A treatise of the loue of God. Written in french by B. Francis de Sales Bishope and Prince of Geneua, translated into English by Miles Car priest of the English Colledge of Doway

THE ELEAVENTH BOOKE. OF THE SOVERAIGNE authoritie which sacred loue holds ouer all the vertues, actions and perfections of the soule. (Book 11)

How much all the vertues are ag∣greeable vnto God. CHAPTER. I.

1. VErtue is of it's owne nature so a∣miable, that God doth fauour it, wheresoeuer he finds it: The Pagās, though they were enemies to the Diuine Maiestie, did now and thē, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 certaine ciuill and morall vertues, which

were not by their nature, placed aboue the forces of a reasonable spirit. Now you may thinke, THEOT: how small a matter this was: for though these vertues made a great shew, yet in effect they were of little worth, by reason of the lownesse of their intention that practised them; who labou∣red in a manner for no other thing then honour, as S. AVGVSTINE saieth, or for some other pre∣tention of light consideratiō, as for the entertaine∣ment of ciuill societie, or by reason of some weake inclination they had to good, which mee∣ting with no great contradiction, carried them o•• to minute actions of vertue, as for example, to mu∣tuall salutations, to aide their friends, to liue mo∣deratly, not to steale, to fidelitie towards ones Maister, to paie hirelings wages. And neuerthe∣lesse though this was so slender, and full of diuers imperfections God tooke it in good part at those poore peoples hands, and recompensed it large∣ly.

2. The midwiues whom Pharao commanded to kill all the male children of the Israelits, ••ere without all dispute Egyptians and Pagans; for ma∣king their excuse, that they had not executed the Kings pleasure; The hebrow women, saied they, are not like Egyptians; for they know how to re∣ceiue the child; and before we come vnto them, they are deliuered: an excuse which had not bene to the purpose, if these midwiues had bene Iewes; besids that it is not credible, that Pharao would haue graunted so sharpe a Commission to Iewish-women, against Iewish-women, being of the same nation and religiō, and with all Iosephus doth wit∣nesse

they were indeede Egiptians. And be it they were Egiptians and Pagans, yet did they feare to offend God by so barbarous and vnnaturall a crueltie, as had bene the Masacre of so many little children which the diuine sweetenesse tooke so well at their hands, that he built them houses, that is to saie, he made them become fruitfull in chil∣dren, and in temporall riches.

3. NABVCODONOZOR king of Babilon, had waged a iust warre against the towne of Tyrie, which the Diuine Iustice would chastice, and God signified to Ezechiel, that in recompence thereof he would deliuer vp Egipt into the hands of NABVCODONOZO•• and his armie. Because saieth God, they haue laboured for me; hence addes S. HIEROME in his commentaries, we learne that in case the Pagans themselues doe any Good, they are not vnrewarded by God's Iudgement. So did DANIEL exhort NABVCODONOZOR an Infidell, to redeeme his sinnes by almes, that is, to ransome himselfe out of the temporall paines due vnto his sinne, which hung ouer his head. Doe you see then THEO: how true it is, that God doth esteeme vertues though practised by persons otherwise wicked? If he had not approued the mercye of those Midwiues, and the iustice of the Babilonian warrs, would he haue taken the paines, I praie you, to haue rewarded them? And if Daniel had not knowen, that notwithstanding Nabucodono∣zors infidelitie, his almes-deedes were agreeable vnto God, why would he haue counselled him them? Certes the Apostle assures vs that Pagans who haue no faith, doe naturally performe that

which belongs vnto the law, and in doing so, who can doubt but they doe well, or that God doth make accompt of it. Pagans vnderstoode that marriage was good and necessarie, they saw that it was conuenient to haue their children brought vp in sciences, in loue of their countries, in ciuili∣tie, and they did so. Now I leaue it to your consi∣deration, whether this was not gratefull vnto God, since to this end, he indewed them with the light of reason, and a naturall propention.

4. Naturall reason is a good tree, which Gods owne finger planted in our soule, the fruits that spring from it, cannot otherwise be then good; yet in truth in comparison of that which springs from grace they are of a very lowe rate, though not of no value, sith God put a rate vpon them, bestowing in respect of them temporall rewards, as he rewarded the morall vertues of the Romans, according to S. AVGVSTINE, with the great ex∣tention and glorious reputation of their Em∣pire.

5. Sinne without question, makes the soule sicke, whence she is not able to performe great and powerfull operations, though little ones she can: for all the sicke mans actions are not sicke; he speakes, he sees, he heares, he drinkes. The soule in sinne, can doe good workes, which being na∣turall, are rewarded with naturall rewards; being ciuile, they are payed with ciuile and humane money, that is, with temporall commodities. The sinner is not in the state of the diuills, whose wills are so drunke vp, and incorporated in euill that they can will no good at all. No THEO: the sinner

in this world is not in this estate. He is thereby in∣deede wounded to death in the way betwixt Hie∣rusalem and Ierico, but as yet is not dead: for, saieth the Ghospell, he is left halfe aliue, and as such he can produce actions halfe a liue: tis true he can neither walke, nor rise, nor crie for aide, no not so much as speake, saue onely languidly, by reason of his faint heart; yet can he open his eyes, stirre his fingers, sigh, make some little com∣plaints, which are weake actions, notwithstan∣ding all which he might haue bene found misera∣bly lying dead in his owne blood, had not the mer∣cifull Samaritaine poured his owne honie and wine into his wounds and carried him to a lodging, where he gaue charge that he should be dressed and looked too, at his cost.

5. Naturall reason is deeply wounded, and halfe slayne by sinne, so that being so at vnder, it cannot obserue all the Commandements, which notwithstanding it apprehends to be conuenient. It knowes its dutie; but cannot acquit it selfe thereof. It's eyes hath more light to discouer the way, then its legges hath strength to vndertake it.

6. The sinner may indeede here and there ob∣serue some of the Commandements, yea all of them for some small time, while there is not pre∣sented vnto him high subiects, in which comman∣ded vertues are to be practised, or some violent temptation of committing a prohibited sinne. But that a sinner should siue lōg in his sinne, whithout adding to it new ones, is not a thing that can be done, but by God's speciall protection. For mans enemie is hot, stirring, and in perpetuall action to

precipitate him; and when he sees that occasion of practising ordinarie vertues doe not occurre, he stirrs vp a thousand temptations to make him fall into forbidden things; at which time NATVRE without GRACE cannot warrant it selfe from fal∣ling: for if we ouercome, it's God giues vs the vi∣ctorie through IESVS CHRIST, as S. PAVLE saieth, watch and praie, that you enter not into tempta∣tion. If God had saied onely WATCH, we should apprehend our owne power sufficient, but adding PRAIE, he showes, that if he keepe not our soules in time of temptation, in vaine shall they watch who keepe them.

That Diuine Loue, makes the vertues more agreeable to God by excellencie then they are in their owne nature. CHAPTER. II.

1. SVch as studie Husbandrie, doe admire the fresh innocencie and puritie of the little strawburie, which though it lye vpon the grownd and is continually crept vpon by serpents, Lea∣zards, and other venimous beastes, yet receiues it no impression of poyson, nor is infected with any venimous qualitie, which is a signe, that it hath no affinitie with poyson. Such are the morall vertues, THEO: which though they be in a heart that is low, earthly, and greatly laboured with sinne, yet are they not infected with the malice thereof,

being of so free and innocent a nature, that they cannot be corrupted by the Societie of iniquitie, as euen ARISTOTLE himselfe saied, that vertue was a habit which none could abuse. And though the vertues, which are so good in themselues, be not rewarded with an eternall Laurell when they are practised by infidells, or by such as are not in the state of grace, it is nothing strange, since that the sinfull heart from whence they proceede, is not capable of an eternall good, and was otherwise auerted from God; and since that none is to haue part in that celestiall inheritance which belongs to the sonns of God, but such as are in him, and his adoptiue brothers; besides that the Couenant by which God promisseth heauen, hath referrence to such onely as are in his grace, and that the vertues of sinners haue no worth nor value, saue that of their owne nature, which by consequence cannot raise them to the merite of supernaturall rewards, so called, for that Nature withall her appurtināces, can neither giue, nor merite them.

2. Howbeit, the vertues which are found in the friends of God, though they be onely morall and naturall in themselues, are yet dignified and raised to the worth of holy workes, by reason of the hearts excellencie which produceth them. It is one of the properties of friendshipe, to make the friend, and all that is good and honest in him, gratefull. Friendshipe doth poure out its grace and fauour vpon all the actions of the beloued, that are any wayes capable of them. A friends tartnesse is sweete, and the sweetes of an enemye are bitter. All the vertuous actions of a heart that loues God,

are dedicated to God: for the heart that hath giuen himselfe, how hath not he giuen all that depends of himselfe? He that giues the tree without re∣serue, giues he not also the leeues, flowres, and fruite? The iust man shall flourish like the palme tree, and shall be multiplied as the Ceder of Ly∣banus, they are planted in the house of our Lord, and shall flourish in the courtes of the house of our God, sithence the iust man is planted in the house of God, his leeues, his flowres and his fruite doe there encrease, and are dedicated to the ser∣uice of his Maiestie. He is as a tree planted nigh to the streames of waters, which shall giue his fruite in his time: his very leaues shall not fall, and all things whatsoeuer he doth shall prosper: not onely the fruits of Charitie, and the flowres of the works which she ordaines, but euen the very leaues of morall vertues doe draw a meruellous felicitie from the loue of the heart which produ∣ceth them. If you graffe in a Rose tree, and put a graine of muske in the clift of the stoke, all the roses that spring from it, will smell of muske. Cleeue your heart then by holy penance, and put the loue of God in the clift, afterwards ingraffe in it what vertue you please, and the workes which spring from it, shall be all perfumed with Sancti∣tie, without taking any further care thereof.

3. Though the Spartans had heard an excel∣lent sentence from the mouth of some wicked man they neuer iudged it fit to receiue it, till it were first pronounced againe by some good man, And therefore to make it worthy of acceptance, they onely made it be vttered againe by a vertuous

man. If you desire to make the humane and mo∣rall vertues of an EPECTETES, a SOCRATES, a DE∣MADES become holy, cause them onely to be gra∣ced by a truely Christian mouth; that is by one that is in charitie. So God did first respect ABEL, and then his offerings; so that his offerings had their worth and dignitie in the sight of God, from the goodnesse and pietie of him, that offered them. O the soueraigne Goodnesse of this great God? who doth so loue his Louers, who doth cherish their weakest endeauours, and doth excellently enrich them, be they neuer so weake; Honouring them with the Title and qualitie of HOLY! Ah, it is in consideration of his beloued Sonne, whose adop∣tiue children, he will honour, sanctifiing all that is good in them, their bones, their haires, their garments, their graues, yea the shadowe of their bodies: Faith, Hope, Charitie, Loue, Religion, yea euen sobrietie, courtisie, affabilitie of heart.

4. Wherefore my deare bretheren, saied the Apost: be constant and stable, abounding in eue∣ry good worke, knowing that your Labour is not without reward in our Lord. And marke THEO: that euery vertuous worke, is to be esteemed the worke of our Lord, yea though it were euē practi∣sed by an infidell: for his Diuine Maiestie saied vnto EZECHIEL, that NABVCODONOZOR and his armie had laboured for him, because he had waged a lawfull and iust warre against the Tyrians, suffiently shewing therein, that the iustice of the vniust is his, tends and belōgs vnto him, though the vniust who worke that Iustice, are neither his nor doe tend and belong vnto him: for as the

great prince and Prophet IOB, though of Pagan extraction and an inhabitant of the land of Hus, did for all that belong to God; so morall vertues, though they proceede from a sinfull heart, doe notwithstanding belong to God. But when the same vertues are found in a truly christian heart, that is, in a heart endowed with holy loue, then they doe not onely belong to God, and are not vnfruitfull in him, but become fruitfull and pre∣cious before the eyes of his goodnesse. Giue a man Charitie, saieth S. AVGVSTINE, and all things are profitable vnto him; depriue him of Charitie and all the rest profits him not. And to them that loue God all things cooperate vnto Good, saieth the Apostle.

That there are some vertues which diuine Loue doth raise to a higher degree of excellencie, then others. CHAPTER. III.

1. BVt there are some vertues, which by reason of their naturall alliance and correspon∣dance with Charitie, are also much more capable to receiue the precious influence of sacred Loue, and consequently, the communication of the di∣gnitie and worth of the same. Such are Faith and Hope, which together with Charitie, haue an im∣mediate reference to God; and Religion together with penance and Deuotion, which are imployed to the honour of his Diuine Maiestie. For these

vertues haue naturally so great a reference to God, and are so capable of the impressions of heauenly loue, that to make them participate in its Sancti∣tie, they neede onely to be by it; that is, neare a heart which loues God. So to make grapes tast like Oliues, it is but planting the vine amongst the Oliue-trees, for by their onely neighbourhoode, without euer touching one another, these plantes doe mutually enterchange fauours and properties; so great an inclination, and so strict a conueniencie is there betwixt them.

2. Certes, all flowres, except those of the tree called the Pensiue Tree and others that are mon∣stres in nature, all I saie, are gladded, displayed, and embellished at the Sunnes approch, by the vitall heat which they receiue from his rayes. But all yel∣low flowres, and especiall that, which the Gre∣cians terme HELIOTROPIVM, and we, TVRNE-SOLE are not onely gladded ād pleased with his presence but euen follow his beames allurement, by an a∣miable winding about, to looke and turne them∣selues towards it, euen from the rysing to the set∣ting. So all vertues doe receiue a new lustre, and an excellent dignitie, by the presence of holy Loue: but Faith, Hope, the Feare of God, Pietie, Penance, and all the other vertues, which of their owne natures doe particularly tend vnto God, and to his honour doe not onely receiue the impres∣sion of Diuine loue, whereby they are eleuated to a great value, but they hang wholy towards him, associate themselues with him, following and ser∣uing him in all occasions: for in fine, my deare THEO: the holy word doth attribute a certaine

sauing, sanctifying force and proprietie, to Faith Hope, Pietie, Feare of God, to Penance, which is an euidence, that those vertues are of great price, and being practised by a heart in Charitie, they become more fruitfull, and holy by excellencie, then the others, which of their owne nature haue not so great an agreement with heauenly Loue. And he that cries, if I had all Faith euen in such a measure that I could transport mountaines, and should want charitie, I am nothing, doth suffi∣ciently shew, that with Charitie, this faith would be very fruitfull. Charitie then is a vertue without compare, which doth not onely adorne the heart, wherin she is, but with her meere presēce doth also blesse ād sanctifie all the vertues which she meetes therein, embalming and perfuming them with her celestiall odour, by meanes whereof they are ray∣sed to a high rate in the sight of God; which yet she performes farre more excellently in Faith, Hope, and other vertues which of them selues doe naturally tend to pietie.

3. Wherefore, THRO: of all vertuous actions we ought most carefully to practise those of Re∣ligion, and Reuerence towards diuine things, those of Faith, of Hope, and the most holy Feare of God; taking occasion often to speake of heauen∣ly things, thinking, and sighing after eternitie, frequenting the Church and Diuine seruice, ma∣king pious lectures, obseruing the ceremonies of christian Religion: for sacred Loue is fed accor∣ding to its hearts desire in these exercises, and doth in greater abundance streame out its graces and proprieties vpon them, then it doth vpon

those vertues which are purely naturall; like as the heauenly rainebow makes all the plantes vpon which it lightes odoriferous, but the Aspha∣latus incomparably more then all the rest.

That Diuine Loue doth yet more excellently sanctifie the vertues, which are pra∣ctised by his ordinance and Commandment. CHAPTER IV.

1. THe faire RACHEL after an earnest desire of issue, with her deare IACOB, was by two meanes made fertill, whence also she had children of two sundrie kinds: for in the beginning of her marriage, seeing she could haue no children of her owne bodie, she made vse of her seruant BALA, as it were by loue, which she drew into her socie∣tie by the exercise of the functions of marriage, saying vnto her husband, I haue here my hand∣maide BALA, take her in wedlocke, and companie with her, that she may beare vpon my knees, and I may haue children of her, and it fell out accor∣ding to her desire: For she conceiued and brought forth many children vpon RACHELS knees, who receiued them as though they had bene truely her owne, since they were begotten by two bodies whereof IACOBS belonged to her by the right of marriage, BALA'S by the dutie of seruice, and a∣gaine

because the generation was effected by her order and will. But she had afterwards two other children without her command or order, which were conceiued, begot, and sprung from her owne bodie, at her owne bent to wit, Ioseph, and the beloued Beniamin.

