The exercise of a christian life. Written in Italian by the Reuerend Father Gaspar Loarte D. of Diuinitie, of the Societie of Iesus. And newly translated into Englishe. by I.S.

REMEDIES against lasciuiousnes.

¶ Cap. 19. (Book 19)

* 1.1

THE first remedie a man is to take against lasciuiousnes, is, with al diligence to flye occa * 1.2 sions; suche as commonlye vse to in∣flame our flesh with disordinate con∣cupiscence;

as is the conuersing with such persons, as either are wont, or at least wise might prouoke and kindle such fire; and a fixed viewe and curi∣ous regard of others comelines; sith, (as S. Isidore saith) The firste dartes of lust a 1.3 are the eyes, which (b 1.4 Ieremie said) had ge∣uen his soule in praye. And to make vs vn∣derstād this danger the better, S. Gre∣gory saith; how it is not lawful for vs to fixe our eye on that, which is not lawful for vs to desire, seing that deth is wont comonly to enter into vs by the c 1.5 windowes of our eyes and other senses. And therefore must thou take heede in like maner of vttering anye dishonest d 1.6 and ribald wordes, which corrupt good maners, as the Apostle e 1.7 saith; as also of listning to them; or of reading bookes, wherin such lasci∣uious and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wordes are written. But muche more oughtest thou to shunne the f 1.8 touching of such persons, as may occasionate a carnal alteration

in thee, and neuer to be in their com∣pany alone; sithens this fire is wont with solitarines and oportunitie soo∣nest to be kindled. For this cause doth S. a 1.9 Ierome write these wordes to Ne∣apotian: If through thy office and function of priesthood, neede vrge thee to visite any widowe or virgin, see thou enter not alone into her chā∣her, but take such a companion with thee, as by his presince thy soule may be preserued.

Take heede also of the receauing any letters b 1.10 or tokens from such par∣ties being absent; as also of sending a∣nye to them; sith these thinges are but stickes to kindle and keepe in this wicked fire. Finally this vice (as S. Austine saith) is much better van∣quished * 1.11 by flying then by fighting; and therefore behoueth it, thou al∣wais c 1.12 flye the peril, not to perish in it.

In this respect too beware of being d 1.13 idle at any time; and of too muche pampering vp thy fleshe, with disor∣dinate diet in eating and drinking;

with to sumptuous & effeminate at∣tiring; with sleeping in too softe and easie bedding. Brieflye beware of al such like delicacies; which are al of thē incēsiues, & prouokers of this brutish appetite: For otherwise, no doubt but experience shal testifie that a moste true saying of holy writt, that a 1.14 Who so nourisheth his seruaunt too daintslye, shal finde him afterwardes obstinate and rebellious. It shal therefore be greatly profitable for suche as be yonge, and of sanguin complexion, to vse nowe and then some kinde of discipline, hear-cloth, fasting, watching, and other like cor∣poral austerities, wherewith the bro∣des of our fleshe are bridled, and it made obedient and subiect to the spi∣rite. For if S. Paule did in this wise chastise his body, (as he b 1.15 witnesseth him-selfe he did) much more ought he to doo the like, who standeth in greter need of this medicine; besides,

that eche of these chastisements shal make thy meede increase; sith they are al of them the works of penance; which others doo of mere free wil, only to occasionate their greater me∣rite; and to please God their souerain Lorde withal.

SECONDLY, thou must be mer∣uailous * 1.16 heedy and circumspect, to ex∣pel these wicked thoughtes presently after they begin once to solicite and trouble thy minde, and to tickle thy flesh; forcing thy selfe al thou maiest, not to geue them any entrance; but in lieu therof to occupie thy minde in some other good and godly cogi∣tations; And thus must we like-wise behaue our selues in ech other temp∣tation and suggestion; but specially in this of the flesh; For looke by how much the more thou sufferest suche thoughts to enter in, and perseuerest in them; and by so muche the more wil they fortifie them-selues, & with

greater difficultie be driuen out a∣gaine; which would neuer hap, if at, the verye beginning thou diddest shake them off, and oppose thy selfe manfully to bear off their first brun∣tes. Wherevpon a holy father saide right wel, that the thought of forni∣catiō, if we resist it in the beginning, when the deuil doth first put it in our heartes, is as brittle as a bul-rush, * 1.17 and may right easily be broken; but if we receaue it with delight and pleasure, and linger any time therein, then doth it become as hard as yron, and verye hardlye can be broken: wherto may that saying of the psal∣mist be fitly applied: a 1.18 Blessed is he that shal breaze his 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ones; to Wit, the begin∣ning of his tentations; with the stone, which is, b 1.19 Iesus Christ.

