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saint_n	call_v	church_n	dedicate_v	1,670	5	10.6327	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93143	The holy life of Monr. De Renty, a late nobleman of France and sometimes councellor to King Lewis the 13th. Wrintten [sic] in French by John Baptist S. Jure. And faithfully translated into English, by E.S. Gent.; Vie de Monsieur de Renty. English	Saint-Jure, Jean-Baptiste, 1588-1657.; E. S., Gent.	1657 (1657)	Wing S334; Thomason E1587_2; ESTC R203459	200,696	375

and Annih●lation 312 Sect. 1. More of the same subject 317 Sect. 2. Continuation of the same subject 328 Chap. 10. Of his Corporal Death 335 The Conclusion of the Work how we ought to read the Lives of Saints 346 ERRATA PAge 88. l. ult for som read from p. 90. l. 2. for a boot of hay-ropes r. a bottle of hay p. 91. l. 15. for possessing it all r. possessing it at all THE HOLY LIFE OF Mon r De RENTY c. PART I. CHAP. 1. Of his Birth Infancy and Youth SO great and glorious were the vertues and good deeds of the late deceased Mon r de Renty that I can begin my discourse no otherwise than by ingenuously confessing my disabillity to set them out as they deserve not even so much of them as appeared outwardly to the eyes of men and much lefs the inward Treasure that lay hid in his Soul though that be the principall Yet notwithstanding undertake I must to write something thereof as not able to deny the requests of many persons of Piety and quality who well knowing that I had enjoyed the happiness of his acquaintance in a singular maner for divers years together even when he was in the very height of the glory of his Vertues and that so great a Treasure so much concerning the glory of God and the publicue good as this excellent and perfect Christian life of his was ought by no means to be buried in Oblivion did judge me in a sort obliged to prevent so great a damage Come we therefore to the business for the greater Glory of God who is admirable in his Saints and of our Lord Jesus Christ who replenished this rare man with his Graces and abundant communication of his Spirit and let us do it in the strength of that Divine assistance which as I stand in very great need of so I humbly beg it with all my soul Monsieur de Renty draws his Original from one of the most Noble Houses of Artois which is that of R●nty famous for its An●iquity for its great Alliances and in particular to the House of Crowy whence came the Dukes of Arscot and Princes of S●may for the Honorable Employment of its Ancestors and their Noble Acts in Arms and Battels and above all for its Piety a great testimony whereof was left in the year 1570. by Wambert called the good Count of Renty and Hamburg his Lady who were not contented onely to found and richly endow within their Territories an Abbey under the name and protection of St. Denis which had the blessing to have a Saint for Abbot to wit St Bertulphe but went on encreasing more and more like the Morning light in vertue and good works and built besides that three other Churches one dedicated to St Peter another to St. Martin and the third to St. Wast Monsieur Renty was the onely Son of Charls de Renty and Magdalen of Pastoureau who also descended by her Mother from the same House of Renty He was born at Beny in low Normandy in the Diocess of Bajeaux in the year of Grace 16●● having the Poor to present him at the Fon● God so ordering it by a particular Providence that the Poor should be Godfathers to him who afterwards during his life should be a Sollicitor Protector and Father of the Poor He was at the Font named Gaston and at Confirmation John Baptist being brought up where he was born till he was between six or seven years of age and then by the Lady his Mother was he brought to Paris and lived there with her about two years till he was put into the Colledge of Navarre and from thence sent to Caen to the Colledge of the Jesuit Fathers having with him for his conduct a Tutor being a Church-man and besides him a Governour who unhappily prov'd an Huguenote and might in ●he sequel have been notably prejudicial to him in corrupting his faith and manners But God out of his singular and paternal care of him as intending to make him one day a great instrument of his glory and of the salvation of many souls preserved him from the pernitious intents and endeavours of that dangerous man and became himself his Governor which occasioned him since then to say that God from his infancy had been most gratio ● to him and as David saith of himself had been hi● keeper from his mothers womb As he had naturally a very good wit piercing reach and great judgement so was he very notable and famous for his progress in his studies from the which notwithstanding he was taken at the age of seventeen and put into an Academy as they call their Schools of Gentile Exercises at Paris where he shewed himself most dextrous and accomplish'd in all the Exercises there taught but that which most of all pleased and as I may so say charmed him was the Mathematicks which