Miscellanea spiritualia: or, Devout essaies: composed by the Honourable Walter Montagu Esq.

§. VI.

Some notorious errors remarked, & what facility the breeding of Courtiers may bring towards an excellence in religious duties, proved by examples.

COurtiers (who may by these reflexions be apt to value their vocation) must be put in mind, that as they are more eminently then any, made spectacles to the world, to Angels, and to men, they have in that preheminence a pro∣portionate * 1.1 charge upon them, of being more to the life the image of the celestiall man; in which figure, there is common∣ly at Court one remarkeable incongruity, which is, that the feet are more laboured, and better finished then the head; for morall vertues hold but an analogy with these parts in the bo∣dy of christianity, since they are but as it were carriages for theologicall or divine vertue to rest, and move upon.

The errour then which I reproach, is, that there are many who are very precise in acquiring, and preserving their reputa∣tion in courage, prudence, and fidelity, and are as remisse and indifferent in their applications to charity, piety, and humility; which is methinks such an incongruity in christianity, as that of the Pharisees was in the Law, when they said, Whosoever shall sweare by the Temple, it is nothing, but he that sweares by the Gold of the Temple, is a debtor, making no account of that which was truly a sacred obligation, and making a great scruple in what was nothing so obligatory. And do not those who are so pun∣ctuall in their reputation, concerning all morall accomplish∣ments, and so unconcerred in the opinion of their christian per∣formances, seem to practise the same impertinency? For all mo∣rality is in relation to christianity, but what the gold was to the Temple; since it is only sanctifyed by being serviceable, and mi∣nisteriall to Religion; wherefore they who pretend exactnes in all civill and sociable honesties, unlesse it be in order to divine duties, and obligations, may be doubted to be more Disciples of the Pharisees, then of JESUS, more affecters of the praises of men, then advocates for the part of vertue.

But this information against this Solecisme in the stile of many Courtiers virtues, doth not discredit the vocation (though I need not fear much the taking away the good name of it in the world,) for this discipline in morality, and fashion of punctuality in civill dutyes, (if the principle thereof be sin∣cere in the love of Moral virtue) may work, and accomodate the mind to a generall habit of sincerity, which when it is re∣ferred to religious uses, proves a facilitation towards fidelity and perseverance in them; as Saint Paul his Pharisaicall strict∣nesse, and severity was a great promotion of the true religious fervor of his Apostleship; So this naturall preparation in Cour∣tiers in these points of courage, loyalty, and civility, raiseth the flame of their devotion the higher, when those so well dis∣posed materials are kindled by the Prophets Seraphim, or by the Apostles fiery tongues.

The pregnancy of many Courtiers in sanctity, ingrafted upon the stock of naturall good parts, and acquired virtues, alloweth us to say as Saint Augustine said of Saint Cyprian (who grew by nature in the highest part of the world, and was singularly endued with all humane literature before his conversion,) how well over-laid with the gold of Egypt, did Cyprian come out of it, with which he enriched Jerusalem? And so the Church may truly acknowledge that many Cour∣tiers have brought out with them much of this precious met∣tall of humane prudence and sagacity, by which virtuous qua∣lities and honestations they have been more happy then others in their applications to move the mindes of men, in whose tempers they had been so well versed, this ingenious and ver∣satill habit of mind, (which they had acquired in the com∣merce of the world) hath made their spirituall practice upon the world, much more successefull then that of others, whose sepulative piety is lesse accommodable with the humours of the patient; and certainly they owe much of these furthe∣rances and inablements to the civill Discipline and Politique literature of Courts.

I still conclude therefore in defence of the vocation of

courtiers, while I reproach to them the perversion of their advantagees in education, for since nature is the ground on which grace is planted, the temper of the ground conduceth much to the increase, may be expected; for without doubt the civill breeding of Moses did much contribute to all his naturall excellencies, and the being the most reverend and re∣spected person of the Court, did not at all elate his heart, the softnesse of his education was rather a good previous dispo∣sition for the effect of the Supernaturall Agent, in point of the admirable me••knesse of his Spirit; of whose Court life the re∣cords of the Jewes deliver unto us much more then the holy Writ. Josephus reports to us how the comlinesse of his person; and gratiousnesse of his meene and behaviour was such, as all the Kingdome of Egypt was taken with admiration of them, and the opinion of his virtue was such, as they repaired to him in a great extremity of an invasion of the Aethiopians, for his conduct; in a pressing distresse of their Armies; and how that by his prudence and Magnanimity they overcame their ene∣mies; Insomuch, as Moses was honoured sometime as a suc∣cessor of Joseph, and no lesse cryed up for a redeemer of E∣gypt〈…〉〈…〉 and there is no doubt but he was as sincerely virtuous while he was the adopted heire of Pharaoh, as when he fell to be the sonne in law to Jethro; so that the softnesse of his breed∣ing, did not at all enervate the sanctity of his mind. There∣fore we may say, that the pallaces of Egypt will bear a Moses, as well as the plaines of Mad••••n.

The Prophet Esay▪ was nephew to a King, and bred as is sup∣posed in the Court, with all the tendernesses which are affect∣ed, and allotted to the royall bloud of Princes, and his con∣versation was altogether in the Courts of diverse Kings, where he shined in no lesse flame then Elias in the Desert. Those words were as powerfull which cal'd back the sunne upon the diall of the Court, as those which cal'd down fire from heaven in mount Carmel.

And as diverse Princes have changed their condition of representing Christ in his Kingly office, for the Character of

his Priestly function, relinquishing their houses of power, to rest in His house of prayer; So many, both Kings and cour∣tiers of the most eminent, have in their own stations in the world shined out, as the Apostle saith, Like bright lights to the world, in the middest of a perverse generation, and have deser∣ved Saint Peters testimony of Lot, of being Righteous both in hearing and seeing, notwithstanding all the seducements pro∣posed * 1.2 to those senses. And certainly such objects of virtue are more impressive upon our affections, then those which may be greater in themselves, but more distantiall from our eye; in such a manner as we see that great branches of lights hang∣ing very high cast not so much light for the use of the room, as much lesser proportions placed among the company; so those elevated sanctityes which are in the upper part of the Church in holy sequestrations, do not communicate to the lower part of the world, so much exemplary virtue, as those lesse purified, but more familiar and more proportioned pieties in the lives of secular persons, remarkable for sincere holi∣nesse and devotion; such lives conversant in the world, are like a perfumers shop, which gives some good scent to all the pas∣sengers through the street, though it may be there are not so choice and pretious odors in it, as in some places in the same street, which impart none of their sweets abroad, because they are intercepted by the inclosures of walls, which keep them from any accesse to the passengers; so privacie and reclusenesse may containe a more sublime kind of sanctity, yet not be in so communicative a position, as those fragrant plants which grow abroad in the trafficable parts of the world.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1 Cor. 4.
• * 1.2

  2 Pet. 2. 8.