2. I must tell you now, THEOT: that Chari∣tie and holy loue, a thousand times more faire then Rachel, married to mans heart, doth inces∣santly wish to produce holy operations. And if in the begining she her selfe cannot bring forth of her owne extraction, by the sacred vnion which is singularly proper vnto her, she cals the other ver∣tues, as her faithfull handmaids, makes them cōpa∣nions with her in marriage, commanding the heart to make vse of them, and beget holy operations of them, yet operations which she doth adopt and repute her owne, as being produced by her order and commandment, and of a heart which belongs vnto her, sith, as we haue formerly declared, Loue is the Maister of the heart, and consequently, of all the acts of other vertues, made by his consent. But further heauenly Charitie, hath two acts which are her owne issue properly, and are of her owne extraction, the one is EFFECTIVE LOVE, who as another IOSEPH vsing the fulnesse of regall au∣thoritie, doth subiect, and range the troopes of our faculties, powers, passions and affections, to Gods will, that it might be loued, obeyed and ser∣ued aboue all things, by this meanes putting the great celestiall commandment in execution. Thou shalt loue thy LORD thy GOD with all thy heart, with all thy soule, with all thy Spirit, with all thy

strength: The other is AFFECTIVE OR AFFECTIO∣NATE LOVE, who as a little Beniamin, is excee∣dingly delicate, tender, pleasing, and amiable; but in this, more happie then Beniamin, that Charitie his mother dies not in his birth, but, as it were gaines a new life, by the delight she takes in it.

3. Thus then THEOT: the vertuous actions of the children of God, doe all belong to Chari∣tie; some of them because they sprung from her owne wombe; others, because she sanctifies them by her quickning presence; and finally others, by the authoritie and commāde which she exerciseth ouer the other vertues, whence she made them spring. And these, as indeede they are not so emi∣nent in dignitie, as the actions which doe proper∣ly and immediatly issue from Charitie, so doe they incomparably passe those, which take their whole sanctitie from the presence, and Societie of Cha∣ritie.

4. A great Generall of an Armie hauing gay∣ned some renowned bataile, will without doubt haue all the glorie of the victorie, and not with∣out reason; for he himselfe will haue fought in the forefront of the armie essaying many braue feates of armes, he will haue rancked his troopes, ordai∣ned and commanded all that was done, so that he is esteemed to haue done all; either for that he himselfe fought in his owne person; or by his con∣duct and command of others. And albeit some friendly Succours cume at vnawares, and fall in with them, yet is not the Generall depriued of the whole honour, for though thy receiued not his

commands, yet did they obserue them, and fol∣low his intentions. But yet, after one haue attri∣buted all the honour in grosse vnto him, a distri∣butiō thereof is made to euery part of the armie in particular, in relatīg what the VANT GARD, the BO∣DIE, and the REARE-GARD had done, as the Frēch, the Italians, the Germans, the Spaniards behaued thēselues, yea, we praise this ād that particular mā, that honoured himselfe in the battaile. So my deare THEOT. amongst all the vertues, the glorie of our Saluation, and victorie ouer Hell, is ascri∣bed to Diuine Loue, who, as Prince and Com∣mander of the whole armie of vertues, contriues all the plotes, by which we gaine the triumphe: For Sacred Loue hath his proper actions, which issue and proceede from himselfe, by which he workes wonders of armes vpon our enemie; and with all, he rangeth, commands, and orders the actions of other vertues, which thence are termed, ACTS COMMANDED OR ORDAINED BY LOVE. And in case, some vertues produce their operations without his order, so they obserue his intention, which is God's honour, he will still aduowe them to be his owne▪ yet notwithstanding, though we saie in grosse with the holy Apostle, that Charitie suffers all, beleeues all, hopes for all, supports all, and finally that she doth all, yet doe we distribute in particular the praises of the saluation of the Blessed to other vertues, according as they did ex∣cell in each one: for we saie, some were saued by Faith, others by Almes-deedes, by Temperance, by Praier, Humilitie, Hope, Chastitie: others for that the acts of these vertues, did more notably

shine in them. Yet still after we haue extolled these particular vertues, we must ascribe all their ho∣nour to sacred Loue, whece they deriue all their sanctitie. For what other thing would the glo∣rious Apostle saie, inculcating that Charitie is be∣nigne, patient, that she beleeues all, hopes for all, supports all, but that Charitie ordaines and Com∣mands Patience to be patient, Hope to hope, Faith to beleeue. True it is, THEOT: that toge∣ther with this, he intimats also, that Loue is the soule and life of all the vertues; as though he would haue saied Patience is not patient enough, nor Faith faithfull; that Hope was not hopefull enough, nor mildnesse sufficiently milde, vnlesse Loue doe animate and quicken them. The same thinge, this same Vessell of Election giues vs to vnderstand when he saieth, that without Charitie nothing doth profit him; and that he is nothing: for it is as though he had saied, that without Loue a man is neither patient, milde, constant, faithfull nor confident, in such sort as is required to be Gods seruant, which is the true and wishfull beeing of man.

How sacred loue doth spread it's worth through all the other vertues, which by that meanes are perfected. CHAPTER. V.

1. I Haue seene, saieth PLINIE, a tree at TYVO∣LY graffed in all the fashions, that one can

graffe, which bore all sorts of fruite, for vpon one branch there were nuts, cherries vpon another, vpon a third raysins, figues, pome-granades, aples and generally all kinds of fruite. This was admi∣rable, THEO: yet more admirable to see in a Chri∣stian man heauēly Charitie, wherevpon all vertues are graffed in such sort, that as one might haue saied of this tree, that it was a Cherri-tree, an Aple-tree, a Nut-tree, a pom-granad-tree; so may one saie of Charitie, that she is patient, milde, generous, iust: or rather, that she is Patience, mildnesse, and Iustice it selfe.

2. But the poore Tree of Tyuoly was not of long continuance, as the same PLINIE doth wit∣nesse: for these diuers productions did presently drie vp its HVMIDVM RADICALE, that it withered away, and dyed; whereas contrariwise Charitie is fortified and made stronge, to produce abun∣dance of fruit in the exercise of all the vertues, yea as our holy Fathers haue obserued, she is insa∣tiable in her desires of bringing forth fruit, and neuer ceaseth to presse the heart wherein she in∣habits, as Rachel did her husband, saying giue me children or else I die.

3. Now the fruits of graffed-trees, doe alwayes follow the graffe: For if the graffe be of an aple-tree, it will haue aples, if of a cherri-tree, it brings forth cherries, yet so as the fruit doth alwayes taste of the stocke. In like manner, THEOT: our acts take their name and SPECIES from the particular vertues whence they sprung, but they draw the taste of their Sanctitie from holy Charitie, which is the roote and source of all Sanctitie in man, and

as the stocke doth communicate it's taste to all the fruit which spring from the graffe, yet so as that euery fruit reserues the naturall propertie of the graffe whence it sprung: euen so Charitie, pou∣ers out in such sort her excellencie and dignitie vpon the acts of other vertues that she doth not depriue them of the particular worth and good∣nesse which they haue by their owne naturall con∣dition.

4. All fllowres loose their luster and grace amidst the nights obscuritie; but the Sunne in the morning making them againe visible and agreea∣able, doth not yet make their beautie and grace equall; and though its light be equally spred ouer them all, yet doth it make them bright and glitte∣ring with inequalitie, as it finds them more or lesse capable of its brightnesse. And let the Sunne shine neuer so equally vpō the Violet and the Rose, yet shall it neuer make that so faire as this, or make a Marigold as gracious as a Lilie. Howbeit if the Sunne should shine clearely vpon the Violet, and throwe a mist onely vpon the Rose, then with∣out doubt the Violet would be more agreeable to the view thē the Rose. So, my THEO: if one with an equall Charitie should suffer the death of martyr∣dome, and another the hungar of a fast, who doth not see that this fast shall not be so much prized as this Martyrdome? No, THEO: for who dare be bould to affirme, that Martyrdome is not more excellent in it selfe then fasting? Which being more excellent in it selfe, and Charitie not depriuing it of its naturall excellencie, but perfecting it, doth consequently leaue it in the aduantages which it

naturally hath ouer fasting. Surely none in his right senses will equalize nuptiall chastitie to vir∣ginitie, nor the good vse of riches, to the entire abnegation of the same. Or who will also dare to saie; that Charitie accompaning these vertues doth depriue them of their properties and priui∣leges; since it is not a vertue which doth destroye and impouerish, but doth a better, qu••cken, and enrich all the good that she finds in the soules, which she rules; yea so farre is she from bereauing the other vertues of their naturall preeminences and dignities, that contrariwise, hauing this qua∣litie to perfect the perfections which she meetes withall, as it finds greater perfections, it doth great lier perfect them; like as suggar doth so sea∣son conserued fruits with its sweetnesse, that sweetening them all, it leaues euery of them different in relish and sweetenesse, as they haue a diuers taste in their owne nature. Nor doth it euer render the Peech, and the Nut, so sweete and pleasing, as the Appricot and the Myrabolan plumme.

5. True it is notwithstanding, that if the Loue be ardent, powerfull, and excellent in a heart, it will also more enrich and perfect all the vertuous workes which shall proceede from it. One may suffer death and fire for God without Charitie, as S. PAVLE presupposeth and I declare elswhere; by better reason may one suffer them hauing a little charitie. Now I saie, THEO: that it may come to passe, ••hat a very little vertue may be of greater value in a soule, where sacred Loue doth feruently raigne, then Martyrdome it selfe, in a soule where

Loue is languishing, feeble and slow. As the least vertues in our B. Lady, in S. IOHN, in other great Saints, were of greater price before God, then the greatest of diuers inferiour Saints: as many little eiaculations of Loue in Seraphins, are more infla∣med, then the greatest in the Angels of the last orders; as the singing of a young Nightingale, is incomparably more harmonious, then that of the finest Goldfinch.

6. PIRCIVS towards the end of his dayes pain∣ted onely in little formes, and trifeling things, as Barbar's and Cobler's shops, little Asses loaden with grasse, and the like triuiall toyes; which he did, as PLINIE coniectures, to lay his great re∣nowne, whence in the end he was called the Pain∣ter of small wares; and yet the greatnesse of his art did so appeare in his small workes, that they were sould at a higher rate, then others greatest peaces. Euen so THEO: the little simplicities, ab∣iections and humiliations, in which the great Saints tooke so great content to hide themselues, and put their hearts into Harbour against vaine glorie, hauing bene practised with a great excellencie of the Art and ardour of heauenly Loue, were found more gratefull in the sight of God, then the great and illustrious workes of diuers others which were performed with little Charitie and deuo∣tion.

7. The sacred Spouse doth wound her Spouse with one of her head haires, of which he makes so great accompt, that he compares them to the flockes of the Goates of GALAAD; and hath no sooner commended the eyes of his deuote Louer,

which are the most noble parts of the face, but presently he fals a praising her head haire, which is the most fraile, vile an abiect. That we might learne thereby, that in a soule taken with holy Loue, actions that seeme very poore are highly agreeable to the Diuine Maiestie.

Of the excellent worth which holy Loue be∣stowes vpon the actions which issue from it selfe, and to those which proceede from other vertues. CHAPTER. VI.

1. BVt you will aske me what this worth is which holy Loue bestowes vpon our a∣ctions? ô God THEO: I Verily I should not dare to speake it, if the Holy Gost himselfe had not de∣clared it in expresse termes, by his Apostle S. Paule, who saieth thus: That our tribulation which is presently momentarie and light, worketh aboue measure exceedingly an eternall weight of glorie in vs. For the loue of IESVS let vs ponder these words. Our tribulations which are so light that they passe in a moment worke in vs the solide and stable weight of glorie: I beseech you behold these wonders! Tribulation produceth glorie; lightnesse giues weight, moments worke eternitie. But what is it that can enrich these fleeting mo∣ments, and light tribulations with so great worth?

Scarlet and purple, or fine crimson violet, is a pre∣cious, and royall cloth, yet not, by reason of the woole, but the die. Christian workes are of that worth, that Heauen is giuen vs for them: but THEO: it is not, in that they proceede frō vs, and are the woole of our hearts, but because they are died in the blood of the sonne of God, I meane, for so much, as our Sauiour doth sanctifie our workes by the merits of his blood. The twigge of a vine vnited and ioyned to the stocke, being not forth ••ruit in it's owne vertue, but in vertue of the stocke. Now we are vnited by Cha∣ritie vnto our Redeemour, as members to their head, and thence it is that our fruit and good workes drawing their worth from him, doe merit life euerlasting. AARONS rod was withered, and in∣capable of it selfe to bring forth fruit; but as soone as the name of the high priest was written vpon it, in one night it brought out leaues, flowres, and fruit. We, in our selues are withered bowes, vnpro∣fitable, fruitlesse, not being sufficient to thinke any thing of our selues as of our selues, but our sufficiencie is of God, who hath made vs meet and fit ministers of his will; and therefore as soone as by holy Loue, the name of our Sauiour the high Bishop of our soules, is engrauen li•••• our soules, we begin to beare delicious fruits for life euerlasting. And as seedes which of them selues doe onely bring forth vnsauorie Melons, would bring forth sugared and musked ones, if they were steeped in sugared or musk't water; so our soules which of themselues are not able to proiect one, onely good thought towards God's

seruice, being watered with holy loue, by the ho∣ly Ghost, which doth inhabite vs, they produce sacred actions, which doe tend, and doe carrie vs to immortall glorie. Our works as proceeding from our selues are but miserable reeds, yet these reeds become gold by Charitie, and with the same we suruey the Heauenly Hierusalem, which is giuen vs by that measure: for as well to man as Angels, glorie is distributed according to Chari∣tie and her actions. So that men and An∣gels measure is one, and the same; and God both hath, and will reward euery one according to his works, as all the holy Scripture doth teach vs, which assignes vs the felicitie and eter∣nall ioyes of Heauen, in reward of the labours and good works which we haue practised in earth.

2. A magnificent reward, and such an one as doth sauour of the Maisters greatnesse whom we serue, who in truth THEO: if so he had pleased, might most iustly exact our obedience and ser∣uice without proposing vnto vs any prize or re∣ward at all, since we are his by a thousand most le∣gitimate titles, and that we can doe nothing that is worth any thing but in him, by him, for him, and dependently of him. Yet did not his Good∣nesse so dispose, but in consideration of his sonne our Sauiour, he would deale with vs at a set price, receiuing vs at wages, and engaging himselfe by his promise vnto vs, that our hire, yea an eternall one, shall answere to our workes. Nor is it, that our seruice can either be necessarie, or profitable vnto him; for when we shall haue accomplished

all his commands, we are yet to professe in a most humble truth, or a most true humilitie, that in∣deede we are most vnprofitable and vnfruitfull seruants to our Maister, who by reason of his es∣sentiall superabundancie of riches, can haue no profit by vs, but conuerting all our works to our owne aduantage and commoditie, he makes vs serue him with as little profit to him, as much pro∣fit to our selues, who by so small labours, gaine so great rewards.

3. He was not then bound to paie vs for our seruice, if he had not passed his promis for it: yet doe not thinke, THEO: that he would so manifest his goodnesse in this promise as to forget to glori∣fie his wisdome, yea contrariwise, he did most ex∣actly obserue the rules of equitie, mixing come∣linesse with liberalitie in an admirable manner: for though our works are indeede very small, and in no wise, for their quantitie, cōparable to Glo∣rie, yet in regard of their qualitie they are very proportionable therevnto, by reason of the Holy Ghost, who by Charitie dwelling in our hearts, workes them in vs, by vs, and for vs, in so exquisite a manner, that the same workes that are wholy ours, are more wholy his, sith, as he doth produce them in vs, so we againe produce them in him; as he doth them for vs, so we doe them for him; as he operats them with vs, so we cooperate them with him.

