affections to be aboue herselfe in Praier and belowe her selfe in life and operation To be Angelicall in Meditation and brutall in conuersation It is to hault on both sides to sweare by God and yet by Melchon In fine it is a true marke that such Raptures and Extasies are but fraudes and delusions of the diuell Happie are they who liue a supernaturall and extaticall life aduanced aboue themselues alltough in Praier they be not rauished There are many Saints in heauen who were neuer in Extasie or Rapture of contemplation for how many Martyrs holy men and women are mentioned in histories who neuer had other priuiledge in Praier then that of deuotion and feruour But there was neuer Sainte who had not the Extasie and Rapture of life and operation ouercomming themselues with their naturall inclinations 3. And who sees not I praie you THE that it is the Extasie of life ād operatiō that the great Apostle speakes off especially when he saieth I liue not I but IESVS CHRIST liueth in me for he himselfe doth expose it in other termes to the Romans saying that our old man is crucified together with IESVS CHRIST that we are dead to sinne with him and that we are also risen with him to walke in newnesse of life and not be any longer slaues to sinne Behold THEO how two men are represented in each of vs and consequently two liues the one of the old man which is the old life as we saie of an Eagle who being growen into old age is glad to drag her plumes not being after able to take flight the other is the life of the new man which also is a new life as that of the Eagle who being disburdened of her old feethers which she had shaken off into the sea recouers new ones and being growne young againe flies in the newnesse of her forces 4. In the first life we liue according to the old man that is according to the defaultes weakenesse and infirmitie contracted by our first Father Adams sinne and therefore we liue to Adams sinne and our life is a mortall life yea death it selfe In the second life we liue according to the new man that is according to the graces fauours ordinances and will of our Sauiour and consequently we liue to saluation and Redemption and this new life is a liuing vitall and quickning life but whosoeuer would attaine the new life he must make his way by the death of the old crucifying his flesh with all the vices and concupicences thereof interring it in the holy water of Baptisme or in penance as Naman did drowne and burie in the waters of Iordain his leporous and infected old life to liue a new sound and spotlesse life for one might well haue saied of him that he was not now the old leporous stinking infected Naman but a new neate sound and comely Naman because he was dead to leprosie but suruiued to health and integritie 5. Now whosoeuer is raised vp againe to this new life of our Sauiour he neither liues to himselfe in himselfe or for himselfe but to his Sauiour in his Sauiour ād for his Sauiour Thinke saieth S. Paule that you are truely dead to sinne but liue to God in our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST An admirable exhortation of S. Paule to the extaticall and supernaturall life CHAPTER VIII 1. BVt finally me thinkes S. Paule makes the most forceable pressing and admirable argument that euer was made to vrge vs all to the Extasie and Rapture of life and operation Marke THEO I beseech you be attentiue and ponder the force and efficacie of the ardent and heauenly words of this Apostle rauished and transported with the loue of his Maister Speaking then of himselfe and the like is to be saied of euery one the Charitie saieth he of IESVS CHRIT doth presse vs yes THEO nothing doth so much presse mans heart as loue if a man knowe that he is beloued be it of whom it will he is pressed to loue mutually But if an ordinarie fellow be beloued by a great Lord he is yet more pressed if of a powerfull Monarke how much more is he pressed And now I praie you knowing well that IESVS CHRIST the true Eternall God Omnipotent hath loued vs euen to suffering death for vs and the death of the crosse is not this ô my deare THEO to haue our hearts in the presse to feele them forceably pressed and perceiue loue squised out of them by violence and constraint which is so much more violent by how much it is more amiable and louelie But in what sort doth Charitie presse vs the Charitie of IESVS CHRIST doth presse vs saieth his holy Apostle waighing this matter But what doth these words waighing this matter import It imports that our Sauiours Charitie doth presse vs then especially when we doe waigh consider ponder meditate and remaine attentiue to this resolution of faith But what resolution marke my Good THEOT how he goes engrauing emplanting and forcing his conceite into our hearts Waighing this saieth he and what That if one be dead and IESVS CHRIST died for all Certes it is true if a IESVS CHRIST died for all all the are dead in the person of this onely Sauiour who died for them and his death is to be imputed vnto them since it was endured for them and in consideration of them 2. But what followes out of all this me thinkes I heare that Apostolicall mouth as a thunder making an outcrie to the eares of our hearts It followes then ô Christians what IESVS CHRIST dying for vs desired of vs. And what did he desire of vs but that we should be conformed vnto him to th' end saieth the Apostle that such as liue should henceforth no more liue to themselues but to him that died and rose for them Deare God THEO how powerfull a consequence is this in the matter of Loue IESVS CHRIST died for vs by his death he hath giuen vs life we doe not liue but in so much as he died he died for vs to vs and in vs. Our life then is no more ours but his who did purchase it vs by his death we are not therefore any more to liue to our selues but to him nor in our selues but in him nor for our selues but for him A yoūg Girle of the I le of Sestos had brought vp an Eagle with such diligēce as little childrē are wonte to bestowe vpon such emploiments the Eagle being come to her grouth began by little and little to find her winge and flie at bird's following her naturall instinct afterwards getting more strength she seased vpon wild beasts neuer failing faithfully to bring home the prey to her deare Mistresse as in acknowledgment of the breeding which she had from her Now it happened vpon a day that this young damsell died while the poore Eagle was rouing abrode and her bodie according to the coustome of those times and places was publickly placed vpon the funerall Pile to be brunt but
