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 the sinne and tentations of Enuye.

¶ Cap. 25. (Book 25)

IT NOWE remaineth, to set thee downe some reme∣dies

against the temptations of enuie or malice, wherewith the fiende is in like maner wont to assault & tempt vs; For as holy writt a 1.1 doth witnes: Through the malice of the deuil death first en∣tred into the world. This made the Iewes b 1.2 to seeke our Lorde and Sauiour his death; and by this vice haue manye murders, c 1.3 and innumerable wicked d 1.4 actes been committed in the world. This is also that moste cruel beast, which Iacob e 1.5 said had deuoured his sonne Ioseph. And therefore must thou carefully foresee, that this vene∣mous vipre beginne not at any time to nourishe her-selfe in thy soul, but forth-with at the very first brunt to kil and cast her out, vsing for that purpose these instructions and adui∣ses folowing.

FIRST consider, howe this sinne * 1.6 of malice, or enuie, (which is accor∣ding to S. Austin) a griefe and sorowe at others felicitie.) is more hurtful and vn∣profitable then any of the other; for

albeit other sinnes doo hurt the soul, * 1.7 yet afforde they, I knowe not what kinde of miserable taste and plea∣sure to the fleshe; but this vrle vice, doth both hurt the soule, and afflict the fleshe; sith it sealdeth the heart, pineth the body, withereth the face, appaleth the countenauce; and come∣lye sanguine hewe; briefly, it tormen∣teth & ouerthroweth the whole mā, being like to the worme that con∣sumeth the wood, whereof she com∣meth. And thē is it, that the enuious mā findeth him-self in worst case, & most wretched, whē th'other, whō he maliceth, is best at case, and happiest.

SECONDLY consider, howe by shaking off this so fretting and fruit∣lesse * 1.8 a vice, and by being in the sta'e of Gods good grace; thou art a 1.9 a par∣taker of al such good things as others doo possesse; sith charitie doth make them thine; and therefore oughtest thou to be ioyful that others enioye

goodes, and liue so happilye, rather then to be sorowful, or any whitt greeued therat. For by reioysing with * 1.10 charitie, thou art made happye in their happines; and by malitiouslye repining therat, thou losest thy part, and they remaine stil with their pro∣speritie; which, albeit they lost yet shouldest not thou recouer it.

THIRDLY, what-soeuer helpeth * 1.11 against pride, doth like-wise helpe a∣gainst Enuie, as proceeding for the most part out of the other; fithens the proude man bearing impatientlye; * 1.12 that any other should be his better, or pheere and felowe with him; he maliceth those, whom in any respect he deemeth to be his betters, or more happy then he is. See therfore, thou indeuoure thy selfe to plucke this poisoned roote out of thee, and not to set thy loue vppon the temporal thinges of this world, which are so miserable, spare, and scant, that if thy

neighbour haue them, thou must goe * 1.13 without them; and many times must lacke that, which an-other might conueniently leaue. But if on o∣ther side thou set thy minde of spiri∣tual and heauenly things, no man can bereaue or barre thee of them; yea, looke howe much the a 1.14 number of suche is greater that enioye and pos∣sesse the same goodes thou doest; and so much shal thy happines increase, and growe the greater: And by this meanes shalt thou be so farre off frō malicing of any man, as thou shalt hartilye desire, that eche one might gaine the goodes which thou posses∣sest; woting wel, that so should thy ri ches & blisse be not a litle multiplied

FOVRTHLY, if the desire of thine * 1.15 owne excellencie make thee malice thy neighbour for being thine egall, or more high in dignitie, then thou art; consider, that in doing thus, thou losest that thou so gretly seekest for;

sith herein thou debasest thy selfe, & geuest others occasiō to cōtēne thee, perceuing this thy cankred & vile na∣ture, which thus dishonestly thou thy selfe discouerest; But if contrari-wise thou striuedst to master thy self, & to reioyce at thy neighbours wel-fare, as at thine owne; then shoulde thine estimation and credite growe muche greater, sith euery good man woulde esteeme thee better, and highly com∣mend this charitie, and noble minde of thine, wherof, by thus doing, thou geuest the world an apparant and plaine testimonie. Thy spiritual pro∣fite should herewith be in like ma∣ner greatly increased; for either wold God geue thee the same goodes and graces thou reioysest at in thy neigh∣bour, or at least wise reward thee plentifully for the merite of thy cha∣ritie. And therfore a 1.16 doth S. Chriso∣stome saye, that the vertue of charitie is very great and meruailous, which

without spoyling, any man doth rob * 1.17 and take al; sithens by reioysing at o∣ther mens wel-fare and goodes, we make them ours, and winne possessiō of al that which others doo possesse.

