to honor as representing his Place and whom he hath Establish'd for his Ministers in the Temporal Government of Men and to whom every one ows Respect Love Obedience and Fidelity CHAP. VI. Of Tractableness THIS is one of the first Tractableness necessary and chiefest Vertue of Youth which being blind subject to many Faults and not able to conduct it self hath an absolute necessity of being guided by others more knowing and submitting it self to their Conduct and this Submission is call'd Tractableness It is a Vertue which makes us love What it is willingly receive search after and put in practice the Instructions Counsels Reprehensions and Exhortations to Good. O what an excellent Vertue Theotime Its Commendations is this which we may call the Ornament of Youth the Instrument of good Education the Mother of all Vertues in young Persons the Source of all Good the Cause of their Salvation A tractable Mind is capable of all Good as an untractable Mind is subject to all Wickedness We have spoken sufficiently of this Vertue and the opposite Vice in Part 1. Chap. 3. Read attentively and often what we have said and labor to obtain this Vertue as that on which your Happiness depends CHAP. VII Of Obedience OBedience is the Daughter of Tractableness Obedience necessary A tractable Mind renders it self obedient to the Will of others who have any Authority over it It is a Vertue necessary for Youth a Fundamental Vertue and without which one can never arrive at any solid Piety which made the Wiseman say Mens justi meditabitur obedientiam Prov. 15.28 that The Mind of the Just will meditate Obedience because it is a most necessary and effectual Means to acquire Vertue to which it aspires It is not only necessary for Youth but also so convenient for that Age that it is always proper and as it were natural A disobedient Child is a Species of a Monster And an ancient Author numbring up the Disorders which are found in the World St. Cyprian puts in the third rank a disobedient Child which he says is a Disorder which brings many others after it Love then Practice Theotime this Vertue so agreeable to your Age and besides so necessary and so powerful to make you really vertuous all the rest your Life Obey humbly and willingly your Parents your Masters and all those who have Authority over you I say obey humbly and willingly because it is not enough to obey but you must obey well A constrain'd Obedience yielded unwillingly by fear or force is a slavish Obedience which hath no Merit nor any shadow of Vertue True Obedience proceeds from the acknowledgment of ones Duty and a desire to please God in performing it well The First makes it humble the Second makes it voluntary prompt and facil You must obey thus if you desire your Obedience should be vertuous and agreeable to God. And by obeying thus you learn in good time not to do your own proper Will but that of others Proper Will which is ordinarily the cause of the Destruction of Men and chiefly of young Persons is an ill Guide which leads them into Precipices and makes them fall into many Misfortunes O Theotime the Wiseman says Vir obediens loquetur victorias Prov. 21.28 that The obedient Man will recount his Victories If you obey well in your tender Age you will recount one day the Victories you have gain'd over your most dangerous Enemy with your own proper Will you will know how much this Vertue was useful and praise God for it all your Life CHAP. VIII Of Chastity TRactableness and Obedience hinder the Disorders of the Mind and Chastity those of the Body It is a Vertue which entirely flies the Pleasures of the Flesh What Chastity is and studies to stifle the Thoughts Desires and Feelings of unclean Delight because they displease God. It is necessary for all Men How necessary but particularly for young Persons who being more susceptible of immodest Pleasures have a most particular need of this Vertue as we have shewn in Part 3. But as there is no Age for which it is more necessary than for Youth How convenient so there is none to which it is more convenient and advantagious I would to God Theotime you and all those of your Age could comprehend the Beauty of this Vertue with the Ornament and Profit it brings you If Chastity renders Men like Angels It makes them like Angels according to the Judgment of the holy Fathers cited above in Part 2. because it makes them imitate the Purity of the Angels in a frail Body It is chiefly in young Persons where this Effect is found true because their Age being less corrupted by Sin their Chastity approaches nearer to the Purity of those celestial Spirits If Chastity doth partake something of the Glory of Martyrdom And Martyrs according to the Sense of S. Jerom Habet pudicitia servata Martyrium saum S. Hier. Epist ad Demâ—â—r by reason of the rude Combats it sustains which sometimes are no less than those of Torments It is chiefly to the Chastity of young Persons to whom that Glory doth appertain Quem