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1. THat mans heart might easily follow the motions and instincts of reason to attaine the naturall felicitie which it could pretend by li∣uing according to the lawes of honestie, it is re∣quisite
to haue. 1. Temperance, to represse the in∣solent motions of sensualitie. 2. Iustice, to render to God, our neighbour, and our selues what is due. 3. Fortitude, to vāquish the difficulties which occurre in doing good, and auoyding euill. 4. Prudence, to decerne what meanes are most pro∣per to come vnto good, and to vertue. 5. Science, to know the true good, to which we are to aspire, and the true euill, which we are to flie. 6. Vnder∣standing, throughly to penetrate the first and maine grounds, or principles of beautie, and the excellēcie of honestie. 7. and finally, Wisdome, to contemplate the Diuinitie, the prime fountaine of all good. These are the qualities whereby the mind is made milde, obedient, and pliable to the lawes of naturall reason, which is in vs.
2. In like manner the holy Ghost which dwel∣leth in vs, to make our soule supple, pliable, and obedient to his heauenly motions, and diuine in∣spirations, which are the lawes of his Loue, in the obseruance whereof consisteth the supernaturall felicitie of this presēt life, he bestowes vpō vs seuē proprieties and perfections, almost like to those seuē which we now spoke off, called in in the holy Scripture, and amongst the Diuines, GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST.
3. Now, they are not onely inseparable from charitie, but all things considered, and properly speaking, they are the prime vertues, proprieties, and qualities of Charitie. For first, Wisdome, is in effect no other thing, then the loue which ta∣steth, relisheth and experiēceth, how sweete ād de∣licious God is. The 2. Vnderstāding, is nothīg else,
then Loue attentiue to consider and penetraet he beautie of the truthes of Faith, to know there∣by God in himselfe, and then, falling from that hight, to consider him in his creatures. 3. Science, on the other side, is no other thing, then the same Loue, which keepes vs hard to the knowledge of our selues and the creatures, to make vs reascend to a more perfect knowledge of the seruice which we owe to God. 4. Counsell is also Loue, in so much, as it makes vs carefull, attentiue, and dex∣terous in choosing the meanes, proper to serue God piously. 5. Fortitude is Loue encouraging and animating the heart, to put in execution that which Counsell determined should be done. 6. Pietie is the Loue which doth sweeten labour, and make vs cordially, agreeably, and with a filiall af∣fection, imploye our selues in things, which please God, our Father. And 7. to conclud Feare is no other thing then Loue, in so much as it doth make vs flie and auoyd that which is distastfull to the Diuine Maiestie.
4. So, THEO: Charitie shall be another Ia∣cobs ladder vnto vs, consisting of the seauen gifts of the holy Ghost, as of so many sacred steps by which, Angelicall men shall ascend from earth to Heauen, to be vnited to the bosome of the Al∣mightie; and whereby they shall descend from Heauen to earth, to lend a helping hand to their neighbours, to lead them to Heauen. For in ascē∣ding, vpon the first step, Feare makes vs forsake euill; vpon the 2. Pietie incites vs to doe good; vpon the 3. Science makes vs decerne the good which we are to doe, and the euill which we
are to flie; vpon the 4. Fortitude doth encourage vs, against all the difficulties which occurre in our enterprise; vpon the 5. we make choice of conue∣nient meanes by Counsell; vpon the 6. we vnite our vnderstanding to God to behold and pene∣trate the draughtes of his infinite beautie; and vpō the 7. we ioyne our wills to God to taste and experienee the sweetenesse of his incomprehen∣sible goodnesse: for vpon the top of this ladder, God bending towards vs, giues vs the kisse of Loue, and makes vs sucke the sacred dugges of his delight, better then wine.
5. But if after we haue delightfully enioyed these fauours of loue, we desire to returne into the earth, to gaine our neighbour to the same hap∣pinesse; from the chiefe and highest step, where we haue filled our will with an ardent Zeale, and haue perfumed our soules with the perfumes of Gods Soueraigne Charitie, we must descend to the second step, where our vnderstanding is en∣glightened with an incomparable light, and makes prouision of the most excellent grounds and Ma∣ximes, to glorifie the Diuine Beautie and Boun∣tie. From thence we passe to the third, where, by the gift of Counsell, we aduise by what meanes we may instill the gust, and true estimation of the Diuine sweetenesse into our neighbours heart. Vpon the 4. we take heart, by the means of holy Fortitude, to surmount the difficulties, which might crosse this designe. Vpon the 5. by the gift of Science we begin to preach, exhorting all men to follow vertue, and flie vice; Vpon the 6. we striue to plant pietie in them, that acknowledging
God for their louing father, they may obserue him with a filiall feare. Vpon the last step, we ter∣rifie them with Gods iudgments, so that mixing the feare of damnation with a filiall respect, they doe with more feruour forsake the earth, to ascēd to Heauen with vs.
6. Meane while Charitie comprehends these Seuē gifts, ād is like to a faire Lillie, whose flowres are whiter then snow, beset in the midst with fine little Hamma••s of the gold of wisdome, which beate into our heart the gusts, and louing tastes of the goodnesse of the Father, our Creatour: of the Mercy of the Sonne, our Redeemour: and of the sweetenesse of the Holy Ghost, our Sanctifier. And I place, as you see, this double Feare vpon the two lowest steps, to reconcile all the tradi∣tions, with the holy and sacred vulgare Edition: for it is not without mysterie that the word FEARE is repeated twice; but to shew, that there is a filiall gift of Feare, which is no other thing thē the gift of pietie; and a gift of seruile Feare, which is the be∣ginning of our iorney, towards the soueraigne wisdome.