FIFTLY, al such meanes as help to * 1.18 excite and stirte vp Charity towards al, shal likewise help greatlye to sub∣due and vanquishe this vice: as for example to thinke howe we are al a 1.19 brethren; as-touching our flesh, des∣cending from the same parentes, A∣dam and Eue; and as for the spirite, al created of one Lord; regenerated by * 1.20 one verrue; redeemed by one price, and hy the selfe same Redeemer. We haue al of vs one mother the holye Catholike Churche, the same faith, the same Sacramentes, and al of vs hope for the same blisse, where eche ones good shal-be common to al; and that of al to eche one: Wheras ther∣fore so many & so great causes of vni tie & charitie be, enuy ought to beare

no griefe at others good; no mirth at others miserie; yea rather ought we al of vs to reioyce at others their wel∣doinges; and lament their harmes and euils, as if they were our owne; per∣fourming therby what S a 1.21 Paule pre∣scribeth; to reiovce with such as re∣ioyce, and to weepe with them that weepe. But if haply al these causes of vnion sufficed not, to make thee rec∣ken thy neighbours goodes as thine owne, he seeming stil but a stranger and a forener in thine eye; & how he neuer did thee any good, but rather harme and iniurie; Remember, howe thou being a greater straunger, and farre more vnwoorthy, Christe hath bestowed so many & so gret benefits vpon thee; wherof he wil haue thee to make a recompence, with other benefites not done to him-selfe (sith he standeth b 1.22 no neede of thy good turns) but bestowed vpon thy neigh∣bour, seeme he neuer so vnknowen

and vnwoorthye to thee; for looke what good thou doest to such a 1.23 a one, and this Lorde wil accept it as doone vnto him-selfe.

SIXTLY consider, howe, to van∣quishe * 1.24 this venemous vice of enuie; the lawe of nature, common to al, ought at least to moue thee, which * 1.25 teacheth vs to doo to others, as we would be done vnto our selues. As therefore thou wouldest not, that o∣thers should be greeued at thy good; so oughtest not thou to be offended at others wel-fare; for other-wise shouldest thou shew thy selfe a sens∣lesse creature and without al reason; yea, wel may we say by the malicious man, that he hath lost his reason and natural iudgement, sith he would not sticke, to make choise of his owne losse, if by that means he might pio∣cure harme to those he hateth; * 1.26 Like as we reade of a king, who meaning to make a proufe of the cankred na∣tures

of an enuious person, and a co∣uetous wretch; caused two such to be called to him; whom he made this proffer too, to craue of him what-so∣euer they would, for willinglye it should be geuen them; prouided al∣waies, that the second shoulde haue the double of that the first did aske; These twaine being nowe at great contention, which of them shoulde first beginne, least th'other might gaine the double; the king being cō∣strained to take vp the matter, com∣maunded the malicious man to speak first; who requested this; that one of his eyes might be put out, that th'o∣ther might haue both his put out; chosing rather his owne harme then good, that th'other, whom he hated, might, by receauing the double, ac∣cording to their offer, be the more annoyed. The which story, if it were true, declareth plainly, to what blind∣nes this vice bringeth him, that let∣teth

him-selfe be lewdly ouereome withal.

THE LAST Remedie, which (fee∣ling * 1.27 thy self tempted with this vice) I haue to prescribe thee, is; to force thy selfe continuallye to praye a 1.28 for him, whom thou malicest, and bea∣rest enuie to; as also to speake wel of him to others; yea, occasion so ser∣uing, to doo him some seruice, albeit thou seeme to doo it fainedly, and a∣gainst thy stomacke; sith for this force and violence which thou shalt vse in mastring thy selfe, and brea∣king of thy wil, no doubt, but God wil geue thee the gift of charitie, wherby thou shalt be perfectly hea∣led of this detestable vice, and mai∣est aftetwardes loue al thine enemies one and other what-soeuer.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Sap. 2. d. Genes. 3. a.
• b 1.2

  mat. 27. b
• c 1.3

  Gen. 4. a. Sap. 14. c Iob. 5. a.
• d 1.4

  Iac. 3. d.
• e 1.5

  Gen. 37 g 44. e.
• * 1.6

  f. Aug. lib. 11. de Ge∣nes. ad lit. cap. 14.
• * 1.7

  The firste remedie a∣gainst En∣uye.
• * 1.8

  The 2. Re∣medie a∣gainst En∣uye.
• a 1.9

  Gregor. past. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 p. 3. Ad. 11.
• * 1.10

  Charitie maketh eche one partaker of others happines.
• * 1.11

  The 3. Re∣medie a∣gainst en∣uie.
• * 1.12

  Pride the mother of Enute.
• * 1.13

  Temporal things scant, cele∣stial abun∣dant.
• a 1.14

  Gre. li. 5. moral. cap. 34.
• * 1.15

  The 4. Re∣medie a∣gainst 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• a 1.16

  Chris. ho. 51. adpop. Antioch. Tom. 5.
• * 1.17

  The vertus of charitie robbeth al.
• * 1.18

  The 5. Re∣medie a∣gainst 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• a 1.19

  Gen. 2. d.
• * 1.20

  Causes to procure Charitie.
• a 1.21

  Ro. 12. c.
• b 1.22

  Ps. 49. b. 15. a. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 mac. 14. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• a 1.23

  mat. 10. d 15. d. e. Mar. 9. f
• * 1.24

  The, 6. Re∣medie a∣gainst 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.25

  Tob. 4. c. h. Mat. 7. b. Luc. 6. d.
• * 1.26

  A pretie example declaring the canken of a mala∣ctous mind
• * 1.27

  The. 7. Re∣medie a∣gainst 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• a 1.28

  Mat. 5. g Luc. 6. d. 23. e. Act. 7. g.