him glad and ioyful in the Temple when he was but three yeares old And God did not suffer himself to be ouercome by her in liberalitie but for one sonne gaue her manie as it were the interest-money of that one which she had lent him 10. Paula that famous Roman Matron was in the light of the Ghospel not inferiour vnto her S Hierome doth highâ—y extol her because the desire which she had to see her country was only to the end the might see her sonne her daughter in law her grandchild that had renounced the world to serue Christ which in part the obtayned Such also was as we read the mother of S. Bonauenture for she vowed him to â—hâ— Order of S. Franâ—â—s when he was yet but an infant and he fulfilling that vow oâ— hers became so great a man as we know he was The lâ—ke hapned to S. Andrew Bishop of Fieâ—ols a very holie man for his parents hauing no câ—â—ldren had made a vow that if God would send them a sonne they would offer him to the Order of the Carmâ—lit-Friars and they had this Andrew but when he came to yeares misled by the libertie and licentiousnes of this world he hâ—d quite other thoughts in his head but that his mother beyond her sex and the affections of a mother wonne him by her counsel and earnest exhortations to dedicate himself to God in the flowre oâ— his youth 11. I muâ—t confesse there be but â—ew examples of this nature men are so weake in this point â—et those that are are sufficient to moue anie man liuing and particularly that which we read of S. Bernards mother which also in reason ought to weigh the more with vs because the was dead and in heauen and could not be deceaued in her iudgement It is recorded therefore that when he began to think of leauing the world and laboured withal to draw as manie of his breâ—hren and kinsfolk as he could to the same resolution a yonger brother of his called Andrew of a fierie spirit as yong soâ—ldiâ—rs vse to be shewed himself wonderful backward 〈…〉 altered vpon a heauenlie Vision he cryed out I see my mother For 〈…〉 mother with a pleasing and cheerful countenance giuing her children the ioâ— vpon so wholesome a delâ—beration and he was not alone that saw her 〈◊〉 S. Bernard also And if she had been aliue at that time she would haue done no 〈◊〉 for they write of her that she was so deuout a woman that she did alwayes presently offer her children to God in the Church so soone as they were borne and brought them vp euer after as if she had not bred them for the world but for Religion And yet parents may learne by her of what opinion they shal be in this matter after death when they shal see playnly before their eâ—es the eternitie of the life to come and how quickly al things passe away in this world How wil they then lament and bewayle themselues if they haue been the cause that a sonne of daughter of theirs hath fallen from so great a good into so great in seriâ—◠〈◊〉 them therefore do that now while they are heeâ— which they would certainly do if they were suffered as fine was to returne from that life to giue aduise to their children since they must as certainly beleeue the things of the other life as 〈◊〉 they had seen them with their eyes 12. Finally if they desire that we apply some kind of cure to themselues to strengthen them on this opposition of the flesh against the spirit they may consider these â—ew things following First that when they offer one or two or more of their children to God in truth they giue him nothing of their owne but make restitution vnto him of that which was his before For as we aduised children before to the end to ouercome the natural loue to their parents to think with themselues how final a thing it is which they receaue from them so to the end that parents also be not ouercome with too much affection towards their children and that they may with more ease and more cheerfully offer them to God it behooueth them to remember that they are not theirs but God's in a maÌ„ner almost as an image of stone or wood is not the grauing-iron's nor a picture the penâ—â—â—s but both the artificer's So that when God redemandeth them he vseth his owne right and challengeth but his owne and whosoeuer wil retayne them retayneth an other's goods which is a kind of theft or rather Sacriledge because that which he takes is from God For that which S. Gregorie sayth he takes â—s true While vnaduisedly we hold them back that are making hast to the seruice of Almightie God we are found to denie him something who grants vs al things 13. This is that which the mother of the Macchabees whom we spake of not long since had before her eâ—es and made open profession of when she encouraged herself and her children in these words I did not giue you spirit and soule and life nor did I knit togeâ—ther the limmes of euerie one of you but the Creatour of the world who framed man's natiuitie and found the beginning of al and wil restore vnto you againe spirit with mercie and life as now you neglect your sâ—lues for his lawes And the same account al parents must make in the like occasion For so they wil find that they wil leese nothing by leâ—sing their children for the seruice of God For thus they must reason with themselues What should I do if this child of mine should be taken from me by sicknes or in the warres or by some other accident of manie which the life of man is dayly subiect vnto Should I then also storme against God by whose appointment al things hapâ—pen How much better is it for him and me that he liue in the house of God in seruice of so great a Prince 14. If it be the absence of their children that troubles them so much that they enioy not â—he companie of them whom they loue so deerly first this is too effeminate and too womanish a kind of loue not to be able to endure their absence when it is so beneficial vnto them Secondly how manie be â—â— ere that vpon diuers occasions neuer see their children in manie yeares either because they are marcâ—ant-venturers or serue some where in the waâ—â—es or beare office in the Common-weaâ—â—h and their parents are content they should be from thâ—m preferring the benefit and commoditie of their children before their priuate comfort 14. Finally the admonitions which S. Iohn Chrysostom giues vpon this subiect are worthier to be consiâ—ered that seing people do and suffer so manie diuers things to 〈◊〉 great estates â—or their children and to leaue them rich they cannot leaue them better prouided nor more wealthie then if they bring them vp to Religion and true