he applyed himself to with such diligence that he deprived himself of all sorts of divertisemenis which youth is given to and therein attained to such proficiency that he understood them perfectly and composed therein some Books But the time being now come when God was minded to go closer to the work he had in hand and to dispose this choice soul to the execution of those things which he was designed for it pleased him so to order it that a Stationer to whom Monsieur de Renty often repaired to buy such Books as he stood in need of for satisfying the curiosity and ardent desire he had of knowledge in all Sciences suitable to his condition did one day present to him the famous little Book of the Imitation of Christ and desired him to read it but he having as then his minde taken up with other notions made no account of it for that time The Stationer having brought him another day some Books that he had need of presented the same again to him and with some earnestness besought him to be pleased to read it thereupon he yielded and read it and was thereby so enlightned and touched as before him a great multitude of persons of all sorts had been that entertaining now no other thoughts or affections he resolv'd to minde seriously his salvation and give himself up to God so that amongst the great fruits and signal victories obtained by that book we may well reckon for one this work of grace and change wrought upon Monsieur de Renty who also from that time forward had that Book in so great love aad esteem that he always carried it about him and made use thereof on all occasions The gracious effect which the reading of this Book wrought in his soul was so great that it bread and enkindled in his heart the thought and desire to quit the world to consecrate himself entirely to the service of God and to make himself a Carthusian although he could not but see himself to be an onely Son the Heir of a great Estate and endowed with qualities and perfections

Blessed be that littleness which is held for weakness and yet overthroweth all the Power and Prudence of flesh Treating with some Religious Persons he seemed as it were rapt on a sudden with the consideration of their happy condition speaking to them thus O how happy are you my Sisters After which falling upon a discourse of their Vocation he spake so effectually as wrought in them an ample acknowledgement of their obligation to God and a courage to proceed in well doing This following Letter he writ to a Gentlewoman newly entred into Religion who next under God did owe her calling to him I thank my Saviour with all Reverence for those good dispositions to your Profession signified in your Letter I understand and am sensible of abundant grace wrought in you whereby I assure my self of a noble pregress I am to expect from the bounty of God who is to that soul that gives herself to him Merces magna nimis Her exceeding great reward You have made a leap which puts you in a new world Blessed and adored be God who in the fulness of time out of his wisdom and love to a soul sends his Son unto it to redeem ●t from the Law of Servitude and translates it into the Adoption of his Sons This hath he now wrought in you in a more special manner and the excellentest way that could be You was never united to Jesus Christ as you are now by your holy Profession You had heretofore something to give that was never before engaged and he something to receive that was not formerly in his possession But now all is given and all is received and the mutual donation is accomplished No more Self no more Life no more Inheritance but in Jesus Christ He is all in all things until the time that according to the Apostle he delevering us up all and wholly to his Father his Fa●her also shall be i● Jesus and in all his members all in all for ever Amen Fourthly he had a very great Devotion to all the Saints in Heaven but more partifulatly to S. Joseph and S. Teresa whom in the year 1640. he chose for his Patroness and above all the rest to the Saint of Saints the B. Virgin in testimony whereof he dedicated himself to her Service at Ardilliers then when he designed himself for a Carthusian And in the year 1640. he desired to be admitted into the Society erected to her honour in the house of the professed of the Jesuits of S. Lewis and for many years he wore a seal upon his arm with her Image graven wherewith he sealed all his Letters We have likewise mentioned how he gave to an Image of Nostre-Dame de Grace a heart of Chrystal set in Gold to testifie to that Admirable Mother as he used often to stile her his love and that with this heart he resigned up to her his own Finally this man of God most entirely honoured and loved the Spouse of Christ his Holy Church reverencing every thing that came from her making great account of all her ceremonies saying That he found a certam grace and particular vertue in the prayers and customs of the Church conforming himself most readily to her practises Being present commonly at High-Mass in Paris he would go to the Offering