especially for the discouering of the seuerall degrees of praier proper for that state reason requires that since in all Doctrines vvhich tend to practice the end is principally to be regarded as being that vvhich if it can be approued vvorthy the taking paines for vvill giue life and courage in the vse of the meanes conducing therto vvee should treate more precisely of the proper end of a Contemplatiue life The vvhich indeed is of so supreme an excellence and diuine profection aboue any thing that can be designd or sought after in any other Doctrine or Profession that those vvho haue eyes to see it and palates capable of a Spirituall tasting of it vvill thinke no difficulties no tediousnesses no bitternesses or labours too great a price to purchase it 4. It vvas said before that the generall end of mans creation and vvhich ought to be aspired vnto by all christians and much more those vvhose more Speciall professioÌ„ is to tend Perfection vvhether in an actiue or a Contemplatiue state is a perfect constant vnion in spirit to God by loue vvhich is vninterrupted perfect praier But the same end is differently sought attained by actiue and by Contemplatiue spirits For in an actiue life the vnion is not so immediate stable sublime intime of the supreme portion of the spirit vvith God as it is in a Contemplatiue state But as the exercises of the actiue liuers are much in the imaginatiue diâ—coursiue faculties of the soule so is likevvise their vnion The effects indeede of it are more perceptible and therefore more apt to cause admiration in others but vvith all being much in sence it is not so cleare nor so peacefull and by consequenâ—e not so stable nor immediate as is that of Contemplatiues The Charity of actiues is strong and vigorous and the outvvard effects of it dazeling the eyes of the beholders and thereby causing great edification they are vvith all frequently multiplied for strong loue is a Passion that takes pleasure in labours Wheras the deedes of Contemplatiue soules except vvhen God by an extraordinary inspiration calls them to exteriour employments are but fevv and in appearance but small litle regarded or esteemed by others Yet those meane actions of theirs in Gods esteeme may be preferred incomparably before the others as being in a far more perfect degree Supernaturall and Diuine as proceeding from an immediate and most certeine impulse of Gods holy Spirit vvhose conduct light vertue such soules doe far more clearly perceiue and more faithfully constantly follovv euen in their daily and ordinary practises then actiue liuers doe or can in their actions of highest importance Lastly the charity of Contemplatiues though it be lesse stirring buisy yet is far more profoundly rooted in the center of the spirit causing an vnion much more Spirituall Diuine 5. S. Bernard perfectly experienced in the Internall vvaies of a Contemplatiue life vvriting to certein Religious Fathers of the Carthusian Order Professing the same excellently expresses this vnion in these vvords Aliorum est Deo seruire vestrum adhaerere Aliorum est Deo credere scire amare reuereri vestrum est sapere intelligere cognoscere frui that is It is the duty of others that liue actiue liues either in the vvorld or ReligioÌ„ â—o serue God but it is yours to adhere inseparably vnto him It belongs to others to beleiue to knowe to loue to adore God but to you to tast to vnderstand to be familiarly acquainted with and to enioy him 6. Consonantly to this expression of S. Bernard Mystick vvriters doe teach that the proper end of a Contemplatiue life is the atteining vnto an Habituall almost vninterrupted perfect vnion vvith God in the Supreme Point of the spirit and such an vnion as giues the soule a fruitiue possession of him a reall experimentall perception of his Diuine Presence in the depth center of the spirit vvhich is fully possessed and filled vvith him alone not onâ—y all deliberate affections to creatures being excluded but in a manner all Images of them also at least so far as they may be distractiue to the soule 7. The effects of this blessed perceptible Presence of God in perfect soules are vnspeakable diuine For he is in them both as a Principle of all their actions Internall Externall being the life of their life and spirit of their spirits and also as the End of them directing both the actions persons to himselfe only He is all in all things vnto them A light to direct securely all their steps and to order all their vvorkings euen those also vvhich seeme the most indifferent the vvhich by the guidance of Gods holy spirit doe cause a farther aduancement of them to a yet more immediate vnion He is a sheild to protect them in all tentations and dangers an internall force and vigour vvithin them to make them doe suffer all things vvhatsoeuer his pleasure is they should doe or suffer They not only beleiue knovv but euen feele tast him to be the vniuersall Infinite Good By meanes of a continuall conuersation vvith him they are reduced to a blessed state of a perfect denudation of spirit to an absolute internall solitude a Transcendency forgetfullnes of all created things and especially of them selues to an heauenly-mindednes fixed Attention to God only and this euen in the midst of employments to others neuer so distractiue and finally to a gustfull knovvledge of all his infinite perfections and a strict application of their spirits by loue aboue knovvledge ioyn'd vvith a fruition repose in him vvith the vvhole extent of their vvills so that they become after an inexpressible manner Partakers of the Diuine nature yea one spirit one Will one loue vvith him being in a sort deified enioying as much of heauen hereas mortality is capable of 8. To this purpose saih the same S. Bern Amor Dei vel Amor Deus Spiritus Sanctus Amori Hominis se infundens afficit eum sibi amans semetipsum de Homine Deus secum vnum efficit spiritum eius Amorem eius that is the loue of God or loue vvhich is God to vvit the Holy Ghost povvring himselfe into the loue of man inclineth applieth mâ—n by loue vnto himselfe and thus God louing himselfe by man maketh both his spirit loue one vvith himselfe 9. A most blessed state this is certainly being the Portion chosen by Mary vvhich our Lord himselfe calls optimam partem the very best of all diuine graces vvhich God can bestovv in this life and vvhervvith he enriche two in a singular mnaner those his most highly fauoured most tenderly loued freinds S. Iohn the Euangelist and S. Mary Magdalen but in a yet more supereminent degree his ovvne most heauenly Virgin-mother 10. Happy therefore are those soules vpon vvhich God bestovves a desire ambition so glorious as seriously effectually to tend aspire and endeauour
Diuine light If Charity be but vvarme and imperfect our light in Particulars is obscure and can shevv vs only such things as are necessarily to be practised vnder the penalty of being separated from God the Obiect of Charity but if Charity be inflamed hovv great is the light vvhich that heauenly Fire casts not a step vvee sett forvvard but vvee see the vvay perfectly before vs and can auoide all the vneauen rough miry or crooked steps in it and so runne apace vvithout stumbling delaying or declining so approaching daily nearer and nearer to the end of our heauenly Race 9. Moreouer this Diuine light is either an habituall permanent light or Actuall and traÌ„sitory The Permanent light is the vertue of spirituall discretion vvithout vvhich the Actions that to the vvorld giue the greatest luster are of little or no proffit Such as are great voluntary austerities performing of solemne Offices almes-giuing c. all vvhich vnlesse they come from the Principle of true Charity and are designed for the increasing and deeper rooting therof in the Spirit are so far from being of any vvorth that they doe rather preiudice and diminish that vertue Both these Conditions are requisite to make an Action perfect and acceptable to God it must both proceed from him and also be directed to him He must not only be the End but the Principle also It is not therfore sufficient to a soule especially if she seriously tend to Perfection in Contemplation that the Action vvhich she does novv is in it selfe good and directed to a good end vnlesse her Diuine light informe her that in the present circumstances it is Gods vvill that she should performe that determinate Action rather then another perhaps in it selfe and in other Circumstances better then it For as Thaulerus sayes God will reward no Actions but his owne that is Such as he gaue order and commission for 10. This being a most certaine Truth vvhat a vvorld of Actions in themselues of no ill aspect are there done by imperfect extrouerted soules vvhich hauing no other fountayne Principle or light from vvhich they are at first deriued but the light of humane reason they vvill find at Gods hands no acceptance at all such soules loose all benefitt by all their doings but those vvhich are of absolute necessity and by many of those likevvise Nay hovv many are there vvhich being driuen to some Actions by a violent vnlavvfull Passion for or against some Person yet because before the Action is ended they can cousen themselues vvith proposing some good end doe therfore thinke themselues excused vvhereas such a proposing of a good end to an Action beginning only from corrupt nature rather aggrauates the fault by adding Hypocrisy to it The vvhich themselues might easily discouer if they vvould at the same time consider that such Actions vvould haue beene forborne the contrary done if the obiects and Persons had bene changed Hovv small a Proportion of this Spirituall light haue such soules 11. This Permanent light of Supernaturall Discretion informes the soule generally in all things efficacious to her aduancement tovvards Contemplation It teaches her in Religious obseruances culpably to neglect none and to performe them vvith a pure intention for her Spirituall good In Mortifications to support the necessary ones vvillingly and proffitably and assume only such voluntary ones as God directs her to therin considering the infirmity of the body as vvell as the feruour of the vvill least by ouerburdening nature vnnecessarily she be rendred vnable to beare euen those vvhich are of obligation In Prayer it teaches the soule vvhat degreâ— is proper for her and hovv long she is to continue in it vvithout change till God inuite her to a higher and then readily to accept of his Inuitation Likevvise vvhat proportion of time is requisite to be spent in praier so as to make a discreete and sufficient progresse therin It teaches her to suspect sensible deuotion and not to glutt herselfe vvith the honey of it nor to follovv it too fast to designes of seeming perfection extraordinary taskes vvhich vvhen such Deuotion ends vvould be burdensome and harmefull In a vvord it teaches the soule that duâ—â— moderation in all things vvhich makes them laudable and meritorious 12. Novv vvheras I haue called this a Permanent and habituall light it is to be obserued that as it is habituall only it does not direct because vnlesse it be in action it is as it vvere veiled ouer vntill that God by some occasion administred doe moue the soule to reflect and consult him and hervpon the light is vnveiled and shines forth giuing direction in the present action or necessity So that it is God or the gift of his holy spirit very praedominant in such soules that is their actuall Directour 13. There is none that hath a good vvill and seekes God in sincerity of heart but is capable of such a guidance by the light communicated to soules by the holy Spirit so that the duty of attending to and obeying it has place not only in a Contemplatiue but also in the exercises of a deuout Actiue life For doubtles such likevvise haue a supernaturall light answerable to their state by vvhich they are enabled to performe their actions with much Purity of intention 14. Notvvithstanding in respect of the degrees of Purity of intention the doings of Contemplatiue soules doe much excell those of Actiue liuers by reason of the deeper entry that they make into their interiour in their more profound pure and imageles Recollections by vvhich they discouer the depth of their most secret intentions and accordingly purify them from vvhatsoeuer is amisse in them Besides they according to their state dealing in fevver exteriour distractiue employments doe both keepe themselues in a better disposition to attend to the voice of their Internall Teacher also contract fevver blemishes And those that they doe contract they doe more easily discerne and rectify lastly being exercised for the most part in internall operatioÌ„s their continuall taske is to cleanse the very fountaine vvhich is the Spirit it selfe the seate of Diuine light and grace 15. In a Contemplatiue life likevvise according to the degrees of proficiency so is the attendance vnto and the performance of the Diuine inspirations For to perfect soules the Diuine voice and light is in a manner a continuall guide and they haue a continuall correspondence vvith it euen in their most ordinary smallest actions Wheras the imperfecter receiue it seldome for as much as concernes the purifying and supernaturalizing their ordinary actions except in their Recollections yea perhaps only vvhen they are in the height of their exercise And the like may be said of deuout soules in an Actiue life And they doe at other times put in execution the directions receiued in prayer by vertue of the light remaining in their minds But as for other actions for vvhich they haue receiued no light at all in Prayer those they performe vvith
in all the good actiōs vvee doe or good thoughts vvee enterteine vvee so doe thinke in vertue only of a precedent concomitant illumination of our vnderstanding inclining of our will both vvhich are immediatly caused by God Reason likevvise experience tell vs that vvhilst vaine or sinfull distracting images or inordinate Passions clovvd the mind Gods illuminations are either vnperceiued or neglected by vs his motions ineffectuall If euer therfore the soule be in a fit disposition to receiue those blessed effects of Gods holy spirit if euer God vvill make good his so serious frequent promises it is then vvhen by a profound Recollection an humble soule vvithdravves all her affections from herselfe all other creatures yea endeuours to expell all the images of them transcending all created things raising herselfe according to her power to a strict vnion vvith him and withall powres forth her desire to be informed in his vvill only intending therby his Glory the encrease of his Diuine Loue. 3. Novv though imperfect soules not being able as yet to driue avvay distracting images to still all vnruly Passions are forced to content themselues vvith their naturall light in many matters of lesse importance so that a great part of their ordinary Actions doe not at all contribute to their aduancemēt in spirit Yet perfecter soules walke almost continually in a supernaturall light perceiuing resisting the subtle insinuations of selfe loue not suffring themselues hastily to be pushed forvvards to Actions before they haue consulted their Internall Guide much lesse contrary to his directions 4. Most securely therfore may vvee yea vvith all confidence ought vvee to yeild ourselues to be disposed of by God to follovv him in any vvaies that he vvill leade vs both for the exteriour interiour through light Darknesse through bitter svveet And vvhat doubt can there be of erring hauing such a Guide vvhich allvvaies leads the soule through the Paths of Mortification renunciation of selfe vvill although sometimes some speciall vvaies may to our or others naturall iudgements seeme strange perhaps impertinent 5. The grounds of vvhich duty the security attending it are these 1. Because vvee through the ignorance of our interiour complexion temper of soule as likevvise of our present vvants incomprehensible to humane knovvledge gott by sence can neither knovv the speciall vvayes either of Prayer or Mortification proper to vs nor can vvee be assured that others doe sufficiētly knovv them Wheras of Gods Omniscience and equally infinite Goodnesse none can doubt 2. Because the end vvherto vvee aspire being supernaturall consequently the vvayes leading therunto the light directing in those vvayes must likevvise be supernaturall 3. Because if vve knevv the most proper most direct vvayes leading to Contemplation Diuine Vnion yet they being most contrary to our naturall inclinations vvithout a Diuine impulse vvee vvould not chuse the fittest that is those vvhich are the most opposite to our nature 6. Yet vvee are to consider that there are degrees of security according to the seuerall manners by vvhich God cōmunicates vnto vs his inspirations For 1. Though in Sensible deuotion the good thoughts affections giuen vs are in themselues according to their substance the effects of Gods Spirit ought vvith all security to be complyed vvithall yet vvith discretion so as that out of a gluttonous pleasure conceiued by thē vvee doe not yeild vnto them so far as therby to vveaken our heads or preiudice our healths notvvithstanding the Resolutions of vndertaking any practises for the future groūded on such sensible Deuotion are to be mistrusted as hauing in them more of nature selfe-loue vvanting sincerity of Resignation Besides that the senses being principall vvorkers the reason is rather obscured then illuminated therby yea by Gods permission the deuill may haue some influence in such Deuotion subsequent resolutions 2. Of the like vncertaine nature may the seeming Inspirations or lights be vvhich are gotten by the vvorking of the Imagination discourse vpon the matter eyther in Prayer or our of it the person therupon concluding this or that side to be more likely to be Gods vvill 3. But if vvithout such vvorking of the Imagination or if after it the soule in Recollected Prayer made vvith Resignation submission of her naturall iudgment renouncing all Interests of nature comes as it vvere vnexpectedly to haue one part of the Question presented to her mind as truth as Gods vvill God then giuing a Clarity to the reason to see that vvhich it savv not before or othervvise then it savv it or if the soule do finde a blind reasonles motion in the vvill to one side of the matter In such cases the soule may most securely confidently iudge it to be a Diuine Inspiration motion being vvrought vvithout any trouble in the exercise of the Imagination senses or Passions 7. Let not a soule therfore be discouraged from committing herselfe to Gods Internall direction though it should happen that those vvho passe for the most spirituall persons that are most forvvard to vsurpe the conducting of soules to Perfection vvhilst themselues know no further then the exercises of the Imagination should declame against it out of an apprehension that it vvould be a disparagement to them if God should be acknovvledged the principall Guide they should accuse the doctrine here deliuered as phantasticall vnsafe pretending to Enthusiasmes No vvonder it is if such being strangers to the Contemplatiue vvayes of the spirit should be ignorant of these secret Paths by vvhich God leads soules to Perfection in the vvhich none can tread or at least make any considerable progresse till quitting a seruile dependance on externall teachers they rely only vpon the Diuine Guidance And for this propose deuout soules are seriously oft to be exhorted to keepe themselues in a disposition of as much Abstraction both externall internall as may be to the end they may be enabled to heare discerne the Diuine Voyce to the directions of vvhich if they vvill in practise faithfully correspond God vvill be vvanting to them in nothing 8. And for a further security that there can scarse happen any considerable danger to a soule proceeding this vvay for knovving the Diuine Will though shee should sometimes mistake in the thing it selfe Both shee also the Opposers of this Doctrine are to consider that as hath formerly bene sayd the only matters that are here supposed to be proposed for a Resolution are must be of the nature of those things which of themselues and in the generall are indifferent but yet vvhich being vvell chosen may vvill aduance the soule for in no other things but such can there be any doubt And surely if vve be capable of knovving Gods vvill in such things as vvho can question it certainly the proceeding thus vvith indifference Resignation vvithout
Loue speread abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost as S. Augustin saith To this Verity giue euident vvitnes those Expressions of the Church in her Publick Deuotions Da Domine famulis tuis vt quae à te iussa agnonimus implere Caelesti Inspiratione valeamus that is Grant O Lord vnto thy Seruants that those things which wee acknowledge to haue been commanded by thee wee may by thy heauenly Inspiration accomplish And againe Auge populi tui vota placatus quia in nullo fidelium nisi ex tua inspiratione proueniunt quarumlibet incrementa virtutum That is Encrease in mercy O Lord the Desires of thy Seruants For not the least progresse in any Vertues can be made by any of thy Faithfull seruants by any other meanes but only by thy Diuine Inspiration 24. The Second Ground is consequent on the former viz. That since such absolute Necessity there is of Diuine Inspirations the Necessity obliging vs to correspond vnto them is and must needs be equall For from no other Roote but the neglect of this obligation doth or can proceede all our mischeife The guilt of such neglect is so much the greater inasmuch as the Gift of Gods Holy Spirit imprinted in the Hearts of his seruants is of such an actiue nature that vvere it not that the Spirit of corrupt nature cherished by vs doth deafen its Call and vveaken its Efficacy it vvould continually being vvakned by euery occasion incite vs to Loue God only and to raise vp our Soules to him Novv by such neglect vvee are said in Holy Scriptures to Contristate the Holy Ghost and by oft contristating him vvee shall in the end come to quench him And the iust indignation of God against such negligent Despisers of his holy Inspirations and Calls is povverfully expressed in those vvords of his Prouerb 1.24 Quia vocaui◠renuistis c. Because I haue called and yee refused I stretched forth my hand and there was none that regarded I also will laugh at your destruction And I will mock when that which yee did feare shall happen vnto you c. Then shall they call on mee and I will not heare they shall rise early and they shall not find◠me Novv though it be not indeed a mortall sin to resist the Motions of the Diuine Spirit inciting vs to Actions vvhich are not of essentiall obligation Yet so doing vvee doe contristate Gods Spirit and more indispose our selues aftervvards to obserue and follovv its Directions And Mortall sins are seldome rushed into vpon the sudden they begin vvith lesser resistances by vvhich the mind is more obscured and lesse capable to obey it in greater matters But as for Perfect soules they are in continuall attendance and obedience thereto being in continuall Prayer or in good Workes and Exercises begun and performed in Vertue of Prayer and also accompanied by Prayer 25. The third Preparatory Ground follovves vvhich is this That since these so necessary Internall Inspirations must necessarily be hearkned to and corresponded vvith And since there may be false Suggestions either of the Deuill or our corrupt Nature vvhich may counterfeit and subtilly pretend to a Diuine Originall Therfore it is necessary that some possible yea satisfactory Meanes should be afforded hovv to distinguish betvveene true and false Inspirations For othervvise vvee shall haue an impossible obligation to obey vvee knovv not vvhom nor vvhat vvee shall be in as much danger to be actuated by the Deuill and vsed as Instruments of his Illusions as of the sauing Influxes of Gods Holy Spirit and consequently shall not be able to distinguish the vvay betvveene Heauen Hell 26. Neither vvill it suffise to say That vvee doe sufficiently performe Gods vvill vvhen vvee performe the Commands of God expressed clearly in Scriptures likevvise the Precepts of the Church and of all our lavvfull Superiours For neither vvill the doing of these things vvithout an interiour insluxe of Grace auaile vs since the Deuill can be content yea vvill suggest the Exercise of the greatest Vertues to Hearts that he knovvs vvill intend only the satisfaction of naturall Pride or the interests of selfe-loue in them And besides neither can any of these externall Rules extend to all our Actions so as to regulate them in order to Contemplation and Perfection 27. The fourth and last Ground to be premised is this That since it is necessary to be enabled to distinguish the true Inspirations of God from the false suggestions of our Enemy The only meanes imaginable that can be proper naturall and efficacious to obtaine such a supernaturall Light to discerne Gods vvill in all things is Pure spirituall Praier exercised by a soule liuing an Abstracted internall Recollected Life spent in a continuall attendance on God c. 28. This is a Way suitable to Reason conformable to Scriptures and the Doctrine of the Holy Fathers deliuered both by Ancient and Moderne Mysticke Authours as might copiously be demonstrrted if there were any cause to thinke that to Pray perfectly and by Praier to obtaine Diuine Grace vvere suspicious Exercises to any In a vvord this is a vvay the vvhich practised according to the Instructions here deliuered all manner of good and no possible inconuenience can flovv from it 29. Here is no pretending to novv or strange Reuelations no walking in Mirabilibus super se no zealous seditious Reformations nor the least preiudice done or intended to Peace Vnity Humility Obedience or any other Diuine Vertue yea on the contrary all these Heauenly Graces are hereby not only fortified and encreased but by no other meanes can be perfectly obtained 30. And indeed since in a vvorld of passages in Holy Scriptures vvee find our selues obliged to a double Duty the one vvhereof perhaps in popular iudgments seemes to entrench vpon the other and yet neither of them are in due place and circumstances to be omitted namely Obedience both to Gods Holy Spirit invvardly directing and also to Superiours outwardly commanding By vvhat other vvay can vvee reconcile such seemingly different and as it may fall out contrary Precepts but by ioyning this Doctrine to that concerning outvvard Obedience Which is here done done vvithout the least preiudice to either yea manifestly to the aduantage of both in their due circūstances If then for any outvvard carnall Respects vvee shall conceale or discountenance this most necessary Duty of follovving the Inspirations of God vvee shall efface the proper Character of God seruants vvho are said to be such as are lead by the Spirit of God and that by the Vnction are taught in all things Againe if on pretence of following Inspirations and internall Lights vvhich cannot be so absolutely certaine vvee shall transgresse the most euident cercaine Commands of lavvfull Superiours vvhich are therefore Gods also there vvould quickly follovv an end of all Order Peace and Gouernment What other meane therefore is left to comply vvith both these but to obey God both vvaies that is commanding most certainly vvhen