But if in case through thy retchles∣nes and smal regard these temptatiōs had made a breache, and were alredie fortified in thy fleshe; and thou ther∣by

in daunger to consent and yeelde vnto them, let this be then.

THE THIRD remedie, to crye a∣maine * 1.20 vpon God with great zeale and affection (like as they doo, which in the maine Seas are sodainly endan∣gered with some horrible tempest) crauing his diuine helpe with certain short and pithie sentences, like to these; a 1.21 Deus in adiutorium meū intende. &c. b 1.22 Domine vim patior, responde pro me. c 1.23 Domine ne discedas a me. d 1.24 Ne tradaes 〈◊〉〈◊〉 animā con∣fitentem tibi. e 1.25 Iesu fili Dauid miserete mei. With these and suche like woordes maiest thou cal for his diuine fauour. It shal likewise verye much auaile thee to recommend thy selfe to our blessed Lady; and to the holy Saintes of heauen; specially such as thou bea∣rest moste deuotion too; yea, and to seeke some vertuous man, if haplye in that instant thou couldest hit of any, who with his godly exhortati∣ons & good prayers might not a litle

procure thine auaile and benefite.

THE FOVRTH remedie in this case * 1.26 shalbe, to geue some affliction to thy fleshe, by fasting, watching, disciplin; * 1.27 yea, and in the time of daunger to cause some sensible and present grief, that thereby the stinges thou feelest, may be choked vp; and thou made forget those vnlawful delightes thou art prouoked too. This remedie did Saint a 1.28 Benet vse, feeling some fire in his fleshe through the thinking of a woman; who stripping off his cloathes, rowled him-selfe starke na∣ked vppon thornes; and weltered sō longe there, til his bodye became al of a goare bloud, and so vanquished his tentation. * 1.29

THE FIFTE Remedie is, eftsons to thinke of death, forsomuche as no one thing (sayth Saint Gregorie) b 1.30 is of so great force to dompt the de∣sires and concupiscences of the flesh,

as to thinke of the vgglines and filth therof, being once dead. This remedy did a holy father vse, a 1.31 of whom we reade in the liues of Saintes; that be∣ing much disquieted with wicked suggestions towardes a woman, who he had earst knowen in the worlde; and finding no meanes how to ridde the same out of his minde; it hapned on a time, that a frende of his being come to visite him, amongst other * 1.32 thinges, tolde, howe such a woman was departed: This good father hea∣ring him, and being wel informed where she was interred, got him thi∣ther on a night; where, opening the sepulohre, that the deade corpes did lye in; and finding it now rotten, and stinking very filthely, foiled a hand∣kerchefe he had for the nonst brought with him, in this carianly filth; and therewith returned home againe to his lodging: afterwardes, when either this, or any other woman came to his

minde, he presently tooke this cloth, and al to be-smothred his face with al, saying: Glutt thy selfe, thou 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wretche, glutt thy selfe with this filthie sauour of stinking fleshe; and by this meanes was ridd of this tentation.

THE SIXT remedie, and that a ve∣rye * 1.33 soueraine one, especially for reli∣gious men, a 1.34 to subdue both these and other their temptations with; is, pre∣sently to reueale their thoughtes to their superiours and ghostly fathers; this being a thing that wonderfullye displeaseth the deuil, and that causeth him to flye with vtter confusion; like as a man would do, if the woman he solicited to lewdnes, should forth∣with discouer his dishonest sutes vn∣to * 1.35 her husband. This counsaile did a holye father geue to a yonge man, greeued with this temptation; who folowing the same, and feeling on a night this conflict, ranne diuers times to this his ghostlye father; returning

euermore as his temptation retour∣ned; and declared to him what he felt and suffred; seriously recommending him-selfe to his good prayers; and by this meanes, what through the good wordes his ghostlye father gaue him, and the godly consolations he encou∣raged him with, it pleased God to perfectly deliuer him.

These particuler remedies, together with the general spoken of in the former Chapter, maye greatly helpe * 1.36 to defend thee against this sinn. And yet besides those common considera∣tions there assigned, thou maiest take for a seuēth remedie others that serue more particulerly against this sin; as might be the aduises folowing.