call them firie of fire burning coles or Carbunkles because in light and splendour they resemble fire but they are called without flame or if we may so saie vnflamie because their light is not onely no wayes hote but they are not euen capable of heate there being â—o fire that can heate them So did our old Fâ—rthers terme the Pagan vertues VERTVES and â—OT-VERTVES both together Vertues because they carried the luster and apparence of vertues NOT-VERTVES because they wanted not onely the vitall â—eate of the Loue of God which alone could perfect them but they were not euen capable of it because they were in subiects wanting faith there being in those times saieth S. AVGVSTINE two Romans famous for their vertue CAESAR and CATO Cato's vertue came much neerer to the true vertue then Caesars did and hauing saied in some passage that the Philosophers who were destitute of true pietie had yet shined in the light of vertue he doth vnsaie it in the first booke of his Retractations esteeming that too great a praise to be giuen to imperfect vertues as those of the Pagans were which in truth are like vnto shining night wormes that shine onely by night and the day being come loose their light For euen so those Pagan vertues are onely vertues in comparison of vice but in respect of true Christian vertues doe not at all deserue the name of vertue 6. Yet whereas they containe some good they may be compared to greene Aples for both their colour and that substance which is left them is as good as that of entire vertues but the worme of of vanitie which is in the midst of them spoyles all and therefore he that would make profit of them must culle out the good from the bad I will easily grant THEO that CATO had a resolute courage and that this resolutnesse was laudable in it selfe but he that would make profit of his example it must be in a iust and laudable subiect not by slaughtering himselfe but by suffering death when true vertue shall exact it not by the vanitie of glorie but by the glorie of veritie as it happened to our Martyrs who with inuincible courages did so many miracles of constancie and resolution that those CATO'S HORACES SENECA'S and LVCRECE'S are in comparison worthy of no consideration witnesse those LAVRENCES VINCENTS VITALISES ERASMVSSES EVGENIASE'S SEBASTIANS AGATHAS AGNESES CATHARINS PERPETVAS FELICITES SYMPHOROSAS NATALESES and a thousand thousand others who make me dayly admire the Admirours of Pagan vertues not so much in that they doe inordinatly admire the imperfect vertues of the Pagans as for that they doe not admire the most perfect vertues of the Christians vertues a thousand times worthy of admiration and they alone are worthy of imitation How humaine actions are without worth being without Gods Loue. CHAPTER XI 1. THe great friend of God ABRAHAM had onely by SARA his principall wife his most onely deare Isaac who also was his onely vniuersall Heire and though he had Ismael by AGAR and diuers other children by CETVRA his seruants and lesse principall wiues yet bestowed he vpon them certaine presents onely and Legacies whereby to put them off and disinherite them because not being allowed off by his cheife wife they could not be his successours Now they were not allowed because as for the children of CETVRA they were all borne after SARA'S decease and concerning Ismael though his mother Agar conceiued him by the permission of SARA her Mistresse howbeit perceiuing her selfe with child she despised her and brought not forth this child vpon her knees as Bala brought forth hers vpon Rachel's THEO the onely children that is the onely acts of holy Charitie are God's Heires Coheires with IESVS CHRIST and the children or the acts of which the other vertues conceiue and bring forth vpon her knees by her command or at least vnder the winges and fauour of her presence But when morall vertues yea euen supernaturall vertues doe produce their actions in the absence of Charitie as they doe amongst Schismatikes according to S. AVGVSTINS relation and sometimes amongst euill Catholikes they are of no value towards the purchace of Paradice no not euen Almes deedes though we should distribute therein all out Substance to the poore Nor yet Martyrdome though we should deliuer our bodie to the fire to be burnt No THE without Charitie saith the Apostle all this were worth nothiÌ„g as we will more amply shew hereafter Now againe the will doth sometimes prooue disobedieÌ„t to her mistresse which is Charitie in the production of morall vertues to wit when as by pride vanitie temporall respects or by some other bad motiue the vertues are turn'd out of their owne nature and then those actions are reiected and banished out of ABRAHAMS house and from Sara's companie that is they are depriued of the fruit and priuiledges of Charitie and consequently are left without worth or merite For those actions strayned in that sort with bad intentions are indeede more vicious then vertuous hauing onely vertue on their outside their interiour belonging to vice which serues them for a motiue witnesse the fastings offerings and other actions of the Pharisie 2. But furthermore as the Israelits liued peaceably in Egipt during Iosephs life time and the life time of LEVI and presently after the death of LEVI were tyrannically reduced into seruitude whence the Iewes tooke their Prouerbe ONE OF THE BROTHERS BEING DECEASED THE OTHERS ARE OPPRES'T as it is registred in the Hebrewes great Chronologie which was published by the learned Archbishop of Aix Gilbert Genebrard whom to his honour I name with consolation whose scholler I was though an vnprofitable one while he was the king's reader at Paris and explicated the Canticle of Canticles so the merits and and fruits as well of morall as Christian vertues doe in a most sweete tranquillitie subsist in the soule while sacred Charitie liues aÌ„d raignes therein but as soone as heauenly loue dies all the merits and fruits of other vertues doe also die vpon it and these are they which the Diuines call DEAD WORKES for that hauing beene borne aliue vnder charities protection and as another Ismael in Abrahams house they doe afterwards loose life and the right of inheritance by the disobedience and rebellion which proceeded from their mother the will 3. O God THEO what a misfortune it is if the iust man forsake his Iustice and turne to iniquitie his workes of iustice shall be no longer held in memorie he shall die in this sinne saieth our Lord in Ezechiel so that mortall sinne doth ouerthowe all the merite of vertues for touching those which are practised while sinne raignes in the soule they are borne so dead that they are vnprofitable for euer to the pretentioÌ„ of life euerlasting and as for those that were practised before the sinne was committed that is while sacred loue liued in the soule their value and merite doth perish and die iust vpoÌ„ its arriuall not being able to
