An abridgement of Christian perfection. Conteining many excellent precepts, & aduertisments, touching the holy, and sacred mysticall diuinity. Written in Italian, by Fa. Achilles Galliardi of the Society of Iesus, &translated into English, A.H. of the same society.

THe perfectiō, presupposed of all the estates before de∣clared, euen vnto this pre∣sent, cosisteth in an vtter forsaking of al pretēces whatsoeuer, & not to pretend any other thing, but God only, in a most excellent, and a most perfect manner, in all our actions, whereby we may attayne vnto a most high perfectiō, which consisteth in the examen follow∣ing,

distinguished into seauen points.

1. The first is, when the soule apprehendeth any trouble or affli∣ctiō, that of new is presented vnto her. For that then by the suggestiō of the inferiour, or infirme part, the apprehension of such a crosse is accustomed to be very vehement: and with this, a thousand exagge∣rations wilbe presented, that will cause it to appeare more violent, wherby the soule is accustomed to take this affliction with much dif∣ficulty, and many repugnances.

To remedy this, and to prouide for it throughly, it is necessary that the superior part of the soule, pro∣pose all this before her, as a iudge doth, who before he giue his sen∣tence, harkeneth to the reasons of both parties, prouided alwayes that she be not mooued any thing with their reasons, but that she re∣mayne

without passiō or any kind of alteration, suspending her iud∣gement, vntill she find out what may be according to reason: and that she may the better vnderstand it, these two meanes will ayd her. The one is, that she enter into her∣selfe, and consider how Almighty God knoweth, and seeth all her troubles, and whatsoeuer she en∣dureth, and therfore she ought to remit it wholy into his hands, to dispose thereof as he seeth most ex∣pedient. The second is to consider, & belieue assuredly, that euen as the diuine boūty desireth nothing but our good; euen so his diuine prouidence (which is hid from vs, not being permitted vnto vs to seeke too curiously into it) know∣eth very well how to prouide & remedy all in time, and manner, as it shall seeme best vnto him, and not as best liketh vs, nor as it may

best please vs. Of this suspension, and repose of spirit follow two things; the first, that she putteth a∣way, and reiecteth all the hinde∣rances, and trouble, and the de∣ceytes that might happen by this apprehension: and secondly it wil follow, that she shall come to con∣ceaue a true, pure, sincere, and ma∣ture apprehension of all her af∣fayres.

The second point is, that when the soule is come to receaue, and accept this affliction, as comming from God.

REMEDIES.

SHE must not rest herself heere, or permit herselfe to accept of it, as often many soules are accu∣stomed to doe, to wit, basely with an infinit number of difficultyes, of excuses, and seeking of them∣selues, but she must accept thereof 〈2 pages missing〉〈2 pages missing〉

••o offer it, & returne it vnto God, accepting it only in him, and for him.

4. The fourth point, is to know, in what manner the supe∣riour part must suffer with the in∣feriour, and with the exteriour senses, in the repugnances, & con∣trarieties which they feele, as hath bene said before.

REMEDIES.

THE superiour part ought to doe all, that hath bene said before, in the behalfe of the inferi∣our, and weakest partes, in such sort, that it be not with a certaine excessiue violēce, which may cause thē wholy to loose their strength, and vigour, or so as may trouble, or make the soule pusillanimous and fearefull, or els vtterly vnable to support so great a blow; but she ought for this cause somthing to

suffer with them, and encourage them with all the reasons the can imagine, and she must doe all this with the greatest discretion that she can possibly, in giuing now and then some relaxation vnto their trauailes, and afflictions, & in seeking the most conuenient remedies that she can aduise her∣selfe of. Euen as one that would haue a horse, or any other beast to serue his turne, will giue him more meat, to the end he may be strong, and able to trauaile better when there is need. And when by rea∣son of diuine subtraction she can∣not vse the force of any act of cō∣sola••iō, or ra••sing vp of her mind, she ought to repose in this, and procure the partes that are inferi∣our, to repose in the will of God, and this by meanes of the diuine conformity, which will bring much more true and strengthning

consolation, although it doth not seeme so.

5. The fift point is, how she ought to comport herselfe with selfe-loue in this case, or the like.

REMEDIES.

SELFE-Loue is accustomed to pretend & seeke in all thinges her owne interest, and particuler cōmoditie directly, or indirectly; and it doth so also in this, vnder pretence of many good reasons, yea euen of vertues, and purposeth many thinges that are not to the purpose; & for this cause the soule with the purity of a right intentiō ought to discouer by the light of the loue of God, all his deceipts, & oppose herselfe against this selfe loue very freely, and effectually; & by the force of a pure & cleane loue, she ought to reiect all