4. Now the holy Ghost doth dwell in vs, if we be liuely members of IESVS CHRIST, who here∣vpon saied vnto his Disciples. He that abids in me, and I in him, he brings forth much fruit, and it is,

THEO: because he that abids in him, is made par∣taker of his diuine Spirit, who is in the midst of mans heart, as a liuing fountaine of water springing vp vnto life euerlasting: so the holy oyle which was poured vpon our Sauiour, as vpon the head of the Church militant and triumphant, doth spread it selfe ouer the societie of the Blessed, (who as the sacred beard of this heauenly Maister, is continually fastened to his glorious face) and doth drope vpon the companie of the faithfull, who, as clothes are ioyned and vnited by loue to the Di∣uine Maiestie; the one and the other troope being composed of naturall brethren; hauing here∣by occasion to crie out; Behold how good and how pleasant a thing it is, for brethren to dwell in one: as oyntment on the head, which ranne downe vpon the beard, the beard of Aaron, which ranne downe vpon the hemme of his gar∣ment.

5. Our works therefore as a little corne of mustard, are in no sort comparable in greatnesse, to the tree of glorie which they produce, yet haue they the vigour and vertue to worke it, for that they proceede from the holy ghost, who by an ad∣mirable infusiō of his grace into our hearts, makes our works his, and yet withall leaues them our owne, since we are members of one head, whereof he is the Spirit; and ingraffed in a tree, whereof he is the sape: and whereas he doth in this sort act in our actions, and we after a certaine manner doe operate or cooperate to his operation, he leaues vs to our part, all the merite ad profite of our ser∣uices and good workes, and we againe leaue him

all the honour and praise thereof; acknowledging that the beginning, the progresse, and the end of all the good we doe, depends of his mercy, by which he hath come vnto vs; and hath preuented vs; he came into vs, and assisted vs, he came with vs, and conducted vs; finishing what he had begun. But ô God, THEO: how mercifull is this Bountie vnto vs in this diuision, we render him the glo∣rie of our praises, alas, and he giues vs the glorie of his possession. In somme, by these light and passing labours, we obtaine goods permanent for all eternitie. Amen.

That perfect vertues are neuer one with∣out the other. CHAPTER. VII.

1. The heart is saied to be the first part of a mā, which receiues life by the vnion of the soule, and the eye the last; as contrariwise, in a naturall death, the eye begins first to die, the heart the last. Now when the heart begins to liue before the other parts be animated, life is feeble, tender, and imperfect: but still as it gets further possession in the other parts of the bodie, life is more vigorous in each part, but particularly in the heart; and we see that life being interressed in any one of the members, it is weakened in all the rest. If a mans foote or arme be agreeued, all the bo∣die is disseased, stirred, troubled, and changed. If

our stomake paine vs, the eyes, voice, and coun∣tenance are sensible of it. Such is the agreement amongst all the parts of man, for the enioying of this naturall life.

2. All the vertues are not gotten in an in∣stant, but one after another; as reason, which is as the soule of our heart, rids it selfe now of one passion, now of another to moderate and gouerne them: and ordinarily this life of our soule, takes it's beginning in the heart of our passion, which is Loue, and branching it selfe ouer all the rest, it doth euen quicken the very vnderstanding by contemplation: as contrariwise, morall or spiri∣tuall death makes its entrie into the soule by the consideration (Death enters by the windowes, saieth the sacred Text) and its last effect is to di∣stroy the good Loue, which once perishing, all our morall life is dead in vs; so that though me may indeede haue some vertues seperated from others, yet are they but at most languishing, imperfect and weake vertues, since that reason which is the life of our soule, is neuer satisfied or at ease in a soule, vnlesse it occupie and possesse all the facul∣ties and passions of the same; and being once a∣greeued or hurt in any one of our passions, or af∣fections all the rest loose their force and vigour and strangly doe pine away.

3. Marke, THEO: all the vertues are vertues, by the proportion or conformitie they haue to reason: and an action cannot be named vertuous, if it proceede not from the affection, which the heart beares to the decencie and beautie of reason. Now if the loue of reason doe possesse and ani∣mate

the mynd, it will be obedient to reason in all occurrences, and consequently will practise all the vertues. If IACOB loued RACHEL, in respect that she was Laban's daughter, why did he despise LIA, who was not onely the daughter, but euen the eldest daughter of the saied LABAN? But because he affected RACHEL, by reason of her beautie, he could neuer equally loue the poore LIA, though a fruitfull and wise maide, not being so faire in his eye. He that loues a vertue for the loue of the rea∣son and decorum that shines in it, he will loue them all, since he will find the same motiue in thē all: and he will loue each of them more or lesse, as reason shall appeare in them more or lesse res∣plendēt. He that loues Liberalitie, and not Chasti∣tie, shewes sufficiently that he loues not libera∣litie for the beautie of reason, for that is more ra∣diant cleare in Chastitie, and where the cause is more strong, the effects ought also to be the like. It is therefore an euident signe, that that heart is not carried to liberalitie by the motiue, and in consideration of reason: whence it followes that that Liberalitie which seemed to be a vertue, is but an apparance, since it proceedes not from reason, which is the true motiue of vertues, but from some other stranger-motiue. It is sufficient for a child to be borne in marriage, to beare the name, (in the eye of the world) Armes, and titles of his mothers husband: but to haue his blood and nature, he must not onely be borne in marriage, but of the marriage: Actions haue the name, Armes, and recognoiscence of vertue, because being borne of a heart endowed with reason, we

apprehend them to be reasonable; yet haue they neither the substance nor vigour of vertue, when they proceede from a strang and adulterate mo∣tiue, not from reason. It may happen then, that a man may haue some vertues, and not all: but they shall either be vertues newly springing and as yet tender, as flowres in blossome, or else perishing and dying vertues, as faiding flowres: for in Con∣clusion vertues cannot haue their true grouth and integritie, vnlesse they be all together, as all Phi∣losophie, and Diuinitie assures vs: What Prudence I praie you THEO: can an intemperate, vniust, and cousening knaue haue, since he makes choise of vice and forsakes vertue? And how can one be iust, without being Prudent, constant and tempe∣rate: Iustice being no other thing, but a perpetuall, strong and constant will, to render to euery one his owne, and the science by which right is done, is called IVRISPRVDENTIA; and that to giue each one his owne, we must leade a wise and modest life, and remoue the disorders of intemperance in vs, thereby to render to our selues what belongs vnto vs? and the word VERTVE, doth it not signi∣fie a force and vigour properly belonging vn∣to the soule, euen as we attribute such or such a vertue or proprietie to hearbes, or precious stones?

4. But is not Prudence it selfe imprudent in an intemperate man? Force without Prudence, Iustice, and Temperance, is not force, but a mad∣nesse: and Iustice is vniust in a gilefull man, who will not vse it; in the intemperate man who per∣mits himselfe to be carried away with passion, and in the imprudent man who is not able to discerne

betweene right and wrong. Iustice is not Iustice, vnlesse it be strong, Prudent, and temperate: nor is Prudence Prudence, vnlesse it be temperate, iust, and strong: Nor Force, Force, vnlesse it be iust, prudent, and temperate: neither is Temperance, Temperance, vnlesse it be prudent, strong and iust. In fine vertue, is not perfect vertue, vnlesse it be accompanied with all the rest.

5. It is true, THEOT: that one cannot exercise all the vertues at once; because the occasions are not all presented at once, yea there are vertu, which some of God's greatest Saints had neuer oc∣casion to practise. For S. PAVLE the first Heremit, for example, what occasion could he haue to exer∣cise the pardoning of iniuries, Affabilitie, Magni∣ficence, and mildnesse? Howbeit such soules, stand so affected to the rightnesse of reason, that though they haue not all the vertues in effect, yet haue they them all, in affection, being readie, and pre∣pared, to follow and obeye reason in all occurren∣ces, without exception or reserue.

6. There are certaine inclinations which are esteemed vertues, and are not so, but fauours and aduantages of nature. How many are there, who naturally are sober, simple, milde, still, yea euen chast, and honest? Now all these seeme to be ver∣tues, and yet haue no more the merite thereof, thē bad inclinations are worthy of blame, till we haue giuen free and voluntarie consent to such naturall humours. It is no vertue to be a man of little meate by nature, yet to abstaine by choice, is a vertue. It is no vertue to be silent by nature, though it be a vertue to bridle ones tongue by

reason. Many there are, who apprehend that they haue the vertue, while they cxercise not the con∣trarie vice: One that was neuer assaulted, may truely vaunt that he neuer was a runne-away, yet hath he no ground to boast his vallour. He that was neuer afflicted may well praise himselfe for not being impatient, yet can he not bragge of his Patience: So many thinke they haue vertues who haue onely good inclinations: and whereas those inclinations are one without another, they thinke that vertues may be so too.

7. Certes S. AVGVSTINE showes in an Epistle which he wrote to S. HI••ROME, that we may haue some sorts of vertues, without hauing all the rest, and that yet we can haue no perfect ones but we must haue them all. But as for vice, we may haue some, without hauing other some, yea it is euen impossible to haue them all together; so that it followes not that he that hath lost all the vertues hath by consequence all the vices, especially since almost euery vertue hath two opposite vices, which are not onely contrarie to the vertue, but euen to one another. He that by rashnesse lost his valour, cannot at the same time be taxed of cowar∣dise: nor can he, who lost liberalitie by his prodi∣galitie, be at the same time condemned of nigard∣linesse. CATILINE, saieth S. AVGVSTINE, is sober, vigilant, patient in suffering cold, heate, and fa∣mine: so that both he and his Complices deemed that he was maruellous constant: but this con∣stancie wanted prudence, since it made choice of bad, in lieu of good; it was not temperate: for it gaue bridle to villanous beastlinesses; it was not

iust sith he made a Conspiracie against his owne Coūtrie, it was not therefore a constancie but an obstinacie, which to deceiue fooles, bore the name of constancie.

How Charitie containes all vertues. CHAPTER. VIII.

1. THere flowed a Riuer out of the place of delights to water the terrestiall Paridice, and thence deuided it selfe into foure heads. Now, man is in a place of delights, where God makes the floud of reason and naturall light streame out, to water all the Paradice of our heart; and this floud brancheth it selfe out into foure heads, that is, it makes foure streames, according to the foure regions of the soule; for 1. naturall reason doth streame out prudence vpon our practicall VNDER∣STANDING, (as it is called, whose office it is to dis∣cerne what actions we are to doe, or to flie) which doth encline our mind wisely to iudge of the euill, that we are to auoyd and eschewe; and the good we are to pursue and doe. 2. it makes Iu∣stice rūne ouer our will, which is a continuall and firme will to render to euery one his owne. 3. ouer the Concupiscible Appetite, it makes Temperance flowe, which moderats the passion it lights on therein. 4. it spreds Force ouer the Irascible Appe∣tite, which doth bridle, and maniage all the mo∣tions

of Anger. Now these foure riuers thus de∣uided, doe afterwards deuide themselues into di∣uers others, that all humane actions might be duely fashioned to naturall honestie and felicitie. But besids all this, God, to enriche Christians with a speciall fauour, he makes a supernaturall foun∣taine rise vp vpon the very top of the superiour part of the spirit, which is called Grace, and doth indeede comprehend faith and Hope; yet it con∣sists of Charitie, which doth purifie the soule from sinne, and then doth adorne and embellish her with a most delightfull beautie; and finally doth spreed her waters ouer all the faculties and operations therof, to endow the vnderstanding with a celestiall Prudence, the will with a holy Iustice, the concupiscible Appetite with a sacred Temperāce, and the Irascible Appetite with a de∣note Force, to the end that mans whole heart might tend to the supernaturall honestie and feli∣citie, which is a vnion with God. And if these foure streames or flouds of Charitie, doe meete with any one of the foure naturall vertues in the soule, they bring it to their obedience, mixing themselues therewith to perfect it; as perfumed water doth perfect naturall water being mingled together. But if holy Charitie poured out in this manner, meete with none of the naturall vertues in the soule, she alone doth all their operations, as oc∣casion requires.

2. Thus heauenly Loue finding sundrie vertues in S. PAVLE, S. AMBROSE, S. DENIS, S. PACOMIVS, poured vpon them a delightfull light, reducing them all to his seruice. But the Diuine Loue, fin∣ding

no vertue at all, in S. MARIE MAGDALENE, S. MARIE EGIPTIACA, the good Thiefe, and a thousand the like penitents who had bene great offenders, did the office and worke of all the ver∣tues, becōming patient, sweete, hūble, ād liberall in them. We sowe great varietie of seeds in Gardens and couer them with earth, as burying them; till the Sunne preuailing makes them rise againe, and as one would saie, doth resuscitate them, in the production of their leaues, and fruit, which haue new seede, euery one in his kind; so that one onely heauenly heate, doth cause all the diuersitie of pro∣ductions, by meanes of the seede which it finds hid in the bosome of the erath. Verily, my THEO: God hath sowen in our hearts the seeds of all ver∣tues, which are yet so couered with our imperfe∣ctions and weaknesse, that they did not at all, or at least scarce appeare, till the vitall heate of holy Loue, came to quicken and resuscitate them, by them producing the actions of all ver∣tues. So that as Manna contained in it selfe the sundrie tastes of all meates, and left a relish thereof in the Israelits mouthes; euen in like manner hea∣uenly Loue comprehends in it selfe the diuers per∣fections of all the vertues in so excellent, and high a sort, that it produceth all the actions, in time and place, according to their occurrences. IOSVE did valliantly defeate God's enemyes, by his good command ouer the armies which were put in his hands. But Samson defeated them yet more glo∣riously, who by his owne hand slew thousands with the iawe bone of an asse. IOSVE by his com∣mand and good order, making vse of the valour

of his troopes, wrought wonders: But SAMSON by his owne force alone, wrought wonders. IOSVE had the strength of many soldiers vnder him but SAMSON had it in him, and could alone per∣forme as much, as IOSVE together with many sol∣diers. Holy loue is excellent in both these wayes: for finding some vertues in a soule (and ordinarily it finds at least Faith, Hope, and Penance) it quic∣kens, commands, and happily imployes them in God's seruice: and for the rest of the vertues which it finds not, it performes their worke all alone, hauing more strength alone, then they haue all together.

3. The great Apostle doth not onely saie, that Charitie giues vs Patience, Benignitie, Constan∣cie, Simplicitie: but he saieth, that Charitie it selfe is patient, benigne, constant: And it is the propertie of the supreame vertues amongst men and Angels, not onely to direct the inferiour ver∣tues in their operations, but also to be able them∣seues to doe what they command others. The Bishope giues the charge of all the Ecclesiasticall functions; to open the Church, to reade, exercise, preach, baptize, sacrifice, communicate and ab∣solue therein; and he himselfe also cā doe, and doth all this, hauing in himselfe an eminent vertue which comprehends all the inferiour vertues. So S. THOMAS, vpon that which S. PAVLE assures vs, to wit, that Charitie is patient, benigne, strong; Charitie saieth he, doth doe and accomplish the works of all the vertues. And S. AMBROSE wri∣ting to DEMETRIAS, cals Patience and the rest of the vertues, members of Charitie. And the glo∣rious

S. AVGVSTINE saieth, that the Loue of GOD comprehends all the vertues, and doth all their o∣perations in vs: heare his words, That we saie that vertue is deuided into foure, (he meanes the foure Cardinall vertues) we saie it, in my opinion, by reason of the diuers affections which proceede from Loue. So that I would make no doubt to de∣fine those foure vertues thus: Temperance is a Loue which giues it selfe entirely vnto God: For∣titude is a Loue which doth willingly support all things for Gods sake: Iustice is a Force which serues God onely, and therefore disposeth iustly of all that belong vnto man: Prudence is a Loue that makes choice of things proper to vnite it selfe vnto God, and reiect such things as are contrarie to it. He therefore that hath Charitie, hath his soule inuested with a faire wedding garment, which like vnto that of IOSEPH, is wrought with the varietie of vertues: or rather it hath a perfe∣ction which containes the vertue of all the perfe∣ctions, and the perfection of all the vertues: whence Charitie is patient and benigne: She is not enuious, but bashfull; she commits no leuities, but is prudent; she is not puffed vp with pride, but is humble; she is not ambitious or disdainefull, but amiable and affable; she is not eager in ex∣acting that which belongs vnto her, but free and condescending. She is not irritated but is pea∣ceable. She thinkes of no euill, but is gentle; She doth not reioyce in euill, but in the truth, and with the truth; she suffers all, she easily beleeues all the good which one can tell her, without all headinesse, contention, or diffidence:

She hath a firme hope of her neighbours good without euer distrusting to procure his saluation, she sustaines euery thing, expecting in peace that which is promised her: And in conclusion, Charitie is that pure inflamed gold, which our Sauiour coū∣selled the Bishope of Laodicea to buy, containing the price of all things, and which cā doe, and doth all things.