conserue life after Charities death who gaue them life The Lake which profane authours doe commonly call Asphalitus and sacred authours MARE-MORTVVM hath so heauie a curse put vpon it that nothing that is put into it can liue when the fish of Iordaine doe come neere it they die vnlesse they speedily returne backe against the streame The trees vpon the brims of it produce nothing aliue and though their fruit be in apparance and autward shew like to the fruits of other countries howbeit when on puls them they are found to be skinne and core being full of asshes which flie away in the wind These be the markes of infamous sinns for the punishment whereof this Coūtrie which was peopled with three populous Cities was of old conuerted into a pit of filth and corruption and nothing was deamed better to represent the mischeife of sinne then this abominable Lacke which had its origine from the most execrable disorder that could be cōmitted by mans bodie Sinne therefore as a dead and mortall sea kills all that comes neere it nothing is found liuing in the soule which it possesseth nor all about it O God THEO nothing for sinne is not onely a dead worke but is withall so infections and venimous that the most excellent vertues of the sinfull soule doe produce no liuing action And though the actions of sinners haue oftentimes a great resemblance with those of the iust man yet are they indeede barkes onely stuffed with wind and dust whē they are truely looked into and are rewarded of God onely by some present benefits which are bestowed vpō thē as vpon the chambermaids children yet are they such barkes as neither are nor can be so tasted and relished by the Diuine Iustice as to be rewarded with an eternall crowne they die vpon the trees and cannot be conserued in the hand of God being voyd of true worth as it is saied in the Apocalypse to the Bishop of Sardis who was reputed a liuing tree by reason of diuers vertues which he practised and yet dead he was for that being in sinne his vertues were not true liuing fruits but dead barkes glorious to the eyes but no wayes sauorie to the palate so that we may all cast out this true voice following the holy Apostle without Charitie I am nothing nothing doth profit me and with S. AVGVSTINE saie Giue Charitie to a heart and all doth profit depriue it of Charitie and nothing doth profit it I meane towards life euerlasting for as we haue saied the vertuous works of sinners are profitable to our temporall life But my deare THEO what doth it profit a man to gaine all the world temporally if he loose his soule eternally How holy Loue returning into the soule doth reuiue all the works which sinne had slayne CHAPTER XII 1. THe works then of a sinner while he is depriued of Charitie are not profitable to eternall life and therevpon they are called dead works whereas contrariwise the good works of the iust man are saied to be liuing for that the Diuine Loue doth animate and quicken them with its dignitie And if afterwards they loose their life and worth by sinne they are held to be workes that are deaded extinguished or mortified onely but not quite deade especially in the Elect for as our Sauiour speaking of the little Tabitha Iarus his daughter said she was not dead but slept onely because she continued dead so small a time till she was resuscitated that it seemed rather to be a sleepe then a true death So the works of the iust man but especially of the elect who by the commission of sinne dyeth are not called dead works but onely deaded mortified stounded or put into a trance because vpon the next returne of holy Loue they either ought or at least may reuiue and returne to life againe Sinn 's returne depriues the soule and all her workes of life the returne of Grace doth restore life to the soule and all her actions A sharpe winter doth dead all the plants of the fields so that if it continued still they would still continew in the state of death Sinne the sad and daunting winter of the soule doth quayle all the holy workes that it finds there in and if it did alwayes continew neuer would any thing recouer either life or vigour But as in the returne of the pleasant spring not onely the seedes which are sowē by the helpe of this delightfull and fruitfull season doe gratefully bud and blossome euery one in his kind but euen the old plants which the rigour of the winter past had bitten withered and deaded waxe greene and doe resume new force vertue and life So sinne being blotted out and the grace of Diuine Loue returning into the soule the new affections which this spring of grace doth bring doe blossome and bring forth ample merites and blessings but the works that are dried vp and withered by the rigour of the winter of sinns ouer passed as being deliuered from their mortall enemye resume their force waxe strong and as risen from the dead they florish a new and store vp merits for the eternall life Such is the omnipotencie of Diuine Loue or the Loue of the Diuine omnipotencie If the impious turne away himselfe from his impietie and shall doe iudgement and iustice he shall viuificate his soule conuert and doe penance for all your iniquities and iniquitie shall not be a ruine vnto you saieth our Lord. And what is that iniquitie shall not be a ruine vnto you but that the ruine which it made shall be repaired So besides a thousand courtisies that the prodigall sonne receiued at his Fathers hands he was reestablished euen with aduantage in all his ornaments graces fauours and dignities which he had lost And IOB that innocent picture of a penitent sinner did in the end receiue the double of that which he had Verily it is the Councell of Trēts desire that we should encourage the penitents that are returned into fauour with God allmightie in these words of the Apostle Abound in euery good worke knowing that your labour is not vnprofitable in our Lord for God is not vniust to forget your worke and the Loue which you haue showen in his name God then doth not forget the works of those who by sinne hauing lost loue recouers it againe by penance Now God is saied to forget our workes whē they loose their merite and sanctitie by sinne committed and he remembers them when they returne to life and vigour by the presence of holy Loue. So that amongst the faithfull it is not necessarie to the reward of their good works as well by the encrease of grace and future glorie as by the enioying of life euerlasting in effect that one fall not into sinne but it is sufficient according to the Councell of Trent that one depart this life in God's grace and charitie 2. God hath promised an eternall reward to the works of a iust man but if the