tormenta non vicerant volaptas superabat Idem in vita B. Hilarion Adolescentia multa corporis bella sustinet Idem Acrior pugna juvenum S. Aug. Ser. 23. de verbis Domini Martyrium sine sanguine triplex est Parcitas in ubertate quam habuit David Job Largitas in paupertate quam exercuit Tobias vidua Castitas in juventute qua usus est Joseph in Aegypto S. Bern. in Sententiis because the Combats they suffer are ordinarily more violent and more frequent than those of others which made S. Bernard say that besides the Martyrdom which is undergone by the Effusion of Blood there are yet Three others that is Frugality practis'd in Plenty whereof David and Job shew'd a Pattern Liberality in Poverty exercis'd by Tobias and the Widow in the Gospel and Chastity in Youth preserv'd by Joseph in Egypt Lastly Theotime those excellent Commendations Pudicitia flos morum honor corporum decor sexuum fundamentum sanctitatis praesagium omnis bonae mentis S. Cyp. de bono pudicitiae In malevolam animam non introibit sapientia nec habitabit in corpore subdito peccatis Sap. 1. which the Fathers give to Chastity which they call the Flower and Ornament of Manners The Honor of the Body The Groundwork of Sanctity The Presage of all sort of Vertues chiefly belong to young Men For it is true that Chastity in young Persons is a great Foundation for Vertue and all manner of Good may be expected from a chast Youth Because as the Spirit of God cannot dwell in impure Hearts so it takes delight to inhabit in chast Souls and to heap upon them all sorts of Favors Ruffin recounts to this purpose that St. Gregory of Nazianzen being yet young had a Vision
Kingdom of Heaven did appertain Sinite parvulos venire ad me talium est enim regnum coelorum Et complectens eos imponens manus super eos benedicebat eis Marc. 20. He embrac'd them with an admirable Tenderness and sent them not back till he had impos'd his Hands upon them and given them his holy Benediction The most notable Cures he wrought were of young People Amat Christus Infantiam quam animo suscepit corpore amat Christus Infantiam humilitatis magistram innocentiae regulam mansuetudinis formam Aug. Scrm. 8. de Epiph. Such was the Son of the King who was ready to expire in John Chap. 4. Another who was tormented with the Devil Mat. 17. The Servant of the Centurion and the Daughter of the Cananean Of the three Dead which he rais'd to Life two were very young viz. the Daughter of Jairus and the Son of the Widow of Naim and the third who was Lazarus was not in Years Of the twelve Apostles he lov'd particularly the youngest which was S. John. Lastly What greater Proofs can we bring of the Love Jesus Christ bears young People than the Two which I shall speak of The First is the Assurance he hath given Qui susceperit parvulum talem in nomine meo me suscipit Mat. 18. that all the Favours which shall be bestow'd upon them shall be accounted as done to himself He says he that receives a Little One in my Name receives Me. The Second is that dreadful Menace which he afterwards utter'd against those that Scandalize the Little Ones that is who make them fall into any Sin. Qui autem scandalizaverit unum de pusillis istis qui in me credunt expedit ei ut suspendatur mola asinaria in collo ejus demergatur in profundum maris Mat. 18. If any one says he Scandalize the Little Ones who believe in Me it were better a Milstone were ty'd about his Neck and he cast into the bottom of the Sea. Was not this a great Token of the singular Affection Jesus Christ bore to young Souls since he speaks with so much Zeal and Indignation against those who contribute the withdrawing them from his Service These dear Theotime are convincing Proofs of the Love God has for you in your Youth After these Assurances you have had thereof can you refuse the Love and Service he demands of you in this Age Doubtless you cannot without an extream Ingratitude and without offering him a most enormous Affront as we are about to see CHAP. V. That they who Consecrate not themselves to God in their Youth offer him a most heinous Injury THIS Truth evidently follows out of the Two former Fifth Consideration to Serve God in Youth for if it be true as we have manifested That God desires and demands particularly the Service of young People and hath an extream Love for that Age on which he bestows very singular Favours to assist it and invite it to his Service It follows The Injury that is done to God by not Serving him in that Age That to refuse him the Service he desires and requires with so much Justice and not to answer the Love he testifies to Youth by so many Favours and Benefits is to offer him a most heinous and enormous Affront But because this Verity is of such Consequence that it can never be sufficiently inculcated I shall make you see it more distinctly by the Three following Considerations which I beseech you to Examine well First First Reason of this Injury Not to Consecrate the Time of Youth to the