indiuisible Perfection distinctly and perfectly all other Perfections in an infinitly excellent and eminent manner to which our thoughts cannot raise themselues At least in some sort to speake of God we are forced to vse a great number of names saying that he is GOOD WISE OMNIPOTENT TRVE IVST HOLY INFINITE IMMORTALL INVISIBLE And certes we saie true God is all this together because he is more then all this that is to saie he is in so pure excellent and eleuated a manner that in one most simple perfection he containes the Vertue Vigour and excellencie of all perfection 3. So Manna was one onely meate which containing in it seâ—fe the tast and vertue of all other meats one might haue saied of it that it had the tast of Lemmons Melons Raysins Prunes and Peares yet might one truelyer haue saied that it had not all these gusts but one onely which was properly it's owne containing notwithstanding in it's vnitie all that was agreeable and to be desired in all the diuersitie of all other gusts As the hearbe DEDECATHEOS which as PLINIE saieth curing all deseases is neither Rubarbe Sene Rose Betonie or Bugle but a pure simple which in the onely simplicitie of it's proprietie containes as much vertue as the mixture of all the other medecins O Abysse of diuine Perfections how admirable thou art to possesse in one onely PerfectioÌ„ the Excellencie of all Perfection in so excellent a sort that none can comprehend it but thy selfe 4. We will saie much saieth the holy Scripture of this matter and yet shall alwaies come short in wordes the somme of all discourse is that he is all things If we glorie to what purpose shall it be for the Almightie is aboue all his workes Blessing our Lord exalte him as much as thou can'st for he passeth all Praise In exalting him take breath againe marrie wearie not your selfe in it for you shall neuer be able to comprehend him No THEOTIME we can neuer comprehend him syth as S. IOHN saieth he is larger then our heart Yet neuerthelesse let each Spirit praise our Lord calling him by all the most eminent Names which may be found And for the greatest Praise we can render vnto him let vs confesse that neuer can he be sufficiently praised And for the most excellent Name we can attribute vnto him let 's protest that his name passeth all Names nor can we worthily name him That in God there is but one onely Act which is his proper Diuinitie CHAPTER II. 1. THere are in vs great diuersitie of Faculties and Habits which doe produce great varietie of actions and they also an incomparable number of workes For in this manner the Faculties of hearing seeing tasting touching mouing ingendering nourishing willing and the Habits of speaking walking playing singing sowing leaping swimming are diuerse as also the actions and workes which issue from these faculties and Habits are much different 2. But it is not the like in God for in him there is One onely most simple infinite Perfection and in that Perfection one onely most sole and most pure Act yea to speake more sainctly and sagely God is one sole most soueraignly indiuisible and most indiuisibly soueraigne Perfection and this Perfection is one sole most purely simple and most simply pure Act which being no other thing then the proper diuine Essence it is consequently euer permanent and eternall Neuerthelesse miserable Creaturs that we are we talke of Gods Actions as though dayly done in great quantitie and varietie knowing yet the contrarie But our weaknesse THEOTIME forceth vs to this for our Speach can but follow our Vnderstanding and our Vnderstanding the customarie passage of things with vs. Now for as much as in naturall things there is hardly any diuersitie of workes without diuersitie of Actions when we behould so many different workes so great varietie of productions and the innumerable multitude of workes of the diuine Puissance we deeme forthwith that this diuersitie is caused by as many Acts as we see different Effects and we speake of them accordingly for our more ease and to conforme our selues to the ordinarie practise and custome we haue to vnderstand things and yet doe not we in this violate Truth For though in God there is no multitude of Actions but one sole act which is the Diuinitie it selfe this Act notwithstanding is so perfect that it comprehends by manner of Excellencie the force and vertue of all the Acts which might seeme requisite to the production of all the diuerse Effects we see 3. God spoake but one word and in vertue of that in a moment the Sunne Moone and that innumerable multitude of Starres with their differences in brightnesse motion and influence were made He spoake and scarcely yet begun Behould a perfect worke was done One of Gods wordes filled the aire with birds and sea with fishes made spring from the earth all the plants and all the beasts we see For though the sacred Historian accommodating himselfe to our fashion of vnderstanding recounts that God did often repeate that OmnipoÌ„tent worde according to the dayes of the world's Creation neuerthelesse properly speaking this worde was purely one so that Dauid termes it a Breathing or Aspiration of the diuine Mouth that is one onely Touch of his infinite will which so powrefully with his vertue doth bedewe the varietie of things created that therby we conceiue them as multiplied and diuersifiied into differences proportionable to the Effects though indeede it is most indiuisible and most simple So doth S. CHRYSOSTOME marke that which MOYSES made many wordes off describing the Creation of the world the glorious S. IOHN expressed in a worde saying that by the worde that is by this Eternall worde which is the Sonne of God all was made 4. This worde then THEOTIME being most simple and most indiuisible produceth all the distinction of things being inuariable produceth all good changes and in fine being permanent in his Eternitie giueth succession vicissitude order rancke and season to all things 5. Let vs imagine I pray you of one side a Painter drawing the picture of our Sauiours Birth and I writ this in the Feast dedicated to this holy Mysterie doubtlesse he will giue a thousand and a thousand touches with his Pencill and will not onely imploy daies but euen weekes and monthes to perfect this Table as the varietie of persons and other things which he will there represent shall require But on the other side let 's behould a Stamper of picturs who hauing spred his leafe vpon the grauen Planch of the Natiuitie giuing but one onely stroke of his Presse and in that onely touch THEOTIME he will perfect his worke and presently he will take off his picture gratfully representing in a faire and smouth cut all that ought to be imagined according to the sacred Historie and though in one motion he performed the worke yet it carrieth a great number of personages and other different things each one well distinguished in
vndertake too sharpe and violent courses and withall that anger or boldnesse being once set on foote and not being able to containe themselues within the bounds of reason beare a way the heart to disorder so that Zeale by this meanes being exercised indiscretly and inordinatly becomes hurtfull and blame worthy DAVID sent IACOB to leade his armie against his disloyall and rebellious SoÌ„ne ABSALOÌ„ with speciall charge that they should not touch him but in all occurrences they should haue a speciall care to saue his life But IACOB being set to 't and being hot in the pursuite of the victorie with his owne hand slewe the poore Absolon neuer thinking of the charge which the king gaue him euen so Zeale doth imploye choler against the euill yet with expresse order that in distroying wickednesse and sinne if it be possible it saue the sinner and the wicked but being once in hot blood as a strong headed and stirring horse runnes away with his rider out of the Listes without stop or staie while breath lasteth 2. The good man of the house which our Sauiour describs in the Ghospell knew well that hot and violent seruants are wont to out runne their Maisters intention For his seruants presenting themselues vnto him to weede vp darnell no quoth he I will not least together with weedes you pull vp corne Verily THEO Anger is a seruant who being strong couragious and a great vndertaker doth indeede at the first on-set performe a great deale of worke but with all is so hot headdie inconsiderate and impetuous that it doth neuer any good at all but ordinarily it drawes with it many discomodities Now it is not good husbandrie saie our husbandmen to keepe Peacokes about the house for though they free it of spiders yet doe they so spoile their couers and tiles that their profit is not comparable to the great waste they make Anger was giuen as a helpe to reason by Nature and is employed by Grace in the seruice of Zeale to put in execution it's designes yet is it a dangerous helpe and not greately to be desired for if it get strength it becoms Mistresse defeating Reason's authoritie and the louing lawes of Zeale and if it turne weake it doth no more then Zeale would performe all alone how soeuer it giues still a iust occasion of feare that waxing strong it might impare the heart and Zeale making them slaues to its tyrannie euen as an artificiall fire which in an instant is kindled in a building and â—hich one knowes not how to extinguish It were an act of dispare to put a stranger compaine into a Fort in garison who by that meanes might become stronger 3. Selfe Loue doth oft deceiue vs and makes vs runne-counter practising our proper passions vnder the name of Zeale Zeale hath sometimes of old made vse of Anger and Anger often times makes vse of the name of Zeale in counterchange to keepe its shamefull disorder couered vnder it And marke that I saie it makes vse of the name of Zeale for it can make no vse of Zeale it selfe since it is the propertie of all vertues but especially of Charitie whereof Zeale is a depeÌ„dance to be so good that none can abuse it 4. Vpon a day there came a notorious sinner and threw himselfe at the feete of a good and worthy priest protesting with a great deale of humiliatioÌ„ that he came to find a cure for his desease that is to receiue the holy absolution of his faults a certaine MONKE called DEMOPHILVS apprehending in his conceite that this poore penitent came too nigh the high Altar fell into so violent a fit of choler that falling vpon him he kicked and pushed him thence with his feete wronging the good priest in an outragious sort who according to his dutie had mildly admitted the poore penitent And then running vnto the Altar he tooke away the most holy things there and carried them thence least as he would make men thinke the place should haue bene profaned by the sinners approch Now hauing finished this specious maister-peece of Zeale he staied not yet there but made a great matter of it to the great S. DENIS AREOPAGITE in a letter which he wrote touching it whereof he receiued an excellent answere worthy of the Apostolicall spirit wherwith this great Disciple of S. PAVLE was animated for he made him clearely see that his Zeale had bene indiscreete imprudeÌ„t and impudent withall because though the Zeale of the honour due vnto holy things be good and laudable yet was it practised against reason without consideration or iudgement at all since he had vsed pushing with his feete outrage iniurie and reproch in a place in a circumstance and against a person that he was to honour loue and respect so that the Zeale could not be good being so disorderly practised But in this very answere the same Saint recounts another admirable example of a great Zeale proceeding froÌ„ a very good soule whom yet the excesse of Anger which Zeale did excite in her had blemished and spoyled 5. A Pagan had seduced and made a Christian of CANDIE newly conuerred to the Faith returne to Idolatrie CARPVS an eminent man for puritie and sanctitie of life and who as it is very probable was the Bishope of Candie conceiued so deepe a wroth against it that he had neuer in his time endured the like and let himselfe be so farre carried away with this passion that being risen at midnight to praie according to his custome he concluded in him selfe that it was not reasonable that wicked men should any longer liue with great indignation beseeching the Diuine Iustice to strike downe at once these two sinners the Pagan seductour and Christian seduced But note THEO how God corrected the bitternesse of the passion which carried the poore CARPVS beyond himselfe First he made him as another S. STEPHEN behold the heauens open and our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST seated vpon a great throne enuironed with a multitude of Angels who assisted him in humane shape then he saw below the earth gaping open as a horrid and vast gulfe and the two sinners to whom he had wished so much euill vpon the very edge of this Precipice quaking and well nere falling downe in a traunce for dread being vpon the point of tumbling in drawen on the one side by a multitude of Serpents which rising out of the gulfe wrapped theÌ„selues about their ledges tickling them with their tayles and prouoking their fall and the other side a coÌ„panie of men did push and iogge to rush them in so that they seemed to be eueÌ„ alreadie swallowed vp by this precipice Now consider my THEO I praie you the violencie of CARPVS his passion for as he himselfe afterwards recounted to S. Dâ—NIS he made nothing of beholding our Sauiour and the Angels ascending to Heauen so was he taken with gazing vpon the daunting destresse of those two miserable wretches being onely troubled that they were so long a perishing and therevpon