be idle he vrgeth vs by this generall commandement to imploy it and to th' end this commandement might haue effect he furniseth euery liuing creature abundantly with all meanes requisite thervnto The visible Sunne toucheth euery thing with his liuely heate and as the common louer of things belowe doth impart vnto them requisite vigour to produce And euen so the diuine goodnesse doth animate all soules and encourage all hearts to her loue none at all being shut vp from her heate The eternall wisdome sayeth Salomon preacheth in publicke she makes her voice resoūd amōgst the places she cries ād recries before the people she pronoūceth her words in the gates of the Citie saying ô children how long will it be that you will loue your infancie how long will fooles desire hurtfull things and the imprudent hate knowledge Conuert your selues returne to me vpon this aduertissement ah behould how I profer you my spirit and I will shew you my wordes And the same wisdome pursueth in EZECHIEL saying Let no man saye I am dead in sinne and how cā I recouer life againe Ah no! for harke God saieth I am liuing and as true as I liue I will not the death of a sinner but that he be conuerted and liue Now to liue according to God is to loue and he that loues not remaines in death See now THEOTIME whether God doth not desire we should loue him 2. But he is not content to denounce in this manner publickly his great desire to be loued so that euery one might receiue a part of the seedes of his loue but he goes euen from doore to doore knocking and beating protesting that if any one open he will enter and suppe with him that is he will testifie all sorts of good will towards him 3. But what would all this saie THEOTIME but that God doth not onely giue vs a meere sufficiencie of meanes to loue him and in louing him to saue our selues but euen a rich ample and magnificent sufficiencie and such as ought to be expected from so great a bountie as his The great Apostle speaking to the obstinate sinner Dost thou contemne saieth he the riches of the bountie patience and longanimitie of God art thou ignorant that the benignitie of God doth draw thee to penāce But thou according to thy hardnesse ād impenitēt heart dost heape vp against thy selfe anger in the day of Anger My deare THEO God doth not therfore exercise a meere sufficiencie of remedies to conuert the obstinate but imployes to this end the riches of his bountie The Apostle as you see doth oppose the riches of God's goodnesse against the treasurs of the impenitēt hearts malice and saieth that the malicious heart is so rich in iniquitie that he despiseth euē the riches of Gods mildnesse by which he drawes him to repentance and marke that the obstinate doth not onely contemne the riches of God's goodnesse but euē riches attractiue to repentance Riches wherof one cānot well be ignorant verily this rich heape and abundant sufficiencie of meanes which God freely bestoweth vpon sinners to loue him doth appeare almost through the whole Scripture For see this diuine Louer at the gate he doth not simply beate but stayes beating he calls the Soule goe to rise my well-beloued dispach put thy hād to the locke to try whether it will open When he preacheth amidst the places he doth not simply preach but goes crying out that is he continues his crie and when he proclaims that euery one should conuert themselues he thinkes he hath neuer repeated it sufficiently Conuert your selues conuert your selues doe penance returne to me liue why dost thou die ô house of Israel In conclusion this heauenlie Sauiour forgets nothing to shew that his mercyes are aboue all his workes that his mercy doth surpasse his Iudgment that his Redemption is copious that his loue is infinite and as the Apostle saieth that he is rich in mercy and by consequence that his will is that all men should be saued none perish How the eternall loue of God doth preuent our hearts with his inspirations to th' end we might loue him CHAPTER IX 1. I Haue loued thee with a perpetuall charitie ād therfore haue drawen thee vnto me hauing pitie and mercy vpon thee and againe I will reedifie thee and thou shalt be built againe virgin of ISRAEL These are God's wordes by which he promiseth that the Sauiour coming into the world shall establish a new raigne in his Church which shall be his Virgin-spouse and true spirituall Israëlite 2. Now as you see THEOT it was not by any merit of the workes which we had done that he saued vs but according to his mercy his auncient yea eternall charitie which moued his diuine Prouidence to draw vs vnto him For if the father had not drawne vs we had neuer come to the Sonne our Sauiour nor consequently to saluation 3. There are certaine birds THEOT which Aristotle calls Apodes for that their legges being extreamly short and their feete feable they haue no more vse of them then though they had none at all so that if at any time they light vpon the groūd they are caught neuer after being able to take flight because hauing no seruice of their legges or feete they haue no further power to rayse and regaine themselues into the ayre but remaine there peuling and dying vnlesse some winde fauorable to their impotencie sending out his blastes vpon the face of the earth sease vpon them and beare them vp as it doth many other things For then making vse of their winges they correspond to this first touch and motion which the winde gaue them it also continewing it's assistance towards them bringing them by little and little to flight 4. THEO Angels are like to the birds which for their beautie and raritie are called birds of Paradice neuer seene in earth but dead For those heauenlie spirits had no sooner forsaken Diuine loue to be fixed vpon Selfe loue till sodainely they fell as dead buried in Hell seeing that the same effect which death hath in men seperating them euerlastingly from this mortall life the same had the Angels fall in them excluding them for euer from eternall life But we mortalls doe rather resemble Apodes For if it chance that we quitting the ayre of holy and diuine loue fall vpon the earth and adheare to creaturs which we doe as often as we offend God we die indeede yet not so absolute a death that there resteth in vs no motiō together with legges and feete to wit some weake affectiōs which enableth vs to make some essaies of loue yet so weakly that in trueth we are impotēt of our selues to reclaime our hearts from sinne or restore our selues to the flight of sacred loue which catifs that we are we haue perfideously and voluntarily forsaken 5. And truely we should well deserue to remaine abandoned of God sith we haue disloyally abandoned him but his eternall charitie doth often not
