wrote to him he did it with reuerence vpon his knees and in his Reliquary he wore the name of S. Ignatius cut out of a letter of his to him as the relique of some great Saint whilst yet he was aliue He suffered himselfe to be guided like a child by S. Ignatius depending wholy of him and euer cherishing in his brest an admirable opinion of his sanctity which vpon all occasions he desired to expresse VVhich words saith S. Chrisostome in the like subiect hom 1. ad populum do sufficiently demonstrate and speake all his vertues for the iudgments of Saints goe not either by fauour or disfauour but are to be held vnquestionable The B. Virgin S. Teresia added much to the glory of S. Ignatius CHAP. XIX IF the glory of the Father be the wise child as holy writ expresseth the B. Virgin S. Teresia that glorious Foundresse of the Disealced Carmelites a woman so famous for her admirable and heroicall vertues who by those eminent degrees of Contemplation arriued to so fast a freindship with Christ renowned for her writings of mysticall Diuinity glorious for her patience and sufferance of labours one so higly esteemed through the Christian world for her reformation of the Carmelytes an elect spouse of Christ who through her vehemency of diuine loue was often surprised with extasies a woman famous for that fiery Cherubins dart piercing her brest one inflamed with an vnquencheable desire and thirst of soules adorned with the flower of pure Virginity glorious ouer the Christian world for her celestiall visions her spirit of prophecy her manifold guift of cures in her life tyme and after this sacred Virgin I say added much to the glory of S. Ignatius as one who acknowledged herselfe a child of his Society making vse of the Fathers of it for her confessions and the whole manage of her spirituall affayres and miraculously came to the knowledge of many things in praise of the Society leauing testimonyes of it both by word and writing and particularly in her Lise written by her selfe by the commaund of a certayne great Diuine of the Order of S. Dominick Out of which Life translated afterwards into Italian printed at Rome in the yeare 1601. and dedicated to Pope Clement the eight by the Arch-Bishop of Auignion I will here relate some passages translated word by word into Latin In the 5. Chapter and 47. page of the said life S. Teresia writeth thus I Remained in this blindnes aboue 17. yeares as I remeÌ„ber til a certaine learned Father of the Order or S. Dominick opened my eyes in some things and they of the Society of Iesus possessed me intyrely with such feares to wâ— that certaine sinnes were not to be esteemed trâ—fles which some ignorant Ghostly Fathers had taught her to be no sinns aggrauating my ill conceaued principles as I will relate hereafter c. In the 23. Chapter and 236. page of the same life S. Teresia writeht thus VVHen the Fathers of the Society of Iesus arriued here to whom I not knowing any of them found my selfe much addicted only because I had vnderstood as well of their insight into matters of Spirit as of their maÌ„ner of Praier but I found not worth in my selfe to discourse with them nor strength enough to obey them c. And againe in the same Chapter page 239. the speaketh thus IT was for my greater good that I came to know and deale with men so holy as they of the Society of Iesus It is here by the way to be noted that one Antony Kerbeke an Augustin Friar in his Latin version of the life of S. Teresia published at MeÌ„ts the yeare 1603. and printed by Iohn Albin hath omitted this almost all things els written by S. Teresia in praise of the Society But what his drift was in it it is hard to iudge And in the 244. page I Was afflicted suspecting my owne misery that they of the houshould should see me deale with persons of such Sanctity as they of the Society I seemed to haue the greater obligation not to become so miserable and to depriue my self of my idle recreations And againe page 246. in the end of the Chapter S. Teresia writeth BLessed be God who gaue me grace howsoeuer vnperfectly to obey my ghostly Fathers who for the most part were those blessed men of the Society of Iesus and my soule afterwards began to perceaue a manifest amendment as now I will relate In the 24. Chapter and 249. page she writeth thus of the Society I Dwelt not farre from them reioysing much that I could haue often communication with them for my only knowing of the holines of their conuersation was the cause of that great proficience I discouered in my soule In the 33. Chapter and 364. page writing of a certaine iourney she made with licence of her Prouinciall I Was much comformed when I vnderstood that in that place there was a House of the Society of Iesus In the 38. Chapter and 421. page she writheth thus of the Society SAint Teresia here in her originall manuscript expresseth the name of the Society and reported the same by word of mouth witnesse Ribera in his life of S. Teresia printed at Rome in the 