That vertues haue their worth from sacred Loue. CHAPTER IX.

1. CHaritie is then the band of perfection, since in it all the perfections of the soule are assembled and contained, and without it, one cānot onely not haue the full assemblie of vertues, but euen not so much as the perfection of any one of them. If the cemente and morter which should tie together the stones in the wall be awanting, the whole edifice goes to wrake. Were it not for the nerues, muskles, and sinewes, the whole bo∣die would be entirely defeated: and without Cha∣ritie the vertues can neuer stand together. Our Sauiour doth still tie the performance of the com∣mandements to Charitie. He that hath my Com∣mandements, saieth he, and doth obserue them, he it is that loues me: He that loues me not, keepes not my C••mmandements. He that loues me, will obserue my words: which, the disciple whom our Sauiour loued repeating; he that ob∣serues the Commandements of God, saieth he, the Charitie of God is perfect in him; and this is the Charitie of God, that we keepe his Commande∣ments.

And he that had all vertues, would keepe all the Commandements: for he that loued the vertue of Religion, would keepe the three first Commandements: He that had Pietie, would ob∣serue the fourth: He that had the vertue of mild∣nesse and gentlenesse, would obserue the fift: by the vertue of Charitie, one would obserue the sixt: by Liberalitie, one would auoyd the breach of the seauenth: by Truth, one would effect the eight: by frugalitie and puritie, one would obserue the ninth, and tenth. And if without Charitie we cannot keepe the Commandements, much lesse can we without her, haue all the other vertues.

2. True it is, one may haue some one vertue, and liue some small time without offending God, though he want Charitie: But euen as we some∣times see trees rooted out of the ground, growe as it were, yet fadingly, and for a short time; so a heart seperated from Charitie, may indeede bring forth some acts of vertue, but that cannot conti∣new for any long time.

3. All vertues separated from Charitie are im∣perfect, since they are not able without it, to ar∣riue at their end, which is Beatitude. Bees in their birth, are little groubs and wormes, without feete wings, forme or fashion: in tract of time they change and become little flies; but afterwards waxing strong, and being come to their groth, then they are saied to be perfect and accomplish't Bees, as being furnished of all necessaries to flie abrode and make honie. Vertues haue their be∣ginnings, their progresse, and their perfection; and I doe not denie but without Charitie, they

may both be borne, and growe, but that they should come to their perfection and beare the name of formed, fashioned, and accomplished vertues, is a worke of Charitie, which giues them the force to flie home to God, to gather vp his mercy, the honie of true merite, and the sanctification of the heart wherein they are found.

4. Charitie is amongst the vertues, as the Sūne amongst the Starrs, she distributs to them all their luster and Beautie. Faith, Hope, Feare and Penance doe ordinarily come before as Herbin∣gers to take vp her Lodging in the soule; and vpō her arriuall they with all the traine of vertues, doe obeye and waite vpon her; and she with her presence doth animate, adorne and quicken them all.

5. The other vertues, can mutually aide and ex∣cite one another in their labours and exercises: for who sees not, that Chastitie doth call vpon and stirre vp sobrietie; and that obedience doth moue vs to liberalitie, Praier, and humilitie? Now by this communication which they haue amongst themselues, they participate one of anothers per∣fections: for Chastitie kept by obedience, hath a double dignitie, its owne, and that of obedience; yea it hath euen more of the dignitie of obedience then of its owne: for, as ARISTOTLE saieth, he that robbeth, to th'end he may commite fornication, is more a Fornicatour then a Thiefe, because for∣nication was his affection's onely ayme, he made vse of stelth onely as of a passage thither: euen so he that keepes his chastitie through obedience is

more obedient then Chast, since he makes Cha∣stitie serue obedience: howbeit from the mix∣ture of Chastitie and obedience a perfect and ac∣complished vertue cannot issue, being they both want their last perfection which is Charitie; so that if it were possible, that all the vertues were put in one man, and that he wanted onely Chari∣tie, this assemblie of vertues, should indeede be a most perfect, and compleate bodie in all its mem∣bers, as Adams was, when God with his omnipo∣tēt hand had formed him of the slime of the earth: yet should it be a bodie, wanting motion, life and grace, till God breathed into it the breath of life, that is, holy Charitie, without which nothing doth profit vs.

6. For the rest, the perfectiō of diuine Loue is so soueraigne that it doth perfect all the vertues, and can receiue no perfection from them; no not by obedience it selfe which yet is that, which is most able to giue perfection to the rest: For although loue be commanded, and that in louing we exer∣cise obedience, yet so, that loue drawes not its perfection from obedience, but from the good∣nesse of that which it loueth, loue not being there∣fore excellent because it is obedient, but because it loues an excellent Goop. Truely in louing we obeye, as also in obeying we loue; but that this o∣bedience is so extreamely louely, is because it tends to the excellencie of Loue, nor doth its excellen∣cie consist in this, that in louing we obeye, but in this, that in obeying we loue. So that euen as God is as well the last end of all that is good, as the first beginning: euē so Loue that is the source

of euery good affection, is likewise the last end and perfection therof.

A digression vpon the imperfection of the Pagans vertues. CHAPTER. X.

1. THe auncient SAGES of the world, made of old, glorious discourses in the honour of morall vertues, yea euen in the behalfe of Reli∣gion; but that which Plutarke obserued in the Stoicks, is yet more proper for the rest of the Pa∣gans. We see ships, quoth he, which beare famous inscriptions. Some are called VICTORIE, others THE VALOVROVS, others THE SVNNE, yet are they not for all that, exempt from their subiection to the winds and waues: So the Stoicks bragged that they were exempt from passions; that they were without Feare, Griefe or Anger; being people im∣moueable, and vnuariable, yet are they in effect subiect to troubles, disquiets, boisterousnesse and other impertinences.

2. I beseech you for Gods loue THEO: what vertues could those people haue, who voluntarily, and of set purpose ouerthrew all the lawes of Religiō. SENECA wrote a booke against Superstitiō, wherein he reprehēds the Pagā impietie with a great deale of libertie: But this libertie saieth S. AVGVSTINE was foūd in his writings, not in his life, since he adui∣sed that in affection one should reiect superstition,

yet practise it in action, for marke his words: Which superstitions the Sage shall obserue, as commanded by the law, not as gratefull to the Gods. How could they be vertuous, who, as S. AVGVSTINE relates, were of opinion that the wise∣man was to kill himselfe, when he could not, or ought not longer to endure the calamities of this life, and yet would not professe that calamities were miserable, nor miseries full of calamities, but maintained that the wiseman was continually hap∣pie, and his life blessed? ô what a blessed life, saith S. AVGVSTINE, which to flie, we flie to death? If it be blessed, why doe you not remaine in it? So that Captaine of the Stoicks (who was so greartly ex∣tolled amongst those cruell and profane people, for hauing slaine himselfe in Vtica, to auoyd a cala∣mitie which he reputed vnworthy of his life) per∣formed it with so little true vertue, that, as S. AVGVSTINE saieth, he did not testifie that he had a courage that would eschew dishonour, but a weake soule, which had not the heart, to expect aduersitie. For if he reputed it a dishonorable thinge to liue vnder Caesars cōmand, why had he commanded to hope in Caesars mercy? why did he not aduise his sonne to die with him, if death were better ād more honorable then life? He killed him∣selfe then, because he either enuyed Caesar the glo∣rie to haue power to pardō him, or for that he ap∣prehended it a disgrace to liue vnder a Conquerour that he hated: wherein he may be commended for a stout and bigge heart, yet not for a wise, vertuous and stayed Spirit. The crueltie which is exercised out of choler in cold blood, is the most cruell of

all: it is the like in despaire; for the most slow, de∣liberate, and resolute, is the lest excusable, and the most desperate. And as for LVCRECIA (that we may not forget the vallour of the lesse vallourous Sexe) Either she was chast, when TARQVINIVS did force and violate her, or she was not: If LVCRECIA was not chast, why is the chastitie of Lucrecia commended? If Lucrecia were chast and vnspot∣ted in that occurrence, was it not an vnworthy fact in Lucrecia, to murther the innocent Lucrecia? If she were adulterious, why so much extolled? If honest, why was she slaine I But she dreaded dishonour and reproch from such as might haue thought that the dishonour which she suffered by force, while yet she liued had bene willingly suf∣fered, if she had after daigned to liue. She was afraied the world would iudge that she complied with the sinne, if that which was villanously cō∣mitted against her, had bene patiently supported by her. And must we then to auoyd shame and re∣proch, which depends vpon the opinion of men, oppresse the innocent, and kill the iust? must we maintaine honour at vertues ••ost and reputation, with hazard of iniustice? Such were the vertues of the most vertuous Pagans towards God, and to∣wards themselues.

3. Touching the vertues that belong to our neighbours, euen by their lawes they trod them shamefully vnder foote, yea the principall of them, Pietie: For Aristotle the greatest wit a∣mongst them, doth pronounce this most hor∣rible and violent sentence. Touching the expo∣sing, that is, the abandoning of children, or their

education, let this be the law: that nothing is to be kept, that is depriued of any member; touching other children, if they be prohibited by the lawes and customes of the Citie to forsake their chil∣dren, and that the numbers of any ones children doe so encrease on him, that he hath more by halfe then his meanes will keepe, he is to preuēt, and to procure an aborsement. Seneca, that so re∣nowned a wise man, we kill monsters, saieth he, and such of our children, as are manke, weaklings, imperfect, or mōstrous we reiect and abandone. So that it is not without cause, that Tertullian doth reproch the Romans with the exposing of their children to the mercy of the waters, to the cold, to famine, to dogs, and this also not by the extreamitie of want: for as he saieth, the Presi∣dents and Magistrats themselues practised this vn∣naturall crueltie. ô good God, THEO: what kind of vertuous men were these? And what was their wisdome, who taught a wisdome so cruell and bru∣tall? Alas, saied the great Apostle, thinking themselues wise, they became senselesse, and their foolish heart hath bene darkened, and deliuered vp into a reprobate sense. Ah what a horrour it is, that so great a Philosopher should aduise aborse∣ment! It is a forerunning of manslaughter, saieth Tertullian, to hinder a child conceiued to be borne, and S. Ambrose reprehending the Pagans for this barbarousnesse, they depriue by this meanes, saieth he, their children of life, before they are yet possessed of it.

4. And if the Pagās haue at any time practised any vertues, it was most ordinarily, in regard of word∣ly

glorie, and consequently they had onely ver∣tue in action, but neither the motiues nor intētion thereof; nor is vertue true vertue, vnlesse it haue a right intention. The Pagans force was built vpon humane auarice, saieth the Councell of Aur: but the strength of Christians is established by hea∣uenly charitie: The Pagans vertues, saieth S. AV∣GVSTINE, were not true, but onely resembled Truth; as not hauing bene practised to their true end, but for pretentions that vanish away. FA∣BRITIVS shall be lesse punished then CATAZINE, not that he was good, but because this was worse; Not that FABRITIVS had any true vertues, but be∣cause he was not so farre distant from them. So that the Pagans vertues at the day of Iudgment will be a kind of defence to them, not that they can be saued thereby, but that they may be lesse dāned: one vice was blotted out by another amongst the Pa∣gans, one vice making place to another, without leauing any place at all to vertue. And out of vaine glorie onely, they repressed auarice, and many other vices, yea sometimes through vanitie, they despised vanitie; wherevpon one of them who see∣med to be least vaine, trampled with his feete Plato's finely made bed▪ what dost thou DIOGENES, saied PLATO vnto him? I tread vnder foote Plato's pride, quoth he; It is true, replyed PLATO, thou treadst vpon it, but with another pride. Whether SENECA was vaine, may be gathered out of his last words: for the end crownes the worke, and the last houre iudgeth all: ô what vanitie! being at the point of death, he saied vnto his friends, that be could not till now sufficiently thanke them, a••••

that therefore he would leaue them a Legacie, part of that which was most gracious and excellent in him, and which, if they carefully kept, they should receiue great honour by it; adding, that this magnificent Legacie, was no other thinge, then the picture of his life. Doe not you marke, THEO: how his last breathing stinke of vanitie? It was not the loue of honestie, but the loue of honour which pricked forward those wise worldlings to the exercise of vertue, and indeede their vertues were as different from true vertues, as the honour of honestie, and the loue of merite is different from the Loue of reward. Those that serue their Prince for their owne interest, doe ordinarily per∣forme their dutie with more solicitude, ardour, and feeling; but such as serue out of Loue, doe it more nobly, generously, and therefore more worthily.

4. Carbunckles and Rubies are called by the grecians by two contrarie names, to wit 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, of fire ād without fire, or else, inflamed, and without flame. They call them fi∣rie, of fire, burning coles, or Carbunkles, because in light and splendour they resemble fire; but they are called without flame, or if we may so saie, vn∣flamie, because their light is not onely no wayes hote, but they are not euen capable of heate, there being ••o fire that can heate them. So did our old F••rthers terme the Pagan vertues, VERTVES, and ••OT-VERTVES both together; Vertues, because they carried the luster and apparence of vertues, NOT-VERTVES, because they wanted not onely the vitall ••eate of the Loue of God, which alone could per∣fect

them, but they were not euen capable of it, because they were in subiects wanting faith; there being in those times, saieth S. AVGVSTINE, two Romans famous for their vertue, CAESAR and CA∣TO; Cato's vertue came much neerer to the true vertue, then Caesars did: and hauing saied in some passage, that the Philosophers who were destitute of true pietie, had yet shined in the light of vertue, he doth vnsaie it in the first booke of his Retrac∣tations, esteeming that, too great a praise to be giuen to imperfect vertues, as those of the Pagans were: which in truth, are like vnto shining night wormes, that shine onely by night, and the day being come, loose their light. For euen so those Pagan vertues are onely vertues in comparison of vice, but in respect of true Christian vertues, doe not at all deserue the name of vertue.

6. Yet whereas they containe some good, they may be compared to greene Aples; for both their colour, and that substance which is left them, is as good as that of entire vertues, but the worme of of vanitie which is in the midst of them, spoyles all; and therefore he that would make profit of them, must culle out the good from the bad. I will easily grant, THEO: that CATO had a resolute courage, and that this resolutnesse was laudable in it selfe, but he that would make profit of his example, it must be in a iust and laudable subiect, not by slaughtering himselfe but by suffering death, when true vertue shall exact it: not by the vanitie of glorie, but by the glorie of veritie: as it happened to our Martyrs, who with inuincible courages, did so many miracles of constancie and

resolution, that those CATO'S, HORACES, SENE∣CA'S, and LVCRECE'S, are in comparison, worthy of no consideration, witnesse those LAVRENCES, VINCENTS, VITALISES, ERASMVSSES, EVGENIASE'S, SEBASTIANS, AGATHAS, AGNESES, CATHARINS, PERPETVAS, FELICITES, SYMPHOROSAS, NA∣TALESES, and a thousand thousand others, who make me dayly admire the Admirours of Pagan vertues: not so much in that they doe inordinatly admire the imperfect vertues of the Pagans, as for that they doe not admire the most perfect vertues of the Christians: vertues a thousand times worthy of admiration, and they alone are worthy of imitation.

How humaine actions are without worth, being without Gods Loue. CHAPTER. XI.

