the testimony of the Apostles by the Pledge of the Holy Ghost in Baptism which is a Pledg of our Inheritance by an Earnest that is a fore-taste of the Sweetness of God in Devotion by an Hostage who is Christ the only begotten Son of God To this double Joy the Apostle exhorts us saying Phil. 4. Rejoyce ye in our Lord alwaies to wit for the Divine Union Again I say Rejoyce to wit for the Certitude of Eternal Beatitude He has ground and matter of true Joy who is by inward inspiration assured of the remission of all his Sins by which he grievously offended God and every Creature and lost all the Grace he had received and deserved never to have any more bestowed on him This assurance had S. Mary Magdalen to whom our Lord said Luke 7. Her many sins are forgiven her because she loved much And S. Francis of whom it is said that it was revealed to him that even the last farthing of his Sins was remitted him Another Argument and Matter of Joy is an Assurance of Mind that one is the Son of God and Heir of the Kingdom of Heaven This Assurance the Holy Ghost gives as the Apostle saies Rom. 8. For the Spirit it self bears witness to our Spirit that we are the Sons of God But if Sons also Heirs Heirs indeed of God but co-Heirs with Christ This Assurance the Apostle had when he said in the same Chap. I am sure that neither Death nor Life nor any Creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God An Argument of false Joy is to be delighted in transitory things whether they be temporal Riches or carnal Friendships or some corporal Commodity or temporal Joy This Joy is the Trap of Sadness For when these things pass away Joy passes and Sadness follows And unless such Sadness depart out of the Heart true Joy shall never enter into it because they cannot be together no more than Fire and Water which mutually expell one another There is also somtimes a natural Joy when a man thinks or speaks or hears another speak or reads of the Perfection of God there is also a natural Joy in the desire of the Kingdom of Heaven For all naturally desire Beatitude This Joy in like manner is Vain and it is hard to discern when it is a free gift of Grace and from God and when natural Happy were he who could say with Esaias Chap. 61. Rejoycing I will Rejoyce in the Lord to wit my Creator and my Soul shall Joy in my God to wit my Redeemer Because he has clothed me with the Garment of Salvation c. CHAP. XXIV Of Sadness TRUE Sadness is a grief of Heart for all the Injuries which the patient God has causelesly endured from his Creatures from the beginning of the World and which he shall endure until the end of it as well from Spiritual as from Worldly men This Grief ought to draw innumerable tears of Blood from the Eyes of all that love God Another part of true Sadness is that a man is oftentimes overcome in Temptations without making any resistance For when he sees or hears any thing in Birds or Beasts which belongs to Impurity instantly the mind is defiled with impure Thoughts or Delights or Affections And when the Soul by any of the five Senses perceives any thing which may move it to Vain-glory Envy Anger Rancor Detraction Avarice Levity Carnal Friendship or any Sin whatsoever forthwith without fighting it falls into some of the fore-mentioned faults doubtful whether ever it shall rise again out of such a Sin or no. And if by the help of God it do rise again it is uncertain if it ever recover the Grace which it had and so great Grace as it had before For man can fall of himself but he cannot of himself rise again Because they are Flesh a Spirit going away and not returning Psal 77. Another part of true Sadness is that manifold Graces flowing out of the Fountain of the Divine goodness come to nothing because they do not return to the Principal from whence they flowed with a manifold increase according to the Design of God This all Creatures can never sufficiently bewail We ought to be induced to true Sadness by the most holy Example of our Lord Jesus whose Soul was Sad from the very beginning of his Life to his very Death Who also acknowledged the Sad to be happy saying Mat. 5. Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Because Joys cannot be found but by Sadness as a certain Gloss sayes upon the Canonical Epistle of St. James The profit also which proceeds from Sadness ought to induce us hereunto For true Sadness is more profitable than true Joy according to that Eccles 7. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting For oftentimes one is humbled by Sadness but is lifted up by Joy And which is more lamentable sometimes a Spiritual man after Joy and Devotion of Mind becomes more free that day and less vigilant over his Actions than he would have been if he should have had no Joy Another profit of Sadness is Whereas Prayers and other Good Works anoint and cherish God Tears which are an effect of Sadness compell or prick him according to S. Bernard An Argument of true Sadness is when the Mind is not depressed by Grief but elevated Nor would it be freed from Sadness but still desires more But Sadness by which the mind is deprest and from which it desires instantly to be freed is not Good Such is the Sadness of which it is written Pro. 17. Sadness of Heart dryes up the bones to wit of Virtues and S. James Chap. 1. The Anger of man which proceeds from Sadness does not Work the Justice of God He has an Argument of true Sadness who restrains his Senses from whatsoever delicacies He does not See nor Hear nor Taste nor Smell nor Touch any thing by which his grief may be mitigated He flyes also all Places and all Companies by whose Conversation the grief of his Heart may be diminished For he is certain the most Secure way is to end his Life in true Sadness according to that Eccles. 7. The Heart of the Wise is where there is Sadness The Heart of Fools where there is Joy He has an Argument of false Sadness who considering not the most wise ordination of God is tormented for the loss of temporal Goods or for the affliction or Death of Friends or for the infirmity of his own Body or for his own Correction Such a Sadness confers no Grace but tears the mind in pieces according to that Pro. 25. As a Moth in a garment and a worm in wood so the Sadness of a man hurts his Heart and Chap. 15. By the Sadness of the Heart the Spirit is dejected CHAP. XXV Of Gratitude TRUE and Perfect Gratitude is to magnifie the Exellency of the gifts of God in the Soul with
without good Works Such Hope is Vain as it is said in the Book of Wisdom Chap. 5. The Hope of the Wicked is as Down which is carried away by the wind and as a thin Froth which is scatter'd by Storms and as Smoke which the Wind disperses and as the memory of a Guest for a day in passing CHAP. XXII Of Fear JUST Fear is a diligent keeping of the Divine Precepts in Faith and Manners Also Just Fear is an Anxiety of Heart withdrawing a man from the unlawful use of the Members of his Body and of his outward Senses and inward Affections lest the Soul should be wholly separated from God or somewhat estranged from familiarity with him Taking heed also lest the Mind take delight in Meat Drink Sleep or in any other the least Creature and so decay in its fervour This Anxiety the Spouse had to her beloved lest she should offend him in any Motion Gesture Word or Deed and thereby incur his disfavor Also lest she should be less gratefull through any the very least fault Just fear makes to abstain not only from grievous Sins but also from Venial For by a custom even of Venials Security of mind and familiarity with God is lost and many Graces neglected The manifold profit of just Fear ought to induce us thereunto For it is the beginning of Wisdom as the Psalmist testifies Psal 110. And the beginning of Justice according to that He who is without fear cannot be justified Eccles 1. It is also the Seal and Conclusion of all Virtues and Graces according to that Eccles 25. The fear of God puts it self above all things Where the fear of the Lord is not all Grace is soon lost and the Conscience is perverted according to that Eccles. 27. If thou dost not diligently keep thy self in the fear of the Lord thy House shall soon be overturned S. Bernard brings another Benefit of the Fear of God I have truly learnt that nothing is so efficacious to obtain to keep and to recover Grace as alwaies to be found before God not to be high-minded but to fear Blessed is the man who alwaies fears Prov. 28. Fear therefore when Grace smiles upon thee fear when it leaves thee fear when it returns again and this is to fear alwayes And a little after When it is present fear lest thou shouldest not work worthily with it And a little after Fear when Grace shall be taken away from thee as one who art instantly about to fall And again Now if Grace is propitiously returned thou oughtest much more to fear lest perchance thou suffer a relapse according to that in the Gospel John 5. Behold thou art cured Go thy ways now and sin no more lest some worse thing befall thee To the same the miserable Fall of the Angels ought to induce us concerning which Job says ch 4. Behold those who serve him are not stable and he has found wickedness in his Angels How much more they who inhabit Houses of Dirt who have an Earthly Foundation shall be consumed as it were with a Moth. Also the Falls of Holy men from the beginning