Extasie 6. Sixtly how ofteÌ„ by loue did he admire as he did the Centurion and the Cananee 7. he beheld the young man who had till that houre keept the Commandements and desired to be taught perfection 8. he tooke a louing repose in vs yea euen with some suspension of his senses in his mothers wombe and in his infancie 9. he was wonderfull tender towards little children which he would take in his armes and louingly dandle a sleepe towards MARTHA and MAGDALEN towards Lazarus ouer whom he wept as also ouer the Citie of Hierusalem 10. he was animated with an incoÌ„parable Zeale which as S. DENIS saieth turned into iealousie turning away so farre as he could all euill from his beloued humane nature with hazard yea with the price of his blood driuing away the Deuil the Prince of this world who seemed to be his Corriuall and Competitor 7. He had a thousand thousand languors of Loue for from whence could those Diuine words proceede I haue to be baptised with a baptisme and how am I straitened vntill it be dispatched The houre in which he was baptised in his bloode was not yet come and he languished after it the loue which he bore vnto vs vrging him therevnto that he might by his death see vs deliuerâ—d from an eternall death He was also sad and sweate blood of distresse in the garden of Oliuet not onely by reason of the exceeding griefe which his soule felt in the inferiour part of reason but also through the singular loue which he bore vnto vs in the superiour portioÌ„ thereof sorrow begetting in him a horrour of death yet loue an extreame desire of the same so that there was a hote combat and a cruell agonie betwixt desire and horrour of death vnto the shedding of much blood which streamed downe vpon the earth as from a liuing source 8. Finally THEO this Diuine Louer died amongst the flames and ardours of Loue by reason of the infinite charitie which he had towards vs and by the force and vertue of Loue that is he died in Loue by Loue for Loue and of Loue for though his cruell torments were sufficient to haue kild any bodie yet could death neuer make a breach in his life who keepes the keyes of life and death vnlesse Diuine Loue which hath the handling of those keyes had opened the Port to death to let it sacke that Diuine bodie and dispoyle it of life Loue not being content to haue made him mortall onely vnlesse it had made him die withall It was by choice not by force of torment that he died No man doth take my life from me saieth he but I yeeld it of my selfe and I haue power to yeeld it and I haue power to take it againe He was offered saieth Isaie because he himselfe would and therefore it is not saied that his Spirit went away forsooke him or separated it selfe froÌ„ him but coÌ„trariwise that he gaue vp his Spirit expired rendred vp the Ghost yeelded his Spirit vp into the hands of the eternall Father so that S. ATHANASIVS remarketh that he stooped downe with head to die to the end he might consent and bend towards deaths approch which otherwise durst not haue come neere him and crying out with a lowde voice he gaue vp his Spirit into his Fathers hands to shew that as he had strength and breath enough not to die so had he so much Loue that he could no longer liue but would by his death reuiue those which without it could neuer eschew death nor pretend for true life Wherefore our Sauiours death was a true sacrifice and a sacrifice of Holocaust which himselfe offered to our Sauiour to be our Redemption for though the paines and dolours of his Passion were so great and violent that any but he had died of them yet had he neuer died of them vnlesse he himselfe had pleased and vnlesse the fire of his infinite Charitie had consumed his life He was then the Priest himselfe who offered vp himselfe vnto his Father and sacrificed himselfe in Loue to Loue by Loue for Loue from Loue. 9. Yet beware of saying THEOTIME that this death of Loue in our Sauiour passed by way of rauishment for the obiect which his Charitie had to moue him to die was not so amiable that it could force this heauenly soule therto which therefore departed the bodie by way of extasie driuen on and forced forwards by the abundance and force of Loue euen as the Myrrhetree is seene to send foorth her first iuyce by her onely abundance without being strayned or pressed according to that which he himselfe saied as we haue noted No man taketh my life away from me but I yeelded it of my selfe O God THEO what burning coles are cast vpon our hearts to inflame vs to the exercise of holy loue towards our best Sauiour seeing he hath so louingly practised them towards vs who are his worst seruants The Charitie then of IESVS-CHRIST doth presse vs. The end of the Tenth Booke THE ELEAVENTH BOOKE OF THE SOVERAIGNE authoritie which sacred loue holds ouer all the vertues actions and perfections of the soule How much all the vertues are aggreeable
