Deuout contemplations expressed in two and fortie sermons vpon all ye quadragesimall Gospells written in Spanish by Fr. Ch. de Fonseca Englished by. I. M. of Magdalen Colledge in Oxford

Ductus est Iesus a Spiritu in desertum vt tentaretur.

Hee was led by the Spirit into the Desart, that hee might bee tempted. The holy Ghost was a guide to all our Sauiours Actions: Hee was Dux & Comes (as Saint Cyprian saith) or as Esay hath it, Spiritus sanctus, ductor eius fuit, i. The holy Spirit was his Leader. But in none of our Actions makes the Scripture any mention that the holy Ghost leadeth vs vnto, but onely to Temptation. And this is expres∣sed with wordes that carry a kind of force with them, though voluntary and sweet. Expulit, agebatur, ductus est, Hee drew him not, hee was chased, hee was led. And the mysterie thereof is, that no man ought to presume, considering his weake∣nesse, so much vpon his owne securitie and confidence, that hee should enter in∣to Temptation, vnlesse the holy Ghost take him vp as it were by the haire of the

head, and set him into it. And the truth of this doctrine is deliuered vnto vs by Victor Antiochenus,* 1.1 Saint Iohn, Chrisostome, Gregorius Nissenus, Euthimius, & many other Saints of God. In corporall warre, it is greater courage to fight, than to flie; but in the spirituall warfare, the assurance of the Victorie consists in flying. And God would rather haue vs to bee cowards through feare, than couragious through presumption; and therefore hee first promiseth vs his Protection, that is, his Ayd, and his Fauour. Deus refugium & virtus, adiutor in opportunitatibus, & in tribulatione, i. God is a helper in due season, & in tribulation. Hee first sayes, he will bee our refuge, and afterwards our helper. Flye therefore from danger, and haue recourse vnto God, and beeing sheltred vnder the shadow of his wings, and vpheld by the strength of his Arme, thou needst not feare any harme that Hell can doe vnto thee. So that God is not bound to fauour thee in those temp∣tations which thou doost thrust thy selfe into, but in those that thou seekest to shun. Saint Austen, aduising I know not whom, that they should not talke and conuerse with Women so familiarly as they did; they excused themselues vn∣to him, telling him, that they onely did so, that they might meete with some Temptations wherewith to encounter. But this glorious Doctor plainely told them; Herein, you seeke nothing but dangers, and stumbling blockes to cause you to fall. And as it is fit to take from before the eyes of the franticke, all those images and pictures which may moue passion in him, for that they wil be an oc∣casion to make him madder than euer he was before; so, ought a sinner to auoid all the vanities of this World.* 1.2 Ecce elongaui fugiens, & mansi in solitudine. Saint Bernard hath well obserued, that for his better ease and quiet, this holy King, did not onely leaue his owne Citie, but fled farre from it. And hee that shall flie from the occasions of sinning, performes no small matter. But hee that shall flie a farre off from them, will find it to bee most for his ease. Temptation, as it is the Deuils acte, is ill; and God doth not will it positiuely, but permissiuely hee doth; so sayth Saint Chrisostome: Aduising vs, that wee should not seeke after them, but if they chance to set vpon vs, then are wee to stand to it, and valiantly to fight it out. This our Sauiour Christ would insinuate to his Disciples, in the garden, when hee sayd vnto them; Watch and pray that yee enter not into Tempta∣tion.* 1.3 For a man to sleepe, when hee is in daunger, and not to flie vnto God for succour, is to seeke after Temptation. Saint Austen, Saint Cyprian, Saint Grego∣rie, and Saint Chrysostome, say, That this is the meaning of that prayer which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 daily make, And lead vs not into Temptation. Which carries with it a double sence. The one, Lead vs not (ô Lord) into Temptation, for our weakenesse and frail∣tie is exceeding great. So doth Petrus Chrisologus expound it. But because it is not a fitting language for a Souldier to desire of his Captaine, that hee should not send him foorth to fight; that other sence is more plaine, Suffer vs not (ô Lord) to fall into Temptation.* 1.4 But if thou wilt permit that wee must bee temp∣ted, yet consent not (ô Lord) that wee bee ouercome. And this sence, Saint Austen seemeth to approue in that his sermon, de Monte. But in what sence soeuer you take it, it is very true, that no man ought rashly to run himselfe into danger; And Saint Cyprian sayth, That no man should presume to offer his throat to bee cut by a tyrants knife, out of a desire that he hath to suffer for our Sauiours sake, but that hee waight his time and tarry till they take him and put him vpon the racke. Lactantius Firmianus sayth, That hee that vnnecessarily ventures vpon danger, ought not to bee stiled valiant, nor indeed is, but ought rather to bee ac∣counted rash and inconsiderate: For hee that is truely valiant, is neither rash in daring, nor imprudent in fearing, nor weake in suffering; as Saint Austen hath

well noted. When the waues and windes of Temptation, blow, and beat hard against mans brest, and seeming to ouerwhelme him, hee remaineth firme as a Rocke, this is true fortitude indeed. In Dauids Tower (which is a Type of the Church) all the weapons of warre were defensiue, as Shields, and Targets, and Morrions; Mille clypei pendent ex ea. And it is further added, That these were the Armes and weapons of the strong and valiant men.

Some will say, That there is no worke of vertue which is not subiect to temptation. Who did euer begin to walke in the way of perfection, who did not meet with a thousand phantasies? Diabolus enim semper per primordia boni pul∣sat, & tentat rudimenta virtutum, saith Chrysologus; it beeing therefore needefull that wee should flie from temptation, shall it not bee likewise necessarie, that wee flie from perfection. Hereunto Thomas answereth, That to follow perfe∣ction is a worke of the holy Ghost, who is the Author thereof; and hauing him for our second, to bring vs into the Field, wee need not to feare. They that in the Primitiue Church did people the Deserts and solitarie places, did no doubt perceiue that they should be set vpon and tempted: But because their end was not to play bo-peepe with the Deuill, and to goe about to mocke him, but to serue their God, and to enioy his fauour, they did not care a fig for all his temp∣tations. In a word, The temptations that wee are to flie from, are those which of their owne nature dispose vs vnto sinne; as vnlawfull games, offensiue con∣uersations, ill companie, dancing, masking, and idle Enterludes: for he that tou∣cheth Pitch shall be defiled therewith. Saint Paul writing to the Hebrews,* 1.5 giues vs this good aduice, Deponentes omne pondus, & circumstans nos peccatum, Laying euery weight aside, and the sinne that stands about vs. Where the word Circumstans is much to be weighed: for there are many things, which albeit they bee not sin, yet are they verie neere vnto sinne. And (as Saint Austen saith) as Gods mer∣cie doth round and gard the gates about the house of the Righteous, Circumuo∣litabat à longè misericordia tua: So likewise the malice of the Deuill doth round our soules, and spreddeth his nets round about vs to intrap vs: and therfore we must continually fixe our eye vpon Christ Iesus our onely Sauiour; Aspicientes in authorem fidei: that when the Deuill shall come to tempt vs, he shall finde him∣selfe so stript of all occasions to cause vs to sinne, that hee shall bee forced to be∣take himselfe to stones, as he did against our Sauiour.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Temporall victories got∣ten by figh∣ting, Sprituall by flying.
• * 1.2

  Psal. 54.
• * 1.3

  Mat. 28.
• * 1.4

  Though wee ought to suf∣fer for Christs sake, wee should not yet seeke it.
• * 1.5

  Heb. 12.