amongst the people and ordinarily with some poor man He assisted at ceremonies where it was rare to finde not onely men of his quality but far meaner persons as the consecrating of the Fonts in the Holy Week at long Processions in all extremities of weather Upon which occasion he writ one day to a friend Our Procession goeth this day into the Suburbs and since our Saviour hath favoured us with this great mercy to be of this little flock we ought to follow his standard and I take it for a signal honour to follow the Cross which way our holy Mother the Church leads us there being nothing in her but what is glorious since she acts in every thing by the Spirit of Religion in the presence of God whereby she unfolds great mysteries to those that are humble and respective From which expressions actions we may infer that he being a man of such quality and taken up with such a multitude of business had a very reverend esteem of all the ceremonies of the Church otherwise he would never have rendred such Obedience and Honour to them And though it be most true that he highly honoured these ceremonies yet he desired likewise that by the Exteriour pomp that appeared to the eyes Christians might be led on to the Interiour and more Spiritual complaining that the outward Magnificence wherewith Churches are adorned do often stay and amuse them and instead of carrying them on to God their chief end diverts them from him To this purpose he writ thus to a friend We should take notice of that simplicity in which the Divine Mysteries were conveyed to us that we may not be held too long with the splendour in which at this day they are celebrated These thoughts came into my minde in hearing the Organs and Church Musick and beholding the rich Ornaments used in the Divine Office we must look thorow this state at that spirit of Simplicity Purity and Humility of their primitive Institution Not but that these are holy and useful but that we should pass thorow it to the Simplicity and Poverty of Bethlehem Nazareth Egypt the Wilderness and the Cross But above all he was singularly devoted to an union of spirit and affection and universal communion of all good things whith all the faithful in all places of the world and to be admitted into the communion of Saints being an Article of our Creed very dear unto him Wherefore he highly valued all of each Nation and Profession without espousing any particular spirit or interest to respect one above others to magnifie one and derogate from another He honoured all Ecclesiasticks Secular and communicated with them concerning all his Exercises of Charity for his Neighbour he gave great respect to all Parish Priests was very serviceable to him of his own Parish he frequented the Societies of the Religious loved and made use of them for direction of his conscience And notwithstanding the great variety and several orders of them in the Church yet was not his heart divided but affected with an equal esteem and approbation and a general affection to all according to their degree being guided herein by one Spirit viz. that of Christ Jesus which enliveneth all the faithful as members of his body in the same manner as out bodily members notwithstanding they be different in sight figure and offices are knit together and all perfectly agree because they are all quickned by the same soul All misintelligence and disagreeing is a sign of two spirits that rule there and division is the principle of death Concerning this communion of Saints he one day suffered some difficulty Whereupon he writ this excellent Letter to his Directo● I

that concerned him His sickness encreasing and afflicting him very sore yet he never call'd for any thing to refresh or relieve him and when they had forced lean sheets upon his bed and a pillow which he had formerly refused with great confusion and humility he said Lo here lies a Gentleman at his ease Feeling some natural affection of joy arise in him upon the sight of a person of his acquaintance with whom he had held a strict correspondence in spiritual matters who came out of the Countrey of purpose to visit him he straightway supprest it repeating these words three times over with great fervour I desire nothing more but God which demonstrated clearly his perfect disengagement from all created things He commended to this parties care the missions entreating him to labour eranestly in that business as an employment by which God was much glorified and the most profitable to the Church of any he knew in these words Promise me Sir that you will take pains therein and promote them with all pessible diligence O Sir it is a service well pleasing to God Reflecting upon the poor for whom he had always a most tender care he said to his Lady I recommend the poor to you will not you have a great care of them you will perform it better than I Fear nothing what you give to them will not lessen the rest Most part of the first week and some time also of the second that he lay sick were spent by him in works of mercy appointing several Alms and giving