〈◊〉 he may to death to wit by withdrawing his mind from household-affayres and from al manner of worldlie busines and from the world it self finally from al pleasure and care of the bodie and so turne himself into himself and dwel at home within himself For this is a kind of death at which al true Philosophers did alwayes ayme spending al their labours and thoughts in striuing to perswade themselues that they were dead and dayly endeauouring to dye more perfectly Al this is Plato his discourse 4. Which kind of death and the necessitie thereof was not hidden from our Philosophers but much more exactly vnderstood by them as appeareth by that which S. Gregorie hath left written in his Morals We liue yet to this world while our mind is stil wandring abroad in it but when being outwardly mortifyed we conceale ourselues in the sepulcher of Contemplation we are hidden in our graue as dead men which though heerafter it shal be done more perfectly yet in great measure it is now performed by them that with inward delight are drawne from the turmoils of temporal desires and while their soules are wholy intent to the loue of God they are not with any vnprofitable perturbation torne in pieces and distracted In which place he hath much more to the same effect and this one thing besides worth obseruation that in regard that Wisdome is not found in the out-side of things but lyeth hidden in things inuisible it cannot be apprehended vnlesse we forsake these visible things and hide ourselues also in those that are not to be seene 5. Wherefore finding it so solidly proued and so often repeated by the holie Fathers that it is most profitable and most perfect to withdraw ourselues from al things created and the more we withdraw ourselues the more safe and perfect we shal be we may easily conclude that nothing can be more profitable then a Religious state by which we compasse this thing most perfectly and most compleatly For certainly there can be no greater renunciation of al things then that which is practised in Religion where not only Pouertie is professed but a man is so wholy bereft of the dominion and possession of euerie thing that he cannot say that this peece of land or this house or as Cassian expresseth it not so much as this garment or this pen-knife or quil is his owne And it taketh away moreouer al other things by which men are wont to bolster-vp their life or solace their mind as the vse of friends the fauour of Princes the alliance of wife and children finally al earthlie things and whatsoeuer is of anie esteeme or price in the world Wherfore S. Bernard doth extol the greatnes of this benefit as it deserueth so highly as he is not afraid to intitle al Religious people to compleate Happines for this reason only because they haue found-out a more compendious way to Heauen by abandoning absolutly al things of this world It is true sayth he the ascent to Hierusalem is steep and difficult in regard it is cut strayte out from the verie top of the mountaine but the compendiousnes of the way doth temper or rather wholy take away the greatnes of the â—aynes and with happy facilitie and easie felicitie you do not only go but runne because you are both vnloaded and gyrt and carrie no kind of weight vpon your back It is not so with some others it is not so with those that loaded with carts and cart-loads haue taken their course by the winding of the hil and vsually tumble downe headlong by the sides of the mountaine so that they scarce find how to bring their life to an end Thrice happie therefore are you that haue forsaken yourselues and al that belonged vnto you without al exception Which onlie sentence of S. Bernard wel considered is sufficient to perswade vs to preferre a Religious state before al Princelie treasures and command For what stupiditie can be greater then seing we must not only al of vs runne as the Apostle teacheth but as S. Bernard sayth we must runne vp-wards against the hil which of itself is wonderful difficult voluntarily to charge ourselues with diuers weights and moreouer with continual care and sollicitude to encrease and multiplie those weights which if we did right we should rather wholy cast-of from vs Of the benefit of Religious Pouertie CHAP. IX HItherto we haue spoken of the commodities of a Religious State in general now we are to treate of the particular vtilities which are found in it first of the benefit which ariseth from the three Vowes proper essential to Religion And we wil beginne with Pouertie because it is the first step to Perfection consisting in abandoning the things which are without vs the commodities whereof are in few words excellently wel set-forth by Climacus Pouertie is a riddance of worldlie cares a passage to God without stop or hindrance an expelling of grief a foundation of peace and cleannes of life it freeth vs from the sorrowes of this transitorie world and enableth vs to performe the Commandments of God with perfection S. Bonauenture writ a whole