of the World as of Adam Sampson Solomon and of all the Apostles And alas at this very day very Holy men are thrown down according to that Psal 90. Thousands shall fall on thy side that is who ought to have sat by the side of the Judge in Judgment and ten thousands on thy right hand that is who ought to have been placed on the right hand of Christ Whence the Gloss says There are many who think they shall judge others and there are many more who think they shall be placed on the right hand amongst those that are saved but they are deceived For they who presume of themselves and have not their Root fixed on high fail in their imaginations We ought to be moved to the same by the Example of the Saints fearing God as Job says of himself ch 31. I have alwaies feared God as Waves swelling over me Upon that of Job Chap. 17. All that I have shall go down into the deepest Hell and do you think at least there I shall be at rest The Gloss says Consider who of us can be secure of Rest when he is afraid whom the Judge himself commends S. Hierom speaking of himself says as often as I think upon the day of Judgment my whole body trembles What then shall such poor wretches as we do when so great men tremble He has an Argument of Just Fear who is so sollicitous in all things which belong to God that at no time nor place he neglects any thing that is possible unto him Yea according to his power he does all things fervently whence it is said in Ecclesiastes chap. 7. He who fears God neglects nothing And in Ecclesiasticus Chap. 15. He who feares God will do good things He has an Argument of unjust Fear who for the loss of Body or Goods and not for God does do good and omit ill or do ill and omit Good This Fear our Lord prohibits saying Math. 10. Do not fear those who kill the Body And Esaias Chap. 51. Who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a mortal man To such the Lord saies Deut. 32. Where are their Gods in which they put their Confidence CHAP. XXIII Of Joy TRUE Joy or Gladness is to be comforted in those things which belong to God For the matter of all Joy is in God to wit Power Wisdom Goodness Liberality Beauty Beatitude Mercy Justice Truth Nobility Sanctity Meekness Faithfulness Charity Humility and all such like Excellencies And all these things are immensly and eternally in God He has true Joy who has a sincere Conscience in all his Doings Nor does ever wittingly transgress the Divine Precepts and Vows but alwaies endeavours to grow better and to conform himself to the Example and Divine Manners of Jesus Christ Of this Conscience the Apostle rejoyced and gloryed saying 2 Cor. 1. This is our Glory the Testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity of Heart and sincerity of God and not in Carnal Wisdom but in the Grace of God we have had our Conversation in this World but more abundantly to you wards It ought to move us to true Joy that the All-good God amongst all Creatures has so far united Humane Nature alone to himself that it may with Truth he said God is Man and Man is God And whatsoever God has by nature Man has by Grace For he did not take the Nature of Angels but the Seed of Abraham as the Apostle says Heb. 2. S. Chrysostom Is it not a great and wonderful thing that our Flesh should sit above and be adored by Angels and Arch-angels Another motive is that God has assured us of Eternal Beatitude by the Promises of the Law and the Prophets and also by Oath according to that Luk. 1. The Oath which he swore to Abraham our Father that he would give us By the four Evangelists by
if thou doest true Penance whilst thou art in Health and thy last Day shall come run to be reconciled if thou doest so thou art secure Why art thou secure Because thou hast done Penance at that time when thou couldest also have sinned But if thou wilt then do Penance when thou canst no longer sin thy Sins have left thee not thou them But thou sayest how do I know if perhaps God may not pardon thee Thou sayest very true How do I know I know not That I know this I know not For therefore I give thee Penance because I know not For if I knew that it would profit thee nothing I would not give it thee Also if I knew that it would profit thee I would not admonish thee I would not fright thee There are two things either thou shalt be pardoned or thou shalt not he pardoned which of these two shall be thy Lot I know not therefore lay hold on the certain and let go the uncertain They who desire to obtain true Confidence it behoves them to convert their Strength to spiritual Works according to that of Esaias chap. 40. They who hope in the Lord shall change their Strength they shall take Wings as an Eagle they