to her I say it is morally impossible for such a soule so louing God deliberately habitually to yeild to the loue of any thinge but God only in order to him or to stop in any inferiour degree of loue to him The frailtie of nature many vnauoydable distractions tentations may generally doe hinder most soules from atteining or euen approaching to such perfection to such vninterrupted attention vnion vvith God as vvas practised by Adam in Innocency by a fevv Perfect soules in all ages But nothing but the vvant of true sincere loue vvil hinder the aspiring therto according to the measure strength of grace that each soule in her order enioyes And both reason experieÌ„ce vvitnesse this truth in all manner of loues lavvfull or vnlawfull For vve see that vvhersoeuer the loue to riches honour Empire or pleasure is the tyrannising Affection so as to cause the person to place his supposed happines in any of these such persons neither vvill nor can being so disposed vvillfully surcease a continuall progresse in pursuinge their designes endlesly neither can they admit an habituall deliberate adherence vvith affection to any other obiect though not ruinous but in an inferiour degree preiudiciall to vvhat they principally affect CAP. II. § 1. Commonly those only are said to aspire to perfection that consecrate themselues to God § 2. A naturall deuotion propension to seeke God of wich the degrees are infinitly various § 3. 4. 5. Yet all ranged vnder two states Actiue Contemplatiue § 6. 7. Generally most soules are of a mix'd temper betweene both hence comes the difficulty of the guiding of soules § 8. At the first Entrance into Internall waies all soules seeme to be of an Actiue temper 1. NOtvvithstanding although all Christians are obliged to aspire to perfection to leade spirituall liues sanctifying all their actions employments by prayer yet the effectuall practise of this obligation is so very rare that in ordinary speech those only are said to Aspire vnto perfection vvho haue bene so highly fauoured by God as to haue bene called by him froÌ„ all sollicitous engagement in vvorldhy affaires so as to make the only buisines employment of their liues to be the seruing adoring louing meditating praying vnto God the attending to follovving his diuine inspirations c. in a state of competent abstraction solitude this most ordinarily perfectly in a religious profession or if in the world yet in a course of life diuided separated from the vvorld 2. There seemes indeed to remaine euen naturally in all soules a certaine propension to seeke God though not at all for himselfe but meerelie for the satisfaction of nature selfe-ends vvhich is a kind of Naturall Deuotion is to be found euen in hereticks yea Iewes heathens this more or lesse according to their seuerall dispositions corporall complexions the varietie of vvhich is vvonderfull almost incredible Novv vvhen diuine grace adioyns it selfe to such good propensions it promotes increases them rectifying vvhat is amisse in them especially by purifying the intention making them to seeke God only for God himselfe no vnvvorthy in feriour Ends of nature but it doth not at all alter the complexion it selfe but conducts soules in spirituall vvaies suitably to their seuerall dispositions by an almost infinite varietie of paths fashions yet all tending to the same generall end vvith is the vnion of our spirits vvith God by perfect loue 3. Notwithstanding all these varieties of dispositions waies of which vve shall treate more fully vvhen vve come to speake of Internall prayer may commodiously enough be reduced in grosse to tvvo rankes to vvit Actiue Contemplatiue spirits Both vvhich aspire to a perfection of vnion in spirit vvith God by perfect loue for that purpose in grosse practise make vse of the same meanes necessary to that end to vvit Mortification Prayer But yet the manner both of their vnion prayer consequently of their mortification also is very different And the roote of such difference is the forementioned variety of propensions naturall dispositions to internall vvayes 4. For first the Propension vvhich is in some soules to Deuotion is of such a nature that it inclines them much to buisy their imagination to frame in their minds motiues to the diuine loue by Internall Discourse so as that vvith out such reasoning vse of images they can seldome vvith any efficacy raise or fixe their affections on God Such dispositions are not patient of much solitude or recollection more then shall be necessary to enable them to produce maintaine a right Intention in outvvard doings vvorkes of charitie to the vvhich they are povverfully inclined And the Mortifications most vvillingly practised by them are vsually eâ—ternall oftentimes voluntarily assumed the vvhich make a great shevv procure very great esteeme from others And proportionably hereto the diuine loue vnion produced by such meanes is verie vigorous but lesse Pure spirituall apt to expresse it selfe by much sensible deuotion tendernes The state therefore perfectioÌ„ of these soules is called the state PerfectioÌ„ of an Active life 3. Againe others are naturally of a propension to seeke God in the obscurity of faith vvith a more profound Introuersion of spirit vvith lesse Actiuity motion in sensitiue nature vvith out the vse of grosser Images yet vvith far greater simplicity Purity efficacy And consequently such soules are not of themselues much inclined to externall vvorkes except vvhen God calls them thereto by secret Inspirations or ingages them therin by command of Superiours but they seeke rather to purifie themselues inflame their hearts in the loue of God by Internall quiet pure Actuations in Spirit by a totall Abstraction from Creatures by Solitude both Externall and especially Internall so disposing them selues to receiue the Influxes Inspirations of God vvhose guidance cheifly they endeauour to follovv in all things And the Mortifications practised by them though lesse remarkable yet are faire more Efficacious being profound and penetrating euen to the most secret deordinations of the Spirit By a Constant pursuance of such Exercises their Spirits becoming naked empty of all strange Affections Images Distractions the Diuine spirit only liues operates in them affording them Light to perceiue strength to subdue selfe-loue in its most secret and to all others imperceptible insinuations And by Consequence they attaine vnto an Vnion vvith God farre more strickt immediate then the former by a loue much more Masculine pure Diuine And the state and Perfection of these happy soules is called the state and Perfection of à Coâ—templatiue Life 6. Now though all Internall Dispositions of soules by wich Mankind is more diuersified then by outward features may conueniently enough be ranged vnder these two states yet wee are not to conceiue that each
soule is by its temper entirely absolutely either Contemplatiue or Actiue For on the contrary the most part are of a Disposition mixd betweene both and partaking somewhat more or lesse of each But they receiue the Denomination from that whereto the Propension is more strong 7. And from hence comes that great Difficulty that there is in the Conducting and Managing of soules in these Internall waies For each seuerall Disposition must be put in a way suitable to the spirit of the party otherwise small progresse can be expected Now that wherin the diuersity of Spirits is principally discern'd is their Praier If therefore an Actiue Spirit should be obliged to that Internall solitude to that quiet Affectiue Praier of the Heart alone which is proper to Contemplatiue Soules Or if a Contemplatiue spirit should be too long deteined or fettred with the Rules busy Methods of Discoursiue Meditation which is a Prayer cheifly of the Head or Imagination Or lastly if a spirit of a Mixt Disposition should be strictly confined to either of these sortes of Praier not allowed to practise them interchangeably according as she finds profitable to her present temper of minde c. They would entangle themselues with insuperable Difficulties scrupulosities and vnsatisfaction and be so farre from any considerable aduancement that they would be in danger of giuing ouer all thought of seeking God internally 8. Notwithstanding although the Propensions of some soules to Internall Operations of the Spirit and consequently to Contemplation vvere neuer so strong Yet at their first entrance into a Sprituall course they vvill ordinarily speaking seeme to be of an Actiue extrouerted temper and consequently vvill not be capable of a long continued rigorous solitude nor of Operations purely Spirituall They vvill therefore be forced to begin vvith Exercises of the Imagination and Discoursiue Praier And the reason is because by their former Secular negligent Extrouerted life their mind is so filled painted all ouer vvith the Images of Creatures their Hearts so disordred diuided vvith inordinate Affections Passions that the vvill alone vvith its Actuations purposes and resolutions has not povver to expell the said Images to assvvage the said Passions So that there is a necessitie by Meditation Consideration of introducing good Images to expell the vaine bad ones and of inuenting Motiues to quiet Passions by diuerting them vpon God But this being once done by the Exercises proper to an Actiue life vvhich to such soules vvill not neede to last long they thence forvvards are to betake them selues and alvvaies to continue in such Internall Exercises as are suitable to their naturall Propensions to vvitt the quiet Solitary Spirituall Exercises of a CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE CAP. III. § 1. The Contemplatiue state more perfest § 2. And also more easy secure § 3. Of Which yet the most simple ignorant are capable § 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. The End of a Contemplatiue life supereminently excellent aboue that of the Actiue and the Vnion with God more Diuine § 11. Of Passiue Vnions therein yet more Supernaturall 1. OF these tvvo states the Contemplatiue is by all acknovvledged to be the more Sublime and Perfect in as much as the Operations Exercises of it are more Spirituall more abstracted from the Body and iâ—s Sensuall Faculties and consequently more Angelicall Diuine It is represented to vs by our Lord in the Person of Mary vvho is therfore said to haue chosen the best Part Which shall neuer be taken from her being the. Beginning and imperfect Practise of that vvhich shall be our Eternall employment and Beatitude in Heauâ—n As on the other side the Actiue life is typified by the other Sister Martha vvho turmoyled her selfe vvith many Exteriour buisinesses sollicitudes vvhich though they vvere in theÌ„ selues good laudable yet Maries Vacancy and invvard attention to our Lord is much preferred 2. And as the Contemplatiue State is of the tvvo the more Perfect so also is it far more easy more Simple more secure from all Errours Illusions vvhich may be occasioned by an indiscreete vse of Praier And the reason or ground of such Security is euident Because a Contemplatiue Soule tending to God and vvorking almost only vvith the Heart blind Affections of the vvill povvring them selues vpon God apprehended only in the Obscure Notion of Faith not enquiring vvhat he is but beleeuing him to be that incomprehensible Being vvhich he is and vvhich can only be comprehended by himselfe reiecting striuing to forget all Images representations of him or any thing else Yea transcending all Operations of the Imagination and all subtilty curiosity of Reasoning and lastly seeking an Vnion vvith God only by the most pure most intime affections of theâ— Spirit vvhat possibility of Illusion or errour can there be to such a soule For if the deuill should suggest an Image vvhich is his only meane vvay to seduce a soule to errour a sinfull curiosity of hnovvledge she is taught and exercised to reiect all manner of Images and to hold the Internall senses almost vvholly vacant during her Spirituall actuations Or if by stirring vp vncleane or other vnlavvfull Affections in sensitiue nature he seeke to assault her vvhat more secure remedy is there then vvith the vvhole bent affections of the soule to adhere be vnited to God neglecting and scarse marking vvht soeuer disorders may vnvvillingly happen in inferiour nature aboue vvhich she is exalted into a region of light and peace 3. Novv for a further proofe of the excellency security of Contemplatiue praier beyond actiue experience demonstrates that all the most sublime exercises of contemplation may as purely perfectly be performed by persons the most ignorant and vnlearned so they be sufficiently instructed in the fundamentall Doctrines of Catholique faith as by the learnedst Doctours in as much as not any abilities in the braine are requisite therto but only a strong couragious affection of the heart Hence it is theat vve see that simple vnlearned vvoemen are more frequently graced by almighty God vvith the gist of high contemplation then men and especially such men as are much giuen to sublime speculations A reason vvhereof may be besides the God reueiles himselfe more vvillinglie to humble and simple minds because by meanes of that tendernes compassionatnes vvhich abounds naturally in vvoemen they are disposed to a greater feruour in Charity and their affections being once fixed on their only proper obiect vvhich is God they doe more vigorously firmly adhere thereunto and by consequence arriue both more easily and quickly to the Perfection of Contemplation vvhich consists as shall herafter be shevved in the feruour constancy of the vvill vnited to God and scarce at all in the operations of the vnderstanding 4. Novv this present treatise being intended only for encouraging instructing of persons that aspire to perfection in a Contemplatine life and more
is that this is the very cause why not only the spirit of Contemplation but euen the knowledge almost of it is againe lost in many CoÌ„templatiue Orders notvvithstanding so fevv yeares are past since it vvas reuiued by those eminent lights S. Teresa B. Iohn de Cruce Barbanzon c. 9. I may truly say that neither naturall Indgment learning nor experience all together are absolutly sufficient to qualify a person for the employment of guiding soules in all cases in the Internall vvaies of the spirit but very oft an actuall supernaturall illumination vvill moreouer be requisite necessary though true it is that experienced Persons haue great aduantages beyond vvhat vvitt or learning can afford And such for matters beyond their experience no doubt vvill often remit soules to God their ovvne obseruation The vvhich is a quality office not to be expected from persons that bring no better endovvments vvith them to the managing of Contemplatiue soules but only subtilty of vvit learning or experience in a quite different much inferiour exercise of Prayer such experience being as I said rather a disaduantage for such vvill resolue all cases though the Directions they giue must needs be improper yet they vvill be very absolute in requiring obedience Wheras a person experienced in the same Internall vvayes being humble vvithall for else saith Auila he also vvill probably be faulty too though he be not in all cases able to giue a resolute Iudgment yet finding his ovvne Deficiency he vvill make a doubt of the matter therpon out of humility vvill not scorne but rather be desirous to consult take aduise from others more able to resolue 10. Herpon it is that S. Teresa as it is recorded in her Life much coÌ„plaines of the hurt that such resolute in sufficieÌ„t teachers did to her vvill doe to others And Thaulerus vvorthily stiled an illuminate Doctour professeth of himselfe in a certaine SermoÌ„ that vnles he were specially illuminated by God for the solution of a doubt proposed to him he would remit the party to God himselfe to be instructed in prayer what to doe And let not such an one doubt saith he but that God will be his faithfull counseller Moreouer he finds great fault vvith those arrogant persons that reprehend soules for suffring themselues to be guided by the Instincts internall lights motions proceeding from Gods spirit for their calling such by the titles of New spirits or pretenders to extraordinary illuminations whereas saith he those that take all their instructions from persons bookes will with very small successe pursue the waies of the spirit 11. It is a miserable thing to see hovv this Employment of directing soules vvhich aboue all other is most difficult exceedeth euen the ability of an Angell yet out of an ambitious humour is inuaded by persons wholly vnfitted for it that vvithout any vocation from God voluntarily vndertake it So that no meruaile it is if so little good come from such Intruders Not one of a thousand saith Auila is capable of so sublime a taske Nay saith the holy Bishop of Geneua not one often thousand And most certeine it is that those vvho so freely offer themselues to so Diuine an employment doe therby shevv themselues to vvant the most necessary qualifications to vvit Humility a true knovvledge of its difficulty therfore their directions are most to be suspected 12. Herevpon Thaulerus saith that a soule intending perfection ought to seeke out an experienced seruant of God though it cost her a iourney of many German miles But saith he if such a freind cannot be found then vvill a simple Confessarius serue though neuer so ignorant For euen by such men doth the Holy Ghost speake by reason of their office so that they may securely be submitted to obeyed euen in things vvhich they doe not vvell vnderstand 13. If a soule that is fearfull scrupulous be to chuse a Directour she ought to auoyd one of the like temper for passion vvhich blinds the seeker vvill also blind the Directour so the Blind will leade the blind 14. It is not necessary that the Persons consulted vvith about Difficulties concerning Internall Prayer should be learned or in Holy Orders except Doubts concerning matters of Faith of Cases of Conscâ—ence interuene For though Lay-persons vvoemen be not allovved by the Church to preach publickly yet are they not forbidden to giue priuate Instructions in matters of that nature to any that shall haue recourse to them And of the good successe of such Instructours vve haue diuers examples as in the Lay man that conuerted Thâ—ulerus a learned Doctour a Religious man and likevvise in S. Catherine of Siena S. Teresa c And in a vvell gouerned Monastery of vvoemen vvhere a good course of Internall prayer approved by Superiours and Learned Divines is once vvell setled it is very expedient that Instructions concerning it should rather come from Superiours vvithin Because otherwise by reason of the frequent change of Directours perhaps of contrary spirits many of them little practised in such Prayer soules will be gouerned vncertainly be in danger to be put out of their vvay 15. Though it seeme euidently more reasonable more proportionable to the spirits of persons professing a Religious state to be conducted by others of the s ne Profession Caeteris paribus then by such as are strangers therto Yet scarse any Directours can be found more improper for such supposing that they tend to Contemplation then are Religious Guides of Actiue spirits that knovv no further of prayer then Meditation that shevv more Zeale for an exact obseruance of Ceremonies or a multiplying of externall voluntary Austerities the vvhich of themselues vnlesse they be guided by Gods Spirit haue no speciall influence on the spirit but only serue either for an outvvard shevv of rigour or for keeping soules from mispending the time then for the more essentiall internall Duties of prayer solitude of spirit Interiour Mortification c Much more proffitable to such soules vvould be a Directour though not of any Religious Profession that vvould impose on soules only such Austerities as are essentially necessary to an Internall life such as are perfect Abstraction silence solitude conuenient abstinence c And for other matters not much necessary nor much effectuall leauing them in a due moderate Liberty of spirit especially such as vvill not impose on them any formes of Mentall Prayer hovveuer liked or practised by themselues but for such matters rathet leauing them to the conduct of Gods holy spirit that vvill not torture them vvith painfull iterated coustumary Confessions c 16. And vvhereas it vvill be perhaps obiected that probably such Directours being strangers as to the speciall distinctiue spirit of such an Order or Community may endanger in their disciples a losse of the said spirit I must professe that I vnderstand not vvhat is meant by
that so much talked of spirit of an Order nor hovv seuerall Orders though neuer so much distinguished by habits or certaine externall practises if their profession be to tend to Contemplation can haue any more then one spirit vvhich directs them to make their principall designe to be the seeking of God in his Internall vvayes of Diuine loue for that only end besides conformable Prayer to practise such obseruances mortifications as vvill best promote this designe And surely this good spirit of Religion contemplation a good Directour of vvhat Profession soeuer vvill very studiously endeauour to aduance yea moreouer vvill no doubt oblige his Disciples to be very Regular zealous in the obseruance of all good ordinances of the Community principally of the Rule according to their professioÌ„ made Instructing them vvithall hovv they may vse such things for the aduancing of their spirit the seruice of God although in the meane time perhaps he be not cunning in all the particular Obseruances that belong to them and little or nothing at all to him 17. All soules that liue in Contemplatiue Orders are nor naturally fitted for Contemplatiue vvayes nor the seeking of God in spirit Those therfore that haue not indeed are not capable of much light in their Interiour and so are not so fit to be guided by Diuine Inspirations doe the more need to haue certeine Rules from vvithout at least for the exteriour And for such it is Gods vvill and direction that they should more depend on Externall Guides 18. He that takes vpon him the office of a spirituall Directour saith Thauâ—erus ought for some reasonable space of time to conuerse vvith his Disciples especially at the beginning for a fevv transitory Conferences vvill not suffise to giue him light concerning their propensions dispositions that he may fit them vvith a degree of Prayer proper for them both for the present future And his principall care must be to set them in such a way as that they may not need to haue much recourse vnto him aftervvard the vvhich is done by giuing them generall Directions about their prayer especially how therby to dispose themselues to receiue light from God whose InspiratioÌ„s ought for the future to â—e their principall Rule especially for the Interiour And for the practising in particular according to the generall Directions giuen the Disciples must vse their ovvne iudgment for a helpe they may also make vse of such Instructions as they may find in bookes so far as they shall be proper for their spirit But in cases when neither their owne Iudgment nor bookes will helpe them if the difficulty be of greater moment they may againe haue recourse vnto their Directour 19. And in this sort are writers that speake much of the necessity of an Externall Directour to be vnderstood For if such necessity were to last alwaies good soules should be obliged to spend their whole liues in conferring with Directours from whence vvould follovv continuall sollicitudes scrupulosities dangerous distractions c. most contrary to an Internall spirituall life vvhich ought to be a state of much repose cessation introuersion a continuall attendance vnto vvhat God speakes vvithin vnto a soule who if soules vvill humbly faithfully depend on him vvill cleare resolue difficulties vvhich Externall maisters vvill neuer be able to penetrate into But it is too generall an humour in Directours novv adaies to make themselues seeme necessary vnto their disciples vvhom hey endeauour to keepe in a continuall dependance to the great preiudice of their progres in spirit besides many other inconueniences not needfull to be mentioned particularly 20. A soule thar has recourse to an Instructour prouided by God for her or that vsing her best aduice she hath made choyce of must deale freely plainly candidly vvith him conceiling nothing necessary to be knovvne by him his Directions she must follovv in all things assuring herselfe that if she doe so in the simplicity of her heart as in obedience to God himselfe God vvill enlighten him so that she shall not be mislead 21. The gift of discerning spirits is so necessary to a spirituall Guide that except therby he be able to fit a soule vvith a sort degree of prayer suitable to her naturall disposition not tying all soules to begin according to any generall methods for none such can be perscribed but vvill be preiudiciall to some vnlesse he teach her hovv she may become illuminated vvithout him by God alone by the meanes of Prayer abstraction of life vvhervvith the mists of Images passions being dispelled a light vvill spring forth in the soule far more cleare certeine then any that can come from humane instructions not all the Instructions of men Angells ioyned vvith all mortifications imaginable vvill be able to bring a soule to Contemplation For seldome or neuer doth God vvorke contrary to our naturall complexions And till soules come to exercises in spirit prayer infused by God alone they are far from Contemplation 22. Novv at the first it is very hard for any Directour to knovv exactly the secret Inclinations of imperfect soules vvhich are so infinitly various And therfore for the most part their Instructions about prayer attendaÌ„ce to Diuine Inspirations must be generall the vvhich the disciples themselues must make a particular vse of by obseruing their ovvne abilities inclinations by marking vvhat more particular formes of Prayer c. suite best vvith them doe them most good And this if they be not able in a reasonable manner to doe or if they haue not the courage to abide in a vvay in vvhich they are put it vvill be in vaine for them to proceede in those secret Internall vvayes 23. If the vvay vvherein a soule is put hath made a reasonable progres be indeed proper for her there vvill be little need of frequent recourse vnto her Directour Neither ought he to examine her about her Internall Exercises of vvhich he may iudge vvell enough by her externall comportment for it is impossible for a soule to be in a vvrong vvay interiourly but of it selfe it vvill breake out exteriourly especially to the eyes of those vvho themselues are in a right vvay as the Spirituall Directour is supposed to be And there is scarce any more certeine signe that a soule is not interiourly in a good vvay then is her being forvvard to trouble her Directour vvith multiplicity of Questions doubts her readines to discouer her Interiour to others vvhom she has heard or does beleiue to be skilfull in Spirituality 24. The Images internall Distractions raised by impertinent consultations about the Interiour are of all other most pernicious For distractions from vvithout are but superficiall vvhereas those being hatched bred vvithin the soule from some secret ill qualities as feare scrupulosity curiosity c. they are more profound destructiue to true Recollection
abounding 3. But as for Spirituall Bookes the Intention of an Internall liuer ought not to be such as is that of those vvho liue extrouerted liues vvho read them out of a vaine curiosity or to be therby enabled to discourse of such sublime matters vvithout any particular choyce or consideration vvhether they be suitable to their spirit for practise or no. A Contemplatiue soule in Reading such bookes must not say This is a good booke or passage But moreouer This is vsefull proper for mee by Gods grace I will indeauour to put in execution in due time place the good instructions conteined in it as far as they are good for mee 4. For such soules the bookes most proper are these follovving Scala perfectionis vvritten by F. Walter Hilton The Clowd of vnknowing vvritten by an vnknovvne Authour The secret Paths of Diuine loue as likevvise the Anatomie of the soule vvritten by R. F. Constant in Barbanson a Capucin The Booke entitled Of the threefold will of God vvritten by R.F. Benet Fitch alià s Ganfield a Capucin likevvise The vvorks of S. Teresa of B. Iohn de Cruce likevvise Harphius Thaulerus Suso Rusbrochius Richardus de S. Victore Gerson c. And of the Ancients the Liues of the Ancient Fathers liuing in the Deserts Cassian his Conferences of certaine Ancient Hermites recommended particularly vnto vs by our Holy Father S. Basiles Rules c. Then for soules that tend to perfection in an Actiue life Bookes most proper are The vvorkes of Rodriguez of perfection The duke of Gandy Of good workes Mons de Sales Ludouicus de Puente c. And lastly bookes of a mixed nature are Granatensis Blosius c. Indeed fevv spirituall bookes there are vvherin there is not an intermingling of such Instructions Novv I should aduise soules in an Actiue life not at all to meddle vvith Instructions belonging to Contemplation but applying themselues to the precepts exercises of an Actiue life to vse them in Order to the end therof the Perfection of externall Christian Charity 5. In all spirituall bookes as likevvise in all that treate of Christian morality such Instructions as concerne the essentiall Qualities Practise of vertues are to be esteemed proper to all soules yet not so the motiues manner circumstances of exercising the said vertues 6. In reading of spirituall bookes if any thing touching prayer c occurre as oftimes it vvill happen that the spirituall disciple vnderstaÌ„ds not let him passe it ouer neither vnnecessarily trouble his ovvne braines nor make it a busines to trouble others about the vnderstanding of it Perhaps in time after more reading especially more experience in prayer he vvill come to vnderstand it 7. And as for those things vvhich he either does indeed or thinks he vnderstands them let him not be hasty to apply them to himselfe by practise out of his ovvne naturall iudgment or liking but let him obserue his ovvne spirit vvay internall guidance by God accordingly make vse of them Othervvise instead of reaping benefit such inconueniences may happen that it vvould haue bene better he had neuer read nor bene able to read any bookes at all but only to haue follovved his owne Internall light as many good soules haue done that neuer could read yet seeking God in simplicity of their hearts praying vvithout any prescribed methods practising likevvise according to the inuitation impulse of the Diuine spirit haue atteined to Perfect Contemplation 8. Generally Mystick Authours vvrite according to their ovvne experience in their ovvne soules vvhen they treate of the seuerall degrees of Prayer the seuerall manners of diuine operations in soules in such degrees as if the same Instructions vvould serue indefinitly for all others Wheras such is the in explicable variety of internall dispositions that the same course order in all things vvill scarse serue any tvvo soules Therefore if the indiscreet Readers vvithout considering their ovvne spirits enablements shall vpon the Authority of any booke either tarry too long in an Inferiour degree of Prayer vvhen God has fitted them does call them to a higher or in a foolish Ambition shall being vnprepared presume to a degree of prayer too sublime spirituall for them there vvill be no end of difficulties doubts consultations 9. But of all errours the greatest most dangerous is the indiscreet imitating the examples practises of Saints in particular extraordinary corporall mortifications voluntarily yet by Gods speciall Direction assumed by them as labours fastings watchings disciplines c for such a forvvardnes in others not called therto to be extraordinary likevvise it is much to be feared proceedes merely from Pride selfe-loue vvill produce no better effects then the nourishing of the same inordinate affections And if such haue not the courage patience as it cannot be expected they should haue to perseuere in such exercises this vvill cause Infirmity of body deâ—ection of mind vvearines if not an vtter casting of a spirituall course 10. The benefit that vve ought easily may reape from the reading of such extraordinary practises of others is to admire Gods vvaies in the conducting of his Saints to take occasion from thence of humbling despising of our selues seeing hovv short vve come of them in the practise of their vertues But no further to imitate them in such things then vve may be assured that God directs vs by a supernaturall light enables vs by an extraordinary Grace yea moreouer till vve haue obteined the leaue approbation of a prudent Directour Till this be let vs supply vvith a good vvill vvhat our forces vvill not reach vnto And aboue all things vvee must take heed that vve doe not entangle our selues by laying obligations or vowes vpon our soules about such matters the vvhich vve shall haue difficulty to discharge our selues from vvhen by triall vve find the inconuenience 11. Mystick Writers in expressing the spirituall vvay in vvhich they haue bene lead doe oft seeme to differ extreamly from one another The vvhich difference notvvithstanding if rightly vnderstood is merely in the phrase manner of expression And the ground herof is because the pure immateriall Operations of perfect soules in prayer especially the operations of God in soules in vvhich they are patients only are so sublime that intelligible vvords phrases cannot perfectly expresse them therfore they are forced to inuent nevv vvords the best they can or to borrovv similitudes from corporall things c. to make their conceptions more intelligible thus does each one according to the manner that he finds or conceiues in himselfe or according to his skill in language No vvonder therfore if there seeme to be diuersity among them Hervpon the Authour of the Clowd obserues That great harme may come by vnderstanding things litterally grossely sensibly vvhich hovvsoeuer they be expressed vvere intended ought to be vnderstood spiritually 12. Some good