4. Booke 5. Chapter and 207 page which life the Reuerend Father Friar John a Iesu Maria discalced Carmelite in his abridgement of S. Teresia's life printed at Rome in the yeare 1609. and dedicated to Pope Paul the first stileth a history most worthy to be credited in his 1. Book 1. Chapter and 4. page thus say S. Teresia writeth of the Society I saw admirable things of some Religious persons of a certayne Order and of the whole Order in generall I oftentymes saw them in Heauen with white banners in their hands and at other tymes I had the like visions full of admiration In which respect I hould the said Order in great veneration as one who haue long conuersed with them and perceaue their liues to be conformable to that which Almighty God hath reuealed to me of them The same is to be read in the life of S. Teresia pag. 303. published in Latin by Martin Martinez and printed at Collen by Iohn Kinckius in the yeare 1620. And in the same Chapter in the page 430. of her life S. Teresia writeth thus FInding my selfe thus much afflicted in soule and body in a certaine Church of the Society of Iesus where I was hearing the Masse which one of the Fathers said for a Brother of the Society lately deceased I saw him enter into Heauen with great glory and by a particular fauour accompany the Maiesty of our Lord. In the 39. Chapter and 447 page towards the end BEing saith she in a Church of a certaine Colledge of the Society whilst the Brothers of that Colledge were receauing the B. Sacrament I saw a precious garment or as the Italian translation stileth it Pallio hang ouer their heads and this I saw twice but when other
subiects counselled her vtterly to retrench and renounce all such freindships a thing which appeared some what rigorous in her eye when she reflected vpon the ingratitude if it But the Father vrged that she would haue recours to prayer enioyning her for some dayes the hymne of the holy Ghost for obtayning light in that particular which she seriously vndertocks and praying some what long for that intention vpon a certayne day she was surprised with a suddaine extasie which till that tyme was a thing vnvsuall with her and being welneare depriued of her senses she heard these words within the center of her soule It is my will that now thou hould freindship with Angels not with men VVhich words added so strong a resolution to her brest that in a moment she ouercame herselfe in that which for many yeares to geather by great industry and much importunity she could not conquer in herselfe From this tyme forward our mercifull God began to speake to her and often conuerse with her Thus he Of the glory deriued to S. Ignatius from S. Philip Nerius CHAPTER XX. BEfore we treat of the meanes by which S. Philip Nerius increased the glory of S. Ignatius we will breifely touch who and how eminent a man this S. Philip was He was therfore the Founder of the Congregation of the Oratory which as it hath begotten many famous meÌ„ so amoÌ„gst others it produced that renowned writer of Ecclesiasticall Annales Caesar Baronius and Thomas Bazius author of the two Tomes of the maker of the Church whose spirituall Master and Father B. S. Philp was amongst all other Christian vertues in which he was eminent he euer preserued his virginity vntouched besides which he had a miraculous guift bestowed vpon him of discerning in chast persons the perfume of chastity and in others the ranknes and stench of vnchastity He was famous for the guift of Prophecy he arriued to the knowledge of many things concealed farre from him and such as were the most intimate secrets of mens harts he foretould things to come he was vsually comforted with the apparitions of Christ and of his Angells and Saints He appeared to many in his life tyme releeuing them in their afflictions he cured sick persons without number and recouered men gasping at deaths dore he restored one dead man to life in his life tyme another after his owne decease to omit many other glorious miracles wrought by him he was seene raised from the ground in the tyme of his Masses and other deuotions he reclaimed many men from their sinefull to a vertuous and religious life he was euer held in great veneration of all men In conclusion he ended his dayes at Rome full of merites the 26. day of May the yeare of our Lord 1595. in the 80. yeare of his age This eminent man was a familiar acquaintance of S. Ignatius at whose hands he sought long before his institution of the Congregation of the Oratory to haue beene admitted into the Society as his familiar freinds the two Cardinalls Cusane and Bellarmine to whom he himselfe had often tould it bore witnesse of him after his decease but he receaued a deniall from S. Ignatius as a man designed by the prouidence of God for some other Institution beneficiall to the Church howbeit he was euer a tender louer of the Society as wel in the life tyme of S. Ignatius as after of whom as Gallonin amongst other sworne witnesses testifieth in