shall run and not labour they shall walk and not faint That they who were before strong to corporeal Labours may afterwards be strong to spiritual Labours He has an Argument of Diffidence who not esteeming the grace of Redemption knowingly goes on in his Sins whence in the Gospel Jo. 9. We know that God does not hear Sinners but if any one be a Worshipper of God and do his Will him he hears And Psal 65. If I have regarded Iniquity in my Heart the Lord will not hear me And Esaias 59. Your Iniquities have divided betwixt you and your God and your Sins have hid his Face from you that he should not hear you He has an Argument of false Confidence who thinks the most just God will be so far overcome by Mercy and Pity that in the day of Judgment he will save all both good and bad because he has died for all against this our Lord says Matth. 25. These shall go into eternal Punishment but the Just into eternal Life He also has an Argument of false Confidence who thinks a Sinner can deserve the first Grace when he pleases Also if any one believe that he who abounds here in temporal Goods shall abound hereafter in everlasting Joy against this it is said The Just shall see to wit the wicked Man in Hell and shall fear and shall laugh over him and shall say Behold the Man who made not God his Helper but hoped in the Multitude of his Riches and prevailed in his Vanity CHAP. XXXVII Of the Contempt of the World A True Contempt of the World is to renounce the temporal things of this Life the Pomps of the World all Dignities and Superiorities Spiritual and Secular and to withdraw ones self from all his carnal Friends and secular Manners for the hope of eternal Happiness To this S. John exhorts us 1. Epistle 2. Do not love the World nor those things that are in the World This Contempt S. Augustin had when whatsoever was done in the World displeased him And when he discoursed with his Mother very sweetly and amidst that Discourse the World with all its Delights was vile and disgustful unto him In like manner St. Agnes St. Catharine St. Cecily and other Virgins contemned the World and all its Glory for the love of our Lord Jesus Christ The Worlds great unfaithfulness to it's Lovers at last ought to induce us to the Contempt and hatred of it For this was done even to the Creator himself by the wicked Worldlings whom upon Palm-sunday they gloriously received going out to meet him and singing Math. 21. Hosanna to the Son of David blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest But afterwards on Good-Friday they went forth crying to Pilate Crucifie him Crucifie him if he had not been a Malefactor we had not delivered him unto thee Jo. 18. And when he hung upon the Cross they mocked him saying save thy self if thou art the Son of God Math. 27. And him whom they received with Palmes Flowers and green leaves they crowned with pricking thorns and beat with Rods and Whips and for him whom they strowed their own garments in the way him they stript and spoiled of all his garments before the Cross and changed the Glory they gave him into Reproach The danger which comes from the love of the World ought to induce us to the Contempt and Hatred of it For St. James testifies Chap. 4. Know ye not that the friendship of this World is Enmity with God Whosoever therefore will be a friend of this World becomes an Enemy of God And because the World hated our Lord Jesus and all his Friends as he told his Apostles for their Comfort Jo. 15. If the World hate you know that it hated me before it hated you He has an Argument of Contempt of the World who cares not for Nobility of Parentage nor seeks the Pleasures of the Flesh nor desires Riches nor Honours Such was Moses concerning whom the Apostle Heb. 11. By Faith Moses denied himself to be the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter against Nobility chusing rather to be afflicted with the People of God than to enjoy the delight of Sin for a time against Pleasure esteeming the Reproach of Christ greater Riches than all the Treasures of Egypt against Riches for he had an Eye to the Recompence of Reward He has another Argument of true Contempt of the World who is neither effeminared with the flatteries of the World nor terrified with its Threats nor is moved either with the Praise or Dispraise of men In this Contempt of the World was the Apostle when he said Phil. 3. I havè made all things as loss and I estèem them as Dung that I may gain Christ He has an Argument of false Contempt of the World who then first abstains from the love of it and its Allurements when by reason of old Age and Poverty he cannot enjoy it For then he does not leave the World but is left