feeblenesse and tendernesse of the one doth exalt and make more apparant the prudence and assurance of the other and euen this dissimilitude is agreeable on the other side children loue olde men because they see them buisie and carefull about them and that by a secret instinct they perceiue they haue neede of their directions Musicall concord stands in a kind of discord in which vnlike voices doe correspond making vp altogether one sole Close of proportion as the dissimilitude of precious stones and flowres doe make the gratefull compositiō of Imbosture and Diaprie so Loue is not caused alwayes by Resemblance and Sympathie but by Correspondance and Proportion which consisteth in this that by the vnion of one thing to another they may mutually receiue one anothers perfection and so be bettered The head doth not resemble the bodie nor the hand the arme yet they haue such a Correspōdance and are seated so neerely together that by their mutuall neighbourhood they doe meruelously enterchāge perfection so that if these parts had each one a distinct soule they would haue a perfect mutua◠Loue not by Similitude but by Correspondance which they haue in their mutuall perfection For this cause the melancolie and ioyefull soure and sweete haue often a correspondance of mutuall affection by reason of the mutuall impressions which they receiue one of an other by which their humours are reciprocally moderated But when this mutuall Correspondance meetes with similitude Loue without doubt is engendred more efficaciously for Similitude being the true picture of Vnitie when two like things are vnited by a proportion to the same end it seemes rather to be an Vnitie then an Vnion 11. The Sympathie then betwixt the Louer and the Beloued is the first source of Loue and this Sympathie or Conueniencie consisteth in a Correspondance which is no other thing then a mutuall aptitude making things proper to be vnited and mutually to communicate their perfections but this will be cleared in the processe of this booke That loue tends to vnion CHAPTER IX 1. THe great Salamon in a delitiously admirable ayre doth sing our Sauiours loues and those of the deuote soule in that diuin worke which for it's excellent sweetnesse is instyled the Canticle of Canticles And to rayse our selues in a more easie flight to the consideration of this spirituall loue which is exercised betwixt God and vs by the correspondance which the motions of our hearts haue with the inspirations of his diuine Maiestie he makes vse of a perpetuall representation of the loues of a chaste Shepheard and shamefast Shepheardesse Now making the Spouse or Bride first begin the parlie by manner of a certaine surprise of loue he makes her at the first onset lance out her heart in these words let him deigne me a kisse of his mouth Doe you marke THEOTIME how the soule personated by this Shepheardesse doth pretēd no other thing by the first expression of her desire thē a chast vnion with her spouse protesting that it is the highest ayme of her ambition and onely thing she breathes after For I pray you what other thing would this first sigh intimate Let him deigne me with a Kisse of his mouth 2. A Kisse from all ages as by naturall instinct hath bene imployed as a representation of perfect loue that is the vnion of hearts and not without cause we send out and muster the passions and motions which our soule hath common with brute beasts by our eyes eye-browes forehead and countenance in generall by his face a man is knowē saieth the Scripture and Aristotle giuing a reason why ordinarily great mens faces onely are pourtrated t' is saieth he that the countenances teach what they are 3. Yet doe we not vtter our discourse nor the thoughts which proceede from the spirituall portion of our soule called reason by which we are distinguished from Beasts but by words and in consequence by helpe of the mouth in so much that to poure out ones soule and scatter ones heart is nothing else but to speake Poure out your hearts before God saieth the PSALMIST that is expresse and turne the affections of your hearts into words And SAMVEL'S pious Mother pronouncing her praiers allthough so softly that one could hardly discerne the motion of her lips I haue poured out saieth she my heart before God in this wise one mouth is applyed to another in kissing to testifie that they desire to poure our one soule into the other reciprocally to vnite them in a perfect vnion and for this Reason in all times and amongst the most saintly men the world had the kisse hath bene a signe of loue and affection and such vse was vniuersally made of it amongst the auncient Christians as the great S. PAVLE testifieth when writing to the ROMAN'S and CORINTHIANS he saieth Salute mutually one another in a holy kisse And as diuerse doe witnesse IVDAS in betraying our SAVIOVR made vse of a Kisse to discouer him because this diuine SAVIOVR was accustomed to kisse his Disciples when he met them and not onely his Disciples but euen little Children whom he tooke louingly in his armes as he did him by comparison of whom he so solemnely inuited his APOSTLES to the loue of their Neighbours who as IANSENIVS reporteth was thought to haue bene S. MARTIAL 4. Thus then the Kisse being a liuely marke of of the vnion of hearts the Spouse who hath no other pretention in all her endeuours and pursuits then to be vnited to her beloued let him kisse me saieth she with a kisse of his mouth as if she had cryed out so many sighes and inflamed grones as my heart incessantly sobs out will they neuer impetrate that which my heart desires I runne alas shall I neuer gaine the prise for which I lance my selfe out which is to be vnited heart to heart spirit to spirit to my God my Spouse my life when will arriue the happie houre in which I shall poure my soule into his heart and that he will turne his heart into my soule that we may liue inseparable in that happie vnion 5. When the holy Ghost would expresse a perfect loue he alwayes in a manner makes choice of the word Vnion or Coniunction amongst the multitude of the faithfull saieth S. LVCKE there was but one heart and one soule our SAVIOVR praied for all the faithfull that they might be but on same thing SAINT PAVLE doth aduertise vs to conserue vnitie of minde by the vnion of peace These Vnities of heart soule and spirit doe signifie the perfection of Loue which ioynes many soules in one for so it is saied that IONATHAS his soule was glewed to DAVIDS that is to saie as the Scripture addeth He loued DAVID as his owne soule The great APOSTLE of FRANCE as well according to his owne Dictamē as that of HIEROTHEVS who he citeth writeth I thinke a thousand times in one Chapter OF DIVINE NAMES that Loue is of a Nature vnifying vniting referring recollecting
exercised the Inferiour part and testified that according to it and it's codsiderations his will declined the griefes and paines He shewed afterwards that he had a superiour part by which inuiolably adhering to the Eternall will and Decree made by his heauenlie Father he willingly accepted death and notwithstanding the Inferiour part of reason he saieth ah no Lord not my will but thyne be done when he saieth My will he takes it according to the Inferiour portion and in as much as he saieth it voluntarily he shewes in himselfe a Superiour will That in these 2. portions of the soule there are found 4. different degrees of reason CHAPTER XII 1. THere were three Portalls in SALOMONS Temple one for Gentils and strangers who hauing recourse to God came to adore in Hierusalem the second for the Israelits men and women the separation of men from women not being made by SALOMON the third for Priests and Leuits and then there was the Sanctuarie or sacred house the which was open to the Higâ— Priest onely and that but once a yeare Our Râ—â—son or rather our soule as she is reasonable is the true Temple of the Almightie who there takes vp his chiefe residence I sought thee Saieth S. AVGVSTINE without my selfe but found thee not because thou wast with in me In this mysticall Temple there are also three partitions which are Three different degrees of reason In the first we discourse according to the experience of Sense in the second according to Humane Sciences in the third according to faith but beyond all this we discouer a certaine Hight or highest point of reason and the spirituall facultie which is not guided by the light of discourse or reason but by a simple view of the vnderstanding and a simple touch of the will by which the soule yeelds and submits her selfe to Veritie and the will of God 2. Now this extremitie and Climate of our soule this highest point of our spirit is naturally well represented by the Sanctuarie or Holy place For first in the Sanctuarie there were no windowes to giue light In this degree of the soule there is no discourse which doth illuminate Secondly in the Sanctuarie all the light entred by the Port in this degree of the soule nothing enters but by faith which produceth in manner of rayes the view and gust of the beautie and bountie of the good pleasure of God Thirdly none entred into the Sanctuarie saue the high Priest In this point of the soule discourse approacheth not but onely the high vniuersall and soueraigne feeling that the diuine will ought soueraignely to be embraced loued and approued not onely in some particular things but generally in all things nor generally in all things onely but also particularly in each thing Fouerthly the High Priest entring into the Sanctuarie obscured euen that light which came by the Port and the abundance of perfumes from his Thurible repulsed the rayes of light which by the Port sought passage and all the light which is in the supreame part of the soule is in some sort obscured and vealed by the renunciations and resignations which the soule makes not desiring so much to behould and see the Beautie of the Truth and the Truth of the Bountie presented vnto her as to embrace and adore the same in suchwise that the soule would almost shut her eyes as soone as she begins to see the dignitie of Gods will to th' end that not being further occupied in that consideration she might more powerfully and perfectly receiue it and by an absolute complacence infinitly vnite and submit her selfe thervnto Fiftly to conclude in the Sanctuarie was kept the Arke of the Alliance and in that or ioyning to it the Tables of the Lawe MANNA in a golden vessell AARONS rod which in a night bore flowers and fruite and in this highest point of the soule first of all the light of faith figured by the MANNA enclosed in the pot whereby we quietly beleeue the truth of mysteries which our vnderstanding can not attaine to secondly the profit of hope represented by Aarons florishing and fruitfull rod by which we confidently expect our promised happinesse which we see not Thirdly the sweetnesse of holy charitie represented by Gods commandements which she containes wherby we repose in the vnion of our spirit with God's which we scarcely perceiue 3. And although Faith Hope and Charitie doe disperce their diuine motions into almost all the faculties of the soule as well reasonable as sensitiue reducing and holily subiecting them to their iust authoritie yet their speciall residence their true and naturall Mannor is this supreame region of the soule from whence as from a happie source of liue water it brancheth it selfe out by diuerse Conduits and Brookes vpon the inferiour partes and faculties 4. So that THEOTIME in the superiour part of reason there are Two degrees of reason in the one those discourses are made which depend of faith and supernaturall light in the other the simple repose of faith hope and charitie SAINT PAVLES soule found here selfe pressed with two diuerse desires the one to be deliuered from his bodie to flie vp streight to IESVS CHRIST the other to remaine in this would to labour in the conuersion of soules both these desires were without doubt in the Superiour part for they proceeded both from Charitie but his resolution of the later proceeded not from discourse but from a simple light and liking he had of his maisters will towards which the very point of the spirit of this great seruant turned to the preiudice of all that Discourse might conclude 5. But if Faith Hope and Charitie be formed by this holy Rest in the point of the spirit how comes it to passe that in the Inferiour part discourse is made depending of the light of Faith As we see Aduocats in many words pleade the facts and rights of parties at the Barre the Parliament or Senate from aboue resolues all the strife by a positiue sentence which being pronounced the Aduocats and Auditours rest not for all that to discourse amongst them selues of the Parliaments motiues ther vnto Euen so THEOTIME after discourse and aboue all that the grace of God haue persuaded the point and highest part of the spirit to beleeue and forme an Act of faith by manner of sentence the vnderstanding doth not leaue to discourse againe vpon that same Act of faith already conceiued to consider the motiues and reasons therof yet so as Theologicall Discourses passe in the lower Benches and Barre of the Superiour portion of the soule but the Arrests aboue in the Tribunall of the point of the spirit And because the knowledge of these 4. degrees of the reason is much conducing to the vnderstanding of all the treatises of spirituall things I haue enlarged my selfe in the explication therof The difference of loues CHAPTER XIII 1. LOue is deuided into two species wherof the one is called Loue of beneuolence or good will th' other Loue