Service of God is to take away a certain and assured Time which you may give him to reserve him an uncertain which you are not sure to have and which is not in your power viz. the Time to come This is the First Degree of the Injury you offer to God. You promise God to Serve him when you are older Who hath told you that you shall live a long time If you are not certain to be alive to Morrow how are you sure to live Ten Years hence There are more who die before Twenty or Twenty five Years of Age than after Now if you have no assurance to live a long time is it not a great Injury you do to God to promise him the Time to come which you have not nor is in your power and refuse him the Time present which you enjoy What think you Theotime do's not he deride God who acts in this manner and doth he not evidently manifest that he hath no true Will to Serve him deferring to Consecrate himself to him in a Time which perhaps may never come Secondly Second Reason You not only reserve an uncertain Time for God but take away the better to give him the worse For refusing to Serve God and apply your self to Vertue in your Youth which is as we said before ordinarily less deprav'd by Vice and most favour'd by Kindnesses from God you reserve to your self a Time wherein all things conspire to hinder you and render you unfit for Good and the Exercise of Vertue The Inconveniences of the Body which daily are caus'd the Inveterate Vicious Habits wherein you will be Engag'd the Perplexity of Worldly Affairs the Solicitude of Temporal Things the Spirit and Maxims of the World which you have Embraced Totus mundus in maligno positus 1 Joh. 5. The World which as S. John says is entirely plung'd in Vice and Corruption which breaths after nothing but Pleasures Covetousness Pride and has no more thought of Salvation and Eternity than if there were no such thing at all All these things will bring an incredible Impediment to your Salvation and will absolutely divert you from the Service of God if you prevent not them in good time by applying your self in your Youth to the Flight of Sin and to the Practice of Vertue Judge then of the Injury you do to God deferring to Serve him in a Time where you shall have so many Hindrances and not resolving to Serve him another where you have so many Means and Advantages Doubtless this is a grievous Injury Yet this is not all take notice of that which follows That which fully concludes the Enormity of the Injury offer'd to God is Third Reason That not intending to Serve him in your Youth you will give him nothing but the remainder of Sin delaying to Serve him till after you have pass'd your Time merrily in your Youth satisfy'd all your Passions and follow'd the wicked Inclinations of your Age So that the Time you reserve is but the remnant of what you have employ'd in Sin and Service of the Devil Do you comprehend Theotime the heinousness of this Injury and the Indignity with which you treat your God and your Creator * Nescitis quia Templum Dei estis Spiritus Dei habitat in vobis 1 Cor. 3. Your Soul is made to be the Temple and Dwelling
soon into their first Distempers and into the Sins they had forsaken So that Theotime you must hold it for an undoubted Maxim That if you have a true Design to live in Vertue you must frequently approach to the Sacrament of Penance and if not you will never be difengag'd from Vice not from the Way of Perdition which I shall clearly discover by the following Reasons First First Reason Because altho' you may be some time without falling into mortal Sin nevertheless without frequent Confession you cannot avoid a great number of other Sins which being multiply'd and neglected lead to mortal Sin. Secondly Second Reason Without frequent Confession you may be secretly engag'd in wicked Habits which you will not believe to be such and will be expos'd to many dangerous Occasions from which you cannot guard your self unless you be Admonish'd Now you cannot be Advertis'd but by often discovering your Conscience to a discreet Confessor who will take notice of them and give you warning to avoid them Thirdly Third Reason It is impossible that you should continue a long time without being assaulted by Temptations and principally against Chastity Now I maintain that it is impossible you should resist them without frequent Confession Do what you will if you make not often use of this Remedy you will infallibly be subdu'd Experience will make you see it He that neglects Help will fall into Sickness and from Sickness come to Death Fourthly Fourth Reason Confession Theotime is a Help and Remedy against Sin. 1. Because it being a Sacrament it gives Grace to resist it 2. Because it makes us renew the Detestation of Sin and the Resolution not to commit it any more 3. Because the Admonitions of the Ghostly Father in Confession awake the Penitent and encourage him anew to fly from Sin and to be faithful to God. 4. Because the Penitent declaring his Temptations