order for letters to be writ into several Provinces about businesses of Charity with which he stood charged and whereof he gave an exact account Many persons of quality came to visit him whom he received with much civility but not without some trouble by reason that most of those visits drew on discourse of worldly things and complements of which he complained saying They come hither to talk their Philosophy of which I have no need And another time his expression was A Christian should talk little A Lady of great worth and piety coming to visit him said Sir I would with all my heart lay down my life to save yours To whom he replied with a chearful look and his eyes lifted up to heaven To dye is not to be lost our conversation and union will hereafter be more near and intimate But Sir said she if God would restore your health and continue you longer with us do not you desire it St. Martin desired to live upon these terms He answered with much confusion O Madam there is no comparison betwixt a Saint and a sinner the will of God be done The third day of his sickness he desired that his Ghostly Father might be sent for Whereupon they took occasion to demand of him if he found himself much worse He answered No but that in a business of that consequence and where the memory and judgement were so subject to decay it were not safe to defer for fear of a surprisal and that it were very fitting to do that which he had so often advised others unto in the same condition The day after he made his Confession and then called for his Reliquary that he might enter more particularly into a communion with all the Saints The day after he confest again and almost every day till his death The Pastor of his Parish came to give him the Communion and observing him after receiving in a great silence not speaking one word but onely with profound humility saying My God my God pardon me I am a great sinner He asked him the reason why he spake so little and did not apply himself to those that stood by and were well pleased to hear him It is not fitting saith he to speak in the presence of the Word Incarnate which I have received nor take up any room in those hearts which ought not to be filled onely with God But he added besides That his spirit was then applied to that joy which a creature ought to have to see it self upon the point of being re-united to his first Principle and to its last end The same day after dinner one told him it was fit to use some diversion from his serious thoughts the Physicians judging his disease to have much of melancholly in it To whom he replied I never had any joy comparable to that I have felt this day He ask'd him upon what cause To think saith he that I am going to be united with my God repeating the words of the Apostle Cupio dissolvi esse cum Christo I destre to be dissoved and be with Christ and those also of the beloved Disciple The Spirit and the Bride say Come and let him that heareth say Come and he that thirsteth let him come Behold I come quickly Amen Come Lord Jesus Yet resigning himself as well for life as death unto the will of God One day about noon he desired that his Chamber window might be set open that he might behold the brightness of the day which being done he cryed out O bright day of Eternity how this Sun-shine chears me helping me to meditate on that day which shall never have night The more his sickness and pain encreased the more he strove to unite himself to God by prayer imitating his heavenly Master who in the strength of his Agony prayed the more earnestly And when the violence of his disease oppressed him more and he had need of greater straining to think upon God he cryed out Courage courage Eternity is at hand With many such like speeches uttered with incredible fervour but which could not be distinctly pronounced by reason of the extream dryness of his throat caused through the feavour till at last stopping his speech all on a sudden he fixed his eyes stedfastly on heaven for a quarter of an hour together with a smiling look and full of reverence as if he saw some extraordinary sight After which mustering up all his forces he sate up in his bed took off his cap and holding it in his hand he said as it were ravished and overwhelmed with this Contemplation with great straining and words half stifled in his throat as well by the ardency of his spirit as the weakness of his body I adore you I adore you The Curate having administred to him Extream Unction at the time appointed which he received with great devotion answering to each prayer and attending to what he said and repeating them a good while after He asked him if he would give his blessing to his children He answered How so good Sir shall I presume to give a blessing in your presence I should be happy to receive one from you But being urged thereunto and told that the Church allowed that laudable custom he lifted his hands and eyes up to heaven saying I pray God give it to you and may it please him to bless you and to preserve you by his grace from the malignity of the