1. THe great friend of God ABRAHAM, had one∣ly by SARA his principall wife, his most one∣ly deare Isaac, who also, was his onely vniuersall Heire: and though he had Ismael by AGAR, and diuers other children by CETVRA his seruants and lesse principall wiues, yet bestowed he vpon them certaine presents onely and Legacies, whereby to put them off and disinherite them, because not being allowed off by his cheife wife, they could not be his successours: Now they were not allo∣wed, because, as for the children of CETVRA, they were all borne after SARA'S decease; and concer∣ning

Ismael, though his mother Agar, conceiued him by the permission of SARA her Mistresse, how∣beit, perceiuing her selfe with child, she despised her, and brought not forth this child vpon her knees, as Bala brought forth hers vpon Rachel's. THEO: the onely children, that is, the onely acts of holy Charitie are God's Heires, Coheires with IESVS CHRIST; and the children, or the acts of which the other vertues conceiue and bring forth vpon her knees, by her command, or at least, vn∣der the winges and fauour of her presence: But when morall vertues, yea euen supernaturall ver∣tues, doe produce their actions in the absence of Charitie, as they doe amongst Schismatikes, ac∣cording to S. AVGVSTINS relation, and some∣times amongst euill Catholikes, they are of no va∣lue towards the purchace of Paradice, no not euen Almes deedes, though we should distribute therein all out Substance to the poore: Nor yet Martyrdome, though we should deliuer our bodie to the fire to be burnt. No THE: without Charitie, saith the Apostle, all this were worth nothīg, as we will more amply shew hereafter. Now againe, the will doth sometimes prooue disobediēt to her mi∣stresse which is Charitie in the production of mo∣rall vertues, to wit, when as by pride, vanitie, tem∣porall respects, or by some other bad motiue, the vertues are turn'd out of their owne nature: and then those actions are reiected, and banished, out of ABRAHAMS house, and from Sara's companie, that is, they are depriued of the fruit and priui∣ledges of Charitie, and consequently are left with∣out worth or merite. For those actions, strayned

in that sort, with bad intentions, are indeede more vicious then vertuous, hauing onely vertue on their outside, their interiour belonging to vice, which serues them for a motiue, witnesse the fa∣stings, offerings, and other actions of the Pha∣risie.

2. But furthermore, as the Israelits liued pea∣ceably in Egipt, during Iosephs life time and the life time of LEVI, and presently after the death of LEVI, were tyrannically reduced into seruitude, whence the Iewes tooke their Prouerbe. ONE OF THE BROTHERS BEING DECEASED, THE OTHERS ARE OPPRES'T, as it is registred in the Hebrewes great Chronologie, which was published by the learned Archbishop of Aix Gilbert Genebrard whom to his honour I name with consolation, whose scholler I was, though an vnprofitable one while he was the king's reader at Paris, and expli∣cated the Canticle of Canticles; so the merits and and fruits as well of morall as Christian vertues, doe in a most sweete tranquillitie subsist in the soule, while sacred Charitie liues ād raignes there∣in; but as soone as heauenly loue dies, all the me∣rits and fruits of other vertues doe also die vpon it, and these are they which the Diuines call DEAD WORKES, for that hauing beene borne aliue vnder charities protection, and as an∣other Ismael, in Abrahams house, they doe after∣wards loose life and the right of inheritance, by the disobedience and rebellion which proceeded from their mother, the will

3. O God THEO: what a misfortune it is, if the iust man forsake his Iustice, and turne to iniquitie,

his workes of iustice shall be no longer held in me∣morie; he shall die in this sinne, saieth our Lord in Ezechiel; so that mortall sinne, doth ouerthowe all the merite of vertues: for touching those which are practised while sinne raignes in the soule, they are borne so dead that they are vnprofitable for euer to the pretentiō of life euerlasting; and as for those that were practised before the sinne was commit∣ted, that is while sacred loue liued in the soule, their value and merite doth perish and die iust vpō its arriuall, not being able to conserue life after Charities death who gaue them life. The Lake which profane authours doe commonly call As∣phalitus, and sacred authours MARE-MORTVVM, hath so heauie a curse put vpon it, that nothing that is put into it can liue; when the fish of Ior∣daine doe come neere it, they die, vnlesse they speedily returne backe against the streame: The trees vpon the brims of it, produce nothing aliue and though their fruit be in apparance, and aut∣ward shew like to the fruits of other countries; howbeit when on puls them, they are found to be skinne and core, being full of asshes which flie away in the wind. These be the markes of infa∣mous sinns, for the punishment whereof, this Coūtrie which was peopled with three populous Cities was of old conuerted into a pit of filth and corruption; and nothing was deamed better to re∣present the mischeife of sinne then this abomina∣ble Lacke which had its origine from the most exe∣crable disorder that could be cōmitted by mans bodie. Sinne therefore, as a dead and mortall sea, kills all that comes neere it; nothing is found li∣uing

in the soule which it possesseth, nor all about it. O God, THEO: nothing: for sinne is not onely a dead worke, but is withall so infections and ve∣nimous, that the most excellent vertues of the sin∣full soule doe produce no liuing action; And though the actions of sinners haue oftentimes a great resemblance with those of the iust man, yet are they indeede barkes onely stuffed with wind and dust, whē they are truely looked into, and are rewarded of God onely by some present benefits, which are bestowed vpō thē as vpon the chamber∣maids children, yet are they such barkes, as nei∣ther are, nor can be so tasted and relished by the Diuine Iustice, as to be rewarded with an eternall crowne: they die vpon the trees, and cannot be conserued in the hand of God, being voyd of true worth, as it is saied in the Apocalypse to the Bishop of Sardis, who was reputed a liuing tree, by reason of diuers vertues which he practised, and yet dead he was, for that being in sinne, his ver∣tues were not true liuing fruits, but dead barkes; glorious to the eyes, but no wayes sauorie to the palate, so that we may all cast out this true voice following the holy Apostle; without Charitie, I am nothing, nothing doth profit me: and with S. AVGVSTINE saie; Giue Charitie to a heart, and all doth profit, depriue it of Charitie, and nothing doth profit it, I meane towards life euerlasting: for as we haue saied, the vertuous works of sin∣ners are profitable to our temporall life. But my deare THEO: what doth it profit a man to gaine all the world temporally, if he loose his soule eter∣nally.

How holy Loue returning into the soule, doth reuiue all the works which sinne had slayne. CHAPTER. XII.

1. THe works then of a sinner, while he is de∣priued of Charitie, are not profitable to e∣ternall life; and therevpon they are called dead works: whereas contrariwise the good works of the iust man, are saied to be liuing: for that the Diuine Loue doth animate and quicken them with its dignitie. And if afterwards they loose their life and worth by sinne, they are held to be workes that are deaded, extinguished or mortified onely, but not quite deade, especially in the Elect: for as our Sauiour, speaking of the little Tabitha Iarus his daughter, said she was not dead, but slept onely, because she continued dead so small a time till she was resuscitated, that it seemed rather to be a sleepe then a true death. So the works of the iust man, but especially of the elect, who by the commission of sinne dyeth, are not called dead works, but onely deaded, mortified, stounded or put into a trance, because, vpon the next returne of holy Loue, they either ought, or at least may reuiue and returne to life againe. Sinn's returne, depriues the soule and all her workes of life; the returne of Grace doth restore life to the soule and all her actions. A sharpe winter doth dead all the

plants of the fields, so that if it continued still, they would still continew in the state of death. Sinne, the sad and daunting winter of the soule, doth quayle all the holy workes that it finds there in, and if it did alwayes continew, neuer would any thing recouer either life or vigour. But as in the returne of the pleasant spring, not onely the seedes which are sowē, by the helpe of this delight∣full and fruitfull season, doe gratefully bud and blossome, euery one in his kind, but euen the old plants, which the rigour of the winter past had bitten, withered and deaded, waxe greene, and doe resume new force, vertue and life. So sinne being blotted out, and the grace of Diuine Loue returning into the soule, the new affections, which this spring of grace doth bring, doe blossome, and bring forth ample merites and blessings; but the works that are dried vp, and withered by the ri∣gour of the winter of sinns ouer passed, as being deliuered from their mortall enemye, resume their force, waxe strong, and as risen from the dead, they florish a new, and store vp merits for the e∣ternall life. Such is the omnipotencie of Diuine Loue, or the Loue of the Diuine omnipotencie. If the impious turne away himselfe from his im∣pietie and shall doe iudgement and iustice, he shall viuificate his soule; conuert and doe penance for all your iniquities, and iniquitie shall not be a ruine vnto you, saieth our Lord. And what is that, iniquitie shall not be a ruine vnto you, but that the ruine which it made shall be repaired? So besides a thousand courtisies that the prodigall sonne receiued at his Fathers hands, he was reesta∣blished,

euen with aduantage in all his ornaments, graces, fauours, and dignities which he had lost. And IOB that innocent picture of a penitent sinner did in the end receiue the double of that which he had. Verily it is the Councell of Trēts desire, that we should encourage the penitents that are retur∣ned into fauour with God allmightie, in these words of the Apostle. Abound in euery good worke, knowing that your labour is not vnpro∣fitable in our Lord; for God is not vniust to forget your worke, and the Loue which you haue show∣en in his name. God then doth not forget the works of those, who by sinne hauing lost loue, recouers it againe by penance. Now God is saied to forget our workes, whē they loose their merite and sanctitie by sinne committed, and he remem∣bers them, when they returne to life and vigour by the presence of holy Loue. So that amongst the faithfull, it is not necessarie to the reward of their good works, (as well by the encrease of grace and future glorie, as by the enioying of life euer∣lasting in effect) that one fall not into sinne; but it is sufficient according to the Councell of Trent, that one depart this life in God's grace and cha∣ritie.

2. God hath promised an eternall reward to the works of a iust man, but if the iust man turne from his iustice by sinne, God will no longer re∣member the iustice and good works which he hath done. But yet if this poore fallen man, doe afterwards rise and returne into Gods grace by penance, God will thinke no more of his sinne, and not remembring his sinne, he will turne mind∣full

of his former good works, and of the reward which he promised them, since sinne, which alone had blotted them out of the diuine memorie is wholy raysed out, abolished, annihilated: so that in that case God's Iustice doth oblige his Mercy, or rather his Mercy, doth enforce his Iustice, to looke a new vpon their precedent good works, euē as though he had neuer forgottē thē, otherwise the sacred penitent had not dared to saie to his Maister; render vnto me the ioye of thy saluation, and confirme me with thy principall spirit; for as you see he doth not onely require a newnesse of heart and spirit, but he pretends, to haue the ioye rendred vnto him, which sinne had bereft him off. Now this ioye is no other thing then the wine of heauenly Loue which doth reioyce mans heart.

3. It fares not alike with sinne in this behalfe, as with the workes of charitie: for the iust mans workes are not blotted out, abolished, or anni∣hilated by the commission of sinne, but are onely forgotten: marry the sinnes of the wicked are not onely forgotten but are euen raysed out, clenged abolished, and annihilated by holy penāce: where∣vpon the sinne that is committed by the iust man, doth not cause the sinne that was once pardoned, to liue againe, because it was entirely annihilated: But when loue returnes into the penitent soule, it makes her former good works returne to life a∣gaine, because they were not abolished but onely forgotten. And this obliuion of the works of the iust man who hath forsaken his iustice and chari∣tie, consisteth in this, that it made them vnprofi∣table,

while sinne made him vncapable of eternal life, which is their fruit; and therefore as soone as by the returne of Charitie, he is rancked againe with the childen of God, and thereby made ca∣pable of immortall glorie, God recals to mind his auncient good works, and they become a∣gaine fruitfull. It were not reasonable that sinne should haue as much power ouer Charitie, as Cha∣ritie hath against sinne: For sinne is an issue of our infirmitie, Charitie proceedes from God's power. If sinne abound in malice to ruinate vs, Grace doth superabound to worke the reparation: and God's Mercy, by which he blots out sinne, doth rayse it selfe continually, and becomes gloriously triumphant ouer the rigour of Iudgement where∣by God had forgotten the good workes which went before sinne. In this sort, in the corporall cures which our Sauiour did by miracle, he did not onely restore health, but withall added new benedictions, making the cure farre passe the de∣sease, so bountifull is he to man.

4. I neuer saw, red, nor heard that waspes, oxe∣bees, flies, and such other little hurtfull creatures, being once dead, did reuiue and returne to life, againe; but that the vertuous and harmelesse honie Bee can rise againe, it is a common report, and I haue often red it. It is saied, (these are Plinies words) that if one keepe the dead bodies of the drowned bees all the winter with in the house, and expose thē to the sunne beames the spring fol∣lowing, couered ouer with ashes of the figue tree they will rise againe, and be as good as euer. That iniquities and sinfull workes cā returne to life, after

they haue once bene drowned and abolished by penance, truly my THEO: neuer, for as muche as I know, did the Scripture, or any Diuine saie it; yea the contrarie is authorised by holy writ, and by the common consent of Doctours. But that good works, which, like vnto the sweete Bee, doe compound the honie of merite, being drowned in sinne, can afterwards regaine life, when couered with the ashes of penance, they are expo∣sed to the sunne of grace and Charitie, is held and cleartly taught by all the Diuines: nor are we to doubt but that they become profitable and fruit∣full, as before. When Nabuzardan destroyed Hie∣rusalem, and Israel was led in captiuitie, the holy fire of the Altar was hid in a well, where it was turned into mud, but this mud, being drawen out of the well and exposed to the sunne, after their returne from Captiuitie, the dead fire kindled a∣gaine, and the mud was turned into flames. When the iust man is made slaue to sinne, all the works of his life, are miserably forgotten, and turnd into durt, but being deliuered out of Captiuitie, to wit, when by penance, he returnes into grace with heauenly Charitie, his former good works are drawen out of the well of obliuion, and tou∣ched with the raves of heauenly mercy, they re∣turne to life, and are conuerted into as cleare flames as euer, to be sacrificed on the sacred Altar of the diuine approbation, and to be restored a∣gaine to their wonted dignitie, price, and value.

How we are to reduce all the exercise of all the vertues, and all our actions to holy Loue. CHAPTER. III.

1. BRute beastes though they know not the end of their actions, doe indeede tend to their end, but pretend it not: for to pretend, is to tend to a thing by purpose, before we tend to it in ef∣fect. They cast, as it were, their actions towards their end, yet forecast they not, but follow their instinct, without election or intention. But man is Maister in such sort ouer his humane and rea∣sonable actions, that in them all, he proposeth some end, and can direct them, to one, or many particular ends, as he pleaseth: for he can change the naturall end of an action, as when he sweares to deceiue another, whereas contrariwise the end of an oath, is to hinder deceite. He can also adde another end, to the naturall end of an action, as when, besides the intention of succouring of the needie, which is the end of Almes-deedes, he adds the intention of obliging the needie to render him like for like.

2. Now we adde sometimes a lesse perfect end, thē is the end of our actiō; sometimes we adde an end of equall or like perfectiō, sometimes also an end that is more high and eminent: for besides the assistāce of the poore, which is the principall ēd of Almes-deedes, may not one pretend 1. to gaine his

affection, 2. to edifie his neighbour, 3. to please God, which are three diuers ends, whereof the first is the least, the second is not much better, the third farre exceeding the common end of almes deeds? So that as you see, we haue power di∣uersly to perfect our actions, according to the varietie of motiues, ends, and intentions which we haue in doing them.