to his Confessor learns from him the Means to resist them yea this only discovering the Temptations is an effectual Remedy to overcome them The malignant Spirit fears nothing so much as to be discover'd He is a Serpent which hides himself when he would bite and flies away when he is perceiv'd He is a right Thief who hath no mind to appear in open day and he hath no greater Policy to destroy young Souls than to make them be silent in the Affairs of their Conscience and to hinder them from manifesting to any one the State of their Soul to the end that in this pernicious Silence they may find no Help to resist their Temptations nor Means to withdraw themselves from their Vices * Peccatum proditum citò curatur crimen vero tacendo ampliatur vitium si patet fit ex magno pusillum si latet fit ex minimo magnum S. Bern. Serm. de interiori domo cap. 37. Sin says S. Bernard is soon cur'd when it is declar'd but it encreases by silence If one discover it from great it becomes little and if one conceal it of little it becomes great After these Reasons I doubt not dear Theotime but that you are fully convinc'd of the necessity of Confessing often and being this is an Affair of great Consequence and a Man commits many Faults therein I have many Advices to give you which I beseech you read attentively and take notice of them well Important Advices concerning Confession First First Advice Confess your self at least once a Month without failing therein If you have frequent Temptations you ought to Confess oftner and principally at the time wherein you perceive the Temptations begin to assault you most strongly Fake notice well of this Advice for it is of great importance and for want of practising it many relapse miserably into Sin. Secondly Second Advice Have a care of falling into that Offence of many who never think of Confessing themselves but when they have yielded to a Temptation It is a deplorable Abuse by which the Devil misfortunately seduces many Souls For what a great folly is it not to apply ones thoughts to a Remedy till after he is fall'n into a mortal Distemper when it might have been prevented by Help in time according to the Counsel of the Wiseman Eccl. 15. Ante languorem adhibe medicinam Apply the Remedy to prevent the Distemper Thirdly Third Advice Have a care also of another greater Fault of those who having been subdu'd by a Temptation instead of quickly raising themselves and having recourse to the Sacrament of Penance permit themselves to yield to all Occasions neglecting to Confess themselves whether for fear remissness or negligence of their Salvation until the Occurrence of some great Feast obliges them thereunto This Abuse is common amongst young Persons and the Cause that many fall back after good Resolutions and often relapse presently after into Vice. We must not lose Courage for having fall'n but raise our selves presently and make use of that Slip for our Advantage and stand better on our Guard for the future Fourthly Fourth Advice Confess your self usually to your ordinary Confessor as often as you can so that nevertheless if you find him not you go to another and let not his Absence be the Cause of your failing to Confess your self when there is a Reason for it Fifthly Fisth Advice Be assur'd that the Devil will use all his Endeavors to hinder you from Confessing often he will oppose all Obstacles imaginable Sometimes he will make you believe it is too much trouble sometimes that you are not sufficiently prepar'd sometimes that you have no need at another time he makes some Business fall out oftentimes he will raise up some Disgust against Confession sometimes and very frequently he will endeavor to withdraw you from it by a certain foolish Shame which he is accustom'd to stir up in those of your Age by which he makes them blush to perform Acts of Piety A thousand other Impediments will he suggest to hinder you from so prositable and necessary a Means of your Salvation But in the Name of God Theotime pass by all these Hindrances and look upon all those Thoughts which aim at withdrawing you from Confession as Temptation of the Devil Now to Confess well endeavor to observe diligently that which follows 1. Means to Confess well Examine your Conscience the best you can concerning Sins to which you are most inclin'd 2. After Examination stir up in your self a Sorrow for having offended God and beg Pardon of him with all your Heart 3. Approach to Confession with much Respect and Modesty representing to your self that you are going to appear before God as before your Judge to implore his Mercy And if you be oblig'd to expect before you can be Confess'd keep your self in an humble and modest Posture Praying or Reading some good Book 4. Declare your Sins humbly and plainly making your Confessor understand them clearly There are some who Confess but half their Sins