marke the young man of the Ghospell whom our Sauiour loued and who coÌ„sequently was in Charitie certes he neuer dream'd of selling all he had to giue it to the poore and follow our Sauiour nay though our Sauiour had giuen him such an inspiration yet had he not the courage to put it in executioÌ„ In these great works THEO onely inspirations are not sufficient but further we must be fortified to be able to effect that which the inspiratioÌ„ inclines vs to As againe in the fierce assaultes of extraordinarie teÌ„ptations the speciall and particular presence of heauenly succours is altogether necessarie For this cause the holy Church makes vs so frequently crie out Excite our hearts ô Lord preuent our actions by breathing vpon vs and in aiding vs accompanie vs O Lord be prompt to helpe vs and the like therby to obtaine grace to be able to effect excellent and extraordinarie works and more frequently and feruently to exercise ordinarie ones as also more ardently to resist smale temptations and more valliently to encounter great ones S. ANTONIE was assailed by a hideous legion of Diuels whose rage hauing a long time sustained not without incredible paine and torment at length he espied the couer of his Cell deuided and a heauenly raie enter the breach which made the blacke and disordered Route of his enemies vanish in a moment and deliuered him of the paine of his wounds receiued in that schirmish whence he perceiued God's particular presence and casting out a grone towards the brightnesse where wast thou ô good IESVS quoth he where wast thou why wast thou not here from the beginning to haue remedied my paine It was answered him froÌ„ aboue Antonie I was here but I expected the euent of thy combat And sithens thou behaued thy selfe brauely and valiently I will be thy continuall aide But in what the valour and courage of this braue spirituall Combatant did consist he himselfe another time declars that being set vpon by a Diuell who professed to be the Spirit of fornicatioÌ„ this Glorious Sainte after many words worthy of his great courage fell a singing the 7. verse of the 115. Psalme Th' eternall God is my defence In him it is I stand I weigh no enemies pretence I dread no hostell band And our Sauiour reuealed to S. CATHERINE of Sienna that he was in the midst of her heart in a cruell temptation she had as a Captaine in the midst of a Fort to hold it and that without his succour she had lost her selfe in the battell It is the like in all the hote assaults which our enemie makes against vs and we may well saie with IACOB that it is the Angell that doth warrant vs in all and sing with the great king DAVID The Pastour who doth guid my way Is God who rules this ROVND VVhile I to his commands obey At wish all things abound VVhen he behoulds my soules destresse Her Anguish griefe or care His Goodnesse grant's a quick redresse And th ruines doth râ—paire So that we ought often to repeate this exclamaâ—ion and Praier â—o houre want I thy Bounti 's hand Each where I 'm garded by thy Grace That in thy heauenâ—y PROMISED LAND Obtaine I might a MANSION PLACE Touching holy perseuerance in sacred Loue. CHAPTER IIII. 1. EVen as a tender mother leading with her her little babe doth assist and support him according as neede requires letting him now and then aduenture a step by himselfe in plaine or lesse dangerous way now taking him by the hand to weeld him now taking him vp in her armes and bearing him so our Sauiour hath a continuall care to conduct his children that is such as are in Charitie making theÌ„ walke before him reaching them his hand in difficulties and bearing them himselfe in such paines as he sees otherwise insupportable vnto theÌ„ which he declared by ISAIE saying I am thy GOD taking thee by the hand and saying feare not I haue helped thee So that with a strong courage we must haue a firme confidence in God and his assistance for if we faile not to second his Grace he will accomplish in vs the happie worke of our Saluation which he also began working in vs both the VELLE and PERFICERE as the Holy Councell of Trent doth assure vs. 2. In this conduct which the heauenly sweetenesse daignes to our soules from their entry to Charitie vntill their finall perfection which is not finished but in the period of life doth the great gift of Perseuerance consist to which our Sauiour annecteth the greater gift of eternall glorie following that which he saieth he that shall perseuer to the end shall be saued for this gift is no other thing then a setting together and a continuing of the diuers supports solaces and succours wherby we continew in the Loue of God till death as the education breeding and feeding of a child is no other thing theÌ„ the many cares aides and succours aÌ„d other offices befitting a child exercised and continued towards him till he grow to yeares in which he shall not neede them 3. But the continuance of succours and helpes are not equall in all those that perseuer for in some it is short as in such as were coÌ„uerted a little before their death so it happened to the good Thiefe so to the Sergeant who seeing S. IAMES his constancie made forthwith profession of Faith and became a companion of the Matyrdome of this great Apostle so to the glorious Porter who kept the 40. Martyrs in SEBASTE who seeing one of them loose courage and forsake the crowne of Martyrdome did put himselfe in his place aÌ„d at oÌ„ce became Christian Martyr and Glorious so to the Notarie of whom mention is made in S. ANTONIE of Padua his life who hauing all his life bene a false villaine yet died a Martyr And so it hapned to a thousand others whom we haue seene and red that they died well after an ill life And as for these they stand not in neede of a great varietie of succours but vnlesse some great temptation crosse their way may performe this short perseuerance by the onely Charitie giuen then and by the aides by which they were conuerted For they arriue at the PORT without sailing and finish their pilgrimage in one onely iumpe which the puissant mercy of God made them take in so due time that their enemies saw them triumphe before they stroke so that their conuersion and perseuerance were scarcely distinguished and if one would be exact in the proprietie of words the grace which they receiued of God wherby they attained as soone the issue as the entry of their pretentions could not well be termed Perseuerance though otherwise holding in effect the place of perseuerance in that it giues saluation we comprehend it vnder the name of Perseuerance Now in others Perseuerance is longer as in S. ANNE the Prophetesse in S. IOHN the Euangelist S. PAVLE the first Hermite S. HILARION S. ROMWALD S FRANCIS
bosome to th' end that the heat of the heart concocting the milke as the mother is the childs nourse so her heart should be his foster-father and that milke might be a foode of loue better a thousand times then wine Note the while THEOT that the comparison of milke and wine seemes so proper to the holy spouse that she is not content to haue saied once that her spouse his breasts surpasseth wine but she repeats it thrice Wine THEOT is the milke of grapes and milke is the wine of the duggs for so the sacred spouse saieth that her well-beloued is to her a grape but a Cyprine grape that is of an excelleÌ„t odour The Israelites saieth Moyses could drinke the purest and best blood of the grape And IACOB describing vnto his sonne Iudas the share which they should haue in the land of Promise prophetised vnder this figure the â—râ—e felicitie of Christians saying that our Sauiour would wash his robe that is his holy Church in the blood of the grape that is in his owne blood Now blood and milke are no more differrent then grapes and wine For as grapes ripening by the sunnes heate chang their colour become a gratefull and nourishing wine so blood tempered by the heate of the heart turns faire white and becomes a fit foode for children 5. Milke which is a cordiall foode wholy consisting of loue represents the mysticall knowledge and diuinitie that is the sweete relish which proceeds from the complacence of loue which the minde receiues in meditating the perfections of the diuine Goodnesse But wine signifies ordinarie and acquired knowledge which is squeezed by force of speculation from the presse of diuers arguments and disputes Now the milke which our soules draw from the breastes of our Sauiours Charitie is incomparably better then the wine which we squeeze from humane discourse For this milke floweth from heauenly loue which prepares it for his children yea euen before they yet thought of it it hath a sweete and amiable gust and the odour thereof puts downe all perfumes it makes the breath pure and sweete as of a sucking child it giues ioye without insolencie it inebriateth without dulling it doth not onely reare vp but euen reuiue the senses 6. When the holy man Isaac embraced and kissed his deare child IACOB he smelt the good odour of his garments and straight perfumed with an extreame pleasure ô quoth he behold how the odour of my sonne is like to the odour of a flourishing field which God hath blessed the garment and perfumes were vpon IACOB but ISAAC had the complacence and reenioying of them Alas the soule which by loue holds her Sauiour in the armes of her affection how deliciously doth she smell the perfumes of the infinite perfections which are found in him with what complacence doth she saie in herselfe behold how the sent of my God is like the smell of a flourishing garden how precious are his breastes sending out soueraigne parfumes So the Spirit of a great S. Augugustine staied in suspence betwixt the sacred contentments which he had to consider on the one side the mysterie of his Maisters birth on th' other that of the passion he cried out rauished in this complacence Betwixt two sacred fires I burne Nor know to which my heart to turne From hence a Mother doth present A fluent breast a deare content From thence as from a TRVEST VINE Doth issue blood in lieu of wine That a holy complacence giues our heart to God and makes vs feele a continuall desire in enioying him CHAPTER III. 1. THe loue which we beare to God doth flow from the first complacence that our heart takes vpon the apprehension of the diuine Goodnesse when it begins to tend towards the same Now when by the exercise of loue we doe augment and strengthen this first coÌ„placence as we haue declared in the precedent Chapters we then draw into our hearts the diuine perfections and enioye the Diuine Goodnesse by the delight we take in it practising the first part of the contentment of loue expressed by the sacred spouse saying my well-beloued is myne But because this complacence of loue being in vs that haue it is also in God in whom we take it it giues vs reciprocally to his Diuine Goodnesse so that by this holy loue of complaceÌ„ce we enioye the goods which are in God as though they were our owne but because the diuine perfections are stronger then our Spirit entring into it they enioye it reciprocally in so much that we doe not onely saie God is ours by this coÌ„placence but that we are his 2. The hearbe Aproxis as elsewhere we haue saied hath so great a correspondance with fire that though in distance as oone as it gets into the aspect of it it draweth the flame and begins to burne conceiuing fire not so much from the heate as from the light of the fire presented When then by this attraction it is vnited to the fire if it could speake might it not well saie my well-beloued fire is myne sith I drew it to me and enioye its flames but I am also his for though I drew it to me it reduced me into it as more strong and noble it is my fire and I am its hearbe I draw it and it burnes me So our heart being brought into the presence of the Diuine Goodnesse and hauing drawen the perfections thereof by the complaceÌ„ce it takes in them may truely saie Gods Goodnesse is all myne sith I enioye his excelleÌ„cies aÌ„d I againe am wholy his seeing his delightes enioye me 3. By complacence our soule as a Gedeons fleece is wholy filled with heauenly dewe and this dewe is the fleeces because it fell vpon it and and againe the fleece is the dewes because it was steeped in it and receiued vertue from it Which doth more belong to the other the pearle or the oyster to the pearle The pearle is the oysters because she drew it to her but the oyster is the pearles because it giues her worth and value Complacence makes vs Possessours of God drawing into vs his perfections but it makes vs also possessed of God applying and tying vs to his perfections 4. Now in this complacence we doe glut our soule with delights in such a manner that we doe not yet cease to desire to be glutted and tasteing the diuine Bountie we desire yet to taste it in satiating our selues we would still eate and in eating we perceiue our selues satiated The head of the Apostles hauing saied in his first Epistle that the old Prophets had manifested the graces which were to abound amongst Christians and amongst other things our Sauiours passion and the glorie which was to follow it as well by the ResurrectioÌ„ of his bodie as also by the Exaltation of his name In the end he concluds that the very Angels doe desire to behold the mysteries of the Redemption in this diuine Sauiour whom saieth he the Angels doe desire to behold But