for Surely not Corporall labours Not the vse of the Sacraments Not hearing of Sermons c. For all these she might haue enioyed perhaps more plentifully in the vvorld It is therfore Only the vnion of the Spirit with God by Recollected Constant Praier to the attaining vvhich Diuine End all things practised in Religion doe dispose and to vvhich alone so great impediments are found in the vvorld 6. The best generall proofe therfore of a good Call to Religion is a Loue to prayer either vocall or Mentall For if at first it be only to vocall Praier by reason that the soule is ignorant of the efficacy and Excellency of Internall Contemplatiue Prayer or perhaps has receiued some preiudices against it Yet if she obserue Solitude carefully and vvith attention and feruour practise Vocall Praier she vvill in time either by a Diuine Light perceiue the necessity of ioyning Mentall Praier to her vocall or be enabled to practise her vocall Prayer mentally vvhich is a sublime Perfection 7. It is a state therfore of Recollectednes Introuersion that euery one entring into Religion is to aspire vnto The vvhich consists in an habituall Disposition of soule vvherby she transcends all creatures their Images the vvhich therby come to haue litle or no Dominion ouer her so that she remaines apt for immediate Cooperation vvith God receiuing his Inspirations and by a returne and as it vvere a refluxe tending to him and Operating to his Glory It is called Recollectednes because the Soule in such a State gathers her thoughts naturally dispersed fixed vvith multiplicity on Creatures and vnites them vpon God And it is called Introuersion both because the Spirit those things which concerne it being the only obiect that a deuout Soule considers values she turnes all her Sollicitudes inwards to obserue defects wants or inordinations there to the end she may remedy supply correct them And likevvise because the proper Seate the Throne Kingdome vvhere God by his Holy Spirit dvvells and reignes is the purest Summity of Mans Spirit There it is that the soule most perfectly enioyes and contemplates God though euery vvhere as in regard of himselfe equally present yet in regard of the communication of his Perfections present there after a far more Noble manner then in any part of the vvorld besides inasmuch as he communicates to the Spirit of Man as much of his Infinite Perfections as any Creature is capable of being not only simple Being as he is to inanimate Bodies or Life as to liuing Creatures or Perception as to sensitiue or knowledge as to other ordinary Rationall Soules But vvith and besides all these he is a Diuine Light Purity happines by communicating the supernaturall Graces of his Holy Spirit to the Spirits of his seruants Hence it is that our Sauiour sayes Regnum Dei intra vos est The Kingdome of God is within you And therfore it is that Religious Solitary abstracted Soules doe endeauour to turne all their thoughts invvard raising them to Apicem Spiritus the pure top of the Spirit far aboue all sensible Phantasmes or imaginatiue discoursings or grosser Affections vvhere God is most perfectly seene and most comfortably enioyed 7. Novv the actuall practise of this Introuersion consists principally if not only in the Exercise of Pure Internall spirituall Prayer the Perfection of vvhich therfore ought to be the Cheife ayme to vvhich a Religious Contemplatiue Soule is obliged to aspire So that surely it is a great mistake to thinke that the Spirit of S. Benedicts Order Rule consists in a Publick Orderly protracted solemne singing of the Diuine Office the vvhich may be full as vvell yea and for the Externall is vvith more aduantage performed by Secular Ecclesiasticks in Cathedrall Churches A Motiue to the introducing of vvhich pompous solemnity might be that it is full of Edification to others to see heare a conspiring of many Singers Voyces and it is to be supposed of hearts too to the praising of God But it is not for Edification of others that a Monasticall State vvas instituted or ought to be vndertaken Religious Soules truly Monasticall flye the sight of the vvorld entring into Desarts and solitudes to spend their liues alone in Pennance and Recollection and to purify their ovvne Soules not to giue Example or Instruction to others Such Solitudes are or ought to be sought by them therby to dispose themselues for another far more proffitable Internall solitude in vvhich Creatures being banished the only Conuersation is betvveene God and the Soule her selfe in the depth of the Spirit as if besides them tvvo no other thing vvere existent 8. To gaine this happy state a deuout Soule enters into Religion vvhere all imaginable aduantages are to be found for this End At least anciently they vvere so and still ought to be But yet though all Religious persons ought to aspire to the Perfection of this State it is really gained by very fevv in these times For some through ignorance or misinstruction by Teachers that knovv no deeper not a more perfect introuersion then into the Internall senses or imagination And others through negligence or else by reason of a voluntary povvring forth their Affections thoughts vpon vanities vselesse Studies or other sensuall Enterteinments are neuer able perfectly to enter into their Spirits and to find God there 9. But it is vvonderfull to reade of that depth of Recollectednes most profound Introuersion to vvhich some Ancient Solitary Religious Persons by long exercise of spirituall Prayer haue come In so much as they haue bene so absorpt euen drovvned in a deepe Contemplation of God that they haue not seene vvhat their eyes looked on nor felt vvhat othervvise vvould greiuously hurt them Yea to so habituall a State of attending only to God in their Spirit did some of them attaine that they could not though they had a mind therto oftimes fixe their thoughts vpon any other obieâ—t but God their Internall senses according as themselues haue described it hauing bene in an vnexpressible manner drawen into their Spirit and therein so svvallovved vp as to loose in a sort all other vse A most happy state in vvhich the Deuill cannot so much as fixe a seducing tentation or Image in their minds to distract them from God but on the contrary if he should attempt it that vvould be an occasion to plunge them deeper more intimely into God 10. And this vvas the effect of Pure Spirituall Contemplatiue Prayer The vvhich vvas not only practised by the Holy Ancient Hermites c. in most sublime Perfection But the exercise therof vvas their Chiefe most proper almost continuall Employment in so much as the Perfection therof vvas by them accounted the perfection of their State A larger proofe vvherof shall be reserued till vvee come to speake of Prayer For the present therfore I vvill content my selfe vvith a testimony or tvvo related by Cassian out of the mouthes
of tvvo most sublime Cōtemplatiues Thus therfore speakes one of them in the Conference cap. 7. Finis Monachi totius Perfectionis Culmen in Orationis consummatione consistit that is The End of a Monasticall Profession and the Supreme Degree of all Perfection consists in the Perfection of Praier And in the tenth Confer cap. 7. Another saieth Hic finis totius Perfectionis est vt eo vsque extenuata Mens ab omni situ Carnali ad Spiritualia quotidie sublimetur donec omnis eius Conuersatio omnisque volutatio cordis vna iugis efficiatur Oratio That is This is the End of all Perfection that the mind become so purified from all carnall defilement that it may be raised vp daily to Spirituall things till its whole employments and euery motion of the Heart may become one vn-interrupted Praier 11. Novv vvhat a kind of Praier this vvas that they aspired to hovv sublime in Spirit though oftimes ioyned vvith their vocall Praiers may appeare from that Description giuen of it by a Holy Hermite in these vvords in the 10. Confer cap. 20. Ita ad illam Orationis purissimam perueniet qualitatem quae non solum nullam Deitatis effigiem in sua supplicatione miscebit sed nec vllam quidem in se memoriam dicti cuiusdam vel facti speciem seu formam Characteris admittet That is Thus by much practise the soule will arriue to that most Sublime Purity of Praler wherin no Image at all of the Diuinity is mingled and which will not admit the least memory nor a Character or representation of anything either spoken or done The strange subtilty spirituality of vvhich Praier considered there is applied vnto it that Saying of S. Antony in the 9. Conf. chap. 31. Non est perfecta oratio in qua se Monachus vel hoc ipsum quod orat intelligit That is That praier is not a perfect one vnlesse the Religious Persō that exercises it be not able to giue an accoūt of his owne thoughts that passed in it or does not perceiue that he prayes 12. What great aduantages the Ancient Hermites other Religious Persons enioyed for the more certaine and more speedy attaining to this Internall Purity of Praier vvonderfull Cleannes of Spirit the End of their Profession Hovv much more able their bodily complexions vvere to support that most rigorous Solitude those long continued Attentions of mind c And how much more efficacious herto were their Manuall labours beyond our Employments in Study And lastly how by such like meanes they vvith the only Exercise of vocall Praier attained to Perfect Contemplation shall be shewed more fully vvhen vvee come to the last Treatise concerning Internall Praier 13. In this place I vvill content my selfe vvith shevving that by the Rule of our Holy Father S. Benedict all his Disciples are obliged to propose to themselues no other End of their Religious Profession but only such Purity both of soule and the Operations of it in Spirituall Praier So that hovv exact soeuer they be in outvvard Obseruances vnlesse they be referd vnto and efficacious also for the producing of this Internall Purity in some reasonable measure they shall not be esteemed by God to haue complied vvith their vocation and Profession 14. To this purpose vvee may obserue that it is from those Ancient Holy Hermites Religious that our Holy Father borrovved the greatest part of his Rule and Ordinances vvhich in the Conclusion he professes to be meant only by him as a disposition vvherby vvee may be enabled to imitate them in their most perfect Internall practises It is from them that he borrovves the Phrase of Oratio pura Pure Praier in the 20. Chap. The Exercise vvherof besides the reciting of the Office he appointed daily as appeares both by the same Chapter of the Rule and also by the Story related by S. Gregory of one of his Monks vvhom the Deuill in the shape of a Blackmore tempted out of the Community in the time of such Recollections By vvhich may be perceiued the great fruit and efficacy of such Praier For the Deuill could be contented he should be present at the Office because during that Exercise he could more easily distract his mind But knovving the force of Internall Prayer hovv recollectiue it is and vvhat light it affords to discouer the invvard Defects of the soule and to obtaine Grace to correct them His principall aime vvas to vvithdravv him from so proffitable an Exercise And therfore to countermine the Deuills Malice Our Holy Father thought it vvorth a iourney expressely to cure the Infirmity and preuent the danger of one of his Seduced Monkes 15. For this End it is that our Holy Father in the 58. C. ordeines Superiours in the Examination of the Spirits dispositions of Nevv-comers that they should most especially haue an eye to this most necessary condition Si Deum vere quaerit If he be such an one as truly seekes God And more particulary Si sollicitùs est ad opus Dei If he haue a sollicitous care duely to performe the worke of God vvhich he interprets to be Praier and this so principall a vvorke that he ordeines that Nihil operi Dei praeponatur nothing must be preferred before it 16. For the aduancing of this Praier that it may become such as is suitable to a Contemplatiue State all other Exteriour Obseruances are appointed 1. By the 12. Degrees of Humility by frequent Prostrations acknowledging of Secret Imperfections c. Pride selfeloue all other our corrupt Affections hindring our vnion in Spirit vvith God are subdued expelled and as our Holy Father says at the end of the last Degree that Perfect Charity vvhich most immediatly vnites the soules to God is produced in the soule 2. By perfect Obedience selfe iudgment selfe will are abated 3. By Fastings watchings other Austerities sensuality is mortified 4. By Religious Pouerty all distracting cares about temporall things are expelled 5. And for the gaining of an Habituall state of Recollectednes and introuersion so great silence and Solitude vvere so rigorously enioyned and practised all obiects of sensuall Affections remoued all conuersation with the world all relating or hearkning to newes seuerely prohibited All this surely for no other end but that soules might be brought to a fit disposition to imitate those solitary and deuout Saints proposed by our holy Father for our examples in their continuall conuersation vvith God attending to his Diuine inspirations and vn-interrupted vnion of Spirit vvith him by pure Spirituall Contemplation 17. Therfore though our Holy law-giuer doth not in his Rule giue his Disciples any speciall Instructions for ordering their Interiour spirituall Prayer touching such matters referring them to the Inspiration of the Diuine Spirit as himselfe sayth as likevvise to the Aduices of the Ancient fathers and Hermites professing Contemplation Yet it is euident that his principall designe vvas to dispose his Disciples by his Ordinances to
an Abbot should be set ouer him From vvhence vvee ought to inferre that the Intention of a Religious Person ought euer to be to liue in subiection to the vvill of another and in such a mind to continue all his life And therfore those that readily accept much more those that ambitiously seeke Gouernment and Prelature may reasonably be iudged to be lead by a Spirit directly opposite to the Spirit of Religion And surely he that shall seriously consider of vvhat difficul y and of vvhat extreme danger the Office of a Superiour is vvhat terrible threatnings our Holy Father so oft denounces from God against a negligent partiall and vnfaithfull discharge of such an Office vvill thinke it far fitter to be the obiect of his feare and Auersion then of his Desire Therfore that Superiour that does not find himselfe more vvilling to giue vp his place then to retaine it ought to suspect that he is scarce in a good state 3. Novv to the end that both subiects may be informed vvhat qualities they are to regard in the Electing of Superiours and also Superiours be put in mind vvhat is expected from them in the discharge of such an Office duly imposed on them I vvill from S. Bernard set downe three necessary conditions or Endovvments by vvhich Superiours are to direct their Subiects the vvhich are 1. Verbum 2. Exemplum 3. Oratio that is Exhortation good Example and Prayer Adding moreouer Maior autem horum est Oratio Nam et si vocis virtus sit operis Et operi tamen voci gratiam efficaciamque promeretur Oratio That is Of those three necessary qualities the greatest and most necessary is Praier For although there be much vertue in Exhortation and Example yet Prayer is that which procures efficacy and successe to both the other 4. From vvhich testimony and authority yea euen from the light of Naturall Reason vvee may firmely conclude that the Spirit of Praier is so absolutely necessary to a Religious Superiour that vvithout it he cannot exercise his charge proffitably either to himselfe or his subiects And consequently that to a Superiour in an Order vvhose spirit is Contemplation it is necessary that he haue attained to a good established Habit of Contemplatiue Praier For as hath bene said in the foregoing Discourse concerning Spirituall Guides hovv can such a Superiour vvithout knovvledge gained by experience inculcate the so necessary Duties of Recollection and Praier Nay rather vvill he not be more likely to discountenance those Exercises in vvhich he is not skilled and from vvhich perhaps he has an auersion 5. Therfore that too ordinarily maintained Position of some That Actiue Spirits are more fitt for Superiorities and Externall Emploiments then Contemplatiue which are to be left to the Solitude and Sequestration to which their Spirits incline them is indeed most vnreasonable groundles 6. On the contrary no doubt there is but that the decay of Religion hath principally proceeded from this preposterous disorder viz. that in most Religious Communities Actiue Spirits haue gott the aduantage to possesse themselues of Prelatures and Spirituall Pastourships ouer the Contemplatiue though the state of Religion vvas instituted only for Contemplation And this has happened euen since Contemplatiue Praier has bene restored by Persons extraordinarily raised by God as Rusbrochius Thaulerus S. Teresa c. so that Religious Communities haue bene ordered euen in the point of Spirituallity by Spirits of a quite different contrary temper to that for vvhich they vvere intended 7. Indeed it is not to be vvondred at that Actiue Spirits should so preuaile considering that those vvho are truly of a Contemplatiue disposition and designe knowing well the difficulty and Danger of Superiority how full of Extrouersion Distraction and Sollicitude it is and vvhat occasions and Tentations there are in it to raise nourish and satisfy sensuall Affections Pride c. to the perill of extinguishing the Spirit of Praier except in soules far aduanced in Praier and Mortification such I say are therfore iustly afraid of and doe vse all lawfull meanes to auoide the Care and Gouernment of others Whereas Actiue Spirits that liue in Religion not being capable of such Praier as will raise them much out of nature haue not the like apprehensions of such Employments But on the contrary being lead by naturall Desires of Preeminence and loue of liberty and beleiuing that those who are true Internall Liuers will not submit themselues to all the vvaies Policies vsed for the increasing the temporall Good of their Communities doe not feare to offer themselues yea and ambitiously to seeke Dominion ouer others falsely in the meane time persvvading themselues that their only Motiue is Charity and a Desire to promote the Glory of God and the aduancement both temporall and Spirituall of their Conuents or Congregations But vvhat the effect is experience shevves 8. True it is that it cannot be auoyded but that many vnfit spirits vvill oft be admitted into Religious Orders very different from the dispositions requisite though it belongs to Superiours to prouide as vvell as may be against such an abuse But such being admitted of Actiue Dispositions the best vvere to employ them in Actiue Exercises Externall matters as in the Offices of Procuration Dispense Building and the like But as for Prelacies the Charge of Instructing Nouices or other Offices pertaining to the directing of soules it is the destruction of the spirit of Contemplation to employ Actiue Dispositions in such For hovv can they vvithout light or Experience direct soules in vvaies vnknovven to themselues yea vvhich through ignorance or mistake they perhaps disapproue 9. Besides vpon exact consideration it vvill be found that in the point of Gouernment Contemplatiue Spirits that haue made a good progresse in Internall Praier haue great aduantages aboue the Actiue For such being carefull themselues to vse all due Abstraction vvill lesse molest themselues and others vvith impertinent businesses Not prying too narrowly into all passages as if they sought occasion of shewing their authority and ability in making vnnecessary reprehensions to the disquieting of Communities but for Peace sake they vvill sometimes euen silere a bonis passing ouer many things vvhich doe seeme a litle amisse vvherin they shevv great Prudence and also cause much proffit to subiects 2. Such being diligent about their ovvne Recollections doe out of a loue to silence Patience Peace forbeare the doing or imposing of a multitude of vnnecessary Taskes vpon others 3. By meanes of Praier they obtaine light to order all things to the benefit of their subiects soules And in case they haue erred or bene defectiue in any thing they discouer and amend it in their next Recollection 4. In the manner and fashion of their vvhole comportment a certaine Diuine Grace shines forth vvhich is of great efficacy to vvinne their subiects Heartes to Obedience and Diuine Loue. 5. Yea if by Corporall Infirmity they be disabled to attend
to many Externall Obseruances yet a vievv of the Patience quietnes and Resignation shevved by them is more edifying to soules vnder their Care then all the most exact externall Regularities and Seuerity of Actiue Spirits 6. Yea euen in regard of Temporall Benefit to Communities Contemplatiue Spirits are more aduantageous then Actiue Because they not putting any confidence in their ovvne Industry Prudence and Actiuity but only in the Diuine Prouidence vvhich is neuer vvanting to those that for temporall regards vvill not doe any thing vnseemely or misbecoming their Abstracted state doe enioy the effects and blessings of God far more plentifully vvhilst they preferre his loue and seruice before any humane distracting sollicitudes for outward things Memorable Examples of great Blessings attending such a Confidence in God vvee find abundantly in the Life of our holy Father and of the Ancient Monkes and more lately in the life of Suso Ioannes de Cruce c. Novv the vvant of such Confidence in Actiue Spirits proceedes merely from Defect in Diuine Loue and that from the vvant of Internall Praier And hence proceede hurtfull vnseemely compliances vvith the vvorld a regard rather to vvealth then good vvills to serue God in the soules that enter into Religion c. 10. A fearfull Example of the mischeife follovving the neglect of Internall Praier in a Superiour vvee find in Bernardinus Ochinus a Superiour in a most strict Order vvho vvas a famous Zealous Preacher and as might be iudged by outvvard appearance of more then ordinary Sanctity yet vvithall to comply vvith those outvvard Employments a great neglecter of Internall Conuentuall Recollections And vvhen he vvas sometimes charitably admonished of such his Tepidity his ordinary ansvver vvas Doe you not know that he who is alwaies in a good Action is alwaies in Praier Which Saying of his had bene true if such good actions had bene performed in vertue of Praier and by Grace obtained therby For then they had bene vertually Praiers Wheras Actions though in themselues neuer so good if they vvant that Purity of Intention vvhich is only to be had by Pure Praier are in Gods esteeme of litle or no valevv The principall motiues of them being no other then such as corrupt nature is likely to suggest Ochinus therfore continuing in the same neglect vvas by one of his Brethren prophetically vvarned that he must expect some terrible issue therof in these vvordes Caue ne te Ordo euâ—mat that is Take heede that our Order be not herafter constreiued to vomit thee out of it The vvhich vnhappily fell out For notvvithstanding all his other specious qualities and endovvments he first forsaking God vvas aftervvard forsaken by him and became a vvretched Antitrinitarian Apostate And it is very probable that the greatest part of the Apostates of these times such I meane as haue formerly liued in Religious Orders doe ovve their Apostacy and Perdition to no other cause so much as to such neglect and Apostacy first from Praier The which holy Exercise if they had continued they vvould neuer haue bene weary of their habit first and aftervvard of their Faith CHAP. VIII § 1. Superiours ought carefully to examine the dispositions of those that they admitt to Religion § 2. 3. Great danger to Communities from Loose Spirits § 4. 5. Other ill Qualities to be auoyded § 6. 7. 8. 9. Of a good Nature What is and how to be prised § 10. 11. Inconueniences by admitting Actiue Spirits into Contemplatiue Religions § 12. 13. 14. 15. Sufficient time for Recollection is to be allowed to all Religious § 16. Superiours will be accountable for disorders in their flock 1. NOw one of the principall Points of a Superiours Care for the vvellfare of his Community consists in prouiding or admitting into it only such Spirits and dispositions as are likely to promote the good of it by liuing according to the Spirit of it And in this all such Officers and Counsellours are concerned to vvhom the lavves haue referred the Examination and tryall of such as offer themselues to a Regular life and are aftervvard vpon their Approbation to be Professed And a greater consideration of this Point is more necessary in these daies then ancieÌ„tly it was For it is not now as in our holy Fathers time vvheÌ„ incorrigible Persons might be expelled the Congregation 2. It is not I suppose needfull to aduise such as are in those Offices to take care hovv they admitt loose Spirits into Religion among them vvho vvill not so much as intend God or his seruice All vvhose Actions haue no other Motiue but either feare of Pennance or hope of gaining Reputation Preferments c Whose bodies are Prisoners in Religion but their Minds and Desires vvandring in the vvorld Who must enioy all Priuiledges and corporall helpes equally vvith the best yea and generally vse them most vvastfully vvithout consideration of others Who finding no tast or contentment in Spirituall matters are euen forced to seeke satisfaction in sensuall pleasures and for the passing of the time to frame Designes to raise and maintaine factions and this especially against those that they see doe most intend God on vvhom they vvill cast from of themselues all the Burdens of a Regular life Who vvill thinke themselues excused from all Duties for the least corporall Incommodity Who vvill desire and endeauour to make others like themselues that their party and povver may be greater Lastly vvho reape so litle good to their ovvne soules and are likely to doe so much preiudice to others that probably it had bene much better for them to haue continued in the vvorld the state of Religion only seruing to encrease their guilt and misery 3. Such loose Spirits are vvorse in a Community vvhere the knovvledge of true Spirituality is common then in other places Because there they are vvillfully naught and doe resist amendment If by the seuerity of lavves and Constitutions they may come to be kept in some tolerable order yet this reaches only to the Exteriour lasts no longer then the Superiours eyes are vpon them And indeed the Superiours themselues vvill in all probability feele the greatest smart from such vndue Admissions being likely to find dayly great bitternes from their obstinacy Such loose Spirits are the cause of such a burdensome multiplicity of Lawes all vvhich notvvithstanding are litle auayleable for their amendment and yet doe abridge the due Liberty of Spirit necessary to deuout vvellminded Soules nourishing Scrupulosity c. in them 4. Let the best care that is possible be vsed notvvithstanding some vnfit persons vvill through easines partiall affection or other respects in the Examiners slip in If therfore those vvho are apparently bad be receiued vvhat a Community vvill there be prouided Many that seeme good vvill proue bad but seldome or neuer vvill those that appeare bad become good God indeed can change the vvorst But yet an vncertaine hope in extraordinary Grace is not to be relyed vpon especially vvhere