the 15. page of his life published at Rome in Latin S. Philip was wont to say that S. Ignatius was a man of that sanctity that the interiour beauty of his soule shewed it selfe in him exteriourly professing to haue often seene rayes of brightnes to proceed from his eyes and countenancd which thing as well the Auditours of the holy Rote as Cardinalls of the holy Rites vnderstood to be an euideÌ„t token of his sanctity No merueile then if S. Philip being an eyewitnes of the sanctity of S Ignatius was wont to haue recourse to him for counsell in his doubts and was comforted with the only sight of him when he was afflicted in mind and that after the death of S. Ignatius he euer cherished that freindship begun with the Society Besides when he changed his place of habitation froÌ„ S. Hierom. to a place neare the Church of S. Maria in Valicella for many yeares after as long as he continued Gernerall of the Congregation of the Oratory he vsed for his Ghostly Father F. Iohn Baptista Perusco of the Society of Iesus a man of holy life and well versed in affaires of spirit And afterwards hauing resigned his Office of Generall to Cesar Baronius one of the same Congregation and begun to vse him for his Ghostly Father which was two yeares before his death beiÌ„g then worne out with yeares vnable to betake himselfe to F. Perusco dwelling farre from him he was often accustomed notwithstanding at certaine tymes of the yeare to addresse himselfe to him and by a Generall Confession to giue him an account of his conscience Of the glâ—ry accrewing to S. Ignatius by S. Charles Borromeus CHAP. XXI THat matchlesse example of Sanctity S. Charles Borromeus Cardinal and Arch-Bishop of Milan was not the least cause of S. Ignatius his glory of whom he euer bore a pious memory after his decease by the vse of his booke of Spirituall Exercises arriued to that emineÌ„t degree of sanctity notorious to the whole world and as much as he could conueniently perpetually made vse of his Society as appeareth by many conuinâ—ing arguments out of the memorable things done by S. Charles published by certaine domesticall Prelats of his Iohn Peter Guissano Grattarolio and others In the yeare 1562. S. Charles being to receyue holy Orders and desiring worthily to prepare himself to offer vp his first Sacrifice of the Masse to Almighty God he made choise for that purpose of the house of the professed Fathers of the Society at 〈◊〉 where he prepared himselfe with the Spirituall Exercise of S. Ignatius Founder of the said Society So writeth M. Aurelio Graitarolio in his Italian Booke of the successes of the veneration of S. Charles and in an Oration made vpon his anniuersary day before an other Cardinall Borromeus the Clergy and people of Millan the yeare 1601. The same S. Charles when he had with great pompe ceremony celebrated his first Masse in publike to satisfy the deuotion of the people that he might more freely comply with his owne priuate deuotion he would celebrate his second Masse the next day in the house of the professed Fathers of the Society and that in a priuate Chappell S. Ignatius was woÌ„t to vse where he watched that whole night Se Sachinus in his history of the Society part 2. lib. 7. n. 11. In the yeare 1562. In the first beginning of his Priest hood he began also with more then ordinary austerity and frequent prayers to dedicate himselfe to the exercises of vertue In
people communicated I saw no such thing In the. 40. Chapter and 455. page of her life she speketh thus of the said Society of Iesus witnesse Ribera in her life writen by him in his 4. Booke and 5. Chapiter BEing vpon a tyme at my prayers with great recollection peace and quietnes I seemed to my selfe to be placed neare God and inuironed with Angels where I besought his diuine Maiesty for the good of the Church And it was reuealed to me what profit should accrew to the Church by a certayne Religious Order in the later dayes together with the fortitude with which that Order should vphold the Church And Ribera in the place aboue mentioned expresseth these words spoken then by Christ to S. Teresia to haue been vnderstood of the Society of Iesus as Martin Martinez translateth them pag 307. Oh if thou didst know what supplies those men shall bring to the decaying Church in after ages c. Which vision she saith she often had And howbeit in that life of S. Teresia which goeth about in print the name of the Society is not particularly expressed yet in the originall life and in all written copies I haue seen of it the name of the Society is particularly vsed And these words of our Sauiour she repeateth againe in the 40. Chapter howsoeuer not expressing the name of the Society which as I said is apparent and receaued from the mouth of S. Theresia her selfe So Martinez The said S. Teresia hearing one day the Masse of F. Balthazar Aluarez of the Society of Iesus her Ghostly Father saw him crowned with a Crowne of wonderfull brightnes all the tyme his Masse endured