persuation and intreatie but doth it euen with earnestnesse and strife as did the Pilgrimes 1. Emaus who did not onely petition to our Sauiour but euen pressed and vrged him by force and compelled him by a gentle violence to remaine in their lodging with them 5. Now in Praier this vnion is often made by manner of little yet frequēt ierts and aduancings of the soule towards God and if you take notice of little children vnited and ioyned to their mothers breastes you shall see them euer and anone pressing and ioyning themselues by little iertes which the pleasurs they take in sucking makes them giue so the heart vnited to God in Praier makes often times certaine surcharges of vnion by motions which doe more closely presse and ioyne it to the diuine sweetenesse As for example The soule hauing made a long demoure in the feeling of the vnion wherby she sweetely tastes how happie she is to be Gods in fine augmenting this vnion by a cordiall pressing and ierting forwards I Lord will she saie I am thine all all all without reserue or else ah Lord I am so verily and will be daily more and more or else by way of Praier O sweete IESVS ah drawe me still more deeply into thy heart to the end thy loue may deuoure me and that I may be swallowed vp in thy sweetenesse 6. But at other times the vnion is made not by iterated ierts but by way of a continued insensible pressing and aduauncing of the heart towards the diuine Bountie for as we see a great and heauie masse of leade brasse or stone though not thrust doth so presse cleeue to and sinke into the earth where it lies that at length it is found buried by reason of the inclination of its waightie poise which makes it incessantly tend to the center so our heart being once ioyned to God if without being distracted it remaine in this vnion it sinkes still deeper by an insensible progresse of vnion till it be wholy in God by reason of the holy inclination giuen it by loue to be continually more and more vnited to the soueraigne Goodnesse For as the great Apostle of France saieth Loue is a vnitiue vertue that is it bringes vs to a perfect vnion with the soueraigne Good And sith it is a doubtlesse truth that Diuine loue while we are in this life is a motion or at least an actiue habit tending to motiō euen after it hath attained simple vniō it ceaseth not to act though imperceptibly still more and more to encrease ad perfect it 7. So trees that require to be transplanted as soone as that is done they sprede their roots and lodge them deeper in the bosome of the earth which is their element and nourishment nor doth any perceiue this while it is a doing but onely after it is done And mans heart transplanted out of the world into God by celestiall loue if it doe earnestly practise Praier certes it will continually extend and ioyne it selfe to the Diuinitie vniting it selfe more and more to Gods Goodnesse but by imperceptible grouths whose progresse one can hardly discouer while it is doing but onely when it is done If you drinke any exquisite water to wit imperiall water the simple vnion thereof with you is instantly made vpon your receiuing of it for the receiuing and vnion is all one in this behalfe but afterwards by little and little this vniō is encreased by an insēsibly sensible progresse for the vertue of this water penetrating the parts will comfort the braine sttengthen the heart and will disperse its force through the spirits 8. In like manner a taste of loue for example that God is good hauing got entrie into the heart it doth presently make an vnion with this Goodnesse but being held a while as a precious perfume it penetrats euery parte of the soule poures out and dilats it selfe in our will and doth as it were incorporate it selfe with our spirit ioyning and locking it selfe more nerely to ech part of vs and vniting vs to it And to it this which the great Dauid doth teach vs when he compares his sacred words to honie for who knowes not that the sweetenesse of honie is vnited more and more to our senses by a continuall encrease of sauorinesse while holding it a pritie space in our mouth or softly swallowing it the relish thereof doth more deeply penetrate our Taste And in this wise the taste of the diuine Goodnesse expressed in this word of S. BRVNOS O BOVNTIE or by these of S. THOMAS MY LORD MY GOD or these of MAGDALEN AH MAISTER or these of S. FRANCIS MY GOD AND MY ALL this taste I saie hauing bene kept a while in a louing heart it is dilated dispersed and sinkes into the Spirit by an inward penetration and doth more and more perfume it with it 's sent which is no other thing then to encrease the vnion in the nature of a precious oyntment or Baulme which falling vpon cotten doth so sinke into and vnite it selfe to it by little and little that in the end one will not easily saie whether the cotten is perfumed or it is perfume or else whether the perfume is cotton or the cotten perfume O how happie is the soule who in the peace of her heart doth louingly conserue the sacred feeling of Gods presence for her vnion with the diuine Goodnesse shall haue continuall though insensible encrease and shall throughly water the spirit with infinite sweetenesse Now when I speake of the sacred taste of Gods presēce I doe not meane it of a sensible taste but of that which doth inhabit the top and Supreame point of the Spirit where heauenly Loue doth raigne and keepe his principall exercises Of the diuers degrees of the holy vnion which is made in Praier CHAPTER II. 1. SOmetimes the vnion is made without our cooperation saue onely by a simple consent permitting our selues to be vnited to the Diuine Goodnesse without resistance as a little child in loue with his mothers breastes ād yet is so weake that he cannot moue himselfe towards them nor to cleeue to her being there onely he is glad to be drawen into his mothers armes and to be pressed by her to her breasts 2. Sometimes we cooperate when being drawen we willingly runne to second the force of Gods Goodnesse which drawes vs and lockes vs to him by loue 3. Sometimes we apprehend that we begin to vnite and ioyne our selues to God before he ioyne himselfe to vs for that we feele the action of the vnion of our part without perceiuing that which God doth on his side which yet doubtlesse doth alwaies preuent vs though we doe not alwaies perceiue his preuention for vnlesse he vnited himselfe to vs we should neuer vnite our selues to him he alwaies choseth and laieth hold on vs before we chose or laie hold one him But when following his imperceptible touches we begin to vnite our selues vnto him he doth often make the progresse
hands eleuating his eyes towards Heauen raising his voice very high and pronouncing by way of iaculation with great deuotion these words of the CaÌ„ticles the last which he had expounded Come vnto me my dearly beloued and let vs goe toge-into the fields All the Apostles and in a manner all the Martyrs died in Praier The Blessed and Venerable Bede hauing foreknowne by reuelation the time of his departure went to Euensong and it was vpoÌ„ the Ascension day and standing vpoÌ„ his feete leaning onely vpon the rests of his seate without any disease at all ended his life with the end of the Euensong as it were directly to follow his Maister ascending vnto Heauen there to enioye the bright morning of eternitie which knowes no euening Iohn Gerson Chancellour of the vniuersitie of Paris a man so learned and pious that as Sixtus Senâ—nsis saieth one can hardly discerne whether his learning outstripped his pietiâ— or his pietie his learning hauing explicated the fift proprietie of diuine loue recorded in the Canticle of Canticles three dayes after making shew of a very liuely countenance and courage expired pronouncing and iterating by way of iaculatorie Praier these holy words drawen out of the same Canticles ô God thy loue is strong as death S. MARTINâ— as is knowen died so attentiue to the exercise of his deuotions that he could not speake another word S. Lewis that great king amongst Saints and great Saint amongst kings being infected with the plague praied still and then hauing receiued his heauenly VIATICVM casting abrode his armes in maÌ„ner of a Crosse his eyes fixed vpon Heauen yeelded vp the ghost ardently sighing out these words with a perfect confidence of loue ah Lord I will enter into thy house I will adore thee in thy holy Temple and blesse thy â—ame S. PETER Celestine wholy possessed with afflictions which one can scarcely speake off being come to the periode of his daies began to sing as a sacred Nitingale the last Psalme making these louing words the close of his life and song LET â—VERY SPIRIT PRAISE OVR LORD The Admirable S. EVSEBIVS surnamed the stranger deceased vpon his knees in feruent Praier S. PETER Martyr writing with his owne finger and blood the Confession of Faith for which he died and vttering these words Lord into thy hands I commend my Spirit And the great Iaponian Apostle S. FRANCIS Zauerius holding and kissing the image of the Crucifix and repeating at euery turne of a hand this Eiaculation of heart O IESVS the God of my heart Of some that died by and for diuine Loue. CHAPTER X. 1. All the Martyrs THEO died for the Loue of God for when we saie many died for the faith we meane not that they died for a dead faith but for a liuely faith that is quickned by Charitie And the confession of Faith is not so much an act of the vnderstanding and of Faith as of the will and of the Loue of God And thus the great S. PET R conseruing Faith in his heart the day of his Maisters did yet quit Charitie refusing in words to professe him to be his Maister whom in heart he acknowledged to be such But there were yet other Martyrs who died expressely for Charitie alone as our Sauiours great Forerunner who was martyred for brotherly correction and the glorious Princes of the Apostles S. PETER and S. PAVLE but especially S. PAVLE was put to death for hauing reclamed those women to a pious and pure life whom that infamous Nero had wrought to lewdnesse The holy Bishops Stanislaus and S. THOMAS of Canterburie were slaine for a matter that touched not Faith but Charitie In fine a great part of sacred Virgin-Martyrs were put to slaughter for the Zeale they had to conserue their Chastitie which Charitie had caused them to dedicate to their heauenly Spouse 2. But there are some of the Sacred Louers that doe so absolutly giue themselues ouer to the exercises of Diuine Loue that holy fire doth wast and consume their life Griefe doth sometimes so long hinder such as are afflicted froÌ„ eating drinking or sleeping that in the eÌ„d weakened and wasted they dye whervpon it is a common saying that such died of Griefe but it is not so indeede for they died through euacuation and defect of strength True it is sith this faintnesse tooke them by reason of griefe we must auerre that though they died not of griefe yet they died by reason of griefe and by griefe so my deare THEO when the feruour of holy loue is great it giues so many assaults to the heart so often wouÌ„ds it causeth in it so many langours so ordinarily melts it and puts it so frequently into Extasies ad Raptures that by this meanes the soule being almost entitely occupied in God not being able to affoâ—d sufficient assistance to nature coÌ„ueniently to disgâ—st and nourish the sensible and vitall spirits begâ—n by little aÌ„d little to faile liâ—e is shortned and death approcheth 3. O God THEO how happie this death is How delightfull is this loue-dart which wounding vs with the incurable wound of heauenly loue makes vs for euer pining and sicke with so strong a beating of the heart that at length we must yeeld to death How much doe you thinke did these sacred langours and labours vndergone for Charitie shorten the dayes of the Diuine Louers S. Catherin of Sienna S. Francis Little Stanislaus Bosca S. Charles and many hundreds more who died in their youth Verily as for S. FRANCIS from the time he receiued his Maisters holy Stigmats he had so violent and stinging paines gripes conuulsions and deseases that he had nothing left on him but skinne and bones and he seemed rather to be an Anatomie or a picture of death then one liuing and breathing How some of the heauenly Louers died euen of Loue. CHAPTER XI 1. All the Elect then THEO deceased in the habit of holy loue but further some died euen in the exercise of it some againe for it others by it But that which belongs to the soueraigne degree of loue is that some die of loue aÌ„d theÌ„ it is that loue doth not onely wouÌ„d the soule aÌ„d thereby make her languish but doth euen pearce her through hitting directly on the midst of the heart and so deeply that it forceth the soules depaâ—ture out of the bodie which fals out in this manner The soule powerfully drawen by the diuine sweetenesse of her Beloued to complie of her part with his deare allurements forcibly springs out and to her power tends towards her desired attracting friend and not being able to draw her bodie after her rather then to staie with it in this miserable life she quits it and gets cleare lonely flying as a faire doue into the delicious bosome of her heaueÌ„ly Spouse She throwes her selfe vpon her Beloued and her Beloued doth draw and force her to himselfe And as the Bridgroome leaues Father and mother to adheare to his deare Bride So this chaste Bride