by the World As alas how many are there who then begin to leave off to sin when they can sin no longer CHAP. XXXVIII Of Mortification TRUE Mortification of the Flesh is when one voluntarily chastizes his Body with Fastings Watchings Prayers Hair-shirts Disciplines and Abstinence from delightful Meat and Drink that in all things the Flesh may be subject to the Spirit This the Apostle did when he said 1 Cor. 9. I chastize my Body and bring it into servitude lest perhaps when I shall have preached to others I my self may be a Reprobate And Judith who was fair and young a Widow and rich after she had dwelt with her husband three years and six Months from her Virginity she had a Hair-shirt upon her loyns and
fasted every day except the Solemn Feasts Jud. 8. The great Profit which comes from the mortification of the Flesh ought to induce us to it For by the mortification of the Flesh the Spirit is strengthened in Spiritual exercises According to that of the Apostle 2 Cor. 12. For when I am weak in the Flesh then I am strong in Spirit And on the contrary by the cherishing of the Flesh the rigor of the Spirit is damped in Spiritual exercises according to that of St. Augustin The delicate Flesh burns up and consumes the Soul as the Fire Stubble An Argument of true Mortification is when no Pleasure but only what 's necessary is allowed to the Flesh according to that of the Apostle Rom. 8. We are Debtors not to the Flesh that we should live according to the Flesh For pleasure exacts many more things and more delicate than necessity requires but necessity is contented with a few things And the Apostle subjoyns the Evil which follows Pleasure saying If ye shall live according to the Flesh ye shall dye but if by the Spirit ye shall mortifie the Deeds of the Flesh ye shall live But the Works of the Flesh are manifest which are Fornication Vncleanness Immodesty Luxury Serving of Idols Witchcrafts Enmities Contentions Emulations Anger 's Brawlings Dissensions Sects Envies Murthers Drunkennesses Junkettings and such like which I fore-tel you as I have fore-told you that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Gal. 5. Another Argument is when any one according to the Counsel of Jesus Christ hates his own Soul in this World for our Lord himself says Luk. 14. If any one come to me and do not hate his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brothers and Sisters and moreover his own Soul he cannot be my Disciple Which St. Gregory expounding says For then we well hate our own Soul when we do not yield to it 's carnal Desires when we break it's Appetites resist it's Pleasures that therefore which by being contemned is led to something that 's better is as it were loved through Hatred But he who does not restrain his Soul from it's Concupiscences precipitates himself into the Snares of the Devil according to that of Ecclesiasticus chap. 18. If thou yieldest to thy Soul her Concupiscences she will make thee a Joy to thine Enemies As Dalila delivered up the valiant Sampson to the Philistins to be mocked Jud. 16. He has not an Argument of true Mortification who only bridles his Belly and Mouth from the Pleasure of Meat and Drink but bridles not his Tongue from unlawful Words nor his Sight Hearing Tasting Smell and Touching from their Delight nor his Heart from voluptuous Thoughts and Affections For it is a small matter to restrain the Mouth and Belly from Meats when the Heart and the five Senses are sed with Delights Whence St. Chrysostom They who abstain from Meats and do ill they imitate the Devils to whom not Meat but Wickedness is always present CHAP. XXXIX Of Contrition TRUE Contrition is a grief for Sins voluntarily assumed according to the quantity and quality of the Crimes with a purpose of confessing and making Satisfaction proceeding from the free grace of God for a natural Grief or a Grief without grace profits or is good for nothing Jeremy expresses the quantity of the Grief when he says Make to thy self the mourning for an only Son This the Lord commanded in Joel saying Cut your Hearts To this cutting are helpful the Thorns Nails Rods Whips Cross and Spear which cut the body of our Lord Jesus Christ True Contrition is very rare as testifies St. Gregory We must know that there are some who although leaving the World they offer indeed all they have and yet have not Compunction in the good things which they do nor must we always believe there is true Compunction where there are Sighs and Tears for such things are often wont to come from the fear of Hell or from the consideration of some Damage or from natural Grief or from natural Compassion when one remembers the Enormity of his