betwixt his and his right arme folded vnder hers and vnder her breasts Thus he entertained her ād with all did her foure good offices for 1. he gaue testimonie that his heart was louingly carefull of her 2. he neuer desisted to solace her 3. if she felt any touch of her former faintnesse returne he would sustaine her 4. if she light into any rough and difficile way he would be her support and staie And in Ascēts or whē she would make a little more hast he would lift her vp ād powerfully succour her In fine he staied by her with a cordiall regard till night approached ād thē also he would assist in cōueying her to her royall bed 2. The iust soule is the Spouse of our Sauiour and because she is neuer iust but when she is in charitie she is also neuer spouse but she is led into the sacred Closet of those delicious perfumes mentioned in the Canticles Now when the soule thus honored commits sinne she falls as dead of a spirituall faintnesse and this is truely an vnexpected accident for who would euer haue thought that a Creature would haue forsaken her Creator and soueraigne Good for things so slight as the baites of sinne Certes the Heauens are astonished at it and if God were subiect to passions he would fall downe in a sownd at this mishappe as when he was mottall he died vpon the crosse for our Redemption But seeing it is not now necessarie that he should imploy his loue to dye for vs when he seeth the soule ouerthrowne by sinne he commonly runs to her succour and by an vnspeakable mercy laies open the gates of her heart by the stings and remorses of conscience which cōming from the diuers lightes and apprehensions which he cast's into our hearts with healthfull motions by which as by an odoriferous and vitall water he makes the soule returne home to her selfe and senses And all this THEO God works in vs without our helpe his amiable Bountie preuenting vs with his sweetenesse For euen as our languishing Bride had remained dead in her sownd if the king had not assisted so the soule would remaine lost in her sinne if God preuented her not But if the soule thus excitated adde her consent to the feeling of Grace seconding the inspiration which preuented her and receiuing the aides and remedies requisite prouided for her by God he will fortifie her and conduct her through the diuers motions of Faith Hope and Penance euen till he restore her to her true spirituall health which is Charitie Now in her passage frō vertue to vertue by which he disposeth her to Loue he doth not conduct her onely but in such sort sustaine her that as she of her side walkes what she is able so he of his part supports and sustaines her and it is hard to saie whether she goes or she is carried for she is not so carried that she goes not and yet she goes so that if she were not carried she could not goe at all So that to speake Apostolically she must saie I goe not I alone but the Grace of God with me 3. But the Soule being entirely restored to her health by the excellent Epitheme of Charitie which the Holy Ghost infuseth into her heart she is then able to goe and keepe her selfe vpon her feete of her selfe yet by vertue of this health and this sacred Epitheme of holy Loue. Wherefore though she be able to goe of her selfe yet is she to rende the glorie thereof to God who bestowed vpon her a health so vigourous and manlie for whether the Holy Ghost doth fortifie vs by the motions which he doth imprint in our hearts or he doth sustaine vs by the Charitie which he doth infuse into it whether he doth succour vs by manner of assistance in lightening and carrying vs or that he doth strengthen our hearts by poureing into them fortifying and quickening Loue We alwayes liue goe and operate in and by him 4. And although by meanes of Charitie poured into our Soules we are able to walke in the presence of God and make aduancement in the way of Saluation yet so as that the Goodnesse of God doth still assist the soule whom he hath daigned with his Loue continually holding her with his holy hand For so 1. he doth better make appeare the sweetenesse of his loue towards her 2. he goes still more and more encouraging her 3. he giues her comfort against depraued inclinations and euill customes contracted by her former sinne 4. and finally he maintains and defends her from temptations 5. Doe not we often see THEO that sound and lustie men must be prouoked to employ their strength and power well and as one would saie must be drawen by the hand to the worke So God hauing endewed vs with Charitie and in it with force and sufficiencie to gaine ground in the way of perfection his Loue doth not permit him to let vs march all alone but makes him put himselfe vpon the way with vs it vrgeth him to vrge vs and doth sollicite his heart to sollicite and driue forwards ours to make good vse of the Charitie which he gaue vs repeating often by meanes of his inspirations S. PAVLES Aduertisements See that thou receiue not heauenly Grace in vaine while you haue time doe all the good you can runne so as you may winne the goale So that we are often to thinke that he iterats in our eares the words which he vsed to the good Father ABRAHAM walke before me and be perfect 6. But principally the speciall assistance of God is requisite for the soule endewed with Charitie in her enterprises which are sublime and extraordinarie for be it that Charitie though very weake doth sufficiently incline vs and vnlesse I be deceiued afford force inough to performe the workes necessarie to saluatiō yet so that to aspire to and vndertake excellent and extraordinarie actions our hearts stād in neede of putting on and heateing by the hand and motion of this great heauenly Louer as the Princesse in our Parable although restored to health could not ascend nor haue gone fast had not her deare Spouse releeued and strongely sustained her To this Purpose S. ANTONIE and Simeon Stylite were in the Grace of God ād Charitie whē they did designe so high ēterprises as also the B. mother S. TERESA whē she made her particular vow of obediēce S. FRANCIS and S. LEWES when they vndertooke their iorney beyond sea for the aduancement of God's glorie The B. ZAVERIVS when he consecrated his life to the Indians conuersion S. CHARLES in exposing himselfe to serue the pestiferous S. PAVLINE when he sould himselfe to redeeme the poore widowes child yet neuer had they dared so hardie and generous enterprises if God to that Charitie which they had in their hearts had not added speciall forces inspirations inuitations and lights wherby he did animate and push them forward to these extraordinarie essaies of spirituall valour 7. Doe you not