FIRST consider, howe God a 1.37 doth looke vpon thee, and thy gardian & good Angel beholdeth al thine acti∣ons; that by this means thou be asha∣med to perpetrate so dishonest an act in their celestial sight and presence;

sith before any neuer so simple a mā, thou wouldest not be so impudent and shamelesse, as to cōmit the 〈◊〉〈◊〉

SECONDLY consider, howe thy soule is with this vice moste notori∣ously polluted; yea, thy fleshe it selfe, and al thy members, (which whiles thou perseuerest in grace, are the tem∣ple of the holy ghost) become nowe through this sinne the members of an harlot, as a 1.38 S. Paule saith; and from a companion and felowe of Angels, (which thou art, liuing in chastitie) thou makest thy self a pheere and fe∣lowe to brute beastes, by liuing dis∣honestly.

THIRDLY consider the particuler dis-commodities that rise of this de∣testable & stinking sin; first it short∣neth life, impaireth strength; chāgeth complexiō and comly hew of body; consumeth a mans b 1.39 substance; and spoileth him of his good name; sith there is no sin so infamous amongst al men, as this is. Briefely, this vice

occasioneth an infinite number of o∣ther euils; which dayly experience, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 declare and teache vs.

〈◊〉〈◊〉 consider, that albeit thou wouldest neuer so faine wallow stil in this pestiferous puddle of sin, and desire neuer so greatlye to satiate this corrupt desire of thine, yet shal it be impossible for thee so to doo; this being one of the thinges that is neuer satiated. And therefore, looke how much more thou wadest in this vice, a 1.40 & so much more shal the thirst of concupiscēce be inflamed, euē like to fire; the which, looke howe much more wood there is heaped on it, and so much more doth it kindle, and the flame growe greater. Al these things, if thou weigh them wel, and often, shal suffice, I hope, to make thee ab∣horre this brutal sinne, and cause thee couragiously to resist al such tentati∣ons as shal induce thee to it.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The firste remedie a∣gainst lust
• * 1.2

  Occasions to be es∣chewed.
• a 1.3

  S. Isid. li. 2. de summo bono. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 39 Iob. 31. a. b Eccl. 9. b.
• b 1.4

  Ier. Thre. 3. f
• c 1.5

  Ier. 9. f
• d 1.6

  Colos. 3. b. Eph. 5. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• e 1.7

  1 Cor. 15. d
• f 1.8

  1 Cor. 7. a
• a 1.9

  Ier. epist. 2. quae est ad Neapo∣tianum de vit. Cleric.
• b 1.10

  Ier. vbi 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Ber. ser. 61. de modo ben. viu.
• * 1.11

  Flight more safe then fight.
• c 1.12

  Eccles. 3. d
• d 1.13

  Eze. 10. f Ber. ser. 51. de mod. ben viu.
• a 1.14

  Pro. 29. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• b 1.15

  1. Cor. 9. d
• * 1.16

  The. 2. Re∣medie. Wicked suggestions are to be expelled at the first.
• * 1.17

  A pretie similitude.
• a 1.18

  Ps. 136. a
• b 1.19

  1 Cor. 10. b
• * 1.20

  The. 3. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• a 1.21

  Ps. 69. a
• b 1.22

  Esal. 38. c
• c 1.23

  Psal. 37. d
• d 1.24

  Psa. 73. d
• e 1.25

  Mar. 10. g Mat. 15. c
• * 1.26

  The. 4. Re∣medie.
• * 1.27

  Sensible of fliction ve∣rye neces∣sary in ex∣tremities
• a 1.28

  Gre. PP. initio vitae D. Bene∣dicts, quae habetur li. 2. Dial. ca. 1. & sequ.
• * 1.29

  The. 5. Re∣medie.
• b 1.30

  Greg. lib. 16. Moral. cap. 31.
• a 1.31

  lib. 1. de∣spir. forni. in 2. part. vit. SS. P. litera. f. & lib. 7. cont. fornic.
• * 1.32

  An history of great ef ficacie.
• * 1.33

  The. 6. Re∣medie.
• a 1.34

  Ber. serm. 38. de mo. ben. viu. Pallad. v. 29. de Pach. v. 59 de Helen.
• * 1.35

  Confession confoun∣deth the Diuel.
• * 1.36

  The 7. Re∣medie.
• a 1.37

  Ambr. in cap. 4. Luc. Ber. Serm. 29. de mo. ben. viu. General considera∣tions pecu∣lierly ser∣uing a∣gainst las∣ciuiousnes.
• a 1.38

  1. Cor. 6 c. d.
• b 1.39

  Luc. 15. b
• a 1.40

  Arist. ca. 1. lib. 7. de hist. ani∣mal.