publick good is concerned 5. Generally there is great feruour in Soules at their first entrance into Religion Therfore if any one shevv vnrulines Obstinacy and Indeuotion during their Nouiceship small good is to be expected from them 6. A litle Deuoutnes vvill not serue to counteruaile ill inclinations to lying dissembling factiousnes an humour of calummating c For a great and scarse to be hoped for measure of Grace vvill be requisite to subdue such pernicious Qualities On the contrary a good Nature euen vvhere there is not so much Deuotion yet vvill beare vp a Soule and make her a tolerable member of a Community It is likevvise a great Disposition for Grace vvhich it may vvell be hoped vvill one day follovv and that such an one vvill become Deuout Especially this may be hoped for in those that haue naturally a good sound Iudgment vvhich is much to be considered 7. Novv by a good Nature I meane not such an one as is generally in the vvorld stiled so to vvit a facility and easines to grant a request or to comply vvith others On the contrary for as much as regards a Coenobiticall life I account such to be an ill nature being easily seduced and peruerted By a good Nature therefore in this place I meane such an one as is indued vvith Modesty Gentlenes Quietnes Humility Patience loue of Truth and other such Morally good Qualities vvhich are good Dispositions for Christian Perfection Novv a person of an ill Nature that vvill make a good shevv out of hope to steale a Profession ought the rather for his dissimulation to be reiected 8. And indeed Subtile Natures are much to be taken heede of Some Nouices vvill behaue themselues so cunningly as at the end of their Probation none can be able to produce any speciall accusation against them yet they may in their conscience beleiue them to be vnfitt In this case euery one is to follovv their ovvne iudgement And especiall heede is to be taken of the iudgement of the Master or Mistrisse of the Nouices who are most to be credited as hauing the opportunity meanes to espy and penetrate more deeply into their Interiour Dispositions 9. This Goodnes or vertuousnes of Nature is an Essentiall Point and farre more to be regarded then those Accidentall ones as strength of Bodily complexion Acutenes of Wit Gracefullnes of Behauiour skill in Singing Nobility Portion c. And particularly for this last hovv far Religious Soules ought to be from regarding riches or gaine in matters of this Nature or for such carnall Ends to admit those that are vnfit or vvhom God hath not sent The Generall Decree of the Church in the first Oecumenicall Councell of Lateran can 64. vvill shevv besides the practise of Antiquity as vvee may reade in an Epistle of S. Augustin Surely the only vvay of founding Conuents securely euen in regard of Temporalities is by making choice only of those to vvhom God hath giuen fitting dispositions vvherby vvee may engage his Omnipotence in their preseruation 10. Those therfore vpon vvhose Suffrages the Admission and Profession of New-comers doe depend are to consider that they are intrusted by the vvhole Congregation vvith a matter of such consequence as not only the present but future vvellfare or ruine of Conuents is interessed in their proceedings all vvhich trust they shall betray if any vndue consideration of friendship kindred gaine c. or a zeale of multiplying Conuents vvhich is but carnall shall corrupt their iudgments 11. Surely therfore in all reason none should be admitted into Communities professing the aspiring to Contemplation but only such as are disposed therto and that are vvilling yea desirous to spend their vvhole Liues in Solitude Praier Regular Obseruances without any designes or thoughts of euer being employed abroad yet alvvayes vvith an entire submission to the Ordinances of Superiours 12. And indeed as vvas said before concerning Superiours that Actiue Spirits being to direct the Contemplatiue doe endanger the extinguishing of the Spirit of Contemplation so likevvise if such be vvithout choice admitted the same mischeife vvill follovv Yea I am persvvaded that many Actiue Spirits though of a Good seemly outvvard cariage are no lesse harmfull to a Community then a lesser number of loose Spirits And the reason is because by their good Exteriour shevv they vvill seeme vvorthy of Superiority to vvhich also their Activity vvill incline them And those are they indeed saith Thaulerus that are Persecutours of Contemplation for hauing a good opinion of themselues and their ovvne vvayes vvhich loose Spirits haue not they thinke themselues euen obliged to depresse those other good soules that doe not iudge those externall exercises and fashions suitable to their Profession And for this reason they vvill by faction seeke to encrease their number yea and to strengthen their ovvne party they vvill not spare to ioyne vvith loose Spirits for their ovvne Interests yeilding to their disorders Neither vvhen they haue compassed their Ends by the ruine of the Spirit of Contemplation vvill Vnquietnes cease For in a Community vvholly consisting of Actiue Spirits factions and partialities for seuerall Ends and designes will neuer be wāting 13. Novv the same care that Superiours ought to haue about the choice and Admission of vertuous and fitt soules into Communities must be continued in the managing and directing of them being admitted Great care therfore is to be taken that the misbehauiour of Nouices doe not proceed from vvant of knovvledge Instruction in matters of the Spirit That so it may appeare that if they doe not vvell it is for vvāt of good vvill and not of Light Now it is not to be expected that Nouices should be perfect it vvill suffise that they seriously tend to it by a constant pursuance of Internall Praier and Abstraction of Life 14. Aboue all things therfore Superiours ought to allovv to their subiects a competent time dayly for their Recollections vvhich is the foode of the soule and to deny vvhich vvould be a greater Tyrāny then to refuse corporall foode to slaues after their trauaile He deserues not the name of a Religious man saith Caietan No not of a Christian saith Thaulerus that doth not euery day spend some reasonable space in his Interiour S. Bernard vvould not excuse euen Pope Eugenius himselfe in the midst of those continually most distractiue vveighty affaires of the Popedome from this duty The vvant vvherof is more harmfull to the Soule then that of corporall foode is to the Body For he that fasts one day besides the present paine he finds vvill the next haue a better and more eager appetite But a soule that through neglect is depriued of her dayly foode of Praier vvill the next day haue a lesse stomack and disposition to it and so in time vvill come vvillingly and euen vvith pleasure to starue in Spirit And to such neglect and loathing of Prayer she vvill come if Superiours doe hinder or indeed not encourage her
any alteration at all in their Essentiall Designe most secure and profitable to their ovvne Soules vvhich is the leading a Solitary Deuout and abstracted Life and therin aspiring to Contemplation This only must they aime at and to this must they order all their thoughts and Actions as if they vvere all their liues long to be imprisoned in their Cloysters Therfore neither entring nor aftervvards must they entertaine any Thoughts or designes about any thing that is out of the limits of their Conuents in vvhich for as much as concernes themselues their desire and intention must be to liue and dye Particularly they ought to banish out of their minds all meditations and inclinations to goe in Mission into England Yea if they vvill indeed comply vvith their Essentiall Profession they must resolue as much as lyes in them and vvithout offence to God or disobedience to their Superiours to preuent such an Employment of vvhich they cannot vvithout Pride thinke themselues worthy or able to encounter all the Tentations and dangers accompanying it simply and sincerely confining all their Thoughts and affections to that Life of Solitude Abstraction and Prayer vvhich they haue vowed and in vvhich their Soules vvill find truest comfort and Security 4. Consequently neither must they vvith an intention to approue vnto their Superiours their fitnes for that Charge therby as it vvere inuiting them to make vse of them for it apply themselues after such a manner to the Studies proper for such an Employment as in any measure therby to hinder or interrupt the reading of such Bookes as are most beneficiall to their Soules and much lesse to hinder their dayly serious Recollections In case their Superiours vvho are only concerned in that busines shall require of them to apply themselues diligently to such Studies as may fit them for the Mission they are obliged therin to submit themselues to Obedience Yet euen in that case if they find that much time cannot be spent in them without hurt to their Spirit and a neglect or preiudice to their appointed Recollections they ought to acquaint their Superiours vvith their Case vvho no doubt will preferre the good and aduancement of their Soules by Solitude Purity of Spirit and Internall Prayer before any other Considerations whatsoeuer Yea they vvill iudge Prayer to be a better disposition and to procure a greater enablement euen for such a Calling then Study And vvill take heed hovv they send any abroad that for their Studies neglect their Prayer For what Blessing from God can such hope vpon any Endeauours of theirs Is it not more likely that themselues vvill be peruerted then others by them conuerted 5. It cannot easily be imagined hovv mischeiuous to many Soules the neglect of such Aduices may be Some vvill perhaps haue a mind to take the Habit for that End intent principally of going aftervvard into England What miserable Distractions vvould such a Resolution cause during all the time of their abode in their Conuent For all their thoughts almost all their Affections hopes and Designes vvill be caryed abroad into another Countrey so that the place of their Profession vvill be esteemed a place of Exile to them And so far vvill they be from procuring a Diuine Light and Grace to enable them for so terrible an Employment by the meanes of Prayer that Prayer and Solitude vvill be distastfull to them Regular Obseruances will be a burden and any thing that may delay their Intention vvhich they say is of Conuerting Soules but alas perhaps with the losse or at least imminent danger of their ovvne 6. Nay some that at the Beginning haue simply and vvith a good Intention taken the Habit yeilding aftervvard to the spirit of Tepidity the vvhich turnes their happy Solitude into a Prison vvill looke vpon the Mission as a meanes to free themselues from their Profession and therfore vvill not feare to vse all meanes by friends and sollicitations of their Superiours that they may be suffred to quit it and to goe in Mission God only knovves into vvhat dangers and Tentations they vvillfully thrust themselues being vtterly vnprouided of Light or Grace to resist them And vvhat other issue can be expected but that God should giue them vp to suâ—h Tentations vnto vvhich out of a sensuall Affection to the vvorld Pride and a vvearines of Prayer they haue exposed themselues vvithout any Call from him yea contrary to his vvill 7. Novv it is not only particular Religious but much more Superiours that ought to thinke themselues concerned most deeply in these matters For in case such vnvvary rash Soules shall come thus to destroy themselues they annot but knovv that those Soules shall be required at their hands They ought therfore to roote out of the hearâ—s of their Subiects all such pernicious Designes by shevving that they esteeme them least worthy that are most forward to offer themselues And great care and vvarines ought they to vse hovv they send or permitt any to goe abroad before they be sufficiently furnished not so much vvith Learning as vvith the Spirit of Mortification and Prayer and vvith zeale proceeding from an established Charity that so they may not by vndertaking and executing Actiue employments preiudice and perhaps ruine their Contemplatiue state 8. Our Examples ought to be our first Hoâ—y Conuerters of England vvho did not vndertake such a Charge till they vvere grovvne old in the Exercices of Solitude and Contemplation And not then till an absolute command vvas imposed on them by the Supreme Pastâ—ur And in the Execution of their Charge they neuer suffred their Labours and Sollicitudes to dispence vvith them for the continuing of their accustomed Austerities and the Exercise of Prayer but borrovved from their Employments as much time as could possibly be allovved to spend in Abstraction Solitude and Contemplation Yea though they conuersed only vvith Pagans and Barbarous Soules yet so zealous vvere they of their Monasticall Life and Profession that they vvould not so much as quit the Habit And vvhen they vvere consecrated and exalted to the Episcopall function yet still they retained both the Exercises and fashions of Monasticall Contemplatiue Persons as S. Bede declareth 9. Moreouer in latter times Experience hath vvitnessed that some humble and deuout though not so learned Missioners haue prospered better in Conuerting Soules then the most acute and cunning Controuertists And haue by their Humility Modesty and edifying Conuersation but especially by the practise and teaching of Internall Prayer gained to Catholicke Vnity those Soules that many other most skillfull in Disputes and vvithall enabled vvith Experience haue for long time in vaine attempted 10. Notvvithstanding all this I doe not deny but that to a Religious foule an Impulse and interiour inuitation may come from God to goe into the Mission This is possible but most certaine it is that such an Inuitation vvill very rarely if euer come but to Soules established in a Spirituall Life And in this case it vvill be
as follovves in vertue of a precedent Actuall Intention made in Prayer c. in so doing she shall performe after the best securest vvay the Exercise of the Continuall Presence of God so much commended by spirituall Authours particularly by our holy Father in the first degree of Humility By the vvhich Exercise surely it cannot be intended that a soule should be obliged to haue continually an Actuall remembrance of God for this being the same vvith actuall Internall Prayer vvould so much endammage the heads of imperfect soules especially that they would quickly be disabled from making any progresse in Spirit 3. The same Practise likevvise doth after the securest manner supply that other Exercise oft recommended of a Continuall thinking on our owne Nothing For by conformity to the foresaid Directions Propriety Selfe-will by the vvhich alone vvee vvould faine seeme to be something more then vvee are or ought to be are not only in thought imagination or desire of mind but really effectually abandonned the inordinate affections of the soule mortified annihilated And it is only for this end that the said Exercise is so much magnified In a vvord by such practises ioyned vvith an Intention to the glory of God his diuine loue a soule vvill be very vvell disposed to the most perfect Prayer of Contemplation 4. Such a vvorld there is of conditions and circumâ—â—ances required to the Perfection of euery Action both touching the substance manner motiue principle end thereof corrupt nature is so subtle to insinuate her ovvne Interests seeking them in euery thing vvee doe persvvading vs that vvee renounce Propriety euen vvhen vvee most earnestly intend it that vvithout an Extraordinary light from God to be obtained only by spirituall Prayer vvee cannot discouer the Inclinations of our ovvne hearts And the reason vvhy this light can be had only by Prayer is because then alone euery the least defect most secret suggestion hinders our view contemplation of God and our tendance to him by consequence is easily discernable as being set betwene our eyes the Sun Wheras in our ordinary Vocall Prayers externall good Actions only greater tentations are able perceptibly to distract vs. 5. Those therfore that doe not pursue Internall Prayer can only so far mortify their passions that they breake not forth into outvvard expressions or Actions But the euill Roote remaines still aliue causing inward disorders very displeasing to God 6. As for Crosses and aduersities vvhich a soule vndergoes out of the strength of Reason and not in vertue of Diuine Grace and Prayer the cheefe effect of them is only to vexe and trouble Nature or at most they serue to mortify the superabundant actiuity and vigour of the internall sences and naturall Affections by vvhich meanes the persons may become more Iudicious Prudent and Temperate but they peirce not to the Spirit it selfe to cause any purity therein or really to diminish selfe-loue Moreouer the like Crosses vndergone by vertue of such a common Grace as ordinary good extrouerted Christians doe enioy though they may be helpfull to preuent the mortally poysonnous effects of selfe-loue vvhich is in vs yet are far from expelling that secret selfe-loue vvhich lurkes in the inmost center of our soules So that they may remaine greiuously full of staines and infirmities and the Diuine loue feeble and easy to be extinguished notvvithstanding the effects of such Crosses 7. Wheras difficulties vndergone in vertue of Grace obtained by Internall Prayer doe as it vvere scovvre purity the spirit it selfe from the Rust of inordinate affections so doe spiritualize all the faculties of the soule causing it to become a pure spirit exalted and separated from sensible obiects all adhesion to them from vvhich all vicious impurity proceedes This is that Diuision of the Soule Spirit mentioned by S. Paul by vvhich the Pure Spirit vvorkes as a Spirit not obscured nor infected vvith sensuall Ends and Interests 8. The vvay of Mortification therfore practised by Internall Contemplatiue liuers is different from that of Actiues though liuing in a Religious state vvell aduanced in Actiue exercises for these endeauour to mortify their inordinate Affections by combatting them purposely directly to vvit by meditating discoursiuely on the motiues afforded by Christian doctrine to oppose them as a consideration of their deformity danger c. and also by exercising an Act of vertue contrary therto so repressing the inordinate Passion Wheras Contemplatiue soules doe indirectly yet far more efficaciously mortify their passions by transcending them that is by eleuating vniting their spirit to God vvith the helpe of pure intellectuall actuations by this meanes forgetting drovvning both their sensuall desires yea all created things cheifely themselues in God So that in a Tentation they doe not turne themselues tovvards the obiect to the end to resist contradict it but by a vigorous Act of Resignation loue they conuert their spirits vnto God scorning euen to cast a regard or glance vpon creatures that vvould allure their affections from God vvhich cannot be considered except in God vvithout leauing some tincture imperfection in the soule 9. It is not therfore the externall practise of vertues nor much lesse customary frequent Confessions Communions Obediences Austerities c but pure spirituall prayer the sublime degrees of it to vvit Aspirations Pure Eleuations of the will other such Diuine Operations that must be the principall Instrument to bring a soule to a state of perfect freedome from exteriour Interiour Immortification For by such operations only she is enabled to transcend Inferiour nature to liue in the quiet secure Illuminated region of the spirit 10. But in the meane time till a deuout soule doe attaine to such Perfection of prayer she must be content to vvorke according to her present light enablement so endeauouring to correct her defects by lesse perfect Exercises such as partake of the Actiue way And she must vvith patience quietnes of spirit beare vvith her ovvne imperfections as she vvould vvith others expecting Gods good time endeauouring to hasten the approach of that time by assiduous Prayer by meanes of vvhich alone she may come to expell those defects vvhich doe novv so much exercise trouble her also to discouer correct many others vvhich as yet her eyes are too infirme dimme to see 11. Indeed the prouident care that God generally hath ouer his children both perfect imperfect is vvonderfull being carefully suited to their present state For he does not vsually send to imperfect soules any mortifications but such as are ordinary proportionable to their infirmity namely such as doe gall afflict their sensitiue nature but doe not peirce into the quick center of the spirit that remaines free to support the other But as for soules arriued to the state of Perfection or neare it God doth vsually prouide for them strange
vvell as others vvho ought to be very far from fauouring this perniciously officious and vncharitable humour of accusing or informing in any of their Religious Much lesse ought they to esteeme that their Authoriâ—y can extend to the preiudice of Brotherly Charity so far as to exâ—use or howeuer to oblige any one to be an accuser or informer against his brethren A pretence of doing good to their subiects soules vvill be alledged by such Superiours as are of a curious inquisitive Disposition and are continually searching into the behaviour of their Religious but little good Reformation vvill ever be vvrought by such an humour of Iealous Curiosity On the contrary the effects of it are the breeding of discontents generally in all and the greatest mischeife to the soules of private vncharitable Informers 10. It is more secure for one that is apt to offend in his Tongue to be in company of many then of one or two whom he affects Therfore particular Intimacy and private correspondences betvvene Religious is much to be avoyded both for the Peace of Communities and the good of each priuate Religious Person 11. No vvords are to be spoken nor Action done merely vpon the motiue of edifying others And indeed vvhere recreatiue conuersations are allovved the most commodious subiects of Discourse are purely indifferent things and such as are neither apt to moue Passions nor to leaue distracting Images in the Hearers minds 12. Vpon this occasion I conceiue it necessary to adde some Aduices touching Religious Recreations The vvhich are not to be concluded fit to be prohibited because vvee sayd that the Duty of Mortification extends it selfe vniuersally to the whole soule and that it is to be continued to the end of ones Life On the contrary not only Reason but the Examples of the most Perfect among the Ancient Saints famous for Contemplation shew that it is proffitable yea at due times necessary To this purpose seemes the story of S. Iohn the Euangelist the first Doctour and Example of Contemplation whose custome vvas to recreate himselfe vvith a tame Doue For vvhich being censured by a Hunter that passed by as for an Action that vvas beneath his grauity and not beseeming one that professed a continuall conuersation vvith God He defended himselfe to the conuiction of the reprouer by shevving that as a Bow if it be alvvayes bent would loose its force so the mind likevvise vvould become vtterly vncapable of Diuine Thoughts if no relaxation vvere allovved to it considering the infirmity of the Body that cannot alvvays supply fit Spirits to Actions especially to such as are so contrary to its inclinations 13. True it is that in our Holy Rule there are extant no Orders about Conuentuall Recreations which argues that none vvere practised in those dayes Yea our Holy Father takes a particular care hovv euery hower of the day should be employed in common Notvvithstanding after Refection he enioyned the Religious to retire each one into his Cell permitting them a conuenient time to refresh themselues alone either with Sleepe as the custome vvas in that vvarme Climate or othervvise as they found themselues disposed if they had no inclination to Sleepe for no certaine employment is then appointed 14. But because in these latter dayes our complexions are not supposed able to support so great solitude and Attention to the Spirit as hath bene sayd Therfore haue Superiours allovved and ordeined daily certaine times for Recreatiue Conferences almost obliging each particular Religious Person to be present at them And besides at certaine seasons monthly or as the custome is they haue afforded an addition to the Diet. 15. Neither doth this preiudice the Duty of continuall Mortification vvhich is not to be interpreted in extreme rigour because then nature euen in the ablest complexions vvould be destroyed And besides Recreations are appointed that Mortification may be better more feruently exercised aftervvard Adde herunto that euen in Recreation it selfe Mortification may and ought in some reasonable degree to be discreetly exercised so as that the mind is not to povvre it selfe forth vpon that vvhich is pleasant to nature but to keepe a moderate vvatchfullnesse ouer it selfe and to referre the contentment found therin to the good of the Spirit 16. To speake a little therefore particularly touching such Conferences Decency is in grosse to be obserued But it vvill be diâ—ficult to prescribe any sett order or manner for the Talke as not to speake vnasked not to exceede such a limitation of vvords c. to omit many particular cautions which at other times are to be observed Here some more freedome must be allovved so it goe not too far 17. Among Women there can scarce be any Recreation if the Tongue be too much stinted Neither is it to be expected that their Talke should be of Spirituall matters Both because such Talke is far from being recreatiue as likevvise because none but expert Persons ought to discourse of such subiects Indeed to make such the subiect of ordinary Discourse euen betvvene the most able experienced persons either Men or vvomen is not conuenient at all Except some speciall occasion makes it expedient For it vsually proceeds from Pride or a vvillingnes to interest ones selfe in the guiding of the Consciences of others and may produce inconuenient Effects in both 18. The matter and conditions of Recreatiue Discourse therfore may be 1. That the matter doe not particularly referre to the Interiour of any of the parties But if it regard a Religious State that it be about lesse considerable externall matters as Ceremonies Customes c. 2. That it may be some thing that may be apt to cause chearfullnes though not laughter vvhich our Holy Father vvould haue banished from his Communities Novv Discourses about such matters are not to be reputed Idle words 3. It were better to talke of the ocurrences of former times then of the present because our Holy Father forbids the inquiring or telling of newes in the vvorld for feare least the Hearers being interessed may become distracted vvith sollicitudes 4. It must not therfore be of any thing that probably vvill leaue in the minds any hurtfull Images 5. The Hearer is not to suffer the subiect of the Discourses to enter so deepe into his mind as that it should raise any Passions there 6. It must by no meanes be of any thing â—y vvhich any one present or absent may be preiudiced or contristated nor indeed aftervvards distracted c. 19. As touching those that are naturally of Melancholick Dispositions they ought to be exceedingly vvatchfull ouer themselues that they giue not vvay to so pestilent an humour Nature vvill incline them to auoyd all Recreations and diuersions and being very subtle it vvill suggest pretences to iustify a froward Lonelines an humour not able to support innocent conuersation as if this vvere done out of a Loue to a Religious Solitude and Recollection But in all likelyhood such a peruerse Solitude is employed