finding themselues sure they put on againe their womans habit and returning to Sea they went to the towne Mylasla in Carâ—â— whither the great S. PAVLE who had found her in Co and had taken her vnder his spirituall protection led her and where afterwards being made Bishop he did so piously direct her that she erected a Monasterie and dedicated it to serue the Church in qualitie of DIACONESSES as in those dayes they were named with such feruour of Charitie that in the end she died a Saint and by a number of miracles which God did by her Relikes and intercessions was acknowledged for such To put on an attire proper to a diuers Sexe and in a disguised manner to expose ones selfe to a iourney together with men doth not onely passe the extraordinarie rules of Christian modestie but is euen contrarie to them A certaine young man hauing giuen his mother a kicke with his foote touched with a liuely repentance confessed it to S. ANTONIE of Padua who to imprint the horrour of his sinne more deepely in his heart saied vnto him amoÌ„gst other things my child the foote which serued for an instrument of wickednesse would deserue to be cut off for so great a trespasse which the youth tooke in so good earnest that being returned home to his mother transported with the feeling of contrition he cut of his foote the Saints words had not had such force according to their ordinarie qualitie vnlesse God had added his inspiration therevnto yea an inspiration so extraordinarie that it was esteemad rather a temptatioÌ„ if the miracle of his reunited foote caused by the Saints benediction had not authorised it S. PAVLE the first Hermite S. ANTONIE S. MARIE EGIPTIACA did not inhabite the vast wildernesse where they were depriued of hearing Masse communicating and confessing yea of all direction and assistance being young people without a strong inspiration The great SYMEON STYLITE led a life that neuer mortall creature would haue dream't of or haue vndertaken without an heaueÌ„ly instinct and assistance SAINT IOHN Bishop surnamed SILENTIARIVS forsaking his Bishoprike without the knowledge of any of his Clergie passed the rest of his dayes in the Monasterie of Laura nor was there after any newes heard of him Was not this contrarie to the rule of keeping a holy Residence And the great S. PAVLINE who sold himselfe to ransome a poore widowes sonne how could he doe it following the ordinarie lawes since he was not his owne but by his Episcopale consecration belonged to the Church and the Common The Virgins and wiues who being pursued for their beautie with voluntarie wounds disfigured their faces that vnder the maske of an holy deformitie they might conserue their chastitie did they not in appareÌ„ce prohibited things 2. Now the best marke of good inspirations in generall and particularly of extraordinarie ones is the peace and tranquillitie of the heart that receiues them for though the holy Ghost be truely violent yet is his violence sweete delicate and peaceable he comes as a blast of winde and as an heaueÌ„ly thunder-clape but he doth not ouerthrow the Apostles he troubles them not the feare which they had in hearing the noyse was of no continuance but was sodainly followed with a sweete assurance So that this fire seates it selfe vpon each of them where it giues and takes a sacred repose and as our Sauiour is called a peaceablâ— oâ— gentle Salomon so is his Spouse termed Sunamite calme and Daughter of Peace and the voice that is the inspiration of God doth not in any sort disquiet or trouble but drawes her so sweetely that he makes her soule deliciously melt and runne into him My soule quoth she melted when my Beloued spoke and though she be warlike and Martiall yet is she withall so peaceable that in the discord of weapons and warrs she maintaines the concord of an incomparable melodie What can you see saied she in the Sunamite but troupes of armed men Her armies consist of troupes that is of concords and singers and her troupes are armed men because the weapons of the Church and of the deuote soule are no other thing then Praiers Hymes Canticles and Psalmes So that seruants of God which had the most high and sublime inspirations were the most milde and peaceable that the world had Abraham Isaac Iacob Moyses are enstyled the most milde amongst men Dauid is famous for his mildnesse Whereas Contrariwise the Euill Spirit is turbulent rough stirring and those that follow hellish suggestions apprehending them to be heauenly inspirations are commonly easily knowen being disquieted headie fierce enterprisers and sticklers in affaires who vnder the cloake of Zeale doe turne all topce-turnie censure all the world chide euery one find fault with all things they are a people that will not be directed by or condiscend to any they will beare with nothing but exercise the passions of selfe-loue vnder the title of Zeale of Gods honour The third Marke of the Inspiration which is holy obedience to the Church and Superiours CHAPTER XIII 1. HOly humilitie is inseparably adioyned to the peace and sweetenesse of heart But I doe not terme a complementall ranging of words gestures and kissings of the ground obeissance inclinations humilitie being done as it often fals out without any inward sense of our owne abiection and of the iust conceite we make of our neighbour for these are but the vaine amusemeÌ„ts of a weake braine and are rather to be termed fantomes of humilitie then humilitie 2. I speake of a noble reall pithie and solide humilitie which makes vs supple to correction pliable and prompt to obedience While the incomparable Simeon Stylite was yet a Nouice at Toledo he could not be stirred by his Superiours aduise who sought to reclame him from the practise of so many strang austerities by which he was inordinatly cruell to hiÌ„selfe so that at leÌ„gth he was turned out of the Monasterie vpon it as one that was incapable of the mortificatioÌ„ of the miÌ„d aÌ„d too much addicted to that of the bodie but beiÌ„g recalled againe to the Monasterie aÌ„d become more deuote aÌ„d prudeÌ„t in spirituall life his behauiour was quite other as in the ensuing action he declared for the Hermits which were disperced in the neighbour Deserts of Antioche hauing notice of the extraordinarie life which he led vpon the Pillar in which he seemed to be either an earthly Angell or a neauenly maÌ„ they dispatched a Deputie with order to speake vnto him from them as followeth Why dost thou Simeon leauing the high way of perfection which so great and holy Forerunners haue troden follow another vncouth and farre different from all that hath bene seene or heard to this day Simeon forsake the Pillar and sort thy selfe with others as well in their manner of life aâ— in their methode of seruing God vsed by our holy Auncesters In case Simeon yeelding to their aduise and condescending to their pleasures should shew himselfe readie to descend they had