Treatise of this subiect only in a manner intitled an Apologie for the Poore in which he handleth manie things deuoutly as a Saint and learnedly as a Diuine and among the rest he layeth a certain ground which doth greatly declare not only the profit of Pouertie but a kind of necessitie of professing it And thus he discourseth Couetousnes as the Apostle sayth is the roote of al euil for from it and from Pride which alwayes goeth hand in hand with it al sinnes haue their beginning their nourishment and encrease Whervpon S. Augustin calles it the foundation of the citie of Babylon This couetousnes is seated in the affection of our mind as the proper seate therof but feedeth itself vpon the things which outwardly we possesse and consequently the vtter abolishing of this vice must needs comprehend both the internal and the external that not only the inward thirst be quenched but the outward possession also of things of this world be forsaken the one is performed in wil and spirit the other in fact and outward work whervpon he concludeth that as Couetousnes is the foundation of Babylon as we sayd before so contrariwise Pouertie is to be esteemed in verie deed the ground-work of al Euangelical perfection we being thereby conformed to our Sauiour Christ our Lord and Law-giuer who when he drew the platforme of the new Ierusalem descending from heauen began with this vertue as the foundation of al the rest saying Blessed are the poore in spirit This is the discourse of S. Bonauenture And that which he sayth is very true for if we consider wel we shal find seauen wonderful great commodities of Religious Pouertie 2. The first is that it taketh away the weapons and furniture from al kind of sinnes and vices the importance wherof
life it would go directly to heauen Which certainly is a very great benefit greatly to be esteemed for if we were to redeeme but one sinne by our owne labour and endeauour how manie teares how manie fastings how manie disciplines what peÌ„nance would it cost vs What then wil be necessarie for such a masse of imperfectioÌ„s as an idle carelesse life is woÌ„t to gather 3. It is very true that there be diuers other meanes to get remission of punishment due to sinne and chiefly by Indulgences granted by His Holines to whome God hath giuen power to that effect but there is a great deale of difference betwixt these two wayes For though the power which the Pope hath in this kind be great yet it is limited For first there must be some iust cause to â—â—ant an Indulgence and a cause which may carrie some proportion to the Indulgence which is granted Secondly there must be some work performed whereby to satisfye for our sinnes in some measure also proportionable to the sinnes which are remitted If either of these be wanting the Indulgence is not auavlable or at leastwise it reacheth no further then the weight of the cause or of the work wil carrie it and the valuaâ—ion of these things depending of the iudgement of men and the matter being obscure and hard to iudge of the Indulgence may quickly come to litle or nothing specially seing manie faults may be also committed in performing negligently the works which are enioyned It is not so in the pardon which a Religious life doth bring vs for it doth not depend of anie grant of man but proceedeth from the nature of the fact itself so that there can be no doubt but that it is alwayes auaylable to al after one and the self-same manner and that God as the Prophet Micheas speaketh hath mercie vpon vs and putteth away al our iniquities and casteth al our sinnes into the deapth of the sea Wherefore al Diuines who are wont to examin these things very narrowly with common consent do number this among the greatest priuiledges of Religion And among them S. Antonine a man renâ—wned for learning and sanctitie proueth it very solidly and bringeth also Paludanus for his opinion And manie others haue deliuered the same and chiefly S. Thomas giuing this reason For if Almes-giuing do redeeme sinnes as we find deliuered by the Prophet Daniel how much more shal the Entrance into Religion worke the same effect which kind of voluntarie pennance is not only of equal force with almes-giuing but doth saâ—e excel it And there is good reason to think so because he that giues an almeâ— to a poore bodie giues his external substaâ—â—â— and part only of that wherof he hath plentie but a Religious man giueth al and himself withal so that no almes or guilt can be equal with it Of wâ—ich also S. Thomas in an other place giueth this reason Because when we enâ—er into Religion our sinnes are forgiuen vs but yet so as we on our part lay downe a real and very great satisfaction for them For when we deliuer-vp our wil whâ—ly to God bequeath ourselues to his seruice we giue him that which is more deare vnto 〈…〉 al things else in the world and consequenâ—ly do fully satiâ—fye for al our sinnes past because we giue him the greatest guift that man can â—iue Thus sayth S. Tâ—â—mas Waldâ—â—â—â— a learned Authour is of the same opiniâ—n and confirmeth iâ— by the testimonie of a holie man who in a Vision saw the like Grace descend vpon a Monk when he tooke the habit of Religion which he had seen â—iuen in Baptisme And S. Anselme in the latter end of his Booke of Similitudes sheweth it by example of one Oâ—borâ—â— a Monk who not lonâ— after he was deceased appeared in the night to S. Anselme himselfâ— told him that he haâ— beâ—n â—hree times most cruelly assaulted by the Diuel in his last agonie defended by one that stood by him and pleaded hard for him For first the Diuel 〈…〉 vnto him the sinnes which he had committed before Baptisme for he was baptized when he was in yeares but when it was answered that al those sinnes had been