as Lewis de la Puente recounteth in the life of F. Aluarez c. 6. § 1. pag. 69. It was reuealed to S. Teresia that the said F. Aluarez her Ghostly Father should be saued and our Sauiour shewed her an eminent place in Heauen which he was to enioy adding that he was at that present arriued to so high a degree of perfection in this world as was not exceeded by any man then aliue that according to that degree his seate in Heauen was prepared that he was gon beyond the perfection of all creatures then vpon the earth and yet then the Church of God was well stored with men of rare Sanctity as well in the Society as out of it This reuelation S. Teresia discouered to F. Baltazar himselfe and other Fathers of the Society and to some of her owne Monastery other Religious persons who reported it as a truth infallible She noted it also in her secret Notes which fell afterwards into the hands of Diego Iepesio Bishop of Tarazona who set forth her life in Spanish in the yeare 1606. and dedicated it to Pope Paul the fifth amongst which Notes he finding this reuelation imparted it to others as Lewis de la Puente writeth in the life of F. Aluarez § 2. pag. 124. and 126. The said S. Teresia being demaunded by one of her NuÌ„ns whether she thought it would any way auaile her to be directed by F. Aluarez replied that it were a great mercy of Almighty God to her for quoth she he is one to whom my soule oweth more then to all others in this world and who hath more assisted â—â—d directed me in the way of perfection So writeth Lewis de la Puente in the life of F. Aluarez cap. 11. in the beginning of the page 117. The same S. Teresia appearing many yeares after her death to a certaine seruaÌ„t of God of approued vertue credit and one particularly deuoted to herselfe and comforting her in her afflictions amoÌ„gst other things vttered these words And I my selfe quoth she am a child of the Society and had one of that Order for my Ghostly Father whom now I see and honour in Heauen Which she vnderstood of F. Aluarez for though she had other Ghostly Fathers also of the Society yet he remained longest so and with great industry assisted her to put in execution those her aspiring thoughts and of whom she boasted that he had been her Ghostly Father and Master Se Lewis de la Puente in the life of F. Aluarez cap. 58. § 1. page 607. The same S. Teresia knew by reuelation of the death of fourty Fathers and Brothers of the Society martyred by the heretikes in their iourney to Brasill and as soone as they were put to death reuealed it to F. Aluarez her Ghostly Father that she had seene theÌ„ with crownes of Martyrdome in Heauen As Diego Iepesio Bishop of Tarazona writeth in the life of S. Theresia lib. 3. cap. 7. pag. 152. The same S. Theresia saw the soule of F. Gutierez of the Society of Iesus who died in France for the faith by the miseryes sustained in prison carried in triumph into Heauen with a Laurell of Martyrdome as is to be read in the life of F. Suarez printed at Lions 1620. in the begining of his first Tome de Graâ—â—a But they of the Society who haue either been Ghostly Fathers of S. Teresia or els at her intreaty haue had the examination of her spirit or reuelations and haue approued them are these following as they are mencioned by the writers or translatours of S. Teresia's life B. Francis Borgia F. Antony Araoz F. Giles Gonzalez F. Balthazar Aluarez F Martin Gutiers F. Salagar F. Ripalda F. Paul Hernandez F. Rodorignez Aluarez F. Santander F. Francis Ribera F. Henriquez F. Bartholmew Perez others singularly expert in matters of spirit whose names the Reader may find in the abridgment of the life of B. Mother Teresia set forth at Rome by the Rd. Father Friar Iohn discalced Carmelite in his 1. booke 1. chapter and 8. page and 1. booke 10. chapter and 51. page and 4. booke 4. and 5. chapters 227. 231 pag. And in Ribera 4. booke 7. Chapter and 316. page of his Roman edition in Italian And in the 8. page of the Italian abridgemeÌ„t published at Rome this present yeare And in the preface of Cosmo Gacci annexed to the Italian life of S. Tertsia And in the Epistle dedicatory of the said life printed in Latin at Collen by Iohn Kinckius And that S. Teresia drew those first beginnings of her more tender and entire freindship with Almighty God from the aduise and couÌ„sel of a Ghostly Father of hers of the Society the R. Father Iohn a Iesus Maria discalced Carmelite witnesseth in his abridgement of her life lib. 1. c. 10. pag. 51. in these words About that time saith he her Ghâ—stly Father deceased at Abâ—â—a a thing which much afflicted her because she coÌ„ceaued she should hardly find another to succeed him so answerable to her desire Yet she chose another of the same Society who discouering that out of a noblenes of disposition in her she would not suffer herselfe to be behind hand with any person who bore her any affection in the way of freind-ship in such things nouerthelesse as lesned not her affection to heauenly