3. Be good Exchangers saieth our Sauiour. Let vs be carefull therefore, THEO: not to change the motiues, and ends of our actions but for our profit ād aduātage, ād to doe nothing in this trafike, but by good order and reason. Behold for exāple, this or that man, who takes vpon him publike seruice, and withall pretends honour, if his pretention be more to honour himselfe then to serue the com∣mon wealth, or whether his pretention be equall in them both, he doth amisse, and is indeede ambitious. For he ouerthrowes the order of reasō, in either preferring or equalizing his owne inter∣est with a publike good: But if his principall ēd be the publike good, and yet withall he haue a desire thereby to aduance the honour of his familie, ve∣rily one knowes not how to blame him; not one∣ly because both his pretentions are honest, but are also well ordered. Some will communicate at Easter, that they may not be blamed by their neighbours, and withall to obeye God, who can doubt but they doe well? But if they communi∣cate equally, or more to auoyd blame, then to obeye God, who can also doubt but they doe im∣pertinently in equalizing or preferring, humane respects, before the obedience which they owe to

God. One may fast in Lent, either by Charitie to please God, or by obedience, because it is a pre∣cept of the Church; or else for sobrieties sake, or out of diligence to studie better, or through pru∣dence, to spare somewhat for some other neces∣sitie; by chastitie to th'end I might tame my bodie; or out of religion, the better to praie. Now if I please, I may make a collection of all these intentions, and fast for them all together: But in this case, there must be good gouernment vsed, to order these motiues. For if I fast rather out of a sparing humour, then for obedience to the Church: rather that I may studie well, then to please God: who doth not see that I confound right, and order, preferring myne owne interest before the obedience due to the Church, or Gods pleasure? To fast to spare, is good: To fast to obeye the Church, is better, to fast to please God is best: and though it seeme that of three goods, one cannot compose a bad thing; yet he that should displace them, preferring the worse before the better, should without doubt cōmite a blame worthy disorder.

4. He that inuites but one of his friends, doth in no wise offend the rest: but if he inuite them all, and yet giue the greatest respect to the least, draw∣ing the most honorable to the lowest end, doth he not offend both those and these? these because he doth depresse them against reason: those, be∣cause he makes fooles of them. So to doe an action for one onely reasonable motiue, be it neuer so little, reason is not offended at it; but he that will haue many motiues, he is to ranke them accor∣ding

to their qualities, otherwise he sinneth: for disorder is a sinne, as sinne is a disorder. He that desires to please both God and our B. Ladie doth excellent well; but he that would please our Bles∣sed Ladie, as much, or more then God ••hould commit an insupportable disorder; and one might saie to him, as was saied to Cain, Though you of∣fered well, yet you diuided ill, leaue off, you haue sinned. Euery end must haue its right place. And consequently the end of louing God, the soue∣raigne place.

5. Now the soueraigne motiue of our actions, which is that of heauenly loue, hath this soue∣raigne propertie, that being more pure, it makes the action which proceedes from it more pure; so that the Angels and Saints of Heauen loue no∣thing for any other pretention, then for the loue of the Diuine goodnesse, and with intention to please. True it is, they exercise a most ardent mu∣tuall loue amongst themselues, as they also loue vs, and the vertues, but all this, purely to please God. They follow and practise vertues not for that they are faire and delightfull, but because they are agreeable to God: They loue their owne feli∣citie, not because it is in them, but for that it plea∣seth God. Yea verily they loue the Loue, with which they loue God; not because it is in thē, but for that it tends to God; not because it is gustfull to themselues, but because it is pleasant to God; not because they enioye and possesse it, but be∣cause God giues it them, and delightes himselfe in it.

The practise of that which hath bene saied in the precedent chapter. CHAPTER. XIV

1. LEt vs striue therefore, THEO: to purifie all our intentions, and since we may, if we list, grace all the actions of vertue with the sacred mo∣tiues of Diuine Loue, why shall we not doe it reie∣cting, as occasion requires, all kind of vicious mo∣tiues, as vaine glorie, and proper interest? and Let vs consider all the good motiues, which we may haue to vndertake the present action, that we may choose the motiue of holy Loue, which is the most excellent of all, to water, moisten all the other with it: for example, if I desire vallourously to expose my selfe to the danger of warre, I may put it in execution, in consideration of diuers motiues; for the naturall motiue of this action, is that of strength and vallour, which moues vs reasonably to vndertake dangerous exploits: yet besides this I may haue diuers other motiues, as that of obeying the Prince, whom I serue; the loue of the common wealth; that of magnanimitie, which makes me delight my selfe in the greatnesse of this action. Now comming to the deede doing, I put my selfe vpon the foreseene perill, for all these motiues together. But to raise them all to the degree of Diuine Loue, and perfectly to purifie them, I will

pronounce in my soule from my very heart, ô e∣ternall God, who art the most deare Loue of my affections, if vallour, obedience to my Prince, Loue of my Coūtrie and magnanimitie were not agreea∣ble vnto thee, I would neuer follow their motions which now I feele: but whereas these vertues are delightfull vnto thee, I embrace this occasion of putting them in practise: and will no otherwise second their instinct and inclination, then be∣cause thou louest, and willest them.

2. You see plainly, THEO: how by this refle∣ction of our mind, we perfume all those other mo∣tiues with the odour and sweetenesse of holy Loue, since we doe not meerely follow them as they are vertuous motiues, but in qualitie of motiues that are desired, embraced, beloued, and cherished of God. He that steaks wherewithall to be drunke, is more a drunkard then a thiefe, according to Ari∣stotle. And he then that doth practise vallour, o∣bedience, loue towards his coūtrie, and magnani∣mitie to please God, he is more a Diuine Louer, then either valliant, obedient, good Patriote, or magnanimous, because his whole will in that ex∣ercise doth aime at, and fall vpon the Loue of God making onely vse of all these motiues, to arriue at this end. We are not wont to saie, we goe to Lyons, but to Paris, while we passe onely by Lions to Paris: nor doe we saie we goe to singe, but to serue God, while we goe not to sing but to th'end to serue God.

3. And if it chance that at sometimes we are tou∣ched with particular motiues, as for example, if we should loue Chastitie, by reason of its singular

and delightfull puritie, presently vpon this mo∣tiue, we must poure out that of holy Loue, in this sort. ô most seemely and delicious candour of cha∣stitie, ô how louely thou art, sith thou art so be∣loued of the Diuine Goodnesse; and then turning towards the Almightie. Ah! Lord I demand onely one thing of thee, it is that which I aime at in Chastitie to see and practise thy good pleasure in it, and the delightes thou takest therein. And as often as we set vpon the practise of any vertue, we must eftsons saie from our heart, yes eternall Fa∣ther I will doe it, because so it was pleasing vnto thee from all eternitie. In this sort we are to ani∣mate our actions with Gods good pleasure, louing the decorum and beautie of vertues principally, because they are agreeable to God: For my, deare THEO: there are some men who impotently affect the beautie of certaine vertues, not onely without louing Charitie, but euen with contempt of Cha∣ritie. Origin and Tertullian did so affect the pu∣ritie of Chastitie, that in it, they violated the grea∣test lawes of Charitie, the one choosing to com∣mit adolatrie, rather then to endure an horrible vilanie, whereby the Tyrans sought to defile his bodie, the other separating himselfe from the most chast Catholike church his mother, to esta∣blish the Chastitie of his wife more according to his owne fantasie. Who knowes not that there were certaine beggars at Lions who, to extoll beggarie excessiuely, turned heretikes, and of beg∣gars became vagabund-rogues? who is ignorant of the vanitie of the ENTHOVSIASTES, MESSALIENS, EVCHITISTES, who forsooke Charitie, to brage of

their Praier? And were there not Heretikes, who to exalte charitie towards the poore, depressed Charitie towards God, ascribing mans whole sal∣uation to Almes-deedes, as S. Augustine doth witenesse? Notwithstanding that the holy Apostle cries out, that though a man giue all his goods to the poore, and haue not Charitie, it profits him nothing.

4. God hath planted the Standart of charitie vpon me, saieth the sacred Sunamite. Loue, THEO: is the Standart in the armie of vertues, all of it is ordered to loue, it is the onely colours vnder which our Sauiour, who is the true Generall of the armie, makes them all sight. Let vs there∣fore draw all the vertues to the obedience of Cha∣ritie: Let vs loue the vertues in particular, but principally because they are agreeable to God: Let vs loue the more excellēt vertues in a more ex∣cellent manner, not in that they are excellent, but because God loues them more excellently: So will holy Loue viuificate all the vertues, making them all louing, louely, and more then louely.

How Charitie containes in it the gift of the holy Ghost. CHAPTER. XV.

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.

Of the louing feare of sp••uses, a continuation of the discourse alreadie begune. CHAPTER. XVI.

1. AH! Brother IONATHAS saied DAVID, thou wast deare to me, aboue the loue of wo∣men:

as though he had saied, thou didst deserue a greater Loue, then that of wiues towards their husbands. All excellent things are rare. Propose to your selfe, THEO: a spouse with a Columbine heart, which hath the perfectiō of marriage-Loue, the Loue thereof is incōparable; not onely in ex∣cellencie but also by reason of a number of singu∣lar affections and qualities which doe accompanie it: it is not meerely chast, but shamefast too: it is strong, but gracious with all: It is violent, and yet tender: it is ardent, but respectfull: generous yet fearefull: bold, but obedient, and all its feare is mixed with a delicious confidēce. Such truely is the feare of a soule, endowed with the excel∣lencie of Loue: For she hath such assurance in the goodnesse of her spouse, that she feares not the loosing of him; indeede she is afrayed, that she shall not sufficiently enioye his diuine pre∣sence, and that some occasion may make him ab∣sent himselfe though for an onely moment. She is confident enough neuer to displease him, but she feares she shall not loue him so much as loue requires: Her Loue is too couragious, to enter∣taine the lest suspicion, of euer falling into dis∣grace with him; but she is withall apprehensiue and fearefull, that she shall not be vnited vnto him, so much as she desires: yea the soule doth sometimes arriue at such a desire of perfection, that she doth not feare but she shall be sufficiently v∣nited vnto him, Loue assuring her the continuance thereof: but she feares that this vnion is not so pure, simple, and attentiue as her Loue makes her wish. It is this admiring Louer, who desires not

to loue, the gust, delightes, vertues, and spirituall consolations least she might be though neuer so little diuerted from the singular loue which she beares to her beloued; protesting that it is himselfe, not his benefits which she lookes for, and crying out to this purpose, ah! shew me my Beloued, where thou feedest, where thou lyest at midday; least I might roue after the pleasures, which are out of thee.

2. With this holy feare of heauenly Spouses, were touched those great soules of S. PAVLE, S. FRANCIS, S. CATHARINE of Genua, and others who would not admit any mixture in their Loues, but endeauoured to make them so pure, simple and perfect, that neither consolations, nor vertues themselues, might be enterposed betwixt their heart and God, so that they might saie, I liue, not I, but IESVS-CHRIST liues in me: my God is my all, that which is not God is nothing to me, IESVS-CHRIST is my life: my Loue is cruci∣fied, and others the like extaticall words. Now the loue of new beginners or apprētises, proceedes from true loue, but from a loue which is as yet ten∣der, feeble, and beginning onely: Filiall feare pro∣ceedes from a constant and solide loue, and which alreadie tends to perfection: but the feare of a Spouse, springs from the excellencie and perfectiō of Loue alreadie acquired, but as touching seruile and mercinarie feares, they proceede not from loue at all, but ordinarily they preceede Loue, and serue it as Herbingers, as we haue alreadie saied, and are oftentimes very profitable seruants. How∣beit, THEO: you shall oft see a good Ladie, who,

not willing to eate her bread in idlenesse, resem∣bling her, whom Salomon doth so much extoll, will worke in silke vpon fine white Satine with a goodly varietie of colours, to make a peece of embroderie, consisting of many rare flowers, which afterward she will richly raise with gold and siluer fitly suted▪ the worke is wrought with the needle, which she vseth all through to lay her silke, siluer, or gold: yet is not the needle put into the Satine to be left there, but onely to draw in after it, and make way to the silke, siluer and gold: so that these being once layed vpon their grounds, the needle is drawen out and taken thence. Euen so the Diuine Goodnesse about to place a great varietie of vertues in mans soule, and afterwards to raise them with his sacred Loue, he makes vse of the needle of seruile and merci∣narie Feare, which commonly doe first pricke our hearts. Yet is it not left in it, but still as the vertues are placed and lodged in the soule, merce∣narie and seruile Feare departs, according to the saying of the beloued Disciple, That perfect Cha∣ritie casteh out Feare. I verily THEO: for the feare of being damned, and of loosing Heauen is dreadull and full of anguish: and how can it then stand with holy Loue which is wholy sweete and de∣lightfull.

How seruile Feare remaines toge∣ther with holy Loue. CHAPTER. XVII.

1. And albeit that the Lady we spoke off will not leaue her needle in her worke after it be once perfected, yet as longe as there remaines any thing to be done about it, if any other occur∣rence hinder her, she will leaue the needle sticking in the Pincke, the Rose, or Paunsie which she embroders, to find it in a readinesse when she re∣turnes to her worke. In like manner THEO: while the Diuine Prouidence is about the embroderie of vertues, and the worke of Diuine Loue in our soules, there is alwayes a mercinarie or seruile loue left in thē, till Charitie being come to perfe∣ction, doth take out this pricking needle, and put it vp as it were in her Clue. In this life therefore wherein our Charitie shall neuer come to that perfection, that it shall be exempt from perill, Feare is alwayes necessarie, and euen while we daunce for ioye with Loue, we must tremble with apprehension by Feare.

In Feare aduise of what thou tak'st in hand, Serue, and reioyce in him that raignes aboue, Reioyce in him, yet ioyfull firmly stand In lowlinesse of heart, in trembling loue.

Our great Father ABRAHAM sent his seruant ELIEZER to choose a wife for his onely sonne ISAAC: Eliezer wēt and by diuine inspiration made choice of the faire and chast REBECCA whom he carried away with him. But this wittie Damsell forsooke ELIEZER, as soone as she met with ISAAC, and being conducted into SARAS chamber, she re∣mained his spouse for euer. God doth often send seruile Feare, as another ELIEZER, (and Eliezer, is interpreted God's assistance) to treate the mar∣riage betwixt it selfe and sacred Loue. And though the soule be brought vnder the conduct of Feare, it is not that Feare meanes to espouse her; for in effect, as soone as the soule meets with Loue, she vnits herselfe vnto him, and quits Feare.

2. Yet as ELIEZER after his returne remained in Isaac his house, at his and Rebeccas seruice, so Feare hauing led vs to holy Loue, it remaines still with vs, to serue both Loue and the louing soule as occasion serues. For though the soule be iust, yet she is oft set vpon by extreame temptations, and Loue as couragious as it is hath enough to doe, to sustaine the assault by reason of the disad∣uantage of the place wherein it is, which is the va∣riable heart of man, subiect to the mutinie of the passions. In that case therefore THEO: Loue em∣ployes Feare in the fight, making vse of him to re∣pulse the enemie. The braue Prince IONATHAS, going to giue a charge vpon the Phylistians, a∣midst the obscuritie of the night, would haue his Esquire with him and those that he killed not, his Espire killed. And loue enterprising some difficult thing, makes not vse of his proper motiues onely,

but also of the motiues of seruile and mer∣cinarie feare; and the temptations which Loue ouerthrowes not, Feare defeates: If a temp∣tation of Pride, auarice or some voluptuous plea∣sure make head against me; Ah! shall I saie, it is possible, that for things so vaine, my soule would quit the grace of her well-beloued? but if this will not serue, Loue will call Feare to his aide: ah dost thou not see miserable heart, that by se∣conding this temptation, the horrible flames of Hell doe waite vpon thee? and that thou loosest the eternall inheritance of heauen? a man makes vse of all things in extreamities: as the saied IO∣NATHAS did, when passing the sharp Rockes, which were betwixt him and the Phylistians he did not onely make vse of his feete, but as well as he could, scrambled, and ramped with his hands. Euen therefore as the Mariners, who lanch out vnder a fauorable gale, and in a fit season, doe yet neuer leaue behind them their cables, ankers, and other necessaries against stormes and tempests: so though the seruant of God enioye the sweete repose of holy Loue, he must neuer be vnprouided of the Feare of Gods iudgments, to helpe himselfe there∣with amōgst the outrages and assaults of tempta∣tions: besids that as the skin of an aple, which in it selfe is of small estimation, is yet very vsefull for the conseruation of the aple which it coue∣reth; so seruile feare, which in it selfe is but of a meane condition in respect of Loue, is yet very profitable to its conseruation, during the dan∣gers of this mortall life. And as he that presents a Pomegranade, doth onely present it in respect of

the grains and iuyce contained with in it, and yet giues it in the pille, as a certaine dependance of it; Euen so, though the holy Ghost, amongst his sacred gifts bestowes a louing Feare vpon the hearts of his friends, that they may feare God in pietie, as their Father and Spouse, yet doth he also adde to that, a mercinarie and seruile Feare, as an accessarie to the other, which is more excellent: so Ioseph presenting his Father with many loades of the riches of Egipt, gaue him not onely the trea∣sures, but withall, the asses that brought them.