washed away by Baptisme the Diuel was mute A none 〈…〉 the sinnes which the man had committed in the world before he entred into Religion to which answer was made that these also were forgiuen by the profession of a Religious life Finally he layd against him al his faults and negligences committed duâ—ing the time he liued in Religion but when it was replyed that he had satisfyed for them by often CoÌ„fession and other vertuous exercises the Diuel hauing no more to say went away vanquisht and confounded 4. S. Athanasias recounteth the like example of S. Antonie the Great tha◠〈…〉 Ninth Houre he was once in spirit carried vp towards heauen 〈…〉 and when the Diuels flocking about him laboured with al might to hinder him the Angels asked them what interest they had in him and they began to rip vp the sinnes of his youth but the blessed Angels presently stopped their mouths and told them that they were not to looke back vpon those things which he had coÌ„mitted in the world before he was a Monk but if from that time forward they had any thing they should lay it open but finding nothing to say they were fayne to yeald against their wils and leaue him free passage to Heauen 5. In the chronicle of S. Francis his Order we reade also that a certain Religious Priest of that Order Christopher by name was wonderfully troubled in mind about the sinnes which he had committed in the world and desired one of his Brethren that did often see and speake with his Good Angel that he would aske him concerning it The Good Angel made answer that forasmuch as concerned those sinnes he should not be dismayd nor take any thought but from thence forward labour diligently to perseuer to the end that he might be saued 6. And that which Leontius Bishop of Cyprus an ancient Authour doth relate in the Life of Simeon the Abbot is a pleasant narration and worthie to be recorded as suting to our present purpose This Simeon then a yong man and of noble extraction to eather with one Iohn of equal nobilitie and in the flower also of his youth coming to a Monasterie and being both of them to be cloathed the next day in their Monastical weed some of the Brethren of the house began to speake thus vntâ— them for I wil put downe the Authour 's owne words because they are plaine and ful of ancient simplicitie You are happie because to morrow you shal be regenerate and cleansed from al sinne as when you were first borne no otherwise then as if you were Baptized the same day Which when they heard they were both of theÌ„ astonished ranne to the godlie Abbot of the Monasterie called Nico
the institution so much commended by S. Hierome in the Monks of his time in these words No man can say I want a coate or a frock or a mattresse He that gouernes them doth so distribute al things that no man shal neede to aske Euery one hath what is fitting for him If any one of them begin to be il he is remoued into a larger roome and cherished by the seruice of so many elder Monks that he shal not haue euasion to long for the delicacies that be in Citties nor want the careful affection of a mother OF THE EXCELLENCY of Religious Chastity CHAP. IIII. POVERTY of which I haue discoursed at large in the precedent Chapter is exceedingly graced by the profession of Religious Chastity And Chastity is so much the more to be admired by how much our body is dearer vnto vs then our worldly wealth and in itself more noble Holy Scripture commendeth Chastity with a kinde of admiration O how beautifull is a chast generation with clarity It calleth thē that leade a chast life beautifull and glorious because there is a kind of grateful comelines belonging particularly to that state eleuated aboue the strayne of Nature and in a manner Diuine 2. To the end we may discouer it the better it wil not be amisse to consider how our Nature was ordered from the beginning wherof S. Basil hath a learned discourse in his booke of true Virginity and layeth this for his first ground that God when he purposed to furnish the earth with liuing creatures would not himself create them al immediately of nothing but making first a few of euery kind ordered that the rest should descend of them and be taken of them as out of a kind of nursery or seed-plot And least in so necessary a work his creatures should be slack whereas he had distinguished them into two sexes he gaue either sexe a strong inclination to come togeather to the end to breed of one another which inclination is ful as strong in men as in beasts and for as much as concerneth generation there is litle difference betwixt them but that to man there is a further ground to enforce it For the woman being taken out of the side of the man God ordayned she should be subiect and obedient to man as part to the whole and on the other side that he should beare particular affection vnto her and desire her companie and as it were clayme her as partie of himself with desire to be againe ioyned with her and make two in one and one in two and so be two in one flesh And to the end the loue betwixt them should be the greater he made woman of a soft and tender mould and disposition apt to allure man's affection by sight speech touching euery motion both to prouoke man the more to the desire of generation and prouide for the woman's infirmity for she not being able to defend herself without the help of man God tempered both their natures so that the woman's frayltie might be supported by the strength of the man and man though by nature stronger should be deliuered as it were captiue into the woman's hands by a secret violence as a loadstone drawes iron to it This is Saint Basil his discourse of the nature of man as it was first created by God and ordered by his al-prouident Counsel 3. To which