Crimes or the most bitter Passion of Jesus Christ To true Contrition is required a grief for all the Sins we have committed and for all the good we have omitted and for all the Graces neglected to our selves and others and also for those which might by occasion of us be committed or neglected It will move us to true Contrition if we seriously think what we have lost by Sin to wit the Holy Ghost with his Gifts and all gratuit Graces the Friendship of the B. Trinity and the Society of the celestial Court Also what we have got by Sin to wit eternal Death the Malediction of God the Father as the Psalmist testifies Psal 118. Cursed are they who decline from thy Commandments The Hatred of our Lord Jesus Christ who hates all those who work Iniquity The departure of the Holy Ghost Who takes himself away even from Thoughts which are without Vnderstanding as he says in the book of Wisdom chap. 1. But much more from wicked Works for these are worse and more horrible than the very pains of Hell as says St. Chrysostom The great Profit also proceeding from the same ought to induce us thereunto for the least Contrition effaces all the blots of the Soul kills eternal Death confers the Benediction of God the Father restores the Friendship of God the Son the Familiarity of the Holy Ghost and the Society of the supernal Citizens And Contrition how little soever it be more satisfies than the greatest Alms we can give All these things often weighed in the ballance of the Heart are inductive of true Compunction He has an Argument of true Contrition who does so detest the filthiness of Sin that he would rather chuse all the pains of Purgatory than commit any Sin against his most gracious God and who would expose himself rather to the pains of Hell with Eleazarus than for the future deliberately commit any Sin which also St. Augustin says ought rather to be chosen And who would most willingly endure the torments of all the Martyrs that he might hereby merit never more to commit any Sin and who would offer himself to all the Sufferings of the Sick and Poor that he might duely satisfie God for his Offences He has an Argument of false Contrition who although he weep bitterly for the Sins he has committed yet instantly after his Grief he is not afraid to commit the same or other Sins Against this it is said in Ecclesiasticus ch 34. He who is washed from the Dead and again touches the dead what doth his washing profit him In like manner he who is sorry for his past Sins and does not resolve for the future to leave his Sins to wit his Pride Envy carnal Friendship fleshly Delights or the unjust Possession of the Goods of others Concerning which S Augustin says The Sin is not forgiven unles that which
was taken away be restored Against this it is said in Ecclesiasticus Chap. 34. One building and another throwing down what profit have they but their Labour He throws down who is sorry for his Sins he builds who continues in a will to Sin concerning such a building St. Augustin says Out of a perverse will is made lust or desire And whilst lust is served there is made a custom And whilst a custom is not resisted there is made a necessity CHAP. XL. Of Confession TRUE Confession is a sincere and rightful manifestation of Sins without concealment to a Priest This our Lord commanded when he said to the Lepers Luk. 17. Go shew your selves to the Priest And St. James chap. 5. Confess your Sins to one another To true Confession it is required that it be entire pure discreet faithful and perfect According to that of Lamentations 2. Pour out thy Heart as Water before the sight of the Lord. By pouring out is noted the Integrity for we must not industriously tell our Sins by drops which we have never confessed but whatsoever we can together call to Mind must altogether be poured out before one Priest as Water Where it is noted Confession ought to be simple and pure not made out of servile Fear or by Compulsion but purely and simply for God Thy Heart where is noted Discretion For not only our Words and Deeds Commissions and Omissions are to be confessed but also our unclean Thoughts and morose Affections inordinate Intentions noxious Wills perverse Judgment and rash Suspicions for Origen says That in that day Thoughts shall accuse and defend Souls not the Thoughts which then shall be but which are now in us of which certain Marks shall be left in the Heart as it were in Wax Before the Sight of God Where is noted the Fidelity and Perfection of Confession for all things are to be considered according to the Acknowledgment of God for where we acknowledge one Sin he in his Wisdom sees a thousand The assured Remission of Sins and the