tenderness of the Body and heat of Blood makes more susceptible of the Impression of Sensual Pleasures and partly also from the malice of the Devil which assaults Man in his Youth on the weakest side making use of the frailty of the Flesh to take possession of the Spirit and as * Adversum juvenes puellas aetates ardore hostis noster ahutitur in flammat rotam nativitatis nostrae Haec sunt ignita diaboli jacula quae simul vulnerant inflammant à Rege Babilonio tribus pueris praeparantur S. Hieron Epist. ad Demetriad S. Jerom judiciously observes takes advantage of the Heat of Youth by which he raises in their Heart the Fire of unchast Love enkindling in them a more burning and cruel Furnace than that which the King of Babylon caus'd to be prepar'd for the three innocent Children of Israel because that could but consume their Bodies but this scorches their Souls and prepares them by that impure Flame for another Fire which shall never be consum'd O Theotime they who attentively consider the Corruption of Manners which is found in Youth can never be sufficiently sorry for them But that which deserves most to be lamented is that it frequently falls out that there is nothing but this Sin which is the cause of it it being certain that there are many who are not subject to any other considerable Vices or if they be they are the Effects of this and if they were freed from this they would lead a perfectly pure and innocent Life Whereas on the contrary Haec adversus adolescentiam prima sunt arma daemonum non sic avaritia quatit inflat superbia delectat ambitio S. Jer. Epist ad Eustechium permitting themselves to be overcome by this unclean Passion they live a Life full of Iniquities and heaping up daily new Sins and perverse Habits cast themselves into so deplorable a State that they are often out of hopes of Amendment and Salvation O misfortunate Sin must thou thus destroy Men when they begin to work for their Salvation must thou forcibly take away from God so many beauteous Souls which without thee would live in innocence to sacrifice them to Pleasures and by Pleasures to the Devil and everlasting Flames Cursed Incontinence who is there that can hate thee as thou deservest To apprehend it more clearly Theotime read attentively that which follows and judge of the Cause by its Effects ARTICLE II. Of the sad Effects of the Sin of Impurity The Author of the Book De bono pudicitiae attributed to St. Cyprian describes briefly a great number of the misfortunate Effects of this Sin For he says that * Impudicitia semper est detestanda obscoenum ludibrium reddens ministris suis nec corporibus parcens nec animis debellatis propriis moribus totum hominem suum sub triumphum libidinis mittit blanda prius ut plus noceat dum placet Ea hauriens rem cum pudore cupiditatum infesta tabies incendium conscientiae bonae mater impoenitentiae ruina melioris aetatis Auth. de bon Pud Immodesty is a detestable Passion which spares neither Souls nor Bodies which renders Men absolutely Slaves of dishonest Love flattering them at the beginning that it might more effectually destroy them When it hath gotten possession of their Hearts it drains their Goods together with their Shamefac'dness It excites Passions even to excess it destroys a good Conscience it is the Mother of Impenitence the loss and ruin of the best part of Age that is of Youth Omitting the Damage that Sin causes to the Body Honor and Possessions I shall insist only upon the dreadful Effects it produces in the Soul which I reduce to Five or Six The First is First Effect the destruction of the Fear of God. the destruction of the Fear of God which it works in the Soul and the ruin of all good Inclinations Experience shews this Effect so common that we need not seek any other Proof we see many young People well Educated who have very good Inclinations in their Youth an aversion from Evil a great affection to Piety the Fear of God strongly imprinted in their Souls Now all these good Qualities remain if the Sin of Impurity doth not take possession of their Heart but when that hath once enter'd into their Mind it entirely subverts them It creeps in first by immodest Thoughts the Thoughts produce the desire of wanton Pleasures the Desire moves to unchast Actions these Sins repeated and multiply'd ruin all the good Inclinations things now appear far otherwise than before the Sin now seems no more so great it becomes more familiar to them and such an one who before had a great apprehension of one sole mortal Sin when he is once overcome by this brutish Passion is not dismay'd to commit them by hundreds and thousands O God what a Change what a subversion is this of a Conscience The Second Effect of this Sin Second Effect A Disrelish of Vertue is a Disrelishing and even an Aversion to Vertue and to all pious and wholsom Things It is not to be conceiv'd how those who are infected with this Vice have an aversion to Divine Things and Salvation Prayer is tedious to them and Sacraments contemptible the Word of God moves them not reading of pious