if we adde the wound of Original sinne and the general informitie and corruption of our whole nature by it what shal we be able to say or think For that which Saint Bernard writeth is very true that though al parts of our body haue tasted of the Additiō of Leuiathan as he tearmeth it that is of the poison of Concupiscence and the sting of intemperate lust this part hath most of al been taynted with it and rageth more violently and is more perniciously malignant by reason of it in so much that it often bandeth in rebellion against al deliberation and whatsoeuer purpose of our wil which the Saint thinks was the cause why Circumcision which was the remedie of original sinne among the Iewes was rather ordayned in that part of the body then in any other Wherefore seing the malignancie of this disease and our weaknes also is so great the assaults of the diuel on that side as vpon the weakest part of our walls so hot and fierie so many difficulties and skirmishes arising otherwise what extraordinarie vertue what solide constancie of minde must it needs be which in al these things is both able to abide the brunt and goe away with victorie This strength this abilitie doth not certainly proceed from any ground of nature nor by our sole endeauour are we able to attayne vnto it but it descendeth from aboue as the Wise-man professeth when he sayth I know that otherwise I could not be chaste vnlesse God did giue it And S. Basil in the booke aboue-mentioned doth acknowledge it saying It is natural to marrye but to be chaste is a thing more excellent aboue nature aboue the law no wher commanded by God neither in the old Testamēt nor in the new because God would not subiect the merit of so great a vertue to the necessity of a command but leaue it to be a special token of a noble spirit willingly of our owne accord not compelled by precept or iniunction to embrace that which soareth so high aboue nature 4. Climacus calleth this vertue of Chastity an odoriferous vertue and sayth excellently wel that it is supernatural and a glorious kind of abnegation of nature whereby this our mortal corruptible body draweth neere the nature of the heauenlie Spirits which haue no bodies That he that liueth chaste cānot attribute it to any desert or endeauour of his owne because to ouercom nature is no easy busines but whensoeuer we haue the vpper hand of it we must acknowledge that it cometh frō a higher power because nothing is ouercom but by that which is stronger greater then it Which if we ponder duly we shal easily discouer the dignity excellency of this vertue of Continencie and how it transformeth our minde and body into a neere resemblance of the state of life which the Blessed shal possesse in heauen after the general resurrection when we shal againe be inuested with that which was truly out body truly our flesh but then incorruptible and spiritual free from the base and ignoble qualities which heer hang vpon vs which the Apostle calleth natural the function therof being the same with beasts and particularly this power of generation which alteration in this kind our Blessed Sauiour expressed in two words They shal neither marrie nor be married 5. Wherefore they that performe this now vpon earth endeauour heer to mayntaine their flesh holy and impolluted liue after a heauenly manner as Saint Cyprian writing to certaine Religious women telleth vs in these
contemning both we may neither feare the one nor care for the other Great S. Antonie shal be our president in this kinde of whome we find it recorded that whereas Constantine the Great that famous Emperour and his two sonnes Constance and Constantius were wont often to write vnto him in most submissiue courteous manner as to their Father he was so farre from glorying in it that he was wont to say That no man must think it any great matter if the Kings of the world doe at anie time write to the seruants of God for though they haue in outward appearance a greater power their nature is the same they liue and die as others doe The thing which is great indeed and highly to be esteemed is that God hath sent letters vnto vs that is his Law the fummarie of his wil hath spoken vnto vs by his onlie Sonne Which notwithstanding his Brethren entreating him to make them some answer that he might not seeme to slight the courtesie of so great Princes he writ back vnto them exhorting them to Iustice and Clementie and alwayes to remember they were Men and should one day themselues appeare in iudgement before the Tribunal of CHRIST who is true Lord of al. This mind so noble and so high seated aboue al earthlie things contemning them al as dust S. Antonie and the rest did not bring with them to Religion but sucked it out of Religion and we also being bred in the same schoole may easily gaine the like and the noblenes of our calling doth require it and doubtles instil it into vs. How noble a thing it is in a Religious man to forsake his natural kindred CHAP. VII IT is a great matter to set al earthlie things at naught and they that doe so are not to be ranked any more with the vulgar sort but to be honoured as people of high degree of promotion and excellencie Yet it is a farre greater worke to fortake our kindred and nearest allyes in bloud For the loue which we beare them is of a higher strayne farre more intense more natural and more deeply rooted in vs. For what likenes or what connexion hath a man with gold and siluer with lands and possessions But with men he hath a natural affinitie and specially with such as come of the same stock which is the reason that the loue of parents towards their children of children towards their parents and of brethren among themselues is so hard to be dissembled And that this proceedeth not