vnto God CHAPTER I. 1. VErtue is of it's owne nature so amiable that God doth fauour it wheresoeuer he finds it The PagaÌ„s though they were enemies to the Diuine Maiestie did now and theÌ„ 〈◊〉 certaine ciuill and morall vertues which were not by their nature placed aboue the forces of a reasonable spirit Now you may thinke THEOT how small a matter this was for though these vertues made a great shew yet in effect they were of little worth by reason of the lownesse of their intention that practised them who laboured in a manner for no other thing then honour as S. AVGVSTINE saieth or for some other pretention of light consideratioÌ„ as for the entertainement of ciuill societie or by reason of some weake inclination they had to good which meeting with no great contradiction carried them oâ— to minute actions of vertue as for example to mutuall salutations to aide their friends to liue moderatly not to steale to fidelitie towards ones Maister to paie hirelings wages And neuerthelesse though this was so slender and full of diuers imperfections God tooke it in good part at those poore peoples hands and recompensed it largely 2. The midwiues whom Pharao commanded to kill all the male children of the Israelits â—ere without all dispute Egyptians and Pagans for making their excuse that they had not executed the Kings pleasure The hebrow women saied they are not like Egyptians for they know how to receiue the child and before we come vnto them they are deliuered an excuse which had not bene to the purpose if these midwiues had bene Iewes besids that it is not credible that Pharao would haue graunted so sharpe a Commission to Iewish-women against Iewish-women being of the same nation and religioÌ„ and with all Iosephus doth witnesse they were indeede Egiptians And be it they were Egiptians and Pagans yet did they feare to offend God by so barbarous and vnnaturall a crueltie as had bene the Masacre of so many little children which the diuine sweetenesse tooke so well at their hands that he built them houses that is to saie he made them become fruitfull in children and in temporall riches 3. NABVCODONOZOR king of Babilon had waged a iust warre against the towne of Tyrie which the Diuine Iustice would chastice and God signified to Ezechiel that in recompence thereof he would deliuer vp Egipt into the hands of NABVCODONOZOâ— and his armie Because saieth God they haue laboured for me hence addes S. HIEROME in his commentaries we learne that in case the Pagans themselues doe any Good they are not vnrewarded by God's Iudgement So did DANIEL exhort NABVCODONOZOR an Infidell to redeeme his sinnes by almes that is to ransome himselfe out of the temporall paines due vnto his sinne which hung ouer his head Doe you see then THEO how true it is that God doth esteeme vertues though practised by persons otherwise wicked If he had not approued the mercye of those Midwiues and the iustice of the Babilonian warrs would he haue taken the paines I praie you to haue rewarded them And if Daniel had not knowen that notwithstanding Nabucodonozors infidelitie his almes-deedes were agreeable vnto God why would he haue counselled him them Certes the Apostle assures vs that Pagans who haue no faith doe naturally performe that which belongs vnto the law and in doing so who can doubt but they doe well or that God doth make accompt of it Pagans vnderstoode that marriage was good and necessarie they saw that it was conuenient to haue their children brought vp in sciences in loue of their countries in ciuilitie and they did so Now I leaue it to your consideration whether this was not gratefull vnto God since to this end he indewed them with the light of reason and a naturall propention 4. Naturall reason is a good tree which Gods owne finger planted in our soule the fruits that spring from it cannot otherwise be then good yet in truth in comparison of that which springs from grace they are of a very lowe rate though not of no value sith God put a rate vpon them bestowing in respect of them temporall rewards as he rewarded the morall vertues of the Romans according to S. AVGVSTINE with the great extention and glorious reputation of their Empire 5. Sinne without question makes the soule sicke whence she is not able to performe great and powerfull operations though little ones she can for all the sicke mans actions are not sicke he speakes he sees he heares he drinkes The soule in sinne can doe good workes which being naturall are rewarded with naturall rewards being ciuile they are payed with ciuile and humane money that is with temporall commodities The sinner is not in the state of the diuills whose wills are so drunke vp and incorporated in euill that they can will no good at all No THEO the sinner in this world is not in this estate He is thereby indeede wounded to death in the way betwixt Hierusalem and Ierico but as yet is not dead for saieth the Ghospell he is left halfe aliue and as such he can produce actions halfe a liue t is true he can neither walke nor rise nor crie for aide no not so much as speake saue onely languidly by reason of his faint heart yet can he open his eyes stirre his fingers sigh make some little complaints which are weake actions notwithstanding all which he might haue bene found miserably lying dead in his owne blood had not the mercifull Samaritaine poured his owne honie and wine into his wounds and carried him to a lodging where he gaue charge that he should be dressed and looked too at his cost 5. Naturall reason is deeply wounded and halfe slayne by sinne so that being so at vnder it cannot obserue all the Commandements which notwithstanding it apprehends to be conuenient It knowes its dutie but cannot acquit it selfe thereof It 's eyes hath more light to discouer the way then its legges hath strength to vndertake it 6. The sinner may indeede here and there obserue some of the Commandements yea all of them for some small time while there is not presented vnto him high subiects in which commanded vertues are to be practised or some violent temptation of committing a prohibited sinne But that a sinner should siue loÌ„g in his sinne whithout adding to it new ones is not a thing that can be done but by God's speciall protection For mans enemie is hot stirring and in perpetuall action to precipitate him and when he sees that occasion of practising ordinarie vertues doe not occurre he stirrs vp a thousand temptations to make him fall into forbidden things at which time NATVRE without GRACE cannot warrant it selfe from falling for if we ouercome it 's God giues vs the victorie through IESVS CHRIST as S. PAVLE saieth watch and praie that you enter not into temptation If God had saied onely WATCH we should apprehend our owne power sufficient but adding PRAIE he showes that if he keepe