this kind of fauour one could desire no more and as the sunne-beames remaine Sunnne-beames notwithstanding that they are reiected and repulsed by some obstacle so God's signified will remaines the true will of God though it be resisted true it is it hath not the effects which it would haue being seconded 4. The conformitie then of our heart to the signified will of God consisteth in this that we should will that which the diuine goodnesse doth signifie vnto vs to be his intention beleeuing according to his doctrine hoping according to his promises fearing according to his threats louing and liuing according to his ordinances and aduertissements to which all the protestations which we make thereof in the holy Ceremonies of the Church doe tend Hence we stand while the Gospell is red as being readie to obay the holy signification of Gods will contained therein Hence we kisse the booke at the Gospell side in adoration of the sacred word which doth declare his heauenly will Hence many Saints meÌ„ and women carried in the old time in their bosoms the Gospell written as an Ephitheme of Loue as it is reported of S. CICILE And indeede S. MATHEWES Gospell was found vpon S. BARNABIES breast written with his owne hand Wherevpon in the auncient Councells in the midst of the assemblie of Bishops they erected a Throne and put vpon it the Booke of the holy Gospells which represented the person of our Sauiour king Doctour Directour Spirit of all the Councells and of the whole Church so much did they reuerence the signification of Gods will expressed in this holy booke Certes that great Myrrour of Pastours S. CHARLES Archbishop of Milau neuer studied the holy Scripture but bare head and vpon his knees to testifie with what respect we are to reade and heare the signified will of God Of the Conformitie of our will to the will which God hath to saue vs. CHAPTER IV. 1. GOd hath signified vnto vs so diuersly and by so diuerse meanes that his will was that we should all be saued that none can be ignorant of it to this purpose he made vs to his owne Image by Creation and himselfe to our Image and likenesse by his Incarnation after which he suffered death to ransome and saue all mankind which he performed with so much loue that as the great S. DENIS Apostle of France racounteth he saied vpon a day to the holy man Carpus that he was ready to suffer an other passion to saue maÌ„kind and that this would be pleasant vnto him if it could be done without any mans offence 2. And although all are not saued yet is this will the truâ— will of God who doth worke in vs according to the condition of our and his nature For his Bountie moues him liberally to communicate â—nto â—â— the succours of his grace to bring vs to the felicitie of his glorie but our nature reqâ—â—â— that his liberalitie should leaue vs in libertie to make vse of it to our saluation or to neglect it to oâ—r damnation 3. I haue demanded one thing saied the Prophet and it is that which I will demand for euer that I may see the delightes of our Lord and visite his temple But what are the delightes of the soueraigne Goodnesse but to poure out and communicate its perfections Verily his delightes are to be with the children of men to showre his grace vpon them Nothing is so agreeable and delightfull to free Agents as to doe their owne will Our Sanctification is the will of God and our Saluation his good pleasure nor is there any difference at all betwixt good pleasure and Good liking or consequently betwixt good-liking and goodwill yea the will which God hath to aduantage man is called good because it is amiable propitious fauorable agreeable delicious and as the Grecians after S. PAVLE saied it is a true PHILANTROPIE that is a beneuolence or a will entirely affectionate to men 4. All the celestiall Temple of the TriumphaÌ„t and Militant Church doth resound on euery side the delicious Canticles of God's loue towards vs. And the Sacred bodie of our Sauiour as the most holy Temple of his Diuinitie is wholy adorned with markes and tokens of this Beneuolence so that in visiting the Diuine Temple we behold the louely delightes which he takes to doe vs fauours 5. Let vs then a thousand times a day behold this louing will of God aÌ„d grounding ours therein let 's deuotely crie-out O Bountie infinitly sweete how amiable is thy will How desirable thy fauours Thou created vs for an eternall life and thy motherly breast swolen in the sacred dugges of an incomparable loue abounds in the milke of mercy whether it be to pardon sinners or perfect the Iust Ah why doe not we then glew our wills to thyne as a child is locked to the nible of his mothers dugge to lucke the milke of thy eternall benedictions 6. THâ—O we are to will our Saluation in such sort as God will's it and he wills it by way of desire must not we then following his desire incessantly desire it Nor doth he will it onely but in effect enables vs with all necessarie meanes to attaine it we then in sequele of the desire we haue to be saued must not onely desire but in effect accept all the graces which he hath prouided for vs and presents vnto vs. It is sufficient to saie I desire to be saued yet it is not sufficient to saie I desire to embrace the meanes conuenient to the attaining of saluation but we must with an absolute resolution desire and embrace the grace which God bestowes vpon vs for our will must necessarily correspoÌ„de to God's And whereas Gods will giues vs the meanes to saue our selues we ought to receiue them as we ought to desire saluation in such sort as God desires it and vs. 7. But it fals often out that the meanes to come to Saluation considered in grosse and in generall are according to our hearts liking but considered by peecemeale and in particular they are dreadfull to vs for haue we not seene the poore S. Peter prepared to vndergoe all kind of torments in generall yea death it selfe to follow his Maister and yet when it came to the deede doing and performance waxe pale tremble and at the word of a simple maide denie his Maister Euery one deemes himselfe able to drinke our Sauiours CHALICE with him but when indeede it is presented vnto vs we flie and forsake all Things proposed in particular make a more strong impressioÌ„ and more sensibly wound in the Imagination And for this reason we gaue aduice in the INTRODVCTION that after generall affections one should descend to particular ones in holy Meditation Dauid accepted particular afflictions as an aduancement to his perfection when he sunge in this wise O Lord how good it is for me that thou hast humbled me that I might learne thy iustifications So also did the Apostles reioyce in their tribulations in that they
sodaine for it is often a trike of the enemye to moue vs to vndertake and begin many desines to th' end that ouerwhelmed with the multiplicitie of businesse we might accōplish nothing but leaue all vnfinished yea sometimes he doth suggest vnto vs a desire to vndertake to begin some excellent worke which he foresees we will not accomplish to deturne vs from prosecuting a worke lesse excellent which we had easily performed for he cares not how many purposes and onsets be made so that nothing be effected He will not hinder the mysticall women that is the Christian soules to bring forth men-children no more then Pharao did prouided that their groth be preuented by slaughter Contrariwise saieth the great S. Hierome amongst Christians we doe not so much note the beginning as the end One must not eate so much that he cannot disgest it The Spirit of guile stayes vs in the beginnings and makes vs content with the florishing spring-time but the Diuine Spirit neuer moues vs to reflect vpon our beginnings saue to attaine the end neuer to make vse of the flowres of the spring but with intention to enioye the ripe fruites of the Summer and Autumne 2. The great S. THOMAS is of opinion that it is not expedient to make many consultations and long deliberations touching the desire one feeles in himselfe to enter into a good and well ordered Religion and not without reason For Religion being counselled by our Sauiour in the Gospell what needs much consultation It is sufficient to make one good one with a few friends who are prudent and conuersant in such a businesse and such as may assist vs to make a short and solide resolution But after we haue once deliberated and resolued as well in this matter as in any other that appertaines to Gods seruice we must be constant and vnuariable without permitting our selues to be shaken by any apprehēsion of a greater good for oftentimes saieth the glorious S. BERNARD the Diuell makes vs rūne the riot and to draw vs from the effecting of one good he proposeth vnto vs some other good that seemes better which after we haue set vpon to diuert vs from that againe he presents a third being willing that we should often begin so we neuer come to an end Nay one is not euen to goe from one order to another without very waightie motifes saieth S. THOMAS following the Abbot Nestorious cited by Cassian 3. I will borrow a fine similitude of S. Anselme writing to Lanzon As a plant often transplanted can neuer take roote nor consequently come to perfection and rēder the wished fruite so the soule that doth transplant her heart from one desine to another cannot profit nor come to the true groth of her perfection since perfection is not found in beginnings but in accomplishments Ezechiel's holy beasts went whither the ouer bearing-furie of their spirits carried them nor did they in going looke backward but each of them went on out right before them Wee are to goe whither the inspiration moues vs not turning about or returning backe but tēding thither whither God hath turned our face without looking ouer our shoulder He that is in a good way let him worke his saluation It happens sometimes that we forsake the good to seeke the better and that hauing forsaken th' one we find not the other Better is the possession of a smale treasure alreadie found then the pretention of a farre greater which is yet to be sought for The inspiration is to be suspected which moues vs to quit a present good which we enioye to purchase a better we know not when A young Portugaise called Francis Bassus was admirable not onely for Diuine eloquence but also for the practise of vertue vnder the discipline of S. PHILIPE NERIVS in the Congregation of the Oratorie at Rome Now he perswaded himselfe that he was inspired to leaue this holy Societie to put himselfe in a formall Order which also he resolued vpon But the B. PHILIPE being present while he was receiued into the order of S. DOMINIKE he wept bitterly Wherevpon being demanded by Francis Marie Tauruse who was afterwards Archbishop of Sienna and Cardinall why he shed teares I deplore quoth he the losse of so many vertues and indeede this young man who did so excell in wisdome and pietie in the Congregation after he was become a religious man was so inconstant and fickle that tossed with many desires of noueltie and change he gaue afterwards great and grieuous scandall 4. If the Fowler goe straight to the Partridge nest she will come before him and coūterfaite her back to be broken or that she is lame and raysing her selfe vp as though she would take a great flight she will tumble downe of a sodaine with show that she is able to doe no more to th ēd that the Fowler being busied in looking after her whom he thinks with ease to catch may not light on her little ones in the nest but as soone as he hath pursued her a while and thinkes he is vpon the point of catching her she escapes by flying away So the enemye seeing a man by Gods inspiration vndertake a profession and manner of life most proper for his aduancements in heauenly Loue persuads him to enter into some other way more perfect in appearance but hauing put him out of his first way he makes him by little and little apprehend the second way impossible proposing a third that so keeping him occupied in the cōtinuall enquirie of diuers and new meanes of perfection he may hinder him from making vse of any and consequently from attaining the end which he seekes for which is perfection Young hounds loose the sent at euery double and rūne counter but the old and well sented hounds neuer rūnes counter but keepes still the same sent they are vpon Let euery one then hauing once found out Gods holy will touching his vocation stick to it holily and louingly practising therein fitting exercises according to the order of discretion and with the Zeale of perfection Of the vnion of Mans will to Gods in the inspirations which are contrarie to the ordinarie Lawes and of the peace and tranquillitie of heart the second marke of Inspiration CHAPTER XII 1. THus then THEO we are to behaue our selues in the inspirations which are no otherwise extraordinarie then in that they doe moue vs to practise ordinarie Christian exercises with an extraordinarie feruour and perfectiō but there are other inspirations called extraordinarie not onely because they make the soule passe the bonds of an ordinarie proceeding but also moue a man to actions contrarie to the lawes rules and common customes of the most holy Church and which therefore are more admirable then imitable The holy Damsell called by the Historians Eusebia the strang left Rome her natiue soyle and putting her selfe in mans attire with two girles more tooke shipe to goe by Sea to Alexandria and thence to the I le of Co where