so much out of iudgement and deliberation grounded in reason as of a natural inclination and force we see by that which hapneth in beasts who to preserue their yong-ones stick not to venture life and limme And consequently the stronger this bond and tye is the greater force is required to breake it and a hart more resolute either to abide or to act this disiunction So that among the rest of the commendations of a Religious state this is none of the least that as it rayseth a man aboue al other things it ouercommeth also this natural affection parting a man from those with whome he was bred and borne and bringing him for the loue of our Sauiour to enter league with others whome he neuer saw and to take more pleasure in liuing with them then with his owne natural kindred which is an euident argument that this manner of calling is farre aboue the reach of Nature For if we see a father of manie children oftimes lament and grieue so bitterly for the losse of some one among them though the rest of his familie and stocke be sound and safe what grief should theirs if we speake of nature be who leese al at once parents brethren sisters friends domesticals and al that nature or custome and familiar acquaintance had linked them so long so deeply vnto It is not nature therfore that worketh this strange effect but it is abundant grace from Heauen and plentie of vertue and infused from aboue 2. And so we find in the Ghospel that our Sauiour doth challenge it as one of his greatest works I came not sayth he to send peace but the sword For I came to seuer man against his father and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law And it is not without great consideration that he tearmeth this grace a sword For as a sword is made of iron and vsed to cut a-sunder things which grow fast togeather so it giueth vs to vnderstand that this natural tye of affinitie is very strong and cannot be seuered but by a force as strong as iron that is by the mightie hand of God drawing to himself the harts of whome he wil and parting them from whome he wil and daylie experience doth teach vs it to be so For how should it otherwise come to passe that they who before liued most dearly linked togeather in the same house inspired afterwards by this heauenlie Spirit should so suddenly resolue not to yeald to flesh and bloud but departe for euer from them with that constant resolution as if they had neuer knowne them and did nothing belong vnto them and which is more signal they that remaine weepe for him that goeth he that goeth away is ful of ioy and gladnes What is the reason of it but because euen before he parte with them he is already cut off and seuered from them by this diuine sword and therfore parteth without anie sense of feeling but they that haue not felt the force of this sword are stil linked to him consequently feele much grief in parting Theodoret recounteth of one Marcianus a man of noble extraction and indeed of the bloud Royal that he betook himself into a Monasterie that was seated farre out of the way After manie yeares his sister who was Ladie of the Cittie where she dwelt coming with her sonne that was vnder age and manie presents to the Monasterie he would by no meanes see her only he admitted the child to the end he might send him home with some good instructions And when she entreated him that he would at least accept of the presents which she had brought if not as he was her kinsman yet as one that was poore and might haue need of them he made her this answer How manie monasteries of poore people did you meete by the way before you came to me And seing you bestowed not these presents vpon them it is cleare you present them me for hindred sake And so constantly he reiected them al. Which fact of his Theodoret doth so extol that he sayth he was a man aboue nature fashioned after a heauenlie māner Doubtlesse therfore this disposition of Religious people is one of the specialest graces which the Holie-ghost is wont to imparte vnto vs and requireth great strength of minde and is also a signe of much vertue and worth in them that haue it In so much that it is one of the chief commands which our Lord
haue accommodated itself vnto wil be so profitable both for flesh and spirit and imitate the courage of S. Hilarion who in the flower of his youth as S. Hierome writeth hauing taken vpon him a hard course of life when he found his bodie grudge at it insulted ouer it in this manner Thou asse I wil make that thou shalt not kick I wil not feed thee with corne but with straw I wil punish thee with hunger and thirst and lay heauie load vpon thee and make thee think more of thy meate then of wantones 6. But some bodie wil say with the Apostle No man euer hated his owne flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it And I grant it is so neither doe I deny but that it is natural to loue our bodie Nature teacheth vs to loue ourselues and whatsoeuer is part of ourselues Wherefore when we speake of chastising and curbing our flesh it is vnderstood that we must doe it out of loue and not out of hatred of it but consider withal what is truly loue and what truly hatred If through sicknes a man's bodie be il at ease and the Physician prescribe a diet to take away the peccant humours of it or order that it shal be let bloud or that a limme shal be cut off as sometimes it hapneth because the partie is otherwise past cure he that shal follow the aduise of the Physician shal he be said to hate his bodie ar to loue it Rather he shal be said to hate it that doth not follow aduise because he hurteth his bodie and encreaseth his disease and is oftimes cause of his owne death by it which is the vtmost that hatred can arriue vnto This therefore which we doe