cleansing of the Soul ought to induce us to a true Confession according to that 1 Jo. 1. If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all Iniquity And because the Father Son and Holy Ghost are obliged to Remission and Pardon according to that Although God knows all things yet he expects the Voice of Confession For Christ has cause to intercede for thee and the Father has cause to pardon thee and whatsoever the Son wills the Father also wills and the Holy Ghost He has an Argument of true Confession who pours out all his Sins as Water so that there remain neither colour as in the pouring out of Milk nor Fatness or Savor as in the pouring out of Oyl or Blood nor smell as in the pouring out of Wine or Vinegar The colour remains when the Sin is told but the Occasion Provocation to sin is concealed as it happens in Gluttony or Fornication the Fatness or Savour remains when the Sin is told but quantity or long continuance of the delight in which Reason was wholly drowned is concealed according to that Psal 108. It has entred like Water into his Bowels and like Oyl into his very Bones The Smell remains when the Sin is told but the Infamy or bad Example and Scandal of others is concealed But he who rightly confesses manifests both the Sin and what went before it and what followed after it It is an Argument of true Confession when one confesses his Sins in Number Weight and Measure We must confess in Number that is how often we have sinned because a Wound often renewed is more slowly cured Also in Measure when one confesses the continuance of Sin for he who is longer sick sooner dies In Weight that is the grievousness of our Sins for Sin is aggravated from a sacred Place as a Church or Church-yard from a sacred Time or Person as if it were a Clergy-man who was hurt if a religious or married Person with whom one sinned An Argument of false Confession is when one confesses lest he should be reputed an Infidel or that he may be accounted more holy or lest the Holy Communion should be denyed him to his Confusion as Saul confessed lest he should have been confounded before fore the People by the Prophet Samuel CHAP. XLI Of Penance TRUE external Penance is an Abstinence from lawful things when pardon is asked for unlawful as says the Scripture So Penitents and Religious Persons abstain from Flesh reject Fine Cloaths Fast Watch afflict themselves with Disciplines keep Silence break their own Will and refrain from many Delights which would have been lawful to them if they never had committed any thing unlawful This our Lord and S. John Baptist commanded saying Do Penance for the Kingdom of God is at hand Math. 4. 3. The Necessity of true Penance ought to induce us thereunto for without it there is no Salvation our Lord saying Luke 13. Vnless ye have Penance ye shall all in like manner perish And S. Augustin Sins be they little be they great they cannot be unpunished Whence the Lord enjoyned David Penance for his Sin in numbring his People that he should either suffer seven years Famine or three years the Vengeance of his Enemies or three days Pestilence and David chose for himself and his People the common scourge of Death By this is signified that every one shall certainly be punished for his Sins either in Hell signified by the seven years Famine or in Purgatory signified by the Violence of Enemies for three Months or with temporal Punishment signified by the Pestilence of three Years So it is profitable to us to choose for our selves the easiest Penance and which soon passes away An Argument of true Penance is a due commensuration of the Pain to the Fault that according to the quantity of the Fault be the quantity and gravity of the Pain according to the delight of the Fault the bitterness of the Pain according to the length of the Fault the length of the Pain and according to the multiplicity of the Fault the multiplicity of the Pain as S. John prescribes Matth. 3. Do worthy fruits of Penance For as particular Infirmities of the Body have necessarily particular Medicines and no Medicine is of such efficacy as that it can cure all Diseases so also special kinds of Sins have their special Penance For Pride is not directly cured by Alms-giving nor Rancor and Envy by Prayer nor Covetousness by Fasting nor Impurity by Watching c. But we directly satisfie for Pride by Humility for Avarice by giving of Alms for Impurity by the chastizement of the Flesh with Hair-shirts and Disciplines for Gluttony by Fasting for Talkativeness by Prayer for Envy by Charity and remission of Injuries for Rapine and unjust possessions by Restitution c. But if any one as St. Chrysostom says cannot fulfill the whole Order of