heart for the obstinacie of the Iewes 2. Yet be sinners neuer so obstinate let vs neuer desist to aide and assist them for what doe we know but they may doe pennance and be saued happie is he that can saie to his neighbour as did S. Paule I haue neither ceased night nor day to admonish euery of you with teares and therefore I am cleare of your blood for I haue not bene sparing in denouncing vnto you Gods good pleasure in euery behalfe So lōg as there remaines any hope that the sinner will amend which alwayes remaines as long as life we must neuer reiect him but praie for him and assist him as farre forth as his miserie will permit 3. But lastly after we haue wept ouer the obstinate and performed towards them the good offices of Charitie in essaying to reclame them from perdition we must imitate our Sauiour and the Apostles that is we must remoue our mind from thence and place it vpon other obiects and imployments more to the aduancement of Gods glorie We were first saied the Apostles to the Iewes to announce the word of God vnto you but whereas you reiect it and make your selues vnworthy of the raigne of IESVS-CHRIST we will betake our selues to the Gentils The kingdome of God saieth our Sauiour shall be taken from you and shall be giuen to a nation that will make some profit of it Nor can one indeede spend much time in bewailing some few without loosing time fit and necessarie to procure the saluation of others It is true indeede the Apostle saieth that the losse of the Iewes is a cōtinuall corrasiue vnto him yet he spoke it in no other sense then we saie that we praise God continually for we meane no other thing thereby then that we praise him very frequently and in euery occasion and in the same manner the glorious S. Paule felt a continuall griefe in his heart caused by the Iewes reprobation for that in euery occasion he bemoaned their mishape 4. For the rest we must for euer adore Loue and praise God's reuenging and punishing IVSTICE as we loue his MERCY being both daughters of his goodnesse For as he is good yea soueraignly good he makes vs good by his grace by his IVSTICE he punisheth sinne because he hates it and he hates it for that being soueraignly good he hates the soueraigne euill which is iniquitie And in conclusion note that God doth neuer otherwise withdraw his MERCY from vs then by the iust vengāce of his punishing IVSTICE nor doe we euer escape the rigour of his IVSTICE but by his iustifying MERCY and howsoeuer whether he punish or gratifie vs his good pleasure is worthy of adoration loue and euerlasting praise So the Iust who sing the praises of Gods MERCY for such as haue wrought their owne saluation shall reioyce euen in seeing Gods vengance The Blessed shall with ioye approue the Sentence of the Reprobats damnation as well as that of the Elects saluation And the Angels hauing exercised their Charitie towards those that they had in keeping shall remaine in peace while they see them obstinate yea euen damned We are therefore to submit our selues to the Diuine will and kisse the right hand of his MERCY and the left hand of his IVSTICE with an equall Reuerence How the puritie of Indifferencie is practised in the actions of holy Loue. CHAPTER IX 1. THe most excellent Musician of the Vniuersitie and one that had a skeelfull hād vpō the Lute became in time so deadly deafe that his hearing serued him for nothing yet ceased he not for all that to sing and to handle his Lute marueilous delicatly by reasō of the perfect habite which he had therein whereof his deafenesse did not depriue him But taking no pleasure in his song nor yet in the sound of his Lute as being depriued of his hearing he could not perceiue the sweetenesse and delight of it so that he neither sung nor plaied saue onely to content a Prince whose natiue subiect he was and whom he infinitely desired to please as hauing an infinite obligatiō vnto him for his breeding from his childhood Hence he tooke an incomparable delight to delight him and when his Prince made shew to be delighted in his musike he was rauished with delight But it happened sometimes that the Prince to make triall of this louing Musician's loue gaue him order to sing and presently vpon it leauing him there wēt a hunting yet the desire which this Chaunter had to accomplish his Maisters desires made him continue his musike as attentiuely as though his Prince had bene present though in very deede he had no content in his owne song for he neither had the pleasure of the Melodie whereof his deafenesse depriued him nor the content of pleasing his Prince who being absent could not enioye the sweetenesse and pleasure of the ayre which he sung My heart to sing is readie and dispos'd A hymne in honour of thy name compos'd My soule and spirit ardently essayes To sing thy praise Vp then my glorie vp and quit thy rest In Harpe ād Psaltere let our lord be bles't Mans heart is the true Chaunter of the Canticle of sacred Loue himselfe the HARPE or PSALTER Now ordinarily this Chaunter is his owne auditorie taking a great pleasure in the Melodie of his song I meane our heart louing God doth taste the delights of this Loue and takes an incomparable contentment to loue so louely an obiect Marke I praie you THEO what I would saie The Little young Nightingales doe first essaie a beginning of song by imitating the old one but hauing got skill and passing Maisters they sing for the pleasure which they take in their owne song and doe so passhionatly addict themselues to this delight as I haue saied in an other place that by striuing to send out their voice their weseele bursting they send out their life So our hearts in the beginning of deuotion loue God that they may be vnited and become gratefull vnto him and imitate him in that he hath loued vs for all eternitie but by little and little being formed and exercised in holy Loue they are imperceptibly changed and in lieu of louing God to please God they begin to Loue him for the pleasure they take in the exercises of holy Loue and insteede of falling in Loue with God they fall in Loue with the Loue they beare him and stand affected to their owne affections not taking any more pleasure in God but in the pleasure they take in his Loue contenting themselues with this Loue because it is theirs that it is in their heart whence it proceedes for though this sacred Loue be called the Loue of God because God is loued by it yet it is also ours we being the Louers that Loue by it And herevpon we come to chang for insteede of louing this holy Loue for that it tends to God who is the beloued we Loue it because it proceedes from vs who are
not to affect them nor reinuest our heart therewith saue onely so farre forth as we discerne it to agree with God's good pleasure And as Iudith wore still moorning weedes except onely in this occasion wherein Gods will was that she should be in pompe so are we peaceably to remaine vested in our miserie and abiection amidst our imperfections and infirmities till God shall exalt vs to the practise of excellent actions 3. One cannot long remaine in this nakednesse voide of all affection Wherefore following the aduise of the holy Apostle as soone as we haue turn'd off the garments of the old Adam we are to put on the habits of the new man that is to saie of IESVS CHRIST for hauing renounced all yea euen the affection to vertues neither desiring of these nor of other things a larger portion then may beare proportion with God's will we must put on againe diuers affections and peraduenture the very same which we haue renounced and resigned vp yet are we not therefore to resume theÌ„ for that they are agreeable profitable honorable and proper to content our selfe-love but because they are agreeable to God profitable to his honour and ordained to his glorie 4. Eliezer carried eare-jewels bracelets and new attire for the mayde whom God had prouided for his Maisters sonne and in effect he presented them to the virgine Rebecca as soone as he knew it was she New garmeÌ„ts are required to our Sauiour's Spouse If for the Loue of God she hath bereft her selfe of the auncient affections which she had to Parents Countrie Father's house and allie she must take a span new affection louing euery of these in their ranke not now accorcording to humane considerations but because the heauenly Spouse doth will command and intend it so and hath established such an order in Charitie If one haue once put off his old affectioÌ„ to spirituall consolations to exercises of deuotion to the practise of vertues yea to his owne aduancement in perfection he must put on another new affection by louing all these graces and heaueÌ„ly fauours not because they perfect and adorne our minde but for that our Sauiours name is sanctified in them his kingdome enriched his good pleasure glorified 5. So did S. PETER vest himselfe in the Prison not at his owne election but at the Angels command He puts on his girdle then his Sandales and afterwards the rest of his garments And the glorious S. PAVLâ— bereft in a moment of all affections Lord quoth he what wilt thou haue me doe that is what is thy pleasure I should affect since throwing me to the ground thou hast deaded me to myne owne will Ah Lord plant thy good pleasure in the place of it and teach me to performe thy will for thou art my God THEO he that hath forsaken all for God ought to resume nothing but according to Gods pleasure he feeds not his bodie but according to Gods ordinance that it may be seruiceable to the Spirit all his studie is to assist his neighbour and his owne soule according to the Diuine intention he practiseth not vertues as being according to his owne heart but according to God's 5. God commanded the Prophet Isaie to stripe himselfe naked which he did going and preaching in this sort for three dayes together as some hold or for three yeares together as others think and then the time prefixed him by God being expired he resumed his clothes Euen so are we to turne our selues out of affections little and great as also to make a frequent examine of our hearts to discouer whether it be willing to vnuest it selfe as Isaie did his garments as also to resume in their time the affections necessarie to the seruice of charitie to the end we might die with our Sauiour naked vpon the crosse and rise againe with him in newnesse of life Loue is as strong as death to make vs quit all it is magnificent as the Resurrection to adorne vs with honour and glorie The end of the ninth booke THE TENTH BOOKE OF THE COMMANDEMENT OF LOVING GOD ABOVE ALL things Of the sweetenesse of the Commandement which God gaue vs to loue him aboue all things CHAPTER I. 1. MAN is the perfection of the Vniuerse the Spirit the perfection of man Loue the Spirits and Charitie the perfection of Loue. WheÌ„ce the Loue of God is the end of perfection and the Excellencie of the vniuerse In this THEO doth consist the hight and primacie of the Commandement of Diuine Loue called by our Sauiour the first and greatest Commandemet This Commandement is as a Sunne giuing luster and dignitie to all the holy lawes to all the Diuine â—ordonances and to all the holy Scripturs All is made for this heauenly Loue and all tends to it Of the sacred Tree of this Commandement all consolations exhortations inspirations and euen all the other Commandements haue dependance as it's flowres and eternall life as it 's fruit and all that tends not to eternall Loue tends to eternall death O great Commandement whose perfect practise remaines euen in the euerlasting life yea it is no other thing then life euerlasting 2. But marke THEO how amiable this law of Loue is ah Lord God was it not sufficient that thou shouldst permit vs this heauenly Loue as KABAN permitted IACOB to Loue RACHEL without daigning farther to inuite vs to it by exhortations and vrge vs to it by thy Commandements Nay more ô Diuine Goodnesse to the end that neither thy Maiestie nor our miserie nor any other pretext at all might delay our loue to thee thou dost command it vs. The poore APELLES could neither abstaine from louing nor yet aduenture to loue the faire COMPASPE because she appertained to ALEXANDER the Great but wheÌ„ he had once leaue to loue her how much did he hold himselfe obliged to him that did him the grace He knew not whether he should more loue the faire COMPASPE granted him by so great an Emperour or so great an Emperour who had granted him the faire COMPASPE O sweete God THEO If we could vnderstand it what an obligation should we haue to this Soueraigne good who doth not onely permit but doth euen command vs to loue him Alas my God I know not whether I ought more to loue thyne infinite Beautie which so great a Bountie hath ordained that I should loue or thy Diuine Bountie which ordaines that I should loue so infinite a Beautie O Beautie how amiable thou art being granted vnto me by a Bountie so immense O Bountie how amiable thou art in communicating vnto me so eminent a Beautie 3. God at the day of Iudgment will imprint after an admirable maÌ„ner in the hearts of the damned the apprehension of their losse for the Diuine Maiestie will make them clearely see the Soueraigne Beautie of his face and the Treasures of his Bountie and vpon the sight of this Abisse of infinite delights the will desires with an extreame violence to cast her selfe vpon