in euerie ordinarie disease and distemper of our bodie much more ought we to doe in greater and more dangerous diseases of the same which are the euil inclinations which it hath For the feauer of lust and whatsoeuer other exorbitant heate of desire is no lesse a feauer then when our bodie is out of order with distempered humours rather it is the more dangerous feauer of the two because it pulleth vs in hazard of eternal death Wherefore if we be content to take a bitter potion or apply some other distastful medecine to this euil affection also of our bodie we cannot be said to hate our bodie but then most of al to loue it To which purpose S. Augustâ—n writeth thus No man hates his bodie wherefore wheras some say they had rather haue no bodie they are deceaued for they hate not their bodie but the corruption and burden of it and that which they ayme at is not to haue no bodie but to haue a bodie intire and incorrupt Now that some seeme to persecute their bodie with labour and continencie they that doe it as they should doe it not that they may not haue a bodie but that they may haue it subdued and pliable to al necessarie actions For because after the Resurrection the bodie shal be in perfect quiet altogeather subiect to the Spirit and immortally flourish our care in this life ought also to be to change our carnal conuersation for the better that through disordered motions it resist not the spirit 5. We haue therefore out of S. Augustin that to chastize our flesh and bring it into subiection is not to hate it but truly and perfectly to loue it not to goe about to kil it or destroy it but to perfect it and giue it a beginning of that beautie and glorie which it expects when it shal be configured to the glorie of Christ which S. Leo also confirmes in these words A man loueth himself so much them re the more he doth not loue himself for the loue of God But no man can speake more plainly in this case then our Sauiour He that loueth his soule 〈…〉 it and he that hateth his soule in this world keepeth it to life euerlasting For by a man's soule in this place we must not vnderstand the superiour part which we cal tâ—e Spirit but that which depends vpon the flesh and bloud and is called liâ—e This our Sauiour bids vs hate and yet not properly hate it but because we must deale with it as we doe with the things which we hate that is vse it hardly and rigourously 6. In this holie and wholesome hatred therefore we must settle and fortifye our soule and reason that it be not drawne from the performance of that which a Religious vocation requireth by the allurements of the flesh and fortifye it first by the loue of God which doth naturally reioyce in suffering hardnes for the seruice of God we must fortifye it by the example of our Sauiour Christ who suffered so much for vs to the end we should follow his foot-steps we must fortifye it by calling to mind the Diuine comforts and heauenlie sweetnes which Gâ—d of his goâ—dnes is wont to mingle with the labours and difficulties of a Reâ—igiâ—us couâ—se to season the harshnes of it For he deales with vs as we vse â—o deaâ—e with little children when we desire they should take a bitter potion or some woâ—mewood-drink before and after they drinke it we put some sweet tâ—ing tâ— it to take away the bitternes of the potion so God much more because the greatnes of the Diuine coÌ„forts drownes in a manner al the bitternes of wâ—atsoeuer trouble of this life and makes that we doe not feele it The memorie also of the rewards of the life to come and the hope of the recompence which we shal haue in Heauen is a forcible encouragement to ouercome al trouble which our flesh may suggest for if we once settle our thoughts vpon it we cannot but concurre in opinion with S. Bernard who likeneth al corporal austeritie to seed for when a husbandman cast his seed into the ground there is a kind of shew of losse in it and yet we should account him a foole that for feare of that seeming losse would not sowe because the gaine which he shal reape in the crop is farre greater S. Bernard's words are these How doe carnal people say vnto vs Your life is a cruel life you spare not your owne flesh Let it be so we spare not the seed How could we spare it better Is it not better for it to be renewed and multiplyed in the field then putrifyed in the barne doe you spare your flesh in this manner Be it so that we be cruel for a while in not sparing it certainly you are more cruel For euen at this time our flesh resteth in hope 7. Finally the innumerable exaÌ„ples of them that we know haue lead most austere liues must needs be a great encouragement vnto vs and perhaps the greatest thaâ— we can think of when we represent vnto ourselues a S. Antonie S. Hilarion the twâ— Macaries S. Pachomius S. Romualdus S. Bernard S. Francis and infinit others that haue been rare
and suffered much in his temporal estate by inrodes which the enemie made into the countrey S. Hierome maketh vse of al this and telleth him that they are warnings from God who as it is written of the children of Israel instructeth him with stripes and sorrow And S. Macarius also in one of his Homilies obserueth that it doth often happen that God handles a man roughly with miseries and afflictions that being otherwâ—se too much wedded to the loue of earthlie things and seing al things fâ—â— crosse vnto him he may beginne a discourse thus within himself Since I cannot haue my wil in the world behold I quit the world and betake myself to God wholy to serue him and at last he thanks his il fortune because by that occasion he was drawne to the sweet yoak of our Lord. 18. And Cassian reckoning three kinds of vocations placeth this in the last place when by losse of goods or by death