Books is insupportable This is too manifest by Experience and no wonder Theotime he who is Distemper'd with a Fever takes no delight in the most delicious Meats on the contrary they seem to him bitter because his Tast is deprav'd with some bitter Quality Thus he who is once seis'd by this burning Fever of Impurity finds a wonderful loathing and dislike of all the most pious and wholsome Things by reason he hath his Heart infected with carnal and impure Affections which permit him not to relish the sweetness of holy Things a Animalis homo non percipit ea quae Dei sunt The natural man says S. Paul that is who follows the Motions of the Animal or Sensible part tasts not the things which are of God. And b Qui secundum carnem sunt quae carnis sunt sapiunt Rom. 5. those who live according to flesh relish only the things of the flesh The Third Effect is a Blindness of Mind which this Sin produces in the Soul Third Effect Blindness of Mind which hinders her from discerning Good from Bad and judging of things as she ought It is impossible that a Mind once possess'd by that Passion should not have its Judgment perverted and should not determin of things of Salvation quite contrary to Truth The Tie and Inclination it hath to that Sin makes it not account it so great an Evil for we ordinarily judg according to our Inclinations and that it can withdraw it self when it pleases it hinders it from seeing the wicked Consequences and Misfortunes this Vice brings after it It takes away the remembrance of the Divine Judgments and
whereof it is spoken in the Second Book of Kings Chap. 16. with all his other Crimes did contribute thereunto What shall we say of Salomon Salomon Theotime who being the wisest of all Men singularly belov'd of God and favor'd by him with all desirable Graces permitting himself to be misfortunately carry'd away with unchast Love fell from that Sin to the basest of all Crimes that is Idolatry wherein he continu'd such a long time that it is not known whether he was ever rais'd from it and hath left all the World in doubt of his Salvation O dreadful Example O frightful Effect of the Sin of Uncleanness If this Sin were so frightful in Particulars Omnis caro corruperit viam suam Gen. 6. it hath no less spar'd Multitudes nor even the whole World. That dreadful Deluge which drown'd the whole Earth two thousand Years after its Creation was the first Effect of Impurity which had caus'd so prodigious a Corruption in all Human Nature that it provok'd the Divine Choler Tactus dolore cordis intrinsecus delebo inquit hominem quem creavi à facie terrae even to destroy by an universal Flood that same Nature the most excellent Workmanship of his Hands to extinguish in those Waters the Flames of that unchast Love which had caus'd such an universal Conslagration The Waters of the Deluge were scarce dry'd up Clamor Sodomaeorum Gomorraeorum multiplicatus est peccatum eorum aggravatum est nimis Gen. 19. Igitur pluit Dominus super Sodomam Gomorram sulphur ignem à Domino de coelo sed subvertit civitates has omnem circa regionem universos habitatores urbium cuncta terrae viventia Gen. 19. Quibus in testimonium nequitiae samigabunda constat deserta terra Sap. 19. when this detestable Sin beginning again to enkindle its first Flames oblig'd the Divine Justice to send another frightful Punishment upon those infamous Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah whose Impudence being arriv'd at the greatest height and crying to Heaven for Vengeance God showres down Fire and Brimstone visibly from Heaven which reduc'd into Ashes not only the Men and Cities but also all the neighboring Land which is yet to this day an infectious unwholsom Marsh to which Man dares not approach that it might serve as an Example to Posterity and teach the Immodest that the dishonest Fire with which they permit themselves to be inflam'd shall be punish'd with another Fire which shall burn always and never be consum'd To these Examples which are taken out of the Sacred Scripture and by consequence most certain I might add many others with which Histories abundantly furnish us I shall content my self with two which I have chosen out amongst others The First is recounted by St. Gregory in his Dialogues He saith S. Greg. lib. 4. Dial. cap. 35. there was one in his time nam'd Chrysorius a Man of Quality and very rich but as much abounding with Vices as he was wealthy in Riches but above all extreamly addicted to immodest Pleasures God resolving to put a period to those Sins he daily heap'd up one after another sends him a severe Sickness of which he died but with a Death very extraordinary Approaching to the greatest extremity of his Distemper he suddenly perceiv'd a multitude of malignant Spirits who presented themselves unto him in hideous Forms and made a shew as if they would immediately carry him into Hell. He began to tremble look agast and lamentably cry out for succour he turns himself on every