of Angels For while this Loue liues it raignes and bears the Scepter ouer all the affections making his will preferre God before all things indifferently vniuersally and absolutely Of two degrees of perfection in which this Commandement may be kept in this mortall life CHAPTER IV. 1. VVHile the great king Salomon enioying as yet the Spirit of God cōposed the sacred Canticle of Canticles he had according to the permission of those ages great varietie of dames and damsells dedicated to his Loue in diuers conditions and qualities For 1. there was one that was his singularly deare and wholy perfect one most rare as a singular doue with which the others entred not into comparison and for this reason she was called by his owne name SVNAMITE 2. There were sixtie which next to her had the first ranke of honour and estimation and were called Queenes Besids which there were thirdly Fourescore Dames which were not indeede Queenes yet were companions of his Royall bed in qualitie of honorable and lawfull friends 4. and lastly there were young damsells without number reserued in expectation as a seedeplat to succeede in the places of the former when they should fall into decaye Now by the IDEA of that which passed in his Palace he described the diuers perfections of soules who in time to come were to adore Loue and serue the great PACIFICALL KING IESVS CHRIST our Sauiour amongst which there are some who being newly freed from sinne and resolued to Loue God are yet Nouices Apprentises tender and feeble So that they Loue indeede the Diuine sweetenesse yet with such mixture of other different affections that their sacred Loue being as yet in its Nonage they Loue together with our Sauiour many superfluous vaine and dangerous things And as a PHENIX newly hatch't out of her sinders hauing as yet her plumes tender and nice and hauing on her first downes can onely essay a short flight in which she is rather saied to hop then to flie so these tēder and daintie young soules newly borne of the ashes of their Penance cannot as yet take a high flight and sore a aboue in the aire of holy loue beīg held captiues by the multitude of wicked inclinations and depraued customes in which the sinnes of their life past had left them They are yet liuing quickned and feathered with Loue yea and with true Loue too else had they neuer forsakē sinne yet with a Loue as yet feeble young and enuironed with a number of other Loues and which cannot produce fruite in such abundance as otherwise it would doe if it had the full possession of the heart in its hands 2. Such was the Prodigall Sonne when quitting the infamous cāpanie and custodie of swine amongst which he had liued he returned into his fathers armes halfe naked all to be dabed durted and stinking of the filth which he had contracted in the companie of those vncleane beasts For what is it to forsake the swine but to reclame ones selfe from sinne and what is it to returne all ragged tattered and stinking but to haue our affections engaged in the habits and inclinations which tend to sinne yet was he possessed of the life of the soule which is Loue. And as a Phenix rising out of her ashes he finds himselfe newly risen to life He was dead quoth his Father and is returned to life he is reuiued Now Salomons Friends were called young daughters in the Canticles for as much as hauīg tasted the odour of the Spouse his name which breathes nothing but Saluation and Mercy they Loue him with a true Loue but a Loue which is as themselues in its tender age for euen as young girles doe Loue their husbands well if they haue them yet leaue not off much to affect their toyes triffles ād companions with whom they were wont desperatly to loose themselues in playing dancing and fooling in busying themselues with little birds little dogges squirills and the like bables So the yoūg and Nouice-soules haue truely an affection to the sacred Spouse yet admit they with it a number of voluntarie distractions and incumbrances so that louing him aboue all things they doe yet busie themselues in many things which they Loue not like him but besids him out of him and without him for as small irregularities in words in gestures in clothes in pastimes and fond trickes are not properly speaking against the will of God so are they not according to it but out of it and without it 3. But there are certaine soules who hauing alreadie made some progresse in the Loue of God haue also cut off the affections they had to dangerous things and yet doe entertaine dangerous and supersluous Loues because they Loue with excesse and Loue that which God ordaines they should Loue with a Loue too nice and passionate It stood with Gods pleasure that ADAM should loue EVE tenderly yet not in that degree of tendernesse that to content her he should haue violated the order giuen him by his Diuine Maiestie He loued not then a superfluous thing nor a thing in it selfe dangerous but he loued it superfluously and dangerously The loue of our Parents friends and Benefactours is in it selfe according to GOD yet we may affect it with excesse as we may also our vocations be they neuer so spirituall and our exercises of deuotion which yet we ought so greately to affect may beloued inordinatly to wit if we preferre them before obedience or a more generall good or in case we loue them in qualitie of LAST END being the onely meanes and furtherances to our finall pretention which is DIVINE LOVE And those soules which Loue nothing but that which God would haue them to Loue and yet doe exceede in the manner of louing doe truly Loue the Diuine Goodnesse aboue all things yet not in all things for the things which not onely by permission but euen by command they are to Loue according to God they doe not onely Loue according to God but for other causes and motiues which though indeede they be not contrarie to God yet are they out of him so that they resemble the Phenix who hauning gotten her first feathers and beginning to waxe strong doth forthwith hoist her selfe vp into the open aire yet is not long able to continew flight but is forced to light often vpon the ground to take breath Such was the poore young man who hauing from his tender age obserued Gods Commandements desired not his neighbours goods yet affected his owne too tenderly So that when our Sauiour gaue him Counsell to giue them to the poore he became sad and melancholie He loued nothing but that which he might lawfully loue but he loued it with a superfluous and too obliging an affection It is plaine therefore THEO that these soules loue too ardently and with superfluitie yet loue they not the superfluities but onely the thing which is to be loued And herevpō they doe enioye the marriage bed of the heauenly Salomō
1. AS Loue rends towards the Good of the thing beloued either by taking delight in it being obtained or in desiring and pursuing it not being obtained So it brings forth hatred by which it flies the euill which is contrarie to the thing beloued either in desiring and striuing to be quit of it being alreadie present or in absence by essaying to diuert and hinder its approch But if euill can neither be hindred to approch nor be remoued loue at least leaues not to make it be hated and detested When loue therefore is seruent and is come to that hight that it would take away remoue and diuert that which is opposite to the thing beloued it is termed Zeale So that in proper speach Zeale is no other thing then loue in its ardour or rather the ardour that is in loue And therefore such as the loue is such is the Zeale which is in ardour If the loue be good the Zeale is Good if bad the Zeale is also bad Now when I speake of Zeale I meane to speake of iealousie too for iealousie is a SPECIES of Zeale and vnlesse I be deceiued there is but this onely difference betweene them That Zeale hath a respect to all the Good of the thing beloued with intention to remoue the contrarie euill from it but iealousie eyes the particular good of friendshipe to th' end it might repulse all that doth oppose it 2. When therefore we ardently set our affections vpon earthly and temporall things beautie honours riches Place That Zeale that is the ardour of that Loue ends ordinarily with enuie because these base and vile things are so little limited particular finite and imperfect that being possessed by one another cannot entirely possesse them So that being communicated to diuers each one in particular hath a lesse perfect communication of them But when we loue in particular to be ardently beloued the Zeale or ardour of this Loue turnes into Iealousie because humane friēdshipe though otherwise a vertue hath this imperfection by reason of our weaknesse that being diuided amongst many euery ones part it lesse Wherevpon the ardour or Zeale we haue to be beloued will not permit corriualls and companions which if we apprehend we haue we presently fall into the passion of Iealousie which indeede doth in some sort resemble enuie yet is farre an other thing 1. Enuie is alwayes vniust but iealousie is sometimes iust so that it be moderate for haue not such as are married good reason to looke that an others shareing with them doe not cause their friendship's decrease Enuie makes vs sorrowfull that our neighbour enioys a like or a greater good then we though he diminish not that which we haue one iot But iealousie is in no wise troubled at our neighbours good so it touch not vpon our coppie-hold for the Iealous man would not be sorrie that his companion should be beloued of others so it were not of his owne Mistresse Yea properly speaking a man is not iealous of Competitours till he apprehend that he himselfe hath alreadie atchiued the friendshipe of the partie beloued And if there be any passiō that preceedes this it is not iealousie but enuie 3. We doe not presuppose any imperfection in the partie we enuie but quite contrarie we apprehend that he hath the good which we doe enuie in him Marry we presuppose that the partie whereof we are iealous is imperfect fickle subiect to corruption and change 4. Iealousie proceedes from loue enuie comes from the defect of Loue. 5. Iealousie neuer happens but in matter of Loue but enuie is extended to all the subiects of good to honours to fauours to beautie And if at any time one be enuious of the affection which is borne to another it is not for loue but for the profit that is in it The Enuious man is not a whit troubled to see his fellow in grace with his Prince so that he be not in occurrences gratified and preferred by him That God is Iealous of vs. CHAPTER XIII 1. GOd saieth thus I am thy Lord thy God a iealous God Our Lord is called Iealous God is iealous then THEO but what is his iealousie verily vpon the first sight it seemes to be a iealousie of Concupiscence such as is a husbands ouer his wife for he will haue vs so to be his that he will in no sort haue vs to be any others but his No man saieth he can serue two Maisters He demands all our heart all our soule all our spirit all our strength for this very reason he is called our spouse our soules his Spouses And all sorts of separations from him are called fornication Adulterie And indeede it is high reason that this great God singularly good should most entirely exact our whole heart for our heart is but little and cannot store vs with loue enough worthily to loue the Diuine Goodnesse is it not therefore conuenient that since we cannot afford him such a measure of Loue as were requisite that at least we should afford him all we are able The GOOD that is soueraignely louely ought it not to be soueraignely loued and to loue soueraignely is to loue totally 2. Howbeit Gods iealousie of vs is not truely a iealousie of concupiscence but of SOVERAIGNE FRIENDSHIPE for it is not his profit that we should loue him but ours Our loue is vnprofitable to him but to vs gainefull and if it be agreeable to him it is because it is profitable to vs For being the Soueraigne GOOD he takes pleasure to communicate himselfe by loue without any kind of profit that can returne to him thereby whence he cries out making his complaint of sinners by way of iealousie They haue forsaken me me that am the fountaine of liuing water and haue digged vnto themselues Cisterns broken Cisterns that are not able to hold water marke a little THEO I praie you how this Diuine Louer doth delicatly well expresse the nobilitie and generositie of his Iealousie they haue left me saieth he me that am the Source of liuing water I complaine not that they haue forsaken me in respect of any damage that their reuoult can draw vpon me for what worse is a liuing spring that men will not draw water at it will it therefore leaue to glide and slide ouer the earth but I am sorrie for their misfortune that hauing left me they haue busied themselues about wells without water And if by supposition of an impossible thing they could haue light vpon some other fountaine of liuing water I should easily endure their departure from me since I pretend nothing in their loue but their owne good but to forsake me to perish to flie from me to fall headlong is that which doth astonish and offend me in their follie It is then for the loue of vs that he desires that we should loue him because we cannot cease to loue him but we begin to be lost nor withdraw any part of our affection from him but we