3. Now albeit that mercinarie and seruile Feare be very necessarie for this mortall life, yet is it vnworthy of any part in the immortall, where there shall be an assurance voyd of Feare, a Peace without opposition, a repose free from care; yet shall the seruices which this seruile and mercina∣rie Feare made Loue, be there rewarded; so that these Feares, though as another Moyses and Aaron they enter not into the LAND OF PROMIS, yet shall their posteritie and workes enter: and as for a Filiall, and the Feare of Spouses, they there shall haue their rancke and place, not to cause any dif∣fidence or perplexitie in the foule, but to make her admire and reuerence with submission the in∣comprehensible maiestie, of this omnipotent Fa∣ther, and this Spouse of glorie.

The Loue to God we beare Is full of purest Feare: His Feare and Maiestie Dures for eternitie.

How Loue makes vse of naturall seruile, and mercinarie Feare. CHAPTER. XVIII.

1. Lightnings, Thundrings, Thunderbolts, tem∣pests, Inundations, Earth-quakes, and other sodaine accidents, doe excite euen the most inde∣uote person to feare God, and nature preuenting discourse in those occurences, doth driue the heart, the eyes, yea the very hands to heauen∣wards, to inuoke the assistance of the most holy Diuinitie, according to the common sense of mā∣kind, which is, saieth Titus Liuius, that such as serue the Almightie, doe prosper and such as contemne him, are afflicted. In the storme which endāgered IONAS, the Marriners were strooke with a great feare, and each of them fell sodainly a crying to God. They were ignorant saieth SAINT HIEROME, of the Truth, yet they knew there was a Prouidence, and beleeued that it was by the iudgment of Heauen, that they were in this dan∣ger, as the Malteses, when they saw S. PAVLE inua∣ded by a viper, after he had escaped shipwrake, beleeued that it happened by the Diuine ven∣geance. And indeede Thunders, Stormes Thun∣derbolts are called the Almighties voice by the Psalmist, saying further, that they make his words because they Proclame his Feare, and are as Mini∣sters of his Iustice. And againe, wishing that the

Maiestie of God would become dreadfull to his enemies; lighten lightening, saieth he, and thou shalt disperse them: shoote out thyne arrowes and thou shalt destroye them: where he termes Thūderbolts the arrowes ād darts of God. And be∣fore the Psalmist, Samuels good mother had alrea∣die sung, that euē, Gods enemies would feare hī if he would thūder ouer thē frō Heauē. Certes PLATO in his GORGIAS, and else where, doth witnesse that there was some sense of Feare amongst the Pa∣gans, not onely in regard of the chastiments, which the soueraigne Iustice of God doth practise in this world, but also in respect of the punish∣ments which he exerciseth in the other life, vpon their soules that haue incurable sinnes so deeply is the instinct of fearing a Deitie engrauen in mans nature.

2. But this feare being practised by way of a sodaine motion or naturall feeling, is neither to be commended nor condemned in vs, since it pro∣ceedes not from our election: yet is it an effect of a best cause, and cause of a best effect; for it comes from the naturall knowledge which God hath giuen vs of his Prouidence, and giues vs to vnder∣stand what dependance we haue of the soueraigne omnipotencie, mouing vs to implore his aide, and being in a faithfull soule, it doth much aduance her in goodnesse. Christians (amidst the asto∣nishments which Thunder, Tempests, and other naturall dangers cause in vs) inuoke the sacred name of IESVS and MARIE, make the signe of the Crosse, prostrate themselues before God, and exercise many good acts of Faith, Hope, and

Religion. The Glorious SAINT THOMAS of Aquine, being naturally subiect to start when it thundered was accustomed to saie, by way of Ia∣culatorie Praier the Diuine words, which the Church hath in such esteeme! THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH. Vpon this feare then Diuine Loue doth make diuers acts of Complacence, and Be∣neuolence. I will blesse thee ô Lord, for thou art wōderfully magnified: Let euery one feare thee ô Lord; ô you great ones of the earth, vnderstand, serue our Lord in feare, and reioyce in him with trembling.

3. But there is another feare, that takes it's beginning from Faith, which teacheth vs, that af∣ter this mortall life, there are punishments dread∣fully eternall, or eternally dreadfull, prepared for such, as in this world haue offended the Diuine Maiestie, without a perfect reconciliation before their decease: That at the house of death, the soule shall be iudged by a particular Iudgment, and that at the end of the world, all shall rise and appeare together to be iudged againe in the Vniuersall Iudgment: For these Christian truthes, THEOT: doe strike the hearts of those that doe deeply pon∣der them with an extreeme horrour, and indeede, how could one represent vnto himselfe those eternall honours without foming, and quaking with apprehension? Now when these feelings doe take such roote in our soule, that they driue and banish thence the affection and will to sinne, ac∣cording as the holy Councell of Trent speaketh, they are very wholsome. We haue conceiued thy feare ô Lord, and haue brought forth the Spirit of

Saluation: I saie hath it. That is thy wrothfull face tertified vs, and made vs conceiue and bring forth the Spirit of Penance, which is the Spirit of Saluation, so did the Psalmist saie, my bones en∣ioyed no peace, but trembled before the face of thy anger.

4. Our Sauiour who euen came to establish the law of Loue amongst vs, ceaseth not to incul∣cate vnto vs this feare; feare him, saieth he, who hath power to throw the bodie and soule into hell fire: The NINIVITS did penance vpon the threat of their owne subuersion and damnation, and their penance was agreeable to God: to be short, this feare is comprised amongst the gifts of the holy Ghost, as many aunciant Fathers haue noted.

5. But if Feare doe not deterre our will and affection from Sinne truely it is bad, and like to that of the diuells, who cease to doe mischiefe onely through a feare they haue to be tormented by the Exorcisme, without ceasing to desire, and will mischeife, which is their meditation for euer; Like to that of the miserable gallie-slaue who would euen eate the Captaines heart, though he dares not stirre from the Oare least he might be beaten; Like to the Feare of that great old Mai∣ster-heretike, who confessed that he hated God, because he did punish the wicked. Certes he that loues sinne, and would willingly commit it, maugre Gods will, though in effect he will not commit it onely least he might be damned, hath a horrible and detestable feare: for though he haue not the will to come to the execution of sinne, yet doth

he entertaine the execution of it in his will, since he would doe it, if feare withheld him not, and it is as it were by force, that he effectes it not.

6. To this Feare one may adde another, lesse malicious indeede, yet no lesse vnprofitable, as was that of the Iudge FELIX who hearing Gods iudgmēts spoken off was stroken into amazemēt, yet did he not for all that giue ouer his auarice: and that of BALTASAR, who in seeing the prodi∣gious hand, that wrote his condemnation vpon the wall, was so astonished, that he looked agaste▪ the ioyntes of his backe bone were disioynted, his knees with shaking dashed one against another, nor would he yet doe penance: and to what pur∣pose is it to feare euill, vnlesse by feare, we resolue to eschew it?

7. Their Feare then, that doe as slaues obserue the Law of God, to auoyd Hell, is good indeede; but much more noble and desirable is the merci∣narie feare of Christians, who as hirelings doe faithfully labour, yet not principally for any loue they beare their Maister, but to be rewarded with the reward promised. O that the eye could see, that the eare could heare, or that it could enter into the heart of man, what God hath pre∣pared for those that serue him! Ah what an ap∣prehension would one haue to violate Gods com∣mandements, least he might loose those immor∣tall rewards! What teares, what sobbs would one cast out, when by sinne one had lost it! Yet should this Feare be blame worthy, if it contained in it, the exclusion of holy Loue; for he that should

saie, I will not serue God, for any loue I will haue towards him, but onely to attaine the reward he promiseth, should commit blasphemie, in prefer∣ring the reward, before his Maister, the benefit before the Benefactour, the inheritance before the Father, and his owne profit before God almightie, as we haue more amply showen in the second booke.

8. But finally, when we feare to offend God, not to auoyd the paines of Hell, or the lose of Heauen, but onely, for that, God being our good Father we owe him honour, respect, obedience, thē our Feare is filiall, because a well borne child doth not obeye his Father in respect of the power he hath to punish his disobedience, or because he might disinherite him, but purely because he is his Father; In such sort, that though his Father were old, impotent and poore, he would not serue him with lesse diligence, but rather, as a pious Storke, would assist him with more care and af∣fection: Euen as IOSEPH, seeing the good man IA∣CO•• his Father, old, in want, and brought vnder his scepter, ceased not to honour, serue, and re∣uerēce him, with a more thē filiall tēdernesse, and such as his brothers hauing takē notice, apprehen∣ded that it would euen worke after his death, and therevpon they made vse of it to obtaine pardon at his hands, saying, your Father commanded vs that we should tell you thus from him; I beseech thee to forget thy brothers crime, and the sinne and malice which they practised against thee: which hauing heard, he began to weepe, so did his filiall heart melt at the representation of his

deceased Fathers wish and will. Such then doe feare God with a filiall affection, as doe feare to displease him, purely and simply, because he is their most sweete, most benigne and most louing Father.

9. Howbeit though this filiall feare be ioyned, mixed, and tempered with the seruile feare of e∣ternall damnation, or with the mercinarie Feare of loosing Heauen, it is yet gratefull to God and is called a BEGINNING FEARE, that is a feare of such as are beginners, and Apprentises in the exer∣cise of diuine Loue. For as young youthes, at their first beginning to ride a horse when they perceiue him rise a little high before, doe not onely cleeue close to hī with their knees, but doe also catch hard hold of the saddle bole with their hands, yet after they haue bene a while trayned vp with it, doe one∣ly keepe thēselues close together; euen so Nouices ād Prentises in Gods seruice, finding thēselues lost amidst the assaults which the enemie makes a∣gainst them in their beginnings, doe not onely make vse of filiall, but also of mercinarie and ser∣uile Feare, and hold themselues as well as they cā, that they might not fall from their pretentions.

How sacred Loue containes the 12. fruits of the holy Ghost, together with the 8. beatitudes of the Ghospell. CHAPTER. XIX.

1. THe glorious S. PAVLE saieth thus; Now the Fruit of the holy Ghost is Charitie

Ioye, Peace, Patience, Benignitie, Goodnesse, Longanimitie, Mildnesse, Modestie, Faith, Continencie, Chastitie. But marke, THEO: how this holy Apostle showing these 12. fruits of the holy Ghost, puts them for one onely fruit: for he saieth not, the fruits of the holy Ghost, are Charitie, Ioye &c. but onely the fruit of the Holy Ghost, is Charitie, Ioye. And behold the secrete of this manner of speach. The Charitie of God is poured forth into our hearts, by the holy Ghost which is giuen vs. Certes Charitie is the onely fruit of the holy Ghost, but because this one fruit hath an infinitie of excellent proprieties, the Apostle about to represent some of them, by way of a scantling, he speakes of this onely fruit, as of many, by reason of the multitude of proprieties which it containes in its vnitie, and speakes againe of all these fruits as of one onely, by reason of the vnitie, in which it is comprised in this varietie. So he that should saie that the fruit of the vine, is ripe grapes, greene grapes, wine, aqua vitae, the liquour that doth reioyce the heart of man, the drinke that doth comfort the stomake, would not saie that they were fruits of diuers SPECIES: but onely, that though they be but one onely fruit, yet hath it many different proprieties, accor∣ding as it is diuersly vsed.

2. The Apostle therefore would saie no other thing, but onely, that Charitie is the fruit of the holy Ghost, which is ioyfull, peaceable, patient, benigne, good, longanimous, sweete, faithfull, modest, continent, chast, that is to saie, that the Diuine Loue doth giue vs an inward ioye and cō∣solation,

together with a great peace of mind, which in aduersitie is conserued by Patience, and which makes vs benigne and gracious in succou∣ring our neighbour, by a cordiall goodnesse to∣wards him, a goodnesse which is not variable, but Constant and perseuerant, giuing vs a courage of great extent, by meanes whereof, we become mild, affable and condescendant to all, supporting their humours and imperfections, and standing perfectly loyall vnto them, testifying a simplicitie accompanied with confidence, as well in our words as actions, liuing modestly and humbly, cutting off all superfluities, and disorders in meate drinke, apparell, bed, plaie, pastimes and such other voluptuous desires by a holy continencie, repressing especially the inclinations and seditions of the flesh, by a diligēt chastitie, so that our whole man may be occupied in holy Loue as well inte∣riourly by Ioye, Peace, Patience, Longanimitie, Goodnesse, and Fidelitie, as also exteriously, by benignitie, mildnesse, modestie, continencie, and Chastitie.

3. Now Charitie is called a fruit in so much as it doth delight vs, ād in so much as we doe enioye its delicious sweetenesse, as being a true aple of Pa∣radice, gathered from the tree of life, which is the holy Ghost, graffed in our humane hearts, and dwelling in vs by his infinite mercy. But when we doe not onely reioyce in this heauenly Loue, and enioye its delicious sweetenesse, but euen place all our glorie therein, as in the crowne of our honour, then it is not a fruit onely delightfull to our palate but it is a beatitude and a most wishfull felicitie,

not onely because it assures vs the felicitie of the next life, but euen in that it doth enrich vs in this life, with a contentment of an inestimable price, a contentement which is so strong, that all the waters of tribulation, and the floodes of persequution cannot extinguish it, yea it is not onely not extinguished, but it waxeth rich a∣midst pouertie, is aduanced by abiections, and humiliations, reioyceth in teares, gaines strength by being forsaken by Iustice; and by being depri∣ued of the helpe thereof, while begging for it, it is deneyed of all: compassion and commiseration doe recreate it, while it is enuironed with the iniurious and neede: It is delighted in the renun∣ciation of all sorts of sensuall and earthly delightes, to obtaine the puritie and cleanenesse of heart, the vse of its valour is to lay a sleepe warrs, iarrs and dissentions, and to spurne temporall ad∣uancements and reputation, by all kinds of suffe∣rance it waxeth strong, and holds, that its true life consisteth in dying for the well-beloued. So that in a word, THEO: holy Charitie is a vertue, a Gift, a Fruit, and a Beatitude; as it is a vertue, it makes vs obedient to exteriour inspiratiōs, which God hath giuē vs by his Cōmādemēts ād Coūsells, in the execution whereof, all vertues are practi∣sed, whence Charitie is the VERTVE OF VERTVES.

4. In qualitie of a gift, Charitie makes vs ma∣nigable and tractable by interiour inspirations, which are as Gods secreete Commandements and Counsells, in the execution whereof the 7. giftes of the holy Ghost are imployed, so that Charitie is the GIFT OF GIFTS. As it is a Fruit it giues vs

an extreame gust and pleasure in the practise of a deuote life, which is felt in the 12. fruits of the holy Ghost, and thence it is the FRVIT OF FRVITS. In qualitie of Beatitude, it makes vs repute the af∣fronts, calumnies, rebukes, reuilings which the world heapes vpon vs for greatest fauours, and singular honours; and withall makes vs forsake, renounce and reiect all other kinds of glorie, saue that which comes from the beloued Crucifix, for which we glorie in the abiection, abnegation and annihilation of our selues, admitting of no other marke of Maiestie, then our crucified Maister's crowne of thornes, his scepter of a Reed, his robe of scorne which they put vpon him, and the Throne of his Crosse, vpon which the sacred Louers had more content, ioye, glorie and felici∣tie, then euer Salomon had in his Iuerie Throne.

5. So is Loue often times represented by the Pomegranate, which taking proprieties from the Pome-granate-tree, may be saied to be it's vertue, as also the gift thereof which out of Loue it offers to man; and its fruit, sith that it is eaten, to refresh m••ns taste, and finally it is as it were its glorie and Beatitude, bearing the crowne and diademe.

How diuine Loue makes vse of all the pas∣sions and affections of the soule and reduceth them to her obedience. CHAPTER. XX.

1. Loue is the life of our heart; and as the coūter∣poise giues motiō to all the moueable parts

of a cloke, so doth Loue giue all the motiō the soule hath: All our affections follow our Loue, and ac∣cording to it we desire, we reioyce, we hope, we dispaire, we feare, we take heart, we hate, we flie, we sorrow, we fall into choler, we triūphe. Doe not we see men who haue giuen vp their heart as a prey, to the base and abiect Loue of women, that they haue no desires but according to this Loue, they take no pleasure but in it, they neither hope nor dispaire but for this subiect, they neither dread nor enterprise any thing but for it, they are neither disgusted with, nor flie from, any thing saue that which doth diuert them from, this, they are onely troubled at that which doth depriue them of it, they are neuer angrie but out of iea∣lousie, neuer glorie but in this infamie.

2. The like may be saied, of couetous misers and glorie-hunters; for they become slaues to that which they loue, and haue neither heart in their breast, nor soule in their hearts, nor affections in their soules saue onely for this.

3. When therefore Diuine Loue doth raigne in our hearts, it doth in a kinglike manner bring vnder, all the other Loues, and consequently all the affections thereof, for as much as naturally they follow loue; this done it doth tame sensuall Loue, and bringing it to subiection, all the sensuall passions doe follow it. For in a word, this sacred Loue, is the soueraigne water, of which our Sa∣uiour saied, he that shall drinke of this water shall neuer thirst. No surely, THEO: he that hath Loue in a certaine abundance he shall neither haue de∣sire, dread, hope, courage, nor ioye, but for

God, and all his motions shall be quieted in this onely celestiall Loue.

4. Diuine Loue and selfe loue are in our hearts, as IACOB and ESAV in the wombe of RE∣BECCA; there is a great antipathie and opposition betwixt them, and doe continually presse on vpon another in the heart. Whereat the poore soule giues an outcrie, alas wretch that I am, who will deliuer me out of the bodie of this death, that the onely Loue of God may peaceably raigne in me Howbeit we must take courage putting our trust in our Sauiours word, who promiseth in commā∣ding, and commandeth in promising victorie to his Loue: and he seemes to saie to the soule, that which he caused to be saied to REBECCA; two na∣tions are in thy wōbe, and there shall be a diuision betwixt two people in thy intrailles, the one shall surmount the other, and the elder shall serue the younger: for as Rebecca, who had one∣ly two childrē in her wombe, whereof two people were to descend, was saied to haue two nations in her wombe; so the soule hauing two loues in her heart, hath consequently two great troopes of motions, affections and passions: and as Re∣becca her two children, by the contrarietie of their motions, made her suffer great conuulsions and paines of the wombe; so the two loues of our soul••, puts our heart as it were into trauaill. And as it was saied of Rebeccas two children, that the elder should serue the younger; so was it ordained that of these two loues of our heart, the sensuall should serue the spirituall, that is selfe-loue should serue the Loue of God.

5. But when was it, that the eldest of tha•• people which was in Rebecca's wombe serued th•• yoūgest? Surely it was onely whē Dauid ouercame the Idumeans in warre, and that Salomon ouerruled them in time of Peace. When shall it then be, that sensuall loue shall serue Diuine Loue? It shall then be, THEO: when armed Loue, being arriued at Zeale, shall by mortification subiect our passions, but principally when aboue in heauen, Blessed Loue shall possesse our whole soule in peace.

6. Now the meanes whereby Diuine Loue is to subiect the sensuall appetite, is like to that which IACOB vsed, when for a good presage and beginning of that which was afterwards to come to passe, ESAV cōming out of his mothers wombe, IACOB held him by the foote as it were to trample vpon, to suppliant, and keepe him vnder, or as they saie, to keepe him tyed by the foote, after the manner of a Hauke, such as ESAV was in quali∣litie of a hunter, and as he was a fierce man: For so holy Loue, perceiuing some passion or naturall affection to rise in vs, must presently catch it by th•• foote, and order it to his seruice. But what is it to saie, take it by the foote? it is to bind it, and bring it downe to a r••solution of seruing God. Doe not you see how Moyses transformed the serpent into a rod, by taking her onely by the tayle! euen so by bestowing a good end vpon our passions, they turne vertues.

7. But what methode are we then to obserue, to order our affections and passions to the seruice of Diuine Loue? Methodicall Phisitions, haue

alwayes this APHORISIME in their mouthes, T••at contraries are cured by their cōtraries; t•••• Alchymists haue another famous sentence contrarie to this, Saying, that like are cured by their like. Howsoeuer we are certaine that two contrarie things make the light of the starrs disappeare, to wit the obscuritie of nightly foggues, and the greater light of the sunne; and in like manner, we doe fight against passions; either by opposing contrarie passions, or greater affections of the same sort. If any vaine hope pre∣sent it selfe vnto me, my way of resistance may be, by opposing vnto it this iust discouragement, O senselesse man vpō what foundatiō dost thou build this hope? dost thou not see that the great one to whom thou dost aspire, is as neere to his graue as thy selfe? Dost thou not know the instabilitie, weaknesse, and imbecillitie of the spirit of man? To day his heart, in whom thy pretentions are, is thyne, to morrow, another carries it away from thee, vpon what then is this hope grounded? Ano∣ther way of resisting this hope is, to oppose to it another more strong; hope in God, ô my Soule, for it is he that deliuers thy feete out of the snares; neuer did any hope in him, and was confounded, throwe thy thoughtes vpon eternall and perma∣nent things. In like manner, may one fight with riches and temporall delightes, either by the con∣tempt they merite, or by the desire of such as are immortall, and by this meanes sensuall and earth∣ly Loue, shall be ruinated by heauenly Loue; either as fire is extinguished by water, by reason

of its contrarie qualities, or as it is extinguished by heauenly fire, by meanes of its qualities more strong and predominant.

8. Our Sauiour makes vse of both the wayes in his spirituall cures. He cured his Disciples of their wordly Feare, by imprinting in their hearts a Feare of a superiour rancke. Feare not those, saied he, who kill the bodie, but feare him, who can throw the bodie and the soule into Hell fire: Whē he would another time cure thē of an abiect ioye, he assigned them one more high; doe not re∣ioyce, quoth he, that the euill spirits are vnder you, but that your names are written in Heauen; and himselfe also reiecteth ioye, by sorrow; woe be to you that laugh, for you shall weepe. Thus then doth the Diuine Loue supplant and bring-vnder the affections and passions, turning them from the end to which selfe loue would swaye thē, and applying them to its spirituall pretention. And as rhe rayne-bow touching the hearbe ASPA∣IATHVS doth depriue it of its owne smell, and giues it another farre more excellent; so sacred Loue touching our passions takes from them their earthly end, and bestowes a heauenly one in its place, the appetite of eating is much spiritualized, if before the practise thereof we put vpō it the ••o∣tiue of loue. Ah Sauiour! It is not to content my palate, nor yet to saciate this appetite, that I goe to table, but according to thy Prouidence, to su∣staine this bodie which thou hast giuen me, subiect to this miserie; I Lord, because so it was thy plea∣sure. If I hope for a friends assistance, may not I saie, the manner of thy establishment of our life,

ô Lord, was such, as that we should stand in neede of one anothers helpe, comfort and consolation: and because so it pleaseth thee, I will vse this or that man, whom thou hast ioyned vnto me in friendshipe to this purpose. Is there some iust occasion of Feare? It is thy will ô Lord, that I should feare, that I may vse conuenient meanes to auoyd this inconueniencie, I will doe so, ô Lord, since such is thy good pleasure. If feare be exces∣siue, ah God our eternall Father, what is it that thy children and the chickes, which liue vnder thy winges can dread? Well, I will vse the meanes con∣uenient to eschew euill, but that being done, Lord, I am thyne, saue me, if it be thy pleasure, and that which shall befall me, I will accept, be∣cause such is thy good pleasure. O holy and sacred ALCHIMIE, ô heauenly PROTECTION POVDER by which all the mettalls of our passions, affections, and actions are conuerted into the most pure gold of heauenly Loue.

That sadnesse is almost alwayes vnprofi∣table, yea opposite to the seruice of holy Loue. CHAPTER. XXI.

1. ONe cannot graffe an Oake vpon a Peare-tree, of so contrarie an humour are those two trees; nor can anger, choler and dispaire be

graffed in Charitie, at least it would be a hard peece of worke. We haue seene Anger alreadie in the discourse of Zeale; as for dispaire, vnlesse it be reduced to a mans iust defence, or at least to the feeling which we ought to haue of the vanitie, feablenesse, and inconstancie of wordly fauours, assistances, and promisses; I see not, what seruice Diuine Loue can draw from it.

2. And as concerning sadnesse, how can it be profitable to holy Charitie, seeing that ioye is rancked amongst the fruits of the holy Ghost, ad∣ioyning vnto Charitie. Howbeit the great Apostle saieth thus; The sorrow that is according to God, worketh penance vnto saluation that is stable, but the sorrow of the world worketh death: there is then a sorrow according to God, which is profita∣bly practised either by sinners in Penance, or by the good, by way of compassion for the tempo∣rall miseries of our neighbours; or by the perfect, in deploring, bemoaning and condoling the spiri∣tuall calamities of soules. For DAVID, S. PETER, MAGDALENE, wept for their sinns: AGAR wept when she sawe her sonne almost deade of thirst. Hieremie vpon the ruines of Hierusalem: Our Sa∣uiour ouer the Iewes; and his great Apostle groanes out these words, many walke of whom I haue often told you, and I tell you againe with teares, who are enemyes to the Crosse of IESVS-CHRIST.

3. There is a sorrow of this world, which doth also proceede frō 3. causes: For. 1. it comes some∣times from the infernall enemye, who by a thou∣sand sad, melancholie, and troublesome sugge∣stions,

doth obscure the vnderstanding; weaken the will, trouble the whole soule, and like to a thicke mist doth stuffe the head and breast with a rume, and by this meanes makes a man draw his breath with difficultie, and doth perplexe the poore trauailler; so the euill spirit filling mans mind with daunting thoughts, depriues it of the facilitie of aspiring to God, and doth possesse it with an extreame vexation and discouragement, to bring it to dispaire and perdition. They saie there is a fish named a sea-toade, or a sea-diuell by surname, who by mouing and stirring the mud, doth trouble the water round about her, to hid her selfe in it, as in an amboush, wherein as soone as she perceiues the poore little fishes, she falls vpō them, spoyles and deuoures them: whence perad∣uenture came the common prouerbe, of fishing in a troubled water. Now, the diuell of Hell, vseth the same slight with the Diuell of the Sea: For he makes his Ambushe in the midst of sorow, who after he hath troubled the soule with a multitude of loathsome thoughts, cast hither and thither in the vnderstanding, he makes a charge vpon the affections, bearing them downe with distrust, ie∣lousies, auersions, disgustes, grieues, superfluous apprehensions of sinns past; adding withall a number of vaine, bitter, and sullen subtilities, that all reasons, and consolations might be re∣iected.

4. Sorow 2. doth sometimes proceede from a mans naturall condition, when a melancholie humour doth abound in vs; and this is not vicious in it selfe, yet doth our enemie make great vse of

it to cōtriue and plot a thousād temptatiōs in our soules for as the Spyder doth hardly weaue her w••be saue in cloudie and close weather; so this wicked Spirit, finds neuer so fit a time to lay the snares of his suggestiōs in sweete, benigne, ad cheerefull spi∣rits, as he doth in sullen, sad, and pesi••e hearts: for he doth easily trouble them with way••ardnesse, suspiciō; hatred, slouth, ād with a spirituall nūnesse.

5. Thirdly and lastly, there is a sorrow which the varietie of humane chāces doth bring vpō vs. What ioye ca I haue saied Tobie, not being able to see the light of heauē. So was IACOB sorrowfull vpō the ne∣wes of the death of his Sōne IOS••P••, ād DAVID for the death of his Absalō: and this is cōmō as well to the good as the bad, but in the good it is moderated by submissiō and resignatiō to the will of God, as is seene in Tobie, who redred thākes to the Diuine Mai••stie, for all the aduersities wherewith he was afflicted: and in ••OB, who blessed the name of God in thē: and in Daniel who turned his sorrowes into songes: Now contrariwise in worldlings, the same sorrow is an ordinarie dish with thē, ād is changed into loathsomenesse, dispaire, madnesse: for they resēble Apes ād Mōkies, which are still peeuish, sad and sottish in the wayning of the Moone, as againe in the new of the Moone they hop, dance, and doe their apish trickes. The worldling, is froward, harsh bitter, and melancholie in the ebbe of his terreane prosperities, but while they flowe, he is almost continually in his brauado's iocund, and insolent.

6. Certes the sorrow of true Repentance is not so much to be termed sorrow, as a dislike, sense or detestation of sinne: a sorrow which is neuer either

harsh or peeuish: a sorrow which doth not be∣nume the mind, but makes it become actiue, prompt and diligent: a sorrow which doth not abate the heart, but doth reliue it by praier, and hope, and makes it make the stirrings of the fer∣uour of deuotion: a sorrow which in the hight of its bitternesse, doth produce the sweetenesse of an incomparable consolation, following the Precept of the great S. Augustine. Let the penitent sor∣row continually, but let him also continually re∣ioyce therein. Sorrow, saieth Cassiā, which doth worke solide Penance, and the wishfull repentāce, whereof a man doth neuer repēt him, is obedient, affable, humble, milde, sweete, patient, as issuing and descending from Charitie; so that extending it selfe to all the paine of the bodie, and contri∣tion of the heart, it is in a certaine sort, ioyfull, quickned and strēgthned with the hope of profit, it retaines all the sweetenesse of affabilitie and longnanimitie, as enioying the fruits of the holy Ghost recited by the holy Apostle: now the fruits of the holy Ghost are, Charitie, Ioye, Peace, Longanimitie, Goodnesse, Benignitie, Faith, Mildnesse, Continencie. Such is true Repentance, and such the good sorrow, which is not properly, sad or melancholie, but onely attentiue and addi∣cted to detest, reiect, and hinder the malice of sinne for the time past, and time to come. And in∣deede we meete often with Penetents sollicitous, troubled, impatiēt, mournefull, soure, groaning, disquiet, harsh, and melancholie, which are in the end found to be fruitlesse, and are not follow••d with any true amendement, because they procee∣ded

not from the true motiues of the vertu•• of Penance, but from naturall and selfe-loue.

7. The sorrow of the world worketh death, saieth the Apostle; THEO: we must be therefore carefull to auoyd and reiect it a••cording to our power: if it be naturall, we are to keepe it backe, by withstanding its motions, and by diuerting them by exercises proper for that end, and by vsing the remedies and manner of liuing which the Phisitions shall aduise. If it proceede from temptation, we must fully disclose our heart to our Ghostly Father, who will prescribe vs the meanes to ouercome it, according to that which we haue deliuered touching this point, in the fourt•• Part of the Introduction to a deuote life. If it be accidentall, we must haue recourse to that which is saied in the eight booke, to th'end we may see how delightfull temptations are to the sonns of God, and that the greatenesse of our hopes in the eternall life to come, all almost doe make all the passing euents of this mortall life, of no consideration.

8. For the rest, amongst all the melancholies which can happen vnto vs, we are to make vse of the authoritie of the superiour will, to doe all th••t it is able in the behalfe of diuine Loue. Certes there are actions which haue so great a depen∣dance of the corporall disposition and complexion that it is not in our power to doe them at our pleasure: for the melancholie man cannot for his heart, keepe neither his eyes, speach nor coun∣tenance in the same grace and sweetenesse, which they would haue, if he were quit of this bad hu∣mour:

yet may he well, though not with a grace, speake gracious, good and courtious words, and may doe on despite of his inclina∣tion, by force of reason, what is conuenient in words, and in the works of Charitie, sweet∣nesse, condescendance. It is pardonable in a man not to be continually iocund, for a man is not Maister of mirth, to haue it when he list; but he that is not continually gentle, tractable and condescendant is not excusable; for it is alwayes in the abilitie of our will, nor is there any other thing required there∣vnto, but a resolution to sur∣mount the contrarie hu∣mour and incli∣nation.

The end of the eleauenth booke.