herselfe in the point of Gluttony And the maine mischeife of the tentation is preuented vvhen vvee are come to cast of the habituall affection to eating drinking especially to feasting the vvhich brings many inconueniences to an Internall liuer as 1. losse of time 2. Perill of intemperance other misbehauiour 3. Hurtfull distractions 4. Indisposition to Prayer 5. Intemperance likevvise in another vse of the tongue to vvit talking c. 4. Imperfecter soules therfore must make it their care in Refections to auoyd these speciall defects To vvit Eating or Drinking 1. Too much 2. With too great earnestnes 3. Too hastily preuenting the due times 4. Delicatly 5. With a precedent studiousnes to prouide pleasing meates c. In respect of the two first qualities or defects such soules may happen to offend vvho yet in a good measure haue attayned to a spirituall disesteeme neglect of those things that please sensuality For they on occasions may be tempted to eate vvith some excesse and ardour But rarely doe such offend in the follovving qualities 5. Now the Markes by vvhich a soule may discerne vvhether she haue in her a disaffection to sensuall pleasures are 1. If her chiefe delight esteeme be in Exercises of the Spirit that she diligently pursues them 2. If she seekes not after nor willingly admits extraordinary feastings 3. If being alone she does not entertaine herselfe vvith the thought of such things nor talks of them vvith gust 4. If when she is forced to take Refections she takes them as of necessity duty 5. If she could be content so that Gods vvill vvere such to be depriued of all things that might please tast c. 6. In case that necessary Ciuility shall oblige a spirituall person to be present at a feast he may doe vvell to be vvatchfull ouer himselfe at the beginning And this he may the more easily doe because then others being more eager to their meate vvill lesse marke him And to entertayne the time vvhich is ordinarily long let him chuse such meats as are the lightest of the easiest digestion For so doing he may both seeme to auoyd singularity in abstaining more then others yet in effect eate far lesse In a vvord let him goe thither vvith a mind affection to abstinence retaine such affection 7. This one vnauoydable misery there is in eating drinking hovv temperatly soeuer That a soule for such a time for some space aftervvards is forced to descend from that height of Spirit that she had attayned to by vertue of her precedent Recollection So that if before she had a sight experimentall perception that God was all herselfe nothing she vvill aftervvards haue no other sight of this but her ordinary sight of Faith by reason that her Spirits are more actiue her internall senses filled vvith Images vapours 8. Yet a soule is not to abridge herselfe of a necessary quantity in Refection for her Prayers sake or other Internall Exercises for that vvould for a long time after doe more harme to the spirit by too much enfeebling the body Neither is she to iudge that she has offended by excesse because she finds a heauines and perhaps some indigestion for some space after Refection For this may proceed from that debility of complexion vvhich ordinarily attends a spirituall life since as S. Hildegardis saith The loue of God doth not vsually dwell in robustious bodies 9. It is not our petty failings through frailty or ignorance and much losse our supposed failings iudged so by our scrupulosity that can cause God to be auerted from vs or that vvill hinder our vnion vvith him For for such defects vvee shall be attoaned vvith God in our next Recollections or it may be sooner But those are indeed preiudiciall defects vvhich proceede from a setled affection to sensuall obiects 10. To correct the vice of Eagernes in eating Abbot Isacius aduised his Monks that when they stretched forth their hands for the receiuing of their meate or drinke they should doe it with a certaine mentall vnwillingnes 11. Let euery one content himselfe vvith vvhat God by Superiours prouides for him accounting that hovv meane or course soeuer to be the very best for him not that vvhich cannot be procured vvithout sollicitude impatience Neither ought any to iustify or excuse his impatience out of an opinion of obligation that euery one has to take care of the body for the seruice of the spirit For the spirit is far more endammaged by such impatience sollicitude then any thing they can desire for the body can doe it good 12. Wee haue small reason to loue the body for it is that vvhich one way or other is the cause of almost all the sins vvhich the soule commits To cherish therfore satisfy its inordinate desires is to make prouision for sin as if our naturall corruption did not sufficiently incline vs therto 13. The infirmity of our body may sometimes require not only healthy but also well tasting meats not for the satisfying of our sensuality but the vpholding of our strength as S. Augustin saith In vvhich case meats of good rellish euen as such may be sought for yea ought to be so this for the recreating and comforting of nature And such corporall consolation may also haue a good effect vpon the Spirit But vvhere no such necessity is to seeke for such meates is against the Rules of Religious temperance And euen during such necessity to seeke them either vvith sollicitude or so as may be preiudiciall to the Community is contrary to Religious Pouerty Resignation 14. As many defects hindrances to spirituall progres doe flovv by occasions of Refection so on the contrary to vvell-minded soules it may be the occasion of some aduantages for their progresse in Spirit For 1. It obliges a soule to vvatch pray that she be not ouercome by the Tentation 2. It may giue occasion for the exercise of Patience in case of the vvant of things contentfull to nature as likevvise of temperance in the vse of them 3. The experience of our frequent excesses beyond true necessity may afford great matter for the Exercise of Humility 4. By the means of Resection there is giuen to soules certaine pausings diuersions from spirituall workings necessary to enable them making good vse therof to worke aftervvards more vigorously intensely 15. Vix perfectus discernit c. sâ—ith S. Gregory A perfect soule doth scarce discerne the secret Tentations subtle subreption of sensuality vrging soules to take more then necessity or obedience require the only light necessary for such discerning comes from internall Praier And moreouer till the soule by Praier be raysed aboue sensuality she cannot haue strength enough to resist all the inordinate desires therof vvhich she doth discerne And vvhen soules are arriued to Perfect Praier of Contemplation they oppose such desires rather by neglecting forgetting the body then by
direct combats against the appetits of it And only from the decay ignorance of such Praier hath it proceeded that spirituall Directours haue bene forced to multiply such so many nice obseruances about diet and other duties of our Rule All vvhich notvvithstanding vvithout Prayer haue but small effect to produce solide vertues in the soule 16. A soule perfectly spiritualized if she might haue her vvish vvould vvillingly be freed not only from all pleasures taken in Refections considering the dayly tentations to excesse but euen from the necessity of them being forced to cry out vvith Dauid De necessitatibus meis erue me Domine O Lord free mee from these my corporall necessities for vvere it not for them she might alvvaies like an Angell be in continuall Contemplation enioy a neuer-fayling internall light the vvhich is obscured by the fumes raysed euen by the most temperate Refections by vvhich also passions are in some degree quickned Such soules may indeed properly be said to haue a disaffection to Refection And the best vvay besides out of Prayer to beget such disaffection to preuent the harmes that may come from any corporall necessities vvill be not only to practise the mortifying of sensuall contentment in going to the Refectory but vpon serious consideration of the Tentations there to be found to goe vvith a kind of vnvvillingnes feare 17. A most noble kind of Mortification in Refection is that mencioned by Harphius of a certaine Holy Brother of the Order of S. Francis called Rogerius vvho by meanes of eleuating the povvers of his soule suspending them in God during Refection lost all perception of tast in eating vvhen he found himselfe vnable so to eleuate his soule he vvould for so long forbeare to eate of any thing that might afford any gust But this practise belongs only to the Perfect it may proue preiudiciall dangerous to the ordinary sort of lesse perfect soules or any that haue not an especiall certaine Inspiration to imitate it 18. The like may be sayd of the manner of Mortification practised by some of the Ancient Hermits vvho vsed to mixe a fevv droppes of oyle esteemed by them a great delicacy vvith their vinegar to the end therby to prouoke the appetite to desire more the vvhich they denied to it Or of another vvho hauing receiued a bunch of grapes ravenously deuoured them partly to make the gustfull pleasure so much the shorter partly as he said to cousen the deuill to vvhom he desired to appeare a glutton 19. A soule that practises Internall Prayer may content herselfe vvith a moderate Attention to vvhat is read during Refection And the like may be sayd of that part of the Office vvhich in some Communities is sayd immediatly after Dinner Because too earnest an Attention and Recollectednes at such times vvould preiudice the Head and Stomack A Soule therfore may esteeme this to be as a time of Desolation as indeed there is some resemblance 20. Concerning the vse of Physick cautions to be vsed about it some Instructions shall be giuen in the last Treatise vvhere vvee come to speake hovv a soule is to behaue herselfe in regard of her Prayer during Sicknes 21. Lastly the matter of Sleepe is not vvnvvorthy the eare of a Spirituall Person For certaine it is that a full repast doth not so much plunge a soule in sensuality nor so indispose her for Spirituall Exercises as a long profound Sleepe From vvhence euen a perfect soule vvill not be able to raise herselfe into Exercises of the Spirit vvithout much difficulty long striuing 22. And on these grounds doubtlesse it vvas that the Miâ—night Office vvas appointed to the end to interrupt Sâ—eepe Yea anciently the three Nocturnes vvere therfore diuided namely to preuent the immersing of soules in sensuall Nature 23. For imperfect soules it may be very preiudiciall for them to be depriued of a conuenient measure of Sleepe Yet it is 〈◊〉 â—eing it should be interrupted It is liâ—evvise good for them to goe to bed vvith an affection desire so be early vp for such an affection vvill cause their Sleepe to be mixed vvith a litle Sollicitude the vvhich vvill dispose them both to vvake sooner and to rise vvith lesse vnvvillingnes 24. In case that one being in Bed cannot sleepe it is vâ—ry dangerous to continue in a State of mere negligence Idlenes because then not only vaine but veâ—y hurtfull pernicious thoughts vvill be apt to presse into the mind For a preuention or remedy against vvhich I should by no meanes aduise one to betake himselfe to any seriously Recollected thoughts or exercises of Deuotion for that vvould quite hinder Sleepe for the future and spoile the next Daies Recollections The like I say of the time immediatly going before Bed-time But in case they be simply Vaine Thoughts that then vvander vnsetledly in his mind let him not vvillingly pursue them but rather neglect them Wheras if they be sinfull Imaginations set him as vvell as he can diuert quietly his mind from them and novv then vvithout much force lift vp his mind vnto God or vse some familiar Praiers or say the Beades vvithout much forced Attention yet more Attention is required against Sinfull then vaine thoughts 25. As for Perfect soules their Praier in such a Case vvill lesse hinder Sleepe by reason it is both so pure so facile that it is become almost as Naturall as breathing performed vvithout any agitation of the Spirits or reuoluing of Images in the Internall senses CHAP. VII § 1. Of the Mortification of Anger by Patience § 2. 3. 4. 5. Here is treated of Smaller Impatiences cheifly scarce obseruable but by Recollected liuers § 6. Patience to be exercised at all times Euen in Ioy Prosperity § 7. 8. 9. Wee ought to aspire to an Indifference § 10. Patience towards God afflicting vs is easier then towards Man § 11. 12. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. Seauen Degrees of Patience § 19. Examples of seemingly Extrauagant kinds of Patience c. § 20. Praier the only Efficacious Instrument to get Patience § 21. All Actions except actuall Praier are in some degree defectuous 1. THE next Passion to be mortified is Anger the vvhich vvhosoeuer vvillingly suffers to arise increase or that deliberatly yeilds to trouble of mind for any matter that concernes the Body Health Fortunes Life c yea or pretended soules good such an one really makes more esteeme of them then of the solide good of his Soule For as far as Anger gets a Maistery ouer him so far he looses that Dominion that his Soule ought to haue ouer all other things puts Reason out of its Throne Herupon our Sauiour sayth In patientia vestra possidebitis animas vestras That is By Patience yee shall keepe the Possession of your Soules as implying that by Impatience vvee loose that possession And vvhat greater losse can vvee haue Hence it is also that
Perfection vvee are arriued 6. Fourthly All increase of sanctifying Grace by vvhatsoeuer instruments it be produced as by Regular Austerities Temperance Exercises of Mortification is performed according to the good Internall dispositions and Actuations of soule accompanying the vse of them Yea the same may also in a certaine proportion be affirmed euen of the Sacraments themselues in adultis The vvhich although by their ovvne intrinsecall Vertue and as the Councell of Trent sess 7. can 8. expresses it ex opere operato they doe conserre a peculiar Grace and ayde and this Quantum est parte Dei at all times and on all Persons that duly receiue them see sess 7. cap. 6. 7. Yet vvithall the quantity and Measure of the sayd Grace is in the same Councell sess 6. cap. 7. sayd to be Secundam propriam cuiusque dispositionem cooperationem according to the peculiar disposition and cooperation of each Person respectiuely That is Those that come vvith more or lesse perfect intense continued and multiplied Internall Acts of Faith Hope Charity Deuotion c doe accordingly receiue a more or lesse plentifull measure of Sacramentall Grace Novv vvhat are all these dispositions and Preparations but the Exercising of Internall Prayer Whence appeares hovv vvonderfull an Influence Internall Prayer both by vvay of Merit or impetration and likevvise by a direct Efficiency hath in the producing and encrease of Diuine vertues in the Soule 7. Fifthly if a soule out of the times of Prayer shall in occasions for example of contradictions persecutions c neglect to exercise Patience she must necessarily exercise impatience by consequence vvill make little or no progresse by her Prayer Yet if then she shall vse any reasonable care diligence or vvatchfullnes ouer herselfe though not for the getting of much yet not to loose much out of Prayer God vvill by meanes of her Prayer seriously prosecuted infuse such a measure of Grace as vvill cause a progresse notvvithstanding frequent failings through frailty or inaduertence c. But it vvill be late ere the effects of such infusion vvill appeare 8. Sixthly increase in vertue doth purely depend on the free Grace good pleasure of God conferring the said grace in prayer c. in a measure as himselfe pleaseth also by his holy Prouidence administring occasions seuerally of exercising seuerall vertues The vvhich occasions ordinarily are not at all in our ovvne povver or disposall 9. Seauenthly according to our progresse in vertues so is our progresse in Prayer till the soule be in a very high degree purified from selfe-loue she is incapable of that perfect degree of Prayer vvhich is called Contemplation According to that saving of our Sauiour Math. 5. Beati mundo corde quoniam ipsi Deum videbunt That is Blessed are the Pure in heart for they shall see God And the reason is euident because vntill the internall Eye of the soule be cleansed from the mists of Passions inordinate Affections it neither vvill nor can fixe it selfe vpon so pure diuine an obiect True it is that in euery the most imperfect degree of Prayer by vvhich the soule is proportionally purified God is in some qualified sence contemplated But vvee doe not apply the terme of Contemplation except only to the most sublime degree of prayer The vvhich yet is neuer so perfectly absolute in this life but that it may vvithout limitation increase Because the soule is neuer so perfectly freed from the bitter fruits of originall sin Ignorance Concupiscence but there vvill ouer remaine matter exercise for further mortification or purification 10. Eighthly Vertues are in no other state of life so perfectly established in the depth center of the Spirit as in a Contemplatiue state Because all the exercises therof doe principally directly regard the exaltation spiritualising purification of the Spirit by a continuall application adhesion vnion of it to God the fountaine of light Purity 11. Lastâ—y by the meanes of Contemplatiue Prayer in an Internall Life Vertues are most easily obteined most securely possessed and most perfectly practised In an Actiue life a Person that aspires to Perfection therin stands in neede of many things to enable him for the practise of the Duties disposing therto For the Exercise of Externall vvorks of Charity there are needfull Riches or freinds c And for Spirituall Almes-giuing there is required Learning study Disputation c. And if by the helpe of these there be acquired an establiâ—hed Habit of Solide Charity it is not very securely possessed in the midst of so many distractions follicitudes and Tentations But a Contemplatiue life as S. Thomas 22. q. 182. a. 1. c. obserues euen from Aristotle himselfe stands in neede of very few things being to it selfe susficient Such a Person alone vvithout needing either assistance or fauour from abroad can both purchase and exercise all vertues yea and liberally dispence all kinds of Charity to others also For by Prayer alone exercised in Solitude he can employ and engage Gods Omnipotence Wisedome and all the treasures of his riches for the supplying all the necessities Externall and Internall of his Church The light that is gotten by Prayer vvill be more then equivalent to long and laborious study not sanctified vvith Prayer for the enabling him to discharge efficaciously a Pastorall charge ouer soules vvhen they shall be committed to him Though no doubt Prayer vvill also incite to sufficient study And in the meane time though he vvere depriued of all conuersations and Bookes yea fettred and buried in the obscurity of a dungeon Prayer alone vvould be a sufficient entertainment to him There he vvould find God and his Holy Spirit as present and as bountifull to him as euer Yea the greater Solitude there is at the more freedome is the soule to run speedily and lightly in the course of Vertues For nothing doth indeede fetter her but selfeloue Propriety And lastly Vertues once gotten are euideÌ„tly most securely possessed in Solitude from vvhence all distraction and almost all Tentations are excluded THE END OF THE SECOND TREATISE OF MORTIFICATION SANCTA SOPHIA OR DIRECTIONS FOR THE PRAYER OF CONTEMPLATION c. Extracted out of more then XL. Treatises written by the late Ven. Father F. AVGVSTIN BAKER A Monke of the English Congregation of the Holy Order of S. BENEDICT And Methodically digested by the R. F. SERENVS CRESSY Of the same Order and Congregation And printed at the Charges of his Conuent of S. GREGORIES IN DOWAY VOL. II. AT DOWAY By IOHN PATTE ' and THOMAS FIEVET ANNO D. M.DC.LVII TO THE VENERABLE AND R. LADY D. CATHERINE GASCOIGNE The Lady Abbesse of the Religious Dames of the Holy Order of S. BENEDICT in Cambray And to all the RR. Dames c. of the same Conuent MADAME If I had not any pressing obligation as I haue many to take all occasions to acknowledge both my worthy esteeme and resentment also for your many fauours Yet without iniustice
betweene the distractions of Perfect Imperfect soules § 11. 12. 13. A third condition necessary to true Internall Affectiue Prayer viz. That it must proceede from Diuine Inspirations § 14. An Exhortation to constancy in Prayer 1. THE Second discouraging Tentation opposite to the second Quality requisite in Prayer to vvit Perseuerance by vvhich vvell minded soules are oft much afflicted in their Recollections also exposed to greiuous scrupulosities is Distraction in Prayer caused by Images vvhich oft against their wills presse into their imaginations the vvhich dravv the mind from contemplating God consequently the Affections from embracing him by loue at such times vvhen the soule desires intends to contemplate loue him 2. I doe not therfore here vnder the terme of Distractions comprehend all manner of interruptions from a direct actuall tendance to God for such sometimes considering the Infirmity of our nature may be necessary to the end that by a discreet relaxation the head being refreshed vvee may be enabled aftervvards to produce more efficacious Affections And therfore those Authours are too indiscreetly rigorous vvho oblige soules not yet perfect to a continuall recollected Attention to the Diuine presence not considering the corporall infirmity incapacity of their disciples spirits especially in these dayes The Distractions therfore here intended to be treated of are such as are involuntary vvhich happen at times vvhen soules doe apply themselues either to vocall or mentall Prayer 3. Novv it is an effect of Originall sin much increased also by Actuall that soules are generally some more some lesse subiect to this deordination Because by sin that due subordination of the sensitiue faculties the Imagination memory appetite to the Superiour soule is empaired so that the reason has not that absolute Dominion ouer them that it had in Innocence But they often vvander tovvards obiects not prescribed by reason yea sometimes seduce euen compell reason it selfe to comply vvith their disorders Adde hereunto that the body being grosse lumpish cannot long endure that the soule its companion should remaine in its proper exercise by vvhich it becomes as it vvere a stranger to the body contradicting its motions desires And therfore till the soule by practise of spirituall operations be enabled at pleasure to command the inferiour faculties or to abstract it selfe from the Images suggested by them the said faculties doe striue to depresse the spirit and to call it dovvne to attend to the necessities desires of sensitiue nature Yea euen in the most Perfect the soule vvill not be able to continue long in the height of its Eleuation 4. As for these Distractions vvhich generally speaking are hurtfull to be auoyded among vvhich notvvithstanding I need not reckon in this place such as are simply sinfull being about vnlavvfull Obiects the most harmfull to our spirituall progresse are those vvhich are about obiects to which wee cleaue with affection Because by such distracting thoughts not only the mind is diuerted from God but the heart also inordinately carried to creatures 5. For as for thoughts merely about vaine obiects to vvhich wee haue little or no affection vvhich proceed wholly from the instability of the Imagination Imperfect soules ought not to be discouraged vvith them although they should be neuer so importunate during their recollections since the most abstracted liuer must be content novv then to suffer them 6. And the most powerfull Remedy to preuent them is vvith as much prudence dexterity as one can to cut of the occasions of entertaining such images as doe most frequently pertinaciously recurre to the mind in Prayer And more particularly for those images to vvhose obiects the soule cleaues by inordinate Affection the practise of abstraction and voluntary disengagement from vnnecessary businesses is requisite a restraining of our affections from wandring abroad and fixing themselues vpon any externall Obiects For certaine it is that if by the exercise of Mortification and Prayer vvee could restraine our affections from creatures fixe them on God only vvee should scarce euer haue cause to complaine of Distractions for vvee see that vvee can easily and constantly fixe our thoughts on such obiects as vvee loue So that Perseuerance in Prayer and Mortification being the most assured Instruments to encrease Diuine Loue and diminish inordinate loue to our selues creatures consequently they are the most sure remedies against Distractions 7. But if after all due care had they doe still persist the most effectuall expedients to hinder any considerable inconueâ—â—iences from such Distractions is 1. Sometimes so vse a discreete reasonable industry in contradicting and expelling them yet forbearing an ouer-violent anxious resistance of them out of an opinion that by such violence they may be extinguished vvheras on the contrary such an eagernes of contending vvith them by the imflaming of the spirits makes those images more actiue full of motion rather multiplies then diminishes them and hovveuer it imprints them deeper in the imagination Let a well minded soule rather endeauour according to the expression of the Authour of the Clowd to looke ouer their shoulders as if she looked after some other obiect that stood beyond them aboue theÌ„ vvhich is God 2. Let her as hath beene said fixe in her mind Superiour vvill a strong Resolution notvvithstanding the said Distractions yea in the midst presse of them not to relinquish Prayer but to perseuere in it to the best of her povver skill 3. Let the well minded soule execute this Resolution vvith all possible Quietnes stillnes Patience not troubling herselfe vvith any feares or scrupulosity as if they came from her ovvne fault vvhereas ordinarily they are increased at least by the distemper of the body or the naturall instability of the imagâ—nation 4. Sometimes it may be requisite for her not being able to her ovvne satisfaction to pursue her appoynted exercise to change it into Acts of Patience quiet Resignation to suffer vvithout murmuring such an Affliction visitation from Gods hands And so doing she vvill perhaps more aduance herselfe in pure spirituall Prayer then if she had no such distractions at all for besides that such Prayer being made vvith an actuall contradiction to the Inclinations of nature has in it the vertue of a most purifying mortification also A perseuerance in this practise vvill bring her to that pure Prayer of the vvill vvithout any perceiuable helpe or concurrence of the vnderstanding in vvhich the vvill is firmely vnited to God vvhilst the vnderstanding is in no such vnion yea vvhen both it and the imagination are neuer so extrauagant vvandring 8. And surely a matter of great comfort it is to a soule and ought so to be esteemed that in her Will vvhich is her principall faculty indeed all in all she may be vnited to God in the midst of all distractions tentations desolations c And that being so vnited she vvill
be so far from receiuing any harme by them that she vvill by their meanes increase in grace so that though she doe not receiue any extraordinary Illuminations nor any satisfaction to her naturall vvill by such distracted Prayers yet doth she get that for vvhich such illuminations gusts are giuen to vvit a priuy but effectuall grace to adhere vnto God to resigne herselfe to him in all his prouidences permissions concerning her And grace gotten by such an afflicting vvay of Abnegation is far more secure merits more at Gods hands then if it had come by lightsome pleasing consolations Since this is a vvay by vvhich corrupt nature is transcended selfe-loue contradicted subdued euen vvhen it assaults the soule most subtilly dangerously to vvit by pretending that all sollicitudes anxious discouragements caused by distractions doe flovv from diuine loue from a care of the soules progresse in spirituality Lastly this is a vvay by vvhich Charity all diuine vertues are deepely rooted in the spirit being produced established there by the same meanes that the deuill vses to hinder the production of them in negligent tepide soules or to destroy them vvhen they haue bene in some measure produced 9. As for more particular Aduices Expedients sleights to be made vse of in speciall cases circumstances none can teach but God only vvho by meanes of experience perseuerance in prayer vvill vndoubtedly giue vnto a soule light grace sufficient 10. To conclude therfore this point This difference may be obserued betwene distractions in perfect soules from the same in the imperfect viz. That in perfect soules Distractions proceede only from some vnvvilling distemper in the cognoscitiue faculties but in the imperfect they are rather froÌ„ some degree of inordinate AffectioÌ„ to the obiects of the Distractions And therfore a well-aduanced soule hath little difficulty in putting them avvay as soone as she reflects vpon them for vvithout coÌ„â—ending vvith theÌ„ she can preseÌ„tly vnite herselfe vvith her superiour vvill to God euen vvhilst her knovving powers are busy about impertinent obiects vvhereas Imperfect soules in the inferiour degrees of Prayer hauing as yet an expresse perceptible vse of the vnderstanding imagination cannot but receiue some preiudice by distractions in as much as those faculties cannot at the same time be employed vpon different obiects that haue no subordination or relation to one another 11. There remaines a third condition or quality vvhich I said vvas necessary to true Internall affectiue Prayer to vvit the diuine Inspiration from vvhich if it doe not proceede it is of little efficacy or merit Novv though in the generall diuision of Internall Prayer I seemed to appropriate the title of Infused Prayer to the Prayer of perfect Contemplation the meaning therof vvas that such Prayer is merely infused the soule by any deliberate preparation or election not disposing herselfe therto Wheras in the inferiour degrees there is necesâ—ary both a precedent and concomitant industry in the soule to make choyce of matter for Praier to force herselfe to produce affections correspondent to the said matter by reason that as yet Gods holy Spirit is not so abounding operatiue in the soule as to impell her to pray or rather breathing forâ—h Prayers in and by her But in all cases that is most true vvhiâ—h S. Bernard saith Tepida est oratio quam non praeuenit Inspiratio that is That Prayer is a repide prayer which is not preuented by diuine Inspiration And S. Augustin Bene orare Deum gratia spiritalls est That is It is a speciall grace of Gods holy Spirit to be able to pray aright 12. Novv the ground of the necessity of a Diuine Inspiration herto is expressed in that saying of S. Paul Quid oremus sicut oportet nescimus c. Wee know not how to pray as wee ought And therfore the Spirit of God helpes our infirmity yea saith he The spirit it selfe makes requests in vs for vs this oft with grones which cannot be expressed vvhich the soule it selfe cannot conceiue It is this Inspiration only vvhich giues a supernaturality to our Praiers makes them fit to be heard granted by God 13. But of this subiect much hath already bene said more vvill follow when wee treate of the seuerall Degrees of Prayer especially the perfect Prayer of Aspirations vvhere vvee shall shevv hovv these Inspirations are attempred according to the naturall good Propensions of soules so that those vvhich are naturally inclined to Introuersion are vsually moued by God to seeke him by pure spirituall operations vvithout images or motiues yet this by degrees according to the state of the soule Where also I vvill shevv hovv necessary Liberty of Spirit a freedome from nice methods Rules of Prayer is to dispose the soule for these Diuine Inspirations And therfore I vvill forbeare any further enlarging of my selfe on this point in this place 14. Novv a due consideration of these Excellencies most heauenly Effects of internall Affectiue Prayer ought to giue vs a suitable Esteeme valevv of it aboue any other Employments vvhatsoeuer An experience hereof it vvas that made an Ancient Hermite called Iacob in Theodoret. de vit PP resolutely to persist in refusing to interrupt his appoynted Prayer or to delay the time of it for any other busines on ciuilities in visits vvhatsoeuer he commanded all to depart vvhen the houre vvas come saying I came not to this solitude to benefit other mens soules but to purifie mine owne by Prayer CHAP. VII § 1. Internall Affectiue Prayer of Contemplation hath allwaies bene entertained at first with iealousy and rigour § 2. 3. 4. An Illustrious Example in the person of the late R. Fa Baltazar Aluarez of the Society of IESVS § 5. 6. 7. An Account required giuen by him to his Generall touching his Prayer of Contemplation The order manner of Gods guidance of him therto therein And the excellency of that Prayer declared § 16. 17. c. The substance of a Discourse written by him in answer to seauen Obiections made against Internall Prayer of Contemplation § 30. The successe of this tempest 1. IT is so far from being a iust Preiudice against this most excellent of Gods Gifts Internall Prayer of the vvill that it is rather a proofe of the more then ordinary Eminency of it that it has alwaies found some euen among the learned and oftimes among such as haue bene the most strict seuere about Religious Obseruances that haue doe oppose it God forbid that this should alwaies be imputed either to malice enuy c but rather to want of experience in the Mysterious wayes by vvhich the Spirit of God oftimes conducts his speciall seruants It is vvell knowne what calumnies persecutions Suso S. Teresa B. Iohn de Cruce c. found vvhen God enlightned theÌ„ moued them to coÌ„municate to the world this heauenly light All vvhich
others or force herselfe to continue Meditation she vvould make no progresse at all Yea on the contrary the extreme painefullnes of inuenting Motiues novv vnnecessary and tying herselfe to Methods and prescribed formes vvould be to her so distractiue so void of all tast and comfort and so insupportable that not being suffred to follovv Gods inuitation calling to an Exercise of the will she will be in danger to giue quite ouer all Internall Prayer Whereas by pursuing Gods Call she vvill euery day get light to discouer more and more her secret invvard Defects and Grace to mortify and amend them And such her Mortification is exercised rather by trāscending forgetting the obiects of her inordinate Affections then a direct combatting against them And this state of Praier doth properly ansvver to that which is commonly called the Illuminatiue vvay because i◠it the soule vvith little reflexion on her selfe or he◠ovvne Obscurity by reason of sin c tends directly and immediatly to God by vvhom she is enlightne◠and adorned vvith all Vertues and Graces 12. In the third place a soule after a long Exercise in forced Affections of the will to God represented to the Vnderstanding by Images far more subtile and spirituall then formerly yea endeauouring to contemplate him in the darknes and obscurity of a blind and naked Faith void of all distinct and expresse Images will by little and little grow so well disposed to him that she vvill haue lesse need of forcing herselfe to produce good Affections to him or of prescribing to herselfe determinate formes of Acts or Affections On the contrary Diuine Loue vvill become so firmely established in the soule so wholly and only filling and possessing it that it vvill become as it vvere a New Soule vnto the Soule as constantly breathing forth feruorous Acts of Loue and as naturally almost as the Lungs doe send forth breath 13. And here begins the State of pure Contemplation the end of all Exercises of an Internall Life In this blessed State the Actuations and Aspirations are so Pure Spirituall that the soule herselfe often times is not able to giue an account vvhat she does And no vvonder since they doe not proceede from any forethought or Election of her ovvne but are suggested to her by the Diuine Spirit entirely possessing her And although in these most sublime and blind Eleuations of the will the Imagination and vnderstanding vvith their Images are not absolutely excluded yet so unperceptible are their Operations that it is no vvonder if many Mysticall Writers speaking according to vvhat they felt and experienced in themselues haue said That in Pure Contemplation the Will without the vnderstanding was only operatiue As for the Mortifications proper to this state they are as vnexpressible as the Prayer Indeed Prayer and Mortification seeme to be now become the same thing For the light in vvhich the Soule vvalkes is so cleare and vvonderfull that the smallest Imperfections are clearely discouered and by Prayer alone mortified Prayer is the vvhole Busines of the life interrupted by sleepe only and not allvvayes then neither True it is that by other Necessities of corporall Nature Refections Study Conuersation or busines it may be depressed a litle from the height in vvhich it is vvhen the Soule sets it selfe to attend to God only but still it continues vvith efficacy in the midst of all those auocations And this is truly and properly that vvhich Mysticks doe stile the Vnitiue way because herein the Soule is in a continuall Vnion in Spirit vvith God hauing transcended all Creatures and herselfe too the vvhich are become as it vvere amnihilated God is all in all 14. There is no state of Spirituality beyond this But yet this state may infinitly increase in degrees of Purity the operations of the Soule grovving more and more Spirituall intime and Diuine vvithout all limitation In this State it is that the Soule is prepared for Diuine Inaction Passiue Vnions and Graces most admirable and most efficacious to purify her as perfectly as in the condition of this life she is capable Novv it is that God prouides for Soules dearely beloued by him Tryalls and Desolations incomprehensible to the vnexperienced leading them from Light to darknes and from thence to Light againe In all vvhich changes the Soule keepes herselfe in the same Equality and tranquillity as knovving that by them all she approaches nearer and nearer to God plunging herselfe more and more profoundly in him A Soule that is come to this State is aboue all Instructours and Instructions a Diuine Light being her Guide in all manner of things In a vvord it is not she that novv liues but Christ and his holy Spirit that liues raignes and operates in her 15. These are the three States of a Spirituall Contemplatiue life distinguished according to the three states or Degrees of Internall Prayer As for Vocall Prayer it is not to be esteemed a peculiar Degree of Prayer but it may and doth accompany all these states vvithout any change in the substance of the Prayer though vvith very great variety in the Actuation of the Soule during its Exercise For vvhilst the soule is in the imperfect Degree of Meditation she performes her Vocall Prayer vvith the vse of grosser Images and much distractednes But being arriued to the Exercises of the will she recites them vvith lesse multiplicity and some good measure of Recollection And being in the Exercise of Aspirations her Vocall Prayers become likevvise Aspiratiue and Vnitiue not at all distracting her but rather driuing her more profoundly and intimely into God 16. Novv God being both the Principle and Obiect of all our Internall Exercises is after seuerall vvaies represented to the mind in them For 1. in Meditation the soule as yet much immersed in sense is forced to make vse of a distinct grosser Image by vvhich to apprehend him as the Humanity of our Lord and the Mysteries belonging thereto and sometimes such Attributes of the Diuinity as are most obuious and easy to be conceiued and vvhich doe produce more sensible motions in our imperfect Soules as his Iustice Mercy Power c. 2. But in the practise of the Acts of the will the vnderstanding endeauours to apprehend God in the obscure Notion of Faith And vvhen she is sometimes forced to make vse of more particular sensible Images the mind after a short reflexion on them giues place to the recollected Actuations of the vvill alone 3. But being arriued to Aspirations vvhich is Actiue Contemplatian the Soule makes vse of no particular expresse Images at all but contents herselfe vvith the only generall obscure Notion of God vvhich Faith teaches her 17. Novv though it may seeme that the most Perfect haue no great aduantage in this regard ouer the more imperfect Since all that are indued vvith ordinary knovvledge doe sufficiently beleiue and are assured that God being infinite and incomprehensible cannot be truly represented by any particular Images and
Contemplatiues to vvhom a due Obseruance of the Quire is both far more proper and efficacious to all Ends pretended to by such Exercises then they are Yea moreouer great harme may come to soules professing Cōtemplation by them For so great attention such an exact performance of nice obseruances and such a captiuity of spirit is required that vvhen all is passed soules thereby oftimes become disabled to continue the Internall Prayer proper for them or to comply vvith many Regular Duties To these vvee may adde the great inconueniences vvhich may come from strict Examens of Conscience Repetitions of Generall Confessions c. very preiudiciall to tender Soules 7. Therfore as touching Contemplatiue Persons vvho liuing perhaps vnder the Conduct of those that are vvholly deuoted to the Actiue vvay shall be obliged to such Retirements and therin to Exercises very vnsuitable to their State my Aduice to them is That they should keepe themselues in as much stillnes of mind as may be and hauing receiued Instructions for their Prayer let them in Practise giue as much scope as they vvell can to their good Affections not much troubling themselues vvhether the sayd Affections be proper to the matter proposed for Meditation or no nor distracting themselues vvith reflection vpon their Prayer to the End to giue an Account of it to others Let them likevvise endeauour to preserue all due liberty in Spirit in their Examinations and Confessions therin proceeding no further then may consist vvith their Spirituall proffit and by all meanes auoyding such particulars as are likely to nourish Feare and Scrupulosity or to disturbe the Peace of their Minds 8. And as for Secular liuers to vvhom indeede the sayd Retraites according to custome vndertaken at set times may proue of admirable proffit and benefit to the end the vertue of them may not quickly expire they ought to be carefull aftervvards to make good vse of the lights receiued in them and to put in execution the good purposes made during such Retirements For they must not expect by a fevv daies solitude and Praier to get a habit of Sanctity but only a transient good Passion and disposition therto which vvithout future care to cherish and encrease it vvill quickly vanish and their feruour vvill be cooled 9. Moreouer perceiuing euidently by this experience the good effects of Mentall Prayer they ought to resolue the best they can to allovv some reasonable time to the prosecution of it vvhen they returne to their Secular Vocations vsing likevvise as much abstraction as their State of life vvill permit Othervvise it is to be feared they vvill not only returne to all their former defectuousnes sins but vvill moreouer therto adde the guilt of ingratitude to God that so effectually called them from sin And their follovving sins vvill be sins against cleare light 10. Certaine it is that if soules shall so relye vpon the repeating such Retirements and new taking of the same Practises of Meditation c. as by them to make amends toties quoties for all faults past they vvill be in great danger to find themselues deceiued For though in it selfe it be very good to seeke all good meanes to procure Remorse and Contrition for past sins yet if a soule vpon a consideration that she has such a speciall Remedy in a readines shall neglect the care vvatchfullnes ouer herselfe it is to be feared not vvithout iust grounds that that vvhich she takes for contrition vvill proue to be no more then a naturall Remorse For it is not likely that God vvill shovvre dovvne his Grace vpon a soule so corrupted in her Intention CHAP. V. § 1. A Change from Meditation to a Prayer of the will is necessary in an Internall Life § 2. It is otherwise in Actiue Liuers § 3. A soule of a Contemplatiue Profession when to leaue operating with the vnderstanding § 4. Exercises of the will more perfect then those of the vnderstanding § 5. Whether Meditation on the Passion may be left § 6. 7. 8. c. Reasons to prooue the affirmatiue § 12. 13. c. Aduices shewing when a Change of Praier is seasonable § 18. 19. More particular signes shewing the proper time of a Change § 20. The wonderfull variety of Changes in an Internall Life 1. IT is impossible for a soule that leades an abstracted Life and diligently pursues Internall Praier to fixe continually in Meditation or to rest in any Degree of Affectiue Praier Because the Nature of such Intellectuall Spirituall Operations is to become more and more pure abstracted vniuersall and to cary the vvill and Affections of the soule still higher and further into God the Actiuity of the Imagination vnderstanding continually abating the Actiuity of the Will continually increasing and getting ground vpon the vnderstanding till at last all its operatiōs become so quieted and silenced that they cease or at least become vnperceptible 2. A soule therfore being thus inuited and disposed to approach continually nearer and nearer vnto God if she be either by her ovvne or others ignorance so fettered with customes or Rules that she is depriued of due Liberty of Spirit to correspond to such an Inuitation and to quit inferiour Exercises she vvill find no proffit at all by her Praier but on the contrary extreme paine vvhich vvill endanger to force her to relinquish her Recollections 3. It is othervvise vvith those vvhose Profession is to liue Actiue distracted Liues though they doe seriously aspire to the Perfection ansvverable to that state For such may continue all their liues in Meditation and follovv the Methods of it Because what they loose by their Distractions they may recouer by their follovving Meditation the good Images vsed therin expelling the vaine Images contracted in their Externall Employments True it is that to such persons Meditation vvill grovv more and more pure and more in spirit yet neuer so as to exclude a direct vse of the Imagination 4. When a Contemplatiue Soule therfore hath for some reasonable time practised Meditation and comes to perceiue that a further Exercise therof is become dry and vngratefull to her Spirit causing great disgust and little or no proffit She ought then to forbeare Meditation and to betake herselfe to the Exercise of Immediate Acts vvhich she vvill then doubtles performe vvith great gust and facility to her notable proffit in Spirit 5. It is a great mistake in some Writers vvho thinke the Exercise of the will to be meane and base in comparison of Inuentiue Meditation and curious Speculation of Diuine Mysteries in as much as none but eleuated Spirits can performe this vvhereas the most ignorant and simple persons can exercise Acts or Affections of the vvill On the contrary it is most certaine that no Act of the vnderstanding as Speculation consideration deduction of Conclusions c. in matters pertaining to God are of themselues of any vertue to giue true Perfection to a soule further then as they doe excite
as they can find relish in it And so doing they shall be sure not to omit any thing that a soule can or ought to pray for And this Aduice is suitable to the teaching of an Ancient holy Hermite vvhose vvords recorded by Cassianus 9. Conf. c. 25. are these Haec oratio licet omnem videatur Perfectionis plenitudinem continere vtpote c that is This Prayer of our Lord although it may seeme to containe in it the fullnes of all perfection as being either begun or established by our Lords owne Authority yet it doth promote those that are familiarly exercised in it to that far more sublime state which wee mentioned before conducting them to that inflamed Prayer that far more supereminent actuation of soule known or experienced by very few yea to speake more properly altogether inexpressible The which transcending all humane sense or knowledge is not distinguished by any sound of speech or motion of the tongue nor any pronunciation of words But it is a degree of sublime Braier which the Spirit illustrated by an Infusion of heauenly Light doth not designe or expresse by humane language but hauing all the senses faculties vnited conglobated it doth plentifully gush it forth but of the heart as water out of a copious fountaine ineffably powreth it out vnto our Lord in that one short moment of time sending forth so many so great desires as the soule herselfe making a reflexion on her owne operations is not able to declare nor euen conceiue 28. But it is not ordinary to find soules so composed in their imaginations resolute in their vvills as to content themselues vvith one only exercise And for this reason I haue made a Collection of seuerall kinds vvith sufficient variety mixture These I haue gathered out of seuerall Bookes vsing mine owne liberty and iudgment in altering them so as to make them more proper for those that prosecute internall affectiue Prayer for that purpose oftimes leauing out many discourses considerations intermingled vvith them in the bookes out of vvhich they haue bene extracted 29. Novv I doe not pretend nor desire that soules practising Affectiue prayer should oblige themselues to these particular Exercises or to the order obserued in them They may if they conceiue it for their purpose frame other exercises for their ovvne vse Either by selecting here there out of these or out of any other bookes such acts or Affections as they shall find agreeing to their spirit But hauing framed such a collection I vvould seriously aduise them to practise according to the aduices here set downe especially in this Chapter 30. The reading of some pious Discourse before Recollections vsually practised in Communities is a good proffitable practise but especially proper for soules that are not aduanced beyond Meditation vvho may doe vvell to attend to the Mystery read that after they may make it the matter of their prayer Yet better it vvere they should haue the matter of their Meditation prepared before-hand because it is to be feared that by once Reading ouer the poynts of a Mystery they vvill not be sufficiently imprinted in the memory so as to be made vse of 31. But as for soules that are in the practise of immediate Acts of the will I should not require of them the like attention But rather that they vvould employ that time in chasing away distracting Images in placing themselues in the diuine presence in begging Gods assistance directing their follovving Recollection to his glory And if in their priuate Recollections they shall premise some competent Reading I conceiue that S. Augustins Confessions Soliloquies The Imitation of Christ such other bookes affectuously vvritten vvill be most commodious for them or aboue all certaine passages of the holy Gospells containing some vvords spoken by our Lord himselfe will likely be a most proffitable effectuall Preparation But no certaine Rules can be prescribed for these things Euery one therfore is to chuse that Booke subiect that he finds most proper for him 32. When the preparation by Reading is past let the person applying himselfe to his recollection looke vpon the matter of the Act or Affection that he intends to employ his Praier vpon And after this vvithdrawing his eyes from the booke let him thinke awhile vpon it framing a spirituall image or conception of it And vvhen that is done let him forthvvith produce an Act or Affection to God answerable to the matter resting thereon as long as the vertue thereof lasteth And so proceede to the follovving Acts in like manner 33. Some soules there are that through a secret naturall Quality in their Internall senses cannot so worke vvith the imagination as to produce an Image that may become a matter of Prayer to them Such persons consequently are not fit for the exercise of immediate acts of the vvill much lesse for meditation They are therfore to apply themselues to the exercise of pious desires or Amorous Affections But generally soules are so disposed as to be rather enabled for Acts of the vvill then affections yet so that sometimes also they vvill find Affections more flovving then Acts And therfore accordingly they are to giue vvay to them 34. It may happen sometimes to deuout soules that they may find themselues disabled to either of them In such case I vvould aduise them to vse a discreet violence on themselues to exercise some good Acts most relishing to them for vvhere force is to be vsed there Acts to be exercised by the superiour vvill are rather to be chosen then Affections But if after triall they find that they are not able to continue in so constrained an Exercise so are at a stand likely to spend the time appoynted in an vnproffitable Idlenes let them try if a more imperfect exercise vvill fit them either speaking to God in the third person as if he vvere absent or vvould not heare them Or addressing themselues to Angells Saints or to their owne soules c. And if they cannot performe euen this mentally that is neither vvith attention nor gust let them doe it at least vocally vvithall exercising as much patience stillnes quietnes as may be And doing thus let them assure themselues that therby they vvill afford vnto their spirits a good vvholesome proffitable though tastles repast 35. But if after all this it should happen vvhich vvould be very strange that they should find all these vvayes insupportable to them so that they can doe nothing at oll both the vndestanding vvill failing them Then since no Actiue vvorking Externall or internall vvill helpe them they may conceiue it to be the case of an extraordinary desolation desertion So that their only recourse must be to pure suffring with patience Resignation exercising these the best they can in such circumstances The vvhich if they vvill doe then vvill this afflicting desolation really prooue more proffitable then a state Prayer
concerning his sufficiency yea he may represent vnto him his iust grounds of feare least such an Employment should proue notably preiudiciall to his soule Protesting likevvise that he does not desire any kind of preeminence ouer others c 2. Yet if the Superiour notvvithstanding such humble sincere Remonstrances of the Subiect shall persist in a resolution to impose on him any such office vvhatsoeuer the Superiours motiue be vvhether necessity Reason or euen Passion the Subiect must submit himselfe accept of it vvillingly vvhatsoeuer reluctance there be in the imagination or nature against it But let him accept it vvith a pure Intention for God in the spirit of obedience Especially if the office be gratefull to nature or to the sensuall or ambitious desires of it 3. Notwithstanding considering his ovvne frailty the tentations likely to accompany such an employment he ought to vndertake it vvith some feare apprehension least vvithout extraordinary vvatchfullnes in Prayer he may come to be corrupted or oppressed by it 5. In this regard therfore the subiect ought oftentimes to renew rectify his Intention about it at least in his recollections twice a day For for vvant of care in this poynt it oft falls out that the Office vvhich at first vvas vndertaken out of obedience to God Superiours comes aftervvard to be executed for selfe-vvill sensuall complacence after that the spirit of deuotion is abated or extinguished 6. Indeed so contrary preiudiciall to the spirit of Contemplatiue Prayer are the distractions sollicitudes vvhich attend Offices that 1. Religious subiects during the time of vacancy vvhen they are more illuminated ought to forethinke imprint in their hearts good purposes neuer to offer themselues to such dangers vvhen they shall befall them to carry themselues in them vigilantly prudently according to their former light least entring vpon them vnprouided they should proue mischeiuous destructiue to all deuotion 2. And againe Superiours if they vvill consider that their principall care ought to be for the good of soules vvill thinke it concernes them to be very nice in exposing to such perills their subiects before that the spirit of deuotion charity be firmly rooted in their hearts for they also shall be accountable for the harme that their subiects soules shall so incurre 7. Some Superiours either being of Actiue spirits not knovving or not duly esteeming Internall vvayes Or perhaps mistakingly beleiuing their subiects to be more affected to externall Employments then interiour thereupon vnvvarily heape on them businesses to the hindrance of their recollections In this case the Subiect ought to acquaint his Superiour vvith the invvard disposition of his soule hovv much good he finds by a constant Exercise of Prayer vvhat dammage the vvant of it causeth to his imperfect soule but this being done he must resolue to submit in case his superiour still thinke fit to employ him 8. In such circumstances let not the subiect be troubled if he find it hard to abstaine from shevving some outvvard markes of vnvvillingnes hovveuer in his superiour vvill he be resigned For indeed to shevv chearfullnes argues in an imperfect soule rather a contentednes to be dispenced from prayer not sufficiently esteemed by him then a loue to obedience Yea such a seeming vnwillingnes vvill afford him a double mortification 1. In that he contradicts sensuality in the discharge of obedience 2. In that he incurres in the opinion of others an esteeme of being immortified the vvhich vvill be a meanes to humble him 9. When an Internall liuer is once actually duly engaged in an office In the first place he ought seriously to consider that coming out of a state of Abstraction solitude into busines he vvill thenceforvvard vvalke in lesse light then formerly yet vvill be exposed to far greater perills by reason of many vnauoydable occasions of distraction Impatience satisfaction of sensuality c of vvhich he had little experience in time past Therfore he must resolue to keepe a more watchfull guard ouer himselfe least busines bring him to a forgetfullnes of his soule of all former Instructions good purposes 10. Secondly to the end to secure himselfe from such perills he must in the Actuall execution of businesses be vvary that he doe not fixe his mind more intently affectionatly on theÌ„ then meere necessity shall require Let him oft call to mind his former good resolutions reuiew againe againe these or the like Instructions For vvithout such preuentions it can scarce be auoyded but that he vvill decay in spirit grovv negligently tepide in his spirituall Exercises since corrupt nature vvill be very forvvard to take any colourable pretences of quitting Internall Recollections the only support of a spirituall life the vvhich novv vvill become more irkesome by reason of greater dissipation of thoughts more frequent occasions of falling into immortifications And therfore soules vvill be apt to thinke that the nature of their present Employments is such as that they vvill not consist vvith the obligations of an Internall life Then they vvill catch hold of any aduantage to dispence vvith them for that pupose making vse of such popular sayings as this That euery good worke is a Prayer c. 11. Thirdly more particularly in this state of Actiue employments a soule must be carefull as far as the Office vvill permit not only to continue the practise of her former mortifications principally for the tongue senses but also to make good vse of those many nevv mortifications vvhich the discharge of her employment vvill afford her occasions to exercise And indeed since probably she cannot enioy that repose of spirit requisite to serious perfect Recollections she ought the best she can to recompence that defect by increasing the practise of Mortification and patience by vvhich meanes she vvill aduance herselfe in spirit 12. Fourthâ—y she must remember that the doctrine of Abstraction most necessary in an internall life has place also euen in distractiue Offices at least thus far that the person is not to meddle in things that belong not to his present Employment And for such things as doe belong therto he must be carefull as to doe them vvell faithfully so vvithout bestovving on them more sollicitude then shall necessarily be required performing them seriously but yet vvith composednes and tranquillity of mind not suffring them to distract or encomber his memory before the time come for the executing of them And then abstaining from passion impetuousnes from engaging his affections to them A deuout soule thus constantly discharging her Office vvill come to that liberty easines and setlednes of spirit that necessary employments vvill breed in her no harmfull distractions the cause of vvhich is inordinate loue to creatures 13. But Fifthly lastly her principall care must be about her Prayer Although by occasion of busines she cannot so habitually continue in a recollected state yet at
least she must resolue diligently faithfully to pursue her daily appointed Exercises since prayer is the principall instrument by which diuine light grace against all tentations is administred to vs. So that if Praier be duly performed be it vvith distractions or without them it vvill both vrge a soule to vse fitting Mortifications out of Praier and to make aduantage tovvard the perfectionating and aduancing of her spirit euen of the distractions encombrances of her Office Wheras if she be careles in Prayer she vvill become careles also in Mortification And by little and little vvill loose all that vvhich vvith great paine trauaile she had formerly gotten yea be in very great perill neuer to find a vvay to returne to her former state 14. Certainly if any distractions or employments can iustify a soule for the neglect of this duty of internall Prayer those vvhich attend the Popedome the highest vveightiest and most incessantly encombring Office that a soule is capable of may doe it Yet S. Bernard in those excellent Bookes of Consideration vvritten to Pope Eugenius the third seriously aduises him not so vvholly to plunge himselfe in busines but that euery day he should borrovv or steale from the affaires of the vniuersall Church some houres to employ in this holy exercise 15. Herevpon Granatensis vvill allovv of no excuse vnder pretence of busines to cease from pursuing daily Recollections For saith he no busines can be so necessary so continually vrgent as to hinder our daily necessary Refections Novv Prayer which is the foode of the soule is as necessary if not more then that of the Body And if it so fall out that businesses are to be dispatched iust at the houres appointed for daily Spirituall Refections the person foreseeing that ought to repaire himselfe by taking some other vacant time for his Prayer And if that vvill not be allowed him he may ought according to the iudgment of Aquauiua Generall of the Iesuits to sollicite his Superiours to giue him some relaxation from such employments Which the Superiour is obliged to grant othervvise God vvill require a seuere account from him for the harme that must needs come to the subiects soule by the vvant of that vvhich is only able to support the spirit to enable it vvith proffit to discharge the most necessary dutyes of his calling 16. If either out of sloth distractions or remorse through some imperfections incurred a soule find difficulty to apply herselfe any time to prayer though she promise better for the future yet if vpon any motiues of sensuall nature she omit it at any time she vvill the day follovving haue lesse mind to goe to it so be in danger quite to abandon her recollections If she haue not the very same excuses pretences that she had formerly Nature vvill be subtle enough to inuent some other for the longer she delayes the more vnapt vvill she be for it according to that vvise saying of the Ancient Rabbins Qui protrudit horam hora protrudet ipsum that is He that thrusts of the houre of doing any good duty till another time that houre when it comes will thrust of delay him he vvill be lesse capable then of doing his duty then he vvas formerly by meanes of some nevv impediment Whereas a soule by vsing some violence vpon herselfe to breake through discouragements to prayer vvill get such courage grace frō God that aftervvards her employments vvill afford her lesse hindrance vnto this holy duty 17. To this purpose Iohannes a Iesu Maria Generall of the discalced Carmelites relates concerning a deuout Gentleman a Penitent of his vvho dayly vsed at a certaine time to recollect himselfe in prayer hovv that treating vvith another vpon some affaires of consequence the clock hapning to strike the houre appoynted for his prayer he abruptly broke of the conuersation excusing himselfe that he had then an affaire of such importance that it could not be delayed must not be omitted And so dismissing his freind he retired to his recollection vvherein God vvas pleased as in revvard for his diligence fidelity to him to visit him after an extraordinary manner vvith some kind of supernaturall Contemplation such as he had neuer had experience of before 18. A vvell-minded soule therfore to the end she may be enabled to attend to this busines of businesses as S. Bernard calls it ought to employ all her prouidence subtilty so to order all her dayly employments both for time manner as that they may be no hindrance thereto Let her if need be make notes remembrances of her seuerall affaires each day to the end her memory may not betray her beginning the morning vvith a serious recollection vvhich vvill sanctify all the follovving dayes vvorke let her endeauour to dispatch her taske vvith such care diligēce that tovvards euening she may be before-hand vvith her taske of businesses that sollicitudes about them may not disquiet her mind encomber her memory nor distract her Prayer 19. It is morally impossible that in a religious state there should be any Employment that should so vvholly this constantly take vp ones thoughts as not to leaue one houre each day to be giuen to God Or if such an employment vvere it vvould be absolutely vnlawfull as being destructiue to the obligation of a Christian and much more that of a spirituall or Religious person No excuse therfore or pretence can iustify a customary neglect of so essentiall a duty 20. In case that sometimes by reason of some pressing affaires the deuout soule cannot allovv herselfe the vvhole time appoynted for her Recollections let her at least take as much of it as possibly may be spared Or let her in exchange take some other houre of the day or night Hovveuer let her preserue a thirsting desire and loue to Prayer and by feruent interrupted Actuations as the present busines vvill permit by some more then ordinary Mortifications especially of the tongue repaire the losse of a sett Recollection 21. If a soule in Employments cannot free her mind from distractions Aridities and sollicitudes in Prayer let her hovveuer be courageous to pursue it after the best manner she can preseruing as much Resignation tranquillity at least in the Superiour soule as may be And let the sight of such imperfections humble but not disquiet her spirit Let her consider beleiue that God is not only as present to her in her spirit during her greatest desolations as he vvas in her clearest Recollections but as louing also And that this is the proper season for a soule to shevv her fidelity to God in adhering to him in the top of her spirit vvhen as not only the Interiour senses are diuerted by images of businesses but the Affections also disordered by sollicitudes 22. To this purpose she may apply the Point of Election mentioned by fa Benet Canfeild vvho to the great comfort of vvell-meaning soules
is to be admitted for that purpose for as S. Bernard sayes As man was not made for the woman but the woman for man so spirituall Exercises were not made for corporaâ—l but Corporall for spirituall 34. Notvvithstanding there is beyond this a perfection to be recommended to the Imitation of such internall liuers vvhose grace feruour haue rendred them in a capacity of aspiring to it the vvhich the same S. Bernard hath both by his Instructions admirable Example deliuered Hippocrates saith he doth teach to saue liues in this world but Christ his Apostles doe teach to loose liues he that will saue his life shall loose it Now which of these two Maisters doâ— yee chuse to follow Truly that religious man plainly shewes whom he chuses for his Maister who saith This meate is ill for the eyes that for the head the other for the stomacke c Novv such nicenes as this the holy Father so earnestly protests against as allmost to deny the vse of Physicke to be lavvfull The only proper medicinall remedy for Religious Persons being Abstinence Yea it is obserued that he purposely made choyce of vnvvholesome places to build his Monasteries in as being desirous that his Religious should rather be infirme then robustious 35. Hovveuer in the choyce vse of diet or Phisick euery one must follovv that Diuine light of discretion vvhich God giues them allvvaies auoyding superfluities sometimes contenting themselues vvith the vvant euen of necessaries They must account themselues obliged to continue the practise of the same Internall duties though after another manner increasing the mortification of the vvill vvhich is a mortification far more pure perfect though they be forced to allovv a little more to the body their minds are to be set vpon the benefits vvhich sicknes brings vvith it to vse all endeauours to possesse themselues of them Considering 1. That they haue a continuall occasion of exercising Patience resignation the greatest blessings that a soule is capable of 2. That they haue opportunity for more free pure lesse distracted Recollections so that their Prayer mortifications doe inseparably attend one another 3. In a vvord they are now in such a state by vvhich the greatest Saints haue more surely more speedily aduanced themselues to perfection then by many yeares voluntary externall corporall labours austerities 36. Thaulerus hath a saying That the condition of the dearest most perfect seruants of God is to haue their soules full of the Diuine loue their bodies full of paines And that when they feele no paines nor other afflictions they greatly apprehend least God haue forgotten them but their comfort returnes when God visits ihem with any corporall or worldly affliction Then they euen feele that it stands well with them for then they are in a state that of all other doth best dispose for the Diuine vnion 37. The suffrings of our Lord are neuer is perfectly vnderstood by reading or meditating as vvhen deuout soules themselues tast of the like then they see and comfortably tast his loue to them If their paines be supportable they doe inuite them to vnite themselues to God by expresse Acts of Resignation But if they be so excessiue that they become incapable of making expresse formall Prayers then the very suffring of those paines vvith patience peace of mind is a most sublime and efficacious Prayer Then is the proper season for those Gemitus inenarrabiles those grones which cannot be vttered vvhich as S. Paul saith the holy Spirit suggests to suffring humble deuout soules 38. And here by the vvay I vvould recommend to those Charitable persons that doe attend on the sicke a care to behaue themselues as becomes them in those mortifications that attend such an Office that they vvould beare vvith the passionate humours of their Patients not iudge them for small excesses That they would freely charitably administer vvhat shall be requisite to their present state being assured that God vvill neuer be vvaÌ„ting to those that haue left all for him novv depend only vpon him he vvill rather enrich them more for their charity then suffer them to be endammaged by it It may be it is for the sicke Patients sake that the healthfull enioy a comfortable subsistence Let them herein imitate the tendernes of our holy Father to the sicke his care likevvise to admonish their Attendants of their duty in the 36. chapter of his Rule 39. But aboue all things a deuout soule ought to iudge that God hath sent her the most proffitable triall of sicknes not to the end to discharge her of her dayly Recollections but rather that she may pursue them after a more efficacious manner Probably she vvill not be able to obserue exactly her former appoynted times of Prayer as also through disturbance of humours spirits she vvill find great Distractions yet if lifting vp her spirit as vvell as she can she offer both her paines distractions to God vvithall if in times out of Prayer she be vvatchfull ouer herselfe not to giue vvay either to the inordinate Appetites or impatiences of nature but to be in a continuall state of Resignation she vvill haue little reason to complaine of the imperfections of her Prayer 40. A soule can haue no excuse for neglecting this most necessary duty of Prayer the times of vvhich may more securely be obserued in sicknes then in health For vvho vvould trouble or interrupt such an one against his vvill or vvho vvould not permit him to be alone or to rest vvhensoeuer he has no mind to continue Conuersation Hovveuer if the deuout soule should stand in need she may ought to vse all lavvfull foresight industry excuses sleights that may be to preuent the being hindred or interrupted 41. Novv because Pâ—ysicke inwardly taken does much encomber the stomacke indispose for Prayer Therfore I vvould aduise the sicke Person 1. Not to be forward to seeke or accept of all Receipts that freinds visitants are apt to prescribe 2. When he is to take Physicke vvhether in the morning or euening so to order his times as not to take it till he haue performed his appoynted Recollection 3. Not to receiue Physick no nor repasts ofter or more then shall be necessary not too much neglecting the body but yet being carefull rather to attend to the necessities of the spirit Let our Patient therfore stoutly resist the inuitations tendernesses of freinds that are apt to vrge him to eate more or oftner then shall be needfull And vvhatsoeuer he shall receiue let him take it in the name of God for his sake neither vvith auidity if it be pleasing to nature nor vvith murmuring if displeasing 42 It vvill be exceeding difficult during paine or any great Infirmity to vse Discoursiue Meditation The exercise of Acts of the will much more of Aspirations is a far more proper Prayer in such a case Therfore
due regard be had to the body that it be not too much preiudiced by the exercises of the spirit performed vvith ouermuch violence impetuosity And this not so much for the bodies sake as the spirits the vvhich since in this life it cannot worke vvithout the body by too violent vvorkings it may so weaken the body as that it vvill not be enabled for continuance so those little short gaines vvhich are gott by a few impetuous Exercises vvill be dearly bought by an incapacity of coÌ„tinuing them contracted in both soule body Wee must neither stretch our vnderstandings to high seekings least vvee be plunged thereby in Internall darkenes from vvhich vvould proceede intolerable perplexities Neither must vvee force the affectioÌ„s euen to good obiects too much nor suffer them to flovv vvith too violent a streame nor lastly must vvee exhaust bodily strength by vnnecessary externall Austerities 4. As for the painfullnes troubles vneasines to nature that vvithout too much debility doth accompany spirituall exercises those may vvell enough be digested considering the vnspeakable benefits seruice that they produce vnto the soule And yet for our comfort this vneasines vvill by custome constancy continually diminish for as Harphius obserues a soule after long practise of Eleuations of spirit vvill come to such a facility in them that they vvilll become as it vvere naturall to her And herein vvee may obserue the vvonderfull vvisedome goodnes of the diuine Prouidence ouer soules hovv he tempers the exercises of the spirit to the Exigence of the body For vvhile the body being vigorous is able to endure more he giues her ruder more laborious exercises But vvhen by long-continued vvorkings it is become so feeble that any violent Intention of the spirit or rude externall mortifications of vvhich there is no need vvould ouer-vvhelme it then the exercises are most easy peaceable silent serene yet infinitely more full of vertue then formerly 5. Novv the peculiar vertue by vvhich all harmfull inconueniences either to the body or spirit may be auoyded is that supernaturall Discretion by vvhich a soule is enabled to hold a Meane auoyde the vicious Extremes in the practising of all spirituall duties It is iustly called a supernaturall vertue because God only can bestovv it for all the vvitt Philosophy in the vvorld are but meere folly blindnes in these matters And this he does principally by the meanes of Prayer vvith the vse of requisite Abstraction attendance to his diuine Inspirations vvhereby vvee shall receiue a Celestiall habituall light to direct vs in all things suitably to our ovvne particular dispositions abilities for no one man can in all matters be a Rule vnto another 6. Novv as touching a particular application of this supernaturall Discretion to the exercises of an Internall life much hath already bene set dovvne dispersedly in these Treatises I vvill therfore only point at some fevv considerations vvhich in the practise of the seuerall Duties of a Contemplatiue life doe regard this Mistresse of all vertues Discretion vvhich surely deserues aboue all other to be purposely by it selfe treated of in as much as vvithout it all other Vertues are imprudent that is not vertues at all 7. First therfore in regard of the duty of Mortification I speake now only of necessary Mortifications of vvhich kind all are to be esteemed that come from God either immediately or by meanes of others especially Superiours a soule is to esteeme those Mortifications vvhich a Superiour beyond the Rule shall voluntarily impose vpon the subiect to be to the subiect himselfe necessary hovveuer voluntary to the Superiour 8. Novv Superiours ought rarely to impose such kind of Mortifications on their subiects because so many circumstaÌ„ces are required to make them vvell imposed that a great measure of illumination from God is requisite for those that practise the imposing of them For 1. The Superiour must euidently see that the subiect in probability vvill make good vse of them 2. And that though they may doe the subiect good some one vvay yet they vvill not harme him more another 3. He must take heed that others be not scandalised thereby 9. The like circumstances are to be obserued by a particular person that vvould voluntarily assume mortifications For vvant of vvhich point of Discretion Harphius saith That such kind of strange odde and uncouth mortifications as are imposed practised in some Communities ought not to be voluntarily assumed as if with a designe therefore to be despised by another 10. The Authour of the Abridgment of Perfection iustly imputes Indiscretion to those who will neuer giue rest to nature but will alâ—wayes haue some crosse or other Exteriour or Interiour by which to mortify Nature For saith he the highest Perfection is not to desire to be allwaies suffring but to be content to suffer all that by Gods Prouidence shall befall vs. The vvhich contentment is taken avvay by that continuall anxiety vvhich those must suffer that vvill needs be allvvaies vpon the rack 11. In like manner Harphius taxes those that thinke â—hemselues ready for afflictions complaine that they â—vant occasions to exercise their Resignation For â—ives he to such an one thou deceiuest thy selfe by â—ide God does see that as yet thou art not indeed ready strong enough for extraordinary trialls for if he did he would not faile to furnish thee with occasions He will send an Angell from heauen on purpose to exercise a soule rather then she would want Mortifications for her good Therefore let soules neuer be sollicitous nor set themselues to deuise or procure mortifications as if they thought that God had forgotten them Notable examples of this Prouidence of God may be seene in the life of Thaulerus vvhere likevvise vvee read hovv God reprehended the Lay-man that conuerted Thaulerus in his sleepe for certaine assumed voluntary corporall Austerities To this purpose there is a memorable passage in the life of Suso coÌ„cerning a spirituall daughter of his vvho of herselfe vvas disposed to haue vndertaken some great corporall mortifications but vvas disswaded by Suso although himselfe by a speciall Call from God did vse very violent sharpe ones In the vvhich Discourse there are many excellent Documents very vvell deseruing to be perused by the deuout Reader 12. Let a soule therfore seriously practise that Mortification of Mortifications vvhich is pure Internall Prayer vvith it ioyne a diligent good vse of those Mortifications attending her state of life or sent her othervvise from God not omitting those most efficacious Internall mortifications by Acts of humiliation Annihilation of herselfe so doing she vvill haue little reason to complaine of vvant of exercise of this vertue For Corporall Austerities doe not by the excesse of them but by the fitnes proportion to the soules present disposition perfectionate an Internall liver So that some in firme but sincerely affected persons doe aduance themselues more by ordinary trifling
only in an imperfect state bur also in an immediate disposition to a sinfull Defect by reason that where God doth not wholly possesse the soule the very Images of creatures cannot but more or lesse defile her Hovv comfortable therfore how only secure is a life of Prayer 18. Those that are vnexperienced may and often doe call this a state of Idlenes and vnproffitable cessation as Martha complained against her Sister Mary But those that haue attained to a tast of it know it to be the Busines of all Businesses as S. Bernard calls it True it is they doe not without a speciall and certaine Inspiration from God interesse themselues in externall businesses nor perhaps employ much of their time and Deuotions in expresse Prayers for common necessities yet those vnexpressible Deuotions vvhich they Exercise in vvhich they tacitely inuolue the needs of the vvhole Church are far more preualent vvith God then the busy endeauours Prayers of ten thousand others A fevv such secret vnknovvn seruants of God are the Chariots horsemen the strength and bulvvarkes of the Kingdomes Churches vvhere they liue 19. I knovv that some Mysticke Authours doe constitute seuerall distinct states follovving Actiue Contemplation As Barbanson makes mention of the state of the Diuine Presence in the soule after that of the manifestation of God to the Spirit c and in all these great variety of ascents descents c Likevvise F. Ben. Canfield in his last most perfect state of the Essentiall supereminent Will of God makes mention of seuerall distinct Exercises as Denudation an Actiue Passiue Annihilation c These Authours perhaps spoke according to the Experience of the Diuine Operations in their ovvne soules vvith regard to their particular manner of Prayer Therfore I conceiue that vvhat they deliuer needs not to be esteemed a common measure for all Neither vvill I deny but that there may be distinct States some of vvhich I vvill mention as the great Desolation c. But it vvill be to no purpose subtilly to search into them Those happy soules vvhom God shall so highly fauour as to bring them to the Mount of Vision and Contemplation vvill haue no need of light from any but God to conduct them in those hidden Diuine Pathes And the vnexperienced vvill reape but little proffit from such curious enquiries 20. I vvill therfore content my selfe vvith deliuering in a generall manner 1. The nature of the Praier proper to the state of Actiue Contemplation 2. And from thence I vvill proceede to treate modestly concerning Passiue Vnion the seuerall kinds of it 3. To which I will adde a breife discourse of that Great Desolation vvhich vsually followes the said Vnion 4. And then I will conclude the vvhole Booke vvith a very short Description of the state of Perfection CHAP. II § 1. 2. Of the Prayer proper to the state of Centemplation to wit Aspirations and wâ—y they are so called § 3. Examples of Aspirations § 4. â— c. Agreement difference betweene Aspirations and other internall Acts. § 11. 12. c. How a soule becomes ripe for Aspirations passes to them § 16. 17. Aspirations may be exercised in externall busines and why § 18. 19. Great variety of Aspirations to wit with or without words c. § 23. 24. c. The great Benefit and fruits of Aspirations 1. INTERNALL Prayer proper to the State of Actiue Contemplation consists of certaine most purely spirituall operations of the Will longing thirsting after God an Vnion with him in the supreme point of the spirit vvhere his most proper dvvelling is 2. These Perfect Operations are by Spirituall Authours seuerally named as Eleuations Inward stirrings of the spirit Aspirations c Wee vvill in the follovving Discourse make vse for the most part of this last terme of Aspirations as most proper in a generall notion to expresse the sayd Operations For 1. by them the soule in a Holy ambition doth aspire to rayse eleuate herselfe out of inferiour Nature to mount to the Apicem spiritus vvhich is Gods throne 2. By them the soule being inflamed vvith Diuine Loue doth breath forth her ardent affections to God as the Heart forces the lungs to send forth that aire vvhich they had formerly sucked in that they may dravv in fresher aire to refrigerate it so that in both there is a quick reciprocall motion of emptying filling of rising falling For after euery Aspiration there is a short descent then a mounting higher then before 3. Because as our outward breathing is an action as it vvere purely naturall performed vvithout any labour at all or so much as election So a soule rooted in Charity breathes forth these pure Aspirations vvithout any force vsed vpon herselfe they flovving from her freely both as to the matter and manner of them in a sort naturally 4. Because as the motions made in Breathing doe not hinder but rather aduance all other motions operations so may Aspirations be exercised during other ordinary Employments vvithout any preiudice to either or vvithout any considerable distraction Except they be such Businesses that doe require a speciall fixed attention of the mind vvith serious study Novv in such Employments if they be imposed by necessity or Obedience the soule ought to quit her Aspirations And so doing she vvill gaine as much by her Obedience as she vvould by Prayer 3. Novv these Aspirations are certaine short liuely affections of the soule by vvhich she expresses a thirsty longing after God such as these are My God when shall I loue thee alone When shall I be vnited to thee Whom haue I in heauen or earth but thee alone O that thou wouldst liue raigne alone in my soule O my God thou alone suffisest mee Doest not thou know O my God that I loue thee only Let mee be nothing be thou all O my God O loue O loue O infinite vniuersall Good When shall I come appeare before the face of thee O my God! Let mee loue thee only that is sufficient When shall I dye that my God alone may liue in mee c. 4. Novv the same Affections such as these that are vsed in the Prayer of Aspirations may also be vsed for as much as concernes the expression and sense of them in the exercise of immediate Acts and euen in Meditation it selfe But yet the manner by vvhich the soule produces the sayd Affections are in many respects different in Perfect Imperfect soules and the sayd Aspirations are of a quite different nature from other forced immediate Acts of the Will 5. For first such feruorous Affections tending directly immediately to God are the entire matter in the Exercise of Aspirations Wheras in immediate Acts they are only novv then interlaced But the ordinary matter of such Acts is the doing or forbearing any thing for God as in Acts of Resignation c. 6.
care is to be had to chuse pious and discreet Directours because too many there are that vvill too readily and suddenly resolue such matters to come from none but God and vvill thereupon desire such persons to intercede for them and to begge some particular Fauours of the like nature c. Novv vpon such indiscreet behauiour in those that should be Directours such Persons vvill begin to thinke that God loues to treate vvith them and vvill interpret the things declared vnto them according to their ovvne Gust and Humours And if things shall fall out othervvise then they imagined they will fall into Melancholick suspicions and great danger of the Deuills snares 29. The best Course that a Confessarius in this case can take is if there be any rationall Grounds of probability that such Visions c. doe not come from God to exhort and enioyne the Persons to auoyd and despise them Yea and if after long and serious examination it should seeme almost euident to him that God is the Authour of them yet ought he so to behaue himselfe both in vvords and Actions as to deterre the soule from adhering to them vvith Affection rather inclining her to a suspicion and feare or hovveuer to an indifferency about them vvith an aspect of loue to God himselfe only vvho is aboue all his Gifts and ought to be the only Obiect of our loue And thus if the Confessarius behaue himselfe he may be sure that he vvill preuent all harme to ensue and he shall performe a Seruice very acceptable to God 30. Certainly the danger is far lesse to be too difficult in beleiuing and esteeming such things then to be neuer so little too credulous and inclind to admire them For it were better that good ones should be oftē suspected thē that an ill one should be once beleiued And therfore wee doe find that our Blessed Lord appearing to S. Teresa did neither take it ill from her nor from her Directour vvhen by his order she did spitt at him and defye him so appearing to her but he only informed her hovv she should giue conuincing proofes that it vvas no Illusion 31. B. Iohn de Cruce giues very good Aduices touching this point Exhorting soules as the surest vvay that in case they cannot meete vvith a prudent and experienced Confessarius they should not speake one vvord concerning such Graces but to passe them ouer and to make no account of them And hovveuer by no meanes of their ovvne heads to proceede to the executing of any thing signifyed after such an vnusuall manner 32. And though it should happen that the Soule being so disposed as to make no great estimation of such things vvhich vvill be a great security from danger by them shall therfore thinke it to no purpose to consult vvith a prudent Directour about such trifles Or if on the other side such Reuelations seeme vnto her so absolutely cleare and vnquestionable that there is no need at all to aske any ones iudgment about them Yet saith the same Authour it vvill be necessary that she discouer them to her Spirituall Maister 33. And the reasons are 1. Because ordinarily such is Gods order and disposition to the end that by such an humble submission of herselfe a nevv light and Grace may be communicated to her 2. To the end that vpon such an occasion she may be put in mind to restraine her Affections from such things and be established in true Nakednes and Pouerty of Spirit For vvhich End the Confessarius ought not to insist vpon the Excellency of such Fauours but passing ouer them sleightly to encourage the Soule rather to value and tend to a perfect Actiue Vnion by Charity and pure Prayer 3. That by such an occasion offred the soule may conquer that naturall vnwillingnes vvhich is in some to discouer vvhat things passe vvithin them And vvith such soules the Confessarius is to deale mildly not affrighting or scandalizing them nor disheartning them from dealing freely That by this meanes such Visions Extasies c. may produce in them that effect vvhich probably God intended namely by them to call Soules to a nearer and more perfect Actiue Vnion by Loue Wherof one perfect act framed by the Will is of more vvorth and more gratefull to God then all the Visions and Reuelations of all things that passe in Heauen and Earth can be And certaine it is that many soules vvhich are neuer visited vvith any such Fauours are yet far more aduanced in Spirit and more neare to God then are some others vvho frequently enioy such extraordinary Fauours 34. Whatsoeuer it be that is suggested in such a Reuelation vvhether it concerne Knovvledge or Practise though in it selfe it be of neuer so small moment yet vvithout Aduice a soule ought neither to assent to it nor execute it For vvhatsoeuer the thing it selfe be yet considering the cause meanes by vvhich it comes vvhich is supposed to be supernaturall it becomes of great importance Yea the meere conuersation familiarity vvith an intellectuall Spirit is a matter of great consequence And as being vvith a good Spirit it is likely to be occasion of much Good So being vvith a bad Spirit as it may vvell be supposed to be till the contrary be euident it vvill probably cause very much harme 35. A soule being to consult vvith others about such matters ought to take heed that she fall not into impertinences but as Aluarez de Paz aduiseth let her humbly breifly clearly manifest so much of these extraordinary matters to her Directour as may be sufficient to enable him to iudge And if he doe not much value them let her simply hold on her course and securely proceede in her ordinary exercises of Deuotion 36. If some eminently Perfect Soules haue followed their ovvne light in iudging of these things and practising accordingly vvithout consulting others This ought not to preiudice the foregoing Aduices vvhich are indeed for Soules lesse experienced and Perfect and such as in S. Pauls Phrase haue not their senses exercised in the discerning of Good and Euill in matters of this nature 37. In such cases likevvise all soules are not so absolutly obliged to resigne their iudgements and wills to others as utterly to neglect their ovvne proper Call receiued from God For to a vvell-minded soule that vvalkes and deales simply and plainly vvith God and labours diligently to keepe her Affections free from all created things aspiring to an indifference vvhether she haue or vvants them yea out of humility and a pious feare rather desires to vvant such extraordinary visitations Such a Soule doubtlesse vvill be so guided and illuminated by Gods holy Spirit as she vvill perfectly knovv vvhat to doe forbeare and vvhether vvhen and of vvhom to aske Counsell Let therfore such a soule carefully obserue her Internall Direction And this is the Aduice of B. Iohn de Cruce 38. From these precedent Aduices it may appeare hovv differently a soule ought
depressions an extraordinary consolation is vsually attended by succeeding anguish Desertion So aboue all other times this so supereminent so comfortable a Diuine Visitation is commonly follovved by a most terrible vnexpected Desolation A Desolation so vnsupportable to soules vnprouided or vnaware of it that many not enabled or not vvell instructed how to behaue themselues in it haue lost all heart to prosecute Internall vvayes so bereauing themselues of the benefit of all their former exercises Diuine Passiue Inactions haue returned to a Common extrouerted life 2. The vvhich truly is a misery so great and so deplorable that to preuent the like in others I conceiue requisite to giue warning of it and by a breife description of the nature and manner of such a Desolation together vvith the good ends for vvhich God permits yea in a sort conducts soules into it to encourage them to beare themselues in it vvith Patience Resignation tranquillity of mind I shall be breife in this Point remitting the Readers for a farther Explication of it to Barbançon as likewise to that excellent Treatise called Interiour Abnegation 3. From the foresaid sublime familiarities therfore and communications betwene God his chosen soules he conducts them vsually especially after the first Passiue Vnion to another far different state of pure suffrance But this is not a happy suffring as formerly from God but a vvofull suffring from the soule herselfe For God for some time retiring himselfe from her permits her to feele her naturall infirmity And this he does by degrees least if the extremity and bitternes of this state did at once seise vpon her she should be vtterly oppressed by the Tentation Therfore vvhen by many inferiour Trialls of her Patience and Resignation he sees her strong courageously resolued to follovv him vvhithersoeuer he shall leade her then he puts her to this last of all other greatest Triall 4. For first he not onely vvithdravves all comfortable obseruable infusions of Light Grace but also depriues her of a povver to Exercise any perceptible operations of her Superiour Spirit of all comfortable reflexions vpon his loue plunging her into the depth of her Inferiour Powers Here consequently her former calmenes of Passions is quite lost neither can she interouert herselfe sinfull motions suggestions doe violently assault her she finds as great difficulty if not greater to surmount them then at the beginning of a spirituall Course The feeling of all this is intolerable to her and thervpon she begins to suspect that by some great vnknovvn sin she has procured all this or hovveuer that her resistance is now so feeble and inefficacious that she deserues that God should quite cast herof She finds the corrupt inclinations of her nature so strong in her that she thinks she is nothing but Nature the rebelliousnes vvhereof its rage against God is vnexpressible She is novv as full of Images of Vanities as euer she had bene formerly and it seemes to her that she has far lesse povver to expell them then vvhen she liued in the vvorld If she vvould eleuate her Spirit she sees nothing but Clovvds darknesse She seekes God and cannot find the least markes or footsteps of his Presence Something there is that hinders her from executing the sinfull suggestions vvithin her but vvhat that is she knovves not for to her thinking she has no Spirit at all And indeed she is now in a Region of all other most distant from Spirit and spirituall operations I meane such as are perceptible Her Prayers recollections are most greiuous vnto her because infinitely difficult by reason that sense and nature vvhich most abhorrs them is novv almost only Actiue and operatiue in her And the Recollections vvhich she endeauours to make are not only insipide but as it seemes to her vtterly inefficacious so that she oft suspects that it vvere better perhaps if she vvere quite extrouerted Yet for all that she dares not altogether quitt her endeauours to practise Recollections but yet she knovvs not vvhy 5. Now if all these disorders continued only for some short time she might vvithout extreme difficulty practise Patience as she did in her former Aridities and desolations But alas this most afflicting Martyrdome oftentimes continues many monthes yea in some persons seuerall yeares not alvvaies in extremity but vvith some intercisions so that the soule comes in a manner to loose all Patience She often complaines in her Prayers to God for deserting her that vvould faine not desert him yet vvhen she makes such Prayers to her seeming her Spirit vvill not ioyne If she had nothing to doe but meerly to suffer it vvere not so much But she knovves it is her duty to vvorke and to raise herselfe vp by Prayer and this she cannot doe She stands in need novv of as grosse operations to cause an Introuersion as euer and yet those grosse operations haue not so good an effect as in her former imperfect state 6. Moreouer the Tentations vvhich she novv suffers are both so violent and her resistance so feeble They are vvithall so vnexpected so secret and subtile that notvvithstanding any information that she formerly had by Reading or othervvayes touching such a condition of suffring to be expected yet vvhen it comes she vvill scarce be persvvaded that this can be possibly a vvay to Perfection or conducing to her good All her former light and instructions vvill scarce at all diminish her resentment of her deplorable condition She looses nothing of her former Light for soules arriued to this state are not to seeke or to learne how and in vvhat manner they are to exercise themselues interiourly they study no more for that then one vvould doe hovv he may see vvith his eyes or heare vvith his eares hauing the Perfect vse of his senses But vvhen she is to practise according to this light she has no satisfaction at all If she haue any difficulties or obscurities it is hovv she is to comport herselfe in externall matters euen this obscurity is but very small But hovveuer she thinks that all the light she has serues to little purpose finding that notvvithstanding it she vvorkes as if she had no light at all In a vvord she novv sees her ovvne naturall misery so perfectly yea and can see nothing but it that she cannot see hovv God can comfort her if he vvould 7. All this shevves that notvvithstanding all her precedent Exercises yea that during the foregoing Diuine Inactions yet many dreggs of corrupt nature did remaine in her they vvere only hid but not extinguished This therfore vvas the onely forcible Expedient left to destroy in a manner all the sinfull inclinations of nature in her Indeed to naturall reason this seemes a strange and most improper Remedy to destroy nature by suspending the Influences and operations of Grace and by suffring nature to breake forth violently vvithout any controule and restraint all sensible light in the
Doctrine fit and agreable to the vocation of our Rule 7. Sept. 1629. F. Leander de S. Martino Priour of S. Gregories and Ordinary of the Monastery of our Ladies of Comfort in Cambray Againe This Treatise of Doubts and Calls is a very good one 1630. B. Rosendo Barlow President of the English Congregation of the Order of S. Ben. To the Booke of Confession the Originall vvherof is lost but a Perfect transcript remaining is THIS APPROBATION I haue read this Booke and haue found nothing in it against Faith or Good manners For although the Authour dispute much against the urging of Confession of Veniall sins as vnnecessary to Spirituall proffit yet he doth not in any sort condemne the discreete vse of frequent Confession of Veniall sins but onely the needlesse renumeration of them and of dayly defects vvhich cannot be vsed vvithout great losse of time and anxiety of mind In testimony of this I subscribe my Name at Cambray 17. Sept. 1629. Br. Rudisind Barlow President of the English Congregation of the Order of S. Bennet Besides these many more Approbations might be added annexed by the same VV. RR. FF to other Bookes as to that of Discretion of Sicknes Directions for the Ideots Deuotions contained in 16. seuerall Bookes Remedies The Stay of the Soule in Tentations in two volumes A Booke called The fiue Treatises The Alphabet and Abstract c. But I made choice only of the forementioned because they treated of Subiects more likely to meete with contradiction Supposing therfore that these vvill suffise vvhich are taken from the Originalls extant at Cambray in the Approuers ovvne hand-vvriting I vvill here adioyne the forementioned Memoriall containing both an Approbation and Explication of the generall Doctrine of our V. Venerable Authour A Memoriall vvritten by the late V. R. F. Leander â— S. Marcino and placed in the Booke of Collections I haue read ouer carefully the Booke A. B. C. and the Alphabet Abstract as also the 3. Parts of Doubts Calls besides diuers other Treatises of the same Authour in all vvhich are to be seene my Approbation allovvance in the beginning of them They doe all containe very sound vvholesome doctrine for the Direction of deuout Soules fit agreable to our Calling Rule and especially for the vse of our Dames the Spirit of our holy Rule consisting principally in a spirituall Vnion of our soule vvith God in affectiue Praier exercise of the vvill immediatly vpon God rather then Intellectuall discoursiue Praier busying the vnderstanding as appeareth plainly by our Rule and the dayly vse of our Quire Office vvhich for the most part consisteth of Aspirations and affects and hath very few discourses Yet because the Authour referreth the Dames his Schollers to his larger explication by vvord of Mouth in many places and to his practise in vvhich he setled them both vvhich can not be knovvne but by those vvho knevv the Authour and this Mysticke vvay though most plaine most secure and most compendious to perfection containeth many hard delicate points vvhich vvill seeme strange to such as haue been only accustomed to intellectuall Meditation and litle to affectiue Praier by reason of the great abstraction vvhich it requires from all things that are not God Least the ensuing Confessours and Directours should mistake the meaning of the Authour and therevpon alter the course of Praier begunne and setled in the house as vvee hope to the Glory of God Spirituall proffit of Soules in Perfection proper to our Calling I haue thought conuenient to note these fevv points follovving First of all that the reader of these Bookes Collections haue allvvaies before his Eyes that they are vvritten precisely only for such Soules as by Gods holy Grace doe effectually constantly dedicate themselues to as pure an Abstraction from creatures as may vvith discretion be practised in the Community and consequently for such as abstaine from all manner of leuity losse of time notable and knovvn defects vaine talke needlesse familiarity in a vvord doe take as much care as they can to auoide all veniall sins occasions of them and all things vvhich they shâ—ll perceiue or be vvarned of to be impediments to the Diuine Vnion of their Soules vvith God Secondly let him consider that it is supposed as a ground in all those Collections Obseruations that the Office of Quire Actions of Obedience Conuentuall Acts and all other things prescribed by Rule Statute are most exactly to be kept obserued yea preferred before all other priuate Exercises vvhatsoeuer So that all these Instructions are to be vnderstood allvvaies vvith reseruation of the Conuentuall Discipline publick Obseruance prescribed by Obedience Particularly let the Reader obserue a Note vvhich is giuen in one of these bookes found but in fevv Spirituall vvriters yet necessary for those Religious that are addicted to the Quire viz That although the Authour commendeth so highly mentall Prayer yet that Prayer vvhich is perfectly mentall vocall too is far more excellent then that vvhich is mentall only as vvill be the exercise of the Saints in heauen after the day of Iudgment vvhen in body soule they â—hall praise contemplate Allmighty God Whereupon it follovveth that allthough in this Life our fraile vveake body hindreth our soule that our Prayer cannot be so perfectly mentall vocall as it shall be in heauen yet must our mentall Prayer be so practised that by the grace of God ioy all perseuerance in vnion vvith him our Vocall Prayer inquire may be conuerted into mentall that is that our vocall saying singing may be so liuely animated as it vvere informed vvith affect of the soule as if it vvere altogether spirituall Prayer And so shall vvee fullfill the vvords of our Rule Nihil praeponatur operi Dei Nothing preferred before the Office of the quire Whereas in diuers places the Authour saith that all bodily exercises euen frequenting the Sacraments vvithout mentall Prayer abstraction mortification doe not aduance a soule one â—ot in spirit although it be plaine enough to them that knovv the necessity of these 3. Instruments of spirituall perfection yet least any should mistake his meaning as if these former exercises did not proffit a soule at all vvithout these Instruments practised by fevv out of the former aduices the reader must vnderstand that by Aduancement in spirit is meant here not the bare auoyding of grosser sins some perfection too in Actiue Life vvhich is gotten by these bodily exercises but a cleare experimentall knovvledge of the vvill of God a spiritualizing of the soule by adhering to God transcending all creatures vvhatsoeuer for this doe the Mystick Doctours call aduancement in spirit this cannot be attained vnto but by the three aboue named instruments continually practised employed by Gods grace Which notvvithstanding the Authour denieth not but that a soule vvithout the foresaid exercises
may so proffit in spirit as Actiue soules doe that liue in vvordly manner that they may carefully auoyd sin keepe Gods commandements be truly vnited to God in follovving his vvill by the vse of bodily exercises frequency of Sacraments although they vse not much Mentall Prayer abstraction mortification For if they vse none at all as no good Christian but vseth them in some degree vndoubtedly they vvill not proffit at all in spirit neither actiuely nor contemplatiuely nor auoyde sin nor be in any sort vnited to God About the doctrine of Confession vvheras the Authour disputeth much against the vsing of Confession of veniall sins as necessary to Spirituall proffit it is to be vnderstood that he doth not in any vvise condemne the discreete vse of frequent Confession but only the needlesse numeration of veniall sins daily defects vvhich some soules doe make in their Confessions vvith great anxiety of mind some Confessours doe oblige their penitents vnto vvith great preiudice of that chearfull Liberty of Spirit vvhich a soule should haue to conuerse in Prayer vvith God is commonly a cause of scrupules one of the greatest baines of spirituall Perfection So that for soules that are by nature prone to feare scrupulosity the Directour of necessity must moderate them both in the frequency of Confession matter to be confessed Yea he may aduise them to confesse fewer times then other freer soules doe Othervvise for soules that are chearfull valiant couragious in the vvay of the Spirit the Authour obligeth them in his practise to keepe the ordinary time of Confession Much more those that are not altogether so carefull in auoyding occasions of ordinary defects I say he obligeth them in such sort as the Constitutions oblige vvhich is not vnder any sin as if they should sin as often as they omitt the ordinary time of Confession but as a laudable counsell proffitable obseruance vvhich vnder a penalty regular correction is to be kept not omitted but by aduice of the spirituall Father or leaue of the Superiour Note also that he doth vvorthily aduertise a defect of many vvho come to Confession making the principall intention of it only the Absolution from sin I say this is a defect because the principall part of the intention must be the encrease of Grace and loue of God by vvhich formally infused or povvred into our selues God Almighty doth blott out sins vvipe them avvay Now although Absolution from sin is neuer giuen vvithout infusion of grace yet ought the intention of the Penitent to be principally the obtaining of Grace for if he principally intend the absolution of sin it is a reflexion of the soule vpon its ovvne proffit by selfe-loue desiring to auoyde the vvrath of God punishment due to sin to be freed from the deformity of guiltines vvhich though it be a good desire yet it is but a property of Beginners in loue nothing comparable to the intention of Grace vvhich is the perfect loue of God is an eleuation of the soule to transcend it selfe all creatures to liue only in God About the doctrine of sett Examens of Conscience the Authour doth not condemne it especially for soules vvho are not greatly aduanced in perfection but for soules vvhich dayly proffit grovv in Grace he prefers the exercise of loue not vvithout cause for his meaning is That in our Recollection it is an easier speedier vvay to amend our selues by vvrapping all our defects in a generality so endeauouring to consume them as it vvere casting them into the fire of loue then by particularising them discussing them in singular because in so doing they distract the mind that may be better employed Yet this Doctrine hinders not but if any notable defect haue bene committed it should be by a particular reflexion amended yet rather by an amorous conuersion of the soule to God by Humility then by turning it selfe to looke vpon the defect in particular And doubtlesse a soule that according to the Authours Doctrine doth so carefully auoyd all defects that it presently vpon sight of any default exacteth an amendment of it selfe such a soule needeth no sett Examen but suplieth the vse thereof by a more noble exercise vvhich is as I tearmed it an humble consuming of all her defects in one bundle in the heauenly fire of Charity or loue of God Neuerthelesse a set Examen is proffitable for such as are not yet come to such a height of Vnitiue loue is counselled by our father Blosius in diuerse places by S. Bernard in his booke to the Carthusians in these vvords Nemo te plus diligit nemo te fidelius iudicab Mane praeteritae noctis fac a temetipso exactionem futurae diei tu tibi indicito cautionem Vespere diei praeteritae rationem exige superuenientis noctis fac indictionem â—â—c districte nequaquam tibi aliquando lasciuire vacabit That is None loues thee more none will iudge thee more faithfully then thine owne selfe In the morning then exact an account of the night passed appoynt thy selfe a caueat for the day ensuing At euening take account of the day passed order the course of the night following Thus districtly examining thy selfe thou wilt find no leasure to play the wanton And long before S. Bernard the holy Abbot S. Dorotheus commends the same exercise Serm 11. as vsuall among all Monkes Quo pacto per singulos dies nosipsos purgare propemodum expiare debeamus exactissime docuerunt Maiores Patres nostri Nempe vt vespere sedulo quisquam perquirat inuestiget quomodo pertransierit drem illum Rursus mane examinet quomodo exegerit noctem illam Et paenitentiam agat ac resipiscat coram Deo si quo pacto vt fieri potest peccatuÌ„ aliquod admiserit And long before him holy S. Ephrem that liued but 250. yeares after Christ our Lords Passion hath the commendation of a set Examen in these golden vvordes Diebus singulis vesperi mane diligenter considera quo pacto se habeant negotia tua mercimonij ratio Et vespere quidem ingressus in cubiculum cordis tui examina teipsum at dicito Putasne hodie in aliquo Deum exacerbaui nuquid verba otiosa protuli num per contemptum negligentiam ne peccaui num in re aliqua fratrem irritaui num alicuius famam detractionibus laceraui c Et facto iam dilucalo rursus eadem tecum meditare dicito quomodo putas ista mihi nox praeterijt lucratus sum in ea mercimonium meum numquid improbae ac sordidae cogitationes inuaserunt me atque illis libenter immoratus sum c Neither doth our Authour discommend this set Examen but the defectiue vse of it vvhich is 1. to make it in order to Confession vvhich doubtlesse in a soule vvell aduanced breedeth needlesse images since such a soule vvill