of friends or by other such accidents they that refused to follow God in prosperitie are compelled to follow him by aduersitie against their wils as the Hebrewes of whom it is written in the Psalme When â—e killed them they sought him and returned vnto him and early in the morning that is speedily without delay they came vnto him And addeth that though this kind of vocation seeme to be the meanest and of least esteeme yet men of great perfection and great feruour of spirit haue been called by it and haue been nothing inferiour to others that entring vpon the seruice of God vpon nobler principles haue brought their life to an end with great commendation Climaâ—us sayth excellently wel that it is the fashion of God sometimes to catch men by an honest kind of craft and draw them in by a wile to saue their soules His words are these Let vs not contemme some that renounce the world without anie great consideration because the spirit doth sometimes piously deceaue soules For oftimes such a renunciation hath better successe then another which came vpon more aduise as the seed which fals from the hand of the husbandman where he doth not desire it should groweth sometimes better then where it was sowed of purpose I haue seen some that haue gone into a Monasterie with no holie intention but driuen by necessitie who afterwards were taken with the great wisedome of the Abbot and the milde conuersation of the Monks and God giuing them the light of grace they arriued to an eminent state Thus saith Clâ—maâ—uâ— 19. The last rule which we haue to set downe is about the comparing of Religious Orders among themselues so to make a right iudgement of them for this also is necessarie and requires an vnderstanding that is iudicious For though in embracing a Religious course in general we cannot erre as I haue shewed yet in choosing this or the other particular Religion we may erre the Diuel may put manie mists in our way For oftimes when he sees a man desirous of perfection he puts a course in his phancie where perfection is not followed as it should be that the good desires which he had may come to nothing oftimes with preposterous feruour he egs him on to take more vpoÌ„ him then the strength of his bâ—die is able to beare and finally al his deuises tend to bring a man to doe either too much or too litle Wherefore that in the choice of a particular Institute we be not drawne into errour two things are to be discreetly weighed First wheâ—her the Institute itself be perfect and secondly whether it be perfectly and carefully obserued For though a Religious Familie haue neuer so holie Rules and orders in it if they be not kept or if few doe keepe them the holines of their Rule is to litle purpose and no man ought to be so confident of himself as to hope to beare himself vp against the multitude and to keepe the right way where the rest goe wrong And consequently a man must not so much consider which Order is most renowned for antiquitie or for memorable acts in times past or for the members of holie men that haue been in it but which now at this present is more holie more obseruant of Religious discipline and more ful of that first spirit wherewith the Order was begun and founded 20. And if we be desirous of some signes to direct our iudgement in this kind we may consider these things following First if there be an exact order obserued that no bodie haue anie thing in priuate to himself neither money nor anie thing els but al things be kept and serued out in common Secondly if there be charitie no contention no hanging off from one another Thirdly if ambition be wholy excluded and al pretences and proiects for preferment and honour and rather such employments declined as carrie a shew of greatnes and authâ—ritiâ— Fourthly if obedience to Superiours be kept entire inuiolable without exemptions Fiftly if the Religious be seldome permitted to deale with their carnal friends and kindred and not but vpon some spiritual occasion And finally if they be zealous of the good of soules and for that end spare no labour or paines that is requisite These are the chiefest and most important things which are to be looked into Other things though of lesse moment are not also to be neglected as the greatnes of the Order if it abound in good subiects if it be spred farre and neere if it haue people in it of diuers nations For so it must needs abound likewise in learning and wisedome and haue greater helps to effect that which it doth vndertake and more store of good works by the communication wherof euerie particular man of the Order hath the greater benefit As a fire is the greater the more store of wood is layd vpon it and the wood itself takes the easier and burnes the faster and makes the more lightsome fire when there are manie sticks togeather then when they are layd one by one Though al this is but extrinsecal that which I sayd before of the perfection of euerie Institute belongs to the essence and substance of it And because in Perfection there be manie degrees if we wil know how to compare them one with another we must take S. Thomas in our way who answereth the question in these words The greatest perfection of a thing consisteth in attayning to the end which it hath 21. Wherefore to value the perfection of euerie particular Iustitute we must weigh two things First whether it haue a nobler end and secondly whether it haue meanes accordingly more proportionable for the attayning of that end because the more perfect the work is to which a course of life is ordained the more worthily we must esteeme of that course and likewise the more effectual and abundant meanes it hath for the effecting of those works the better is the Institute and the more to be preferred But