endeuored himselfe to precipitate them which seeing he could not so quickly performe he fumed in himselfe and curst them till at length lifting vp his head towards Heauen he espied the sweete and most coÌ„passionate Sauiour of our soules moued with an extreame pitie and compassion of that which passed rysing from his Throne and descending to the place where the two poore miserable wretches were stretch towards them his helping hand as also the Angels round about them did catching hold of them to hinder them from falling into this dreadfull Gulfe and in Conclusion the amiable and milde IESVS turning himselfe to the stormie CARPVS hold CARPVS saied he henceforth beate vpoÌ„ me for I am readie to suffer oÌ„ce more for maÌ„s saluation and it should be pleasant vnto me if it could be performed without the offence of other men as for the rest aduise with thy selfe which thou likest better to be in this gulfe together with these serpents or to liue with Angels who are so great friends to men THEO the holy man CARPVS had iust reason to be zealously moued at these two men and his Zeale had but rightly raysed his stomacke against them but being once moued he left reason and Zeale behind him ouer ruÌ„ning the bounds and limits of holy loue and consequently Zeale which is loue in its heate Anger changed the hatred of sinne into the hatred of the sinner and the most mild Charitie into an outragious crueltie 6. Some there are of that disposition that they thinke one cannot be very Zealous vnlesse they be very angrie thinking that nothing is done well vnlesse all be spoyled whereas contrariwise true Zeale rarely makes vse of choler for as we neuer applie the lance and the fire to sicke but in meere extreamities so holy Zeale doth not imploie choler but in extreame necessities That the examples of diuers saints which seemed to exercise their Zeale with Anger make nothing against the aduise of the precedent Chapter CHAPTER XVI 1. IT is true indeede my deare THEO that MOYSES PHINEES HELIE MATHATIAS and diuers great seruaÌ„ts of God made vse of choler to exercise their Zeale in sundrie remarkable occurrences yet note also I praie you that those were great personages who could well manage their choler not vnlike to that braue Captaine of the Ghospell who saied to his soldiers goe and they went come and they came but we who are in a manner all but a kind of poore people we haue no such power ouer our motions our horse is not so well broken that we caÌ„ both spurre and make him stope at our pleasure Old and well trayned hounds doe come in or fall off according to the huntsmans call but vntrayned younge hounds doe disordely flie out The great Saints that haue trayned vp their passions in a continuall mortification by the exercise of vertue can at euery turne of a haÌ„d turne and winde their passions giuing the scope or gathering theÌ„ vp at their pleasure But we who haue vnbridled passions young or at least mistaught we cannot giue bridle to our anger but at great perill of disorder for hauing once gotten head one cannot restrayne and order them as were fitting 2. S. DENIS talking with that DEMOPHILVS who would haue giuen the name of Zeale to his rage and furie he that would correct others quoth he must first beware that anger doe not turne reason out of the power and Dominion wherein God hath established it ouer the soule aÌ„d that it doe not stirre vp a reuoult sedition and confusion within our selues so that we doe in no sort approoue your impetuosities to which you were pricked forward with an vndiscreete Zeale though you should a thousand times repeate PHINEES and HELIE for the like words did not please IESVS CHRIST being spoken to him by his Disciples who were not yet made partakers of this sweete and benigne spirit PHINEES THEOT seeing a certaine accursed Israelite offend God with a Moabite slew them both HELIE foretold the death of OCHOSIAS who wrothfull at this presage sent two Captains one after another with fiftie men a peece to take him and the man of God made fire descend from heaueÌ„ which deuour'd them Our Sauiour on a day passing through Samaria sent into a towne to take vp his lodging but the inhabitants knowing that our Sauiour was a Iewe by nation and that he went to Hierusalem they would not lodge him which S. IOHN and S. IAMES seeing they saied vnto our Sauiour shall we commande the fire to descend and burne them And our Sauiour turning towards them chid them saying you know not what spirit moues you to this the Sonne of man came not to distroye soules but to saue them This it is then THEOT that S. DENIS would saie to DEMOPHILVS who alleaged the example of PHINEES and HELIE for S. IOHN and S. IAMES who would haue imitated PHINEES and HELIE in making sire descend from Heauen vpon men were reprehended by our Sauiour who gaue them to know that his Spirit and Zeale was sweete milde and gracious which rarely made vse of wroth or indignation but onely in some circumstaÌ„ces where there was no other hope left to preuaile S. THOMAS of Aquine that great Starre of Diuinitie being sicke of the desease whereof he died at the Monasterie of Fossanoua of S. BERNARDS order the Religious besought him to make them some short expositioÌ„ vpon the CANTICLE OF CANTICLES to the imitation of S. BERNARD and he answered them Deare Fathers giue me a S. BERNARDS Spirit and I will interprete this diuine Canticle as did S. BERNARD so verily if one should saie to one of vs small miserable imperfect and wretched Christians serue your selues of Anger and indignation in your Zeale as did PHINEES HELIE MATHATHIAS S. PETER and S. PAVLE we ought to replie giue vs the Spirit of perfectioÌ„ and pure Zeale with the interiour light which those great Saints had and we will arme our selues with choler as they did It is not a common performaÌ„ce to discerne when and in what measure we are to be angrie 3. Those great Saints were immediatly inspired by God and therefore might boldly imploye their anger without perill for the same Spirit which did embolden them to this exploite did also gouerne the raynes of their iust wroth least they might out raye their prefixed bounds An Anger that is inspired or excited by the holy Ghost is not now the anger of a maÌ„ and it is mans wroth that we are to be â—ware of because as S. IAMES saieth it worketh not God's Iustice And indeede when those worthy seruants of God made vse of anger it was in so sollemne occurrences and vpon so inordinate crimes that there was no danger that the punishment should passe the fault 4. Are we thinke you to take libertie to iniurie sinners to blame nations to controll and censure our Conductors and Prelats because S. PAVLE once cals the Galatians senslesse represents to the Candiots their lewde inclinations and
vnto God CHAPTER I. 1. VErtue is of it's owne nature so amiable that God doth fauour it wheresoeuer he finds it The PagaÌ„s though they were enemies to the Diuine Maiestie did now and theÌ„ 〈◊〉 certaine ciuill and morall vertues which were not by their nature placed aboue the forces of a reasonable spirit Now you may thinke THEOT how small a matter this was for though these vertues made a great shew yet in effect they were of little worth by reason of the lownesse of their intention that practised them who laboured in a manner for no other thing then honour as S. AVGVSTINE saieth or for some other pretention of light consideratioÌ„ as for the entertainement of ciuill societie or by reason of some weake inclination they had to good which meeting with no great contradiction carried them oâ— to minute actions of vertue as for example to mutuall salutations to aide their friends to liue moderatly not to steale to fidelitie towards ones Maister to paie hirelings wages And neuerthelesse though this was so slender and full of diuers imperfections God tooke it in good part at those poore peoples hands and recompensed it largely 2. The midwiues whom Pharao commanded to kill all the male children of the Israelits â—ere without all dispute Egyptians and Pagans for making their excuse that they had not executed the Kings pleasure The hebrow women saied they are not like Egyptians for they know how to receiue the child and before we come vnto them they are deliuered an excuse which had not bene to the purpose if these midwiues had bene Iewes besids that it is not credible that Pharao would haue graunted so sharpe a Commission to Iewish-women against Iewish-women being of the same nation and religioÌ„ and with all Iosephus doth witnesse they were indeede Egiptians And be it they were Egiptians and Pagans yet did they feare to offend God by so barbarous and vnnaturall a crueltie as had bene the Masacre of so many little children which the diuine sweetenesse tooke so well at their hands that he built them houses that is to saie he made them become fruitfull in children and in temporall riches 3. NABVCODONOZOR king of Babilon had waged a iust warre against the towne of Tyrie which the Diuine Iustice would chastice and God signified to Ezechiel that in recompence thereof he would deliuer vp Egipt into the hands of NABVCODONOZOâ— and his armie Because saieth God they haue laboured for me hence addes S. HIEROME in his commentaries we learne that in case the Pagans themselues doe any Good they are not vnrewarded by God's Iudgement So did DANIEL exhort NABVCODONOZOR an Infidell to redeeme his sinnes by almes that is to ransome himselfe out of the temporall paines due vnto his sinne which hung ouer his head Doe you see then THEO how true it is that God doth esteeme vertues though practised by persons otherwise wicked If he had not approued the mercye of those Midwiues and the iustice of the Babilonian warrs would he haue taken the paines I praie you to haue rewarded them And if Daniel had not knowen that notwithstanding Nabucodonozors infidelitie his almes-deedes were agreeable vnto God why would he haue counselled him them Certes the Apostle assures vs that Pagans who haue no faith doe naturally performe that which belongs vnto the law and in doing so who can doubt but they doe well or that God doth make accompt of it Pagans vnderstoode that marriage was good and necessarie they saw that it was conuenient to haue their children brought vp in sciences in loue of their countries in ciuilitie and they did so Now I leaue it to your consideration whether this was not gratefull vnto God since to this end he indewed them with the light of reason and a naturall propention 4. Naturall reason is a good tree which Gods owne finger planted in our soule the fruits that spring from it cannot otherwise be then good yet in truth in comparison of that which springs from grace they are of a very lowe rate though not of no value sith God put a rate vpon them bestowing in respect of them temporall rewards as he rewarded the morall vertues of the Romans according to S. AVGVSTINE with the great extention and glorious reputation of their Empire 5. Sinne without question makes the soule sicke whence she is not able to performe great and powerfull operations though little ones she can for all the sicke mans actions are not sicke he speakes he sees he heares he drinkes The soule in sinne can doe good workes which being naturall are rewarded with naturall rewards being ciuile they are payed with ciuile and humane money that is with temporall commodities The sinner is not in the state of the diuills whose wills are so drunke vp and incorporated in euill that they can will no good at all No THEO the sinner in this world is not in this estate He is thereby indeede wounded to death in the way betwixt Hierusalem and Ierico but as yet is not dead for saieth the Ghospell he is left halfe aliue and as such he can produce actions halfe a liue t is true he can neither walke nor rise nor crie for aide no not so much as speake saue onely languidly by reason of his faint heart yet can he open his eyes stirre his fingers sigh make some little complaints which are weake actions notwithstanding all which he might haue bene found miserably lying dead in his owne blood had not the mercifull Samaritaine poured his owne honie and wine into his wounds and carried him to a lodging where he gaue charge that he should be dressed and looked too at his cost 5. Naturall reason is deeply wounded and halfe slayne by sinne so that being so at vnder it cannot obserue all the Commandements which notwithstanding it apprehends to be conuenient It knowes its dutie but cannot acquit it selfe thereof It 's eyes hath more light to discouer the way then its legges hath strength to vndertake it 6. The sinner may indeede here and there obserue some of the Commandements yea all of them for some small time while there is not presented vnto him high subiects in which commanded vertues are to be practised or some violent temptation of committing a prohibited sinne But that a sinner should siue loÌ„g in his sinne whithout adding to it new ones is not a thing that can be done but by God's speciall protection For mans enemie is hot stirring and in perpetuall action to precipitate him and when he sees that occasion of practising ordinarie vertues doe not occurre he stirrs vp a thousand temptations to make him fall into forbidden things at which time NATVRE without GRACE cannot warrant it selfe from falling for if we ouercome it 's God giues vs the victorie through IESVS CHRIST as S. PAVLE saieth watch and praie that you enter not into temptation If God had saied onely WATCH we should apprehend our owne power sufficient but adding PRAIE he showes that if he keepe