iust man turne from his iustice by sinne God will no longer remember the iustice and good works which he hath done But yet if this poore fallen man doe afterwards rise and returne into Gods grace by penance God will thinke no more of his sinne and not remembring his sinne he will turne mindfull of his former good works and of the reward which he promised them since sinne which alone had blotted them out of the diuine memorie is wholy raysed out abolished annihilated so that in that case God's Iustice doth oblige his Mercy or rather his Mercy doth enforce his Iustice to looke a new vpon their precedent good works euē as though he had neuer forgottē thē otherwise the sacred penitent had not dared to saie to his Maister render vnto me the ioye of thy saluation and confirme me with thy principall spirit for as you see he doth not onely require a newnesse of heart and spirit but he pretends to haue the ioye rendred vnto him which sinne had bereft him off Now this ioye is no other thing then the wine of heauenly Loue which doth reioyce mans heart 3. It fares not alike with sinne in this behalfe as with the workes of charitie for the iust mans workes are not blotted out abolished or annihilated by the commission of sinne but are onely forgotten marry the sinnes of the wicked are not onely forgotten but are euen raysed out clenged abolished and annihilated by holy penāce wherevpon the sinne that is committed by the iust man doth not cause the sinne that was once pardoned to liue againe because it was entirely annihilated But when loue returnes into the penitent soule it makes her former good works returne to life againe because they were not abolished but onely forgotten And this obliuion of the works of the iust man who hath forsaken his iustice and charitie consisteth in this that it made them vnprofitable while sinne made him vncapable of eternal life which is their fruit and therefore as soone as by the returne of Charitie he is rancked againe with the childen of God and thereby made capable of immortall glorie God recals to mind his auncient good works and they become againe fruitfull It were not reasonable that sinne should haue as much power ouer Charitie as Charitie hath against sinne For sinne is an issue of our infirmitie Charitie proceedes from God's power If sinne abound in malice to ruinate vs Grace doth superabound to worke the reparation and God's Mercy by which he blots out sinne doth rayse it selfe continually and becomes gloriously triumphant ouer the rigour of Iudgement whereby God had forgotten the good workes which went before sinne In this sort in the corporall cures which our Sauiour did by miracle he did not onely restore health but withall added new benedictions making the cure farre passe the desease so bountifull is he to man 4. I neuer saw red nor heard that waspes oxebees flies and such other little hurtfull creatures being once dead did reuiue and returne to life againe but that the vertuous and harmelesse honie Bee can rise againe it is a common report and I haue often red it It is saied these are Plinies words that if one keepe the dead bodies of the drowned bees all the winter with in the house and expose thē to the sunne beames the spring following couered ouer with ashes of the figue tree they will rise againe and be as good as euer That iniquities and sinfull workes cā returne to life after they haue once bene drowned and abolished by penance truly my THEO neuer for as muche as I know did the Scripture or any Diuine saie it yea the contrarie is authorised by holy writ and by the common consent of Doctours But that good works which like vnto the sweete Bee doe compound the honie of merite being drowned in sinne can afterwards regaine life when couered with the ashes of penance they are exposed to the sunne of grace and Charitie is held and cleartly taught by all the Diuines nor are we to doubt but that they become profitable and fruitfull as before When Nabuzardan destroyed Hierusalem and Israel was led in captiuitie the holy fire of the Altar was hid in a well where it was turned into mud but this mud being drawen out of the well and exposed to the sunne after their returne from Captiuitie the dead fire kindled againe and the mud was turned into flames When the iust man is made slaue to sinne all the works of his life are miserably forgotten and turnd into durt but being deliuered out of Captiuitie to wit when by penance he returnes into grace with heauenly Charitie his former good works are drawen out of the well of obliuion and touched with the raves of heauenly mercy they returne to life and are conuerted into as cleare flames as euer to be sacrificed on the sacred Altar of the diuine approbation and to be restored againe to their wonted dignitie price and value How we are to reduce all the exercise of all the vertues and all our actions to holy Loue. CHAPTER III. 1. BRute beastes though they know not the end of their actions doe indeede tend to their end but pretend it not for to pretend is to tend to a thing by purpose before we tend to it in effect They cast as it were their actions towards their end yet forecast they not but follow their instinct without election or intention But man is Maister in such sort ouer his humane and reasonable actions that in them all he proposeth some end and can direct them to one or many particular ends as he pleaseth for he can change the naturall end of an action as when he sweares to deceiue another whereas contrariwise the end of an oath is to hinder deceite He can also adde another end to the naturall end of an action as when besides the intention of succouring of the needie which is the end of Almes-deedes he adds the intention of obliging the needie to render him like for like 2. Now we adde sometimes a lesse perfect end thē is the end of our actiō sometimes we adde an end of equall or like perfectiō sometimes also an end that is more high and eminent for besides the assistāce of the poore which is the principall ēd of Almes-deedes may not one pretend 1. to gaine his affection 2. to edifie his neighbour 3. to please God which are three diuers ends whereof the first is the least the second is not much better the third farre exceeding the common end of almes deeds So that as you see we haue power diuersly to perfect our actions according to the varietie of motiues ends and intentions which we haue in doing them 3. Be good Exchangers saieth our Sauiour Let vs be carefull therefore THEO not to change the motiues and ends of our actions but for our profit ād aduātage ād to doe nothing in this trafike but by good order and reason Behold for exāple this or that man who