vnion doth vrge and aide vs towards the spirituall vnion of which we speake Of the soueraigne degree of vnion by suspension or rauishment CHAPTER III. 1. VVHether therefore the vnion of our soule with God be made perceptibly or imperceptibly God is alwaies the Authour thereof for none can be vnited to him but by going vnto him nor can any goe vnto him vnlesse he be drawen by him as the Heauenly Spouse doth testifie saying none can come vnto me vnlesse my Father drawes him which his holy Spouse doth also protest saying Drawe me and we will runne in the odour of thy perfumes 2. Now the perfection of this vnion consisteth of two points that it be pure ād that it be strong May not I goe towards a man with intention to behold him better to speake to hī to obtaine some thīg of him to smell the perfumes which are about him to be supported by him and in that case certainly I goe towards him and ioyne my selfe vnto him yet my approch and vnion is not my principall pretention but I onely make that a meanes and way to the obtaining of another thing But if I approch and ioyne my selfe vnto him for no other end then to be neere vnto him and to enioye this neighbourhood and vniō it is then an approch of pure and simple vnion 3. So many doe approch vnto our Sauiour some to heare him as Magdalen some to be cured by him as the sicke of the fluxe others to adore him as the three kinges others to serue him as Martha others to vanquish their incredulitie as S. THOMAS others to anointe him as MAGDALEN IOSEPH NICODEMVS but his diuine Sunamite seekes to find him and hauing found him desires no other thing then to hold him fast and holding him neuer to quit him I hold him saieth she and I will neuer let him goe IACOB saieth S. B RNARD hauing fast hold of God will let him goe so he may receiue his benediction but the Sunamite will not let hī depart for all the benedictiōs he can giue her for her aime is not the benedictions of God but the God of benedictiōs saying with Dauid what is there for me in heauen or in earth what can I pretend but thy selfe thou art the God of my heart and my part for euer 4. Thus was the glorious Mother at the foote of her sonnes Crosse Ah! what dost thou search ô mother of life in this Mount of Caluarie in this place of death I am looking would she haue saied my child who is the life of my life And why dost thou looke him to be close by him But now he is amidst the dolours of death Ah! it is not mirth I seeke it is himselfe and my heart in loue makes me looke all about to be vnited vnto that amiable child my tenderly beloued In fine the pretention of the soule in this vnion is onely to be with her Louer 5. But when the vnion of the soule with God is most strict and most close it is called by Diuines an INHESION or ADHESION for that the soule thereby is taken fastened glued and nayled to the Diuine Maiestie so that she cannot easily loose or drawe her selfe backe againe Looke I praie you vpon a man taken and locked by attention to the delight of a harmonious musike or else which is idle to the fopperie of a game at cardes you would drawe him from it but cānot what businesse soeuer attend him at home there is no forcing him thence in it euen meate and drinke is forgotten O God THEOT how much more ought the soule that is in loue with God to be fastened and locked being vnited to the Diuinitie of the infinite Sweetenesse and who is taken and wholy possessed by this obiect of incomparable perfection Such was the soule of that great vessell of Election who cried-out To th' end I might liue with God I am nayld to the Crosse with IESVS-CHRIST and with all he protests that nothing no not death it selfe can separate him from his Maister This effect of loue was also practised betweene Dauid and Ionathas for it is saied that the soule of Ionathas was glued to Dauids to conclud it is a famous AXIOME amongst the Aunciant Fathers that Friendshipe that can know end was neuer true Friendshipe as elswhere I haue saied 5. See I beseech you THEO the little childe cleeuing to and colling his mother if one offer to take him thence to laie him in his cradle it being high time he delaies and essaies by all the meanes he is able not to forsake that amiable bosome and if one make him loose one hand he claspes hold with the other but if one carrie him quite away he fals a crying and keeping his heart and his eyes where he cannot keepe his bodie with shrikes he pursues his deare mother till by rocking he is brought a sleepe So the soule who by the exercise of vnion is come to be taken and fastened to the Diuine Goodnesse can hardly be pulled from it by force ād a great deale of paine It is not possible to make her loose hold if one diuert her Imagination she ceaseth not to apprehend her selfe taken by the vnderstanding and if one loose her vnderstanding she cleeues by the will or if yet by some violent distraction they vrge her will to quit her hold from moment to moment she returns towards her deare obiect from which she cannot be entirely vntyed but she striues all she can to linke together againe the sweete bands of her vnion with him by the frequent returns which she makes by stelth experiencing in it S. PAVLES paine for she is pressed with two desires to be freede of all exteriour imploiment to remaine with IESVS-CHRIST in her interiour and yet to put hand to the worke of Obedience which the very vnion with IESVS CHRIST doth teach her to be requisite 6. And the B. S. TERESA saieth excellently that the vnion being arriued at this perfection as to hold vs taken and tyed to our Sauiour is not distinguished from a rauishment suspension or hanging of the Spirit But that it is called onely vnion suspension or hanging when it is short and when it is long Extasie or rauishment because indeede the soule which is so firmely and closely vnited to her God that she cannot easily be drawen thence is not in her selfe but in God as a crucified bodie is not in it selfe but vpon the crosse or as Iuie grasping the wall is not in it's selfe but vpon the wall 7. But to auoyde all equiuocation know THEO that Charitie is a place and a place of perfection and he that is endued with more Charitie is more straitly vnited and fastened vnto God And we speake not of that vnion which is permanent in vs by manner of habite be we sleeping or waking we speake of the vniō made by action which is one of the Exercises of loue and Charitie Imagine then that S. PAVLE S. DENIS S. AVGVSTINE