side to avoid the sight of those horrid Shapes but which way soever he mov'd they were continually before his Eyes After many struglings feeling himself press'd and violent hands laid on him by those wicked Spirits he began horribly to cry out Truce till Morning Truce till Morning and shrieking thus his Soul was torn from his Body and he miserably departed without obtaining the Truce he requir'd O Incontinence the Mother of Impenitence If this Example be terrible that which follows is yet more frightful and ought to move you more powerfully It is related by John Gerson Chancellor of Paris who took it out of Thomas Cantipratensis Suffragan Bishop of Cambray who says he was an Eye-witness of it He says That being a young Scholar he had a Companion of his Studies with whom he had contracted a very strict Friendship a Person of Quality and endow'd with all the Vertues one could wish in a young Man. Happy if he had conserv'd that Treasure of Innocence But it chanc'd by a Misfortune too frequent to young Persons that he fell into wicked Company which kindled in his Heart the Fire of unchast Love This in a short time consum'd all his good Inclinations and cast him into the incredible Disorder of a Life full of Sins and Corruptions His Irregularities were visible to all the World and continues in this deprav'd Custom notwithstanding the Admonitions of his Friends And this Author says that he himself frequently exhorted him to return to the Way from which he had departed As he contemn'd all Advertisements God was resolv'd in his Person to shew an Example to young People who permit themselves to be blindly carry'd to this miserable Sin by a dreadful Accident which I shall recount to you Being once asleep at Midnight he was seis'd with a terrible Fright wherein being awak'd he began to cry out with a dreadful clamour All the House rises and every one comes to his assistance They ask him where his Sickness held him but could get no other Answer from him than hideous Outcries They cause the Priest to be sent for who exhorted him to think upon God and beg pardon of him for his Sins but in vain The Priest continuing to exhort him with many moving Expressions and Tears he turns towards him and looking upon him with ghastly Eyes spake thus to him in a lamentable Voice Wo be to him that seduced me Wo be to him that seduced me It is in vain to invoke the Grace of God I see Hell open ready to receive me After these Words which redoubled the Lamentations of all those who were present every one entreating him to recommend himself to God he turns to the other side and continuing his Clamors miserably and in Despair he died Ought not this Example Theotime to make all those tremble who are addicted to the Sin of Incontinency and principally young Persons to whom it doth particularly appertain to teach them how they ought to fly this abominable Sin and with what care they ought to preserve themselves from the Company of those misfortunate Spirits who corrupt the Vertue of others ARTICLE IV. Remedies against Impurity And first that this Sin must be resisted at the beginning After I have discover'd the Malice of this Sin I must shew the Remedies and afford you Means by which you may preserve your self from the Enemy of your Salvation The First which I shall prescribe First
more capable of Labor which it could not be able to undergo if it were always employ'd So that Labor is the End and Motive of Sport and Recreation From thence three Conditions follow Three Conditions to be observ'd which must be observ'd in Play that it may be good and vertuous The First Moderation To keep therein a civil Moderation for if it be taken in excess it is no more a Recreation but rather an Employment it is not to Play to be made more fit for Labor which is the sole End Pastime ought to have but only for Pleasure which is a vicious End yea it is to make one unsit for Labor because excess of Play dissipates the Spirits enfeebles the Forces of the Body and oftentimes considerably prejudices the Health by the Distempers it causes The Second Condition is An orderly Affection Not to have a disorderly Affection to Play as it happens frequently to young Persons This Affection makes them fall into the Excess we spoke of lose much Time think continually of the Means to divert themselves It is the cause that they almost never apply themselves seriously to Labor and when their Body is at Study their Mind is at their Sport and Divertisement The Third Condition is Avoiding the Cames of Hazard To fly as much as possible the Plays of Hazard such Plays keep the Mind too much ty'd to them principally young Peoples They serve not to recreate the Spirits but to give them more disturbance It is hard to observe therein a Moderation one is so engag'd either by Loss or Gain They Play there only out of Covetousness The bad Effects of Play. and to gain which is a wicked End Add the ordinary Losses one suffers which leave after them Displeasure Vexation and Despair Joyn to these the Cheats unjust Gains Choler Swearing Quarrels of which these sorts of Plays are ordinarily full The excessive loss of Time the dissipation of Mind and Goods the wicked Habits of Anger of Impatience of Swearing of Lying of Covetousness and many others which Play produces The disorderly Inclination to Play which continues all their Life and frequently ruins their Possessions and Honor and reduces them to extream Miseries as we daily see but by too many Examples and in fine makes a Man incapable of any Good. Avoid these Sports Theotime Practice as absolutely contrary to your Salvation and Happiness and addict not your self but to honest Pastimes which serve for the Divertisement of the Mind or Exercise of the Body observing therein the Conditions we have spoken of and chiefly keeping your self from Excesses which * Relaxabantur etiam mihi ad ludendum habenae ultra temperamentum severitatis in dissolutionem affectionum variarum S. Aug. lib. 2. Confes S. Augustin in his Confessions acknowledg'd to be one of the Causes of the depravation of his Youth Now this Excess is understood not only of the Time employ'd therein which ought to be well regulated but also of the Mony you Play which ought always to be very little otherwise you will Play for Gain and not for Recreation and the Sport will be a Hell and Disquiet rather than a Divertisement Besides the Mony you lose at Play would be better employ'd amongst the Poor whose Necessities will cry one day to God for your Excesses and against those of all Gamesters CHAP. XXI Of Liberality against Covetousness ALtho' it may seem that Covetousness is not an ordinary Vice amongst young Persons Youth must be arm'd against Covetousness yet it is very necessary to arm them against this Passion which easily taking root in young Souls is insensibly augmented and causes vast Disorders in their Life There are two sorts of Covetousness Two sorts of Covetousness The one which makes us love Mony to heap it up to get Treasures and Purchases The other which makes us affect it to dispose and employ it for our proper Pleasures The First is very rare amongst young People but the Second is very ordinary with them and highly prejudicial Experience makes appear that it is ordinary with them How ordinary among young Persons for as they earnestly love their Pleasures they seek after all Means to satisfie them which cannot be effected without Mony From hence it comes that they apply all their Endeavors to get it From hence the Cheats and Tricks they make use of towards their Parents to get it from them From hence their Cozening in Play their Hard-heartedness to the Poor and sometimes Robberies and unjust Ways to procure it From hence the love of Riches which we see in young Spirits the desires of great Fortunes the imaginary Designs they lay to purchase them This Passion having thus taken its beginning in Youth easily increases How prejudicial and strengthening it self by Age becomes so strangely rooted that it can never be pull'd up all the remainder of their Life And it causes that so general a Disorder which is found amongst Christians and which the Prophet deplores when he says that a A minore usque ad majorem omnes avaritiae student Jer. 16.13 From the least to the greatest all are given to Covetousness that is to the irregular love of the things of the World which b Radix omnium malorum est cupiditas 1 Tim. 6. S. Paul says is The root of all Evils This Vice takes its origin from three Causes in Youth The First is Three Causes of Avarice in young Men. what we have now spoken of The Second is the common Example of the World which they see loves and esteems Mony above all things and runs after it with insatiable greediness The Third is the Fault of Parents who inspire this Love into their Children from their tender Years Discoursing of nothing but the Care to get their Livelihood if they be Mean or Poor or of advancing and aspiring to a higher Fortune if they be Rich teaching thus their Children that which S. Cyprian reproaches them for that is Filios tuos doces patrimonium magis amare quam Christum S. Cypr. lib. de oper Eleem. To love more their Riches than Jesus Christ and to labor in such a manner for the Goods of this mortal Life that they think little or nothing on the Eternal This Evil dear Theotime must be prevented in good time It must be prevented betimes and hindred from taking possession of your Heart it being certain that there is no Vice which increases more with Age than this and which becomes more incapable of remedy For this Effect take notice of what I counsel you 1. First Means Being as we have said that the greatest Cause of this Covetousness in young People springs from the love of Pleasures use all your Endeavors to moderate that Passion which may be said to be one of the greatest Mischiefs of Youth the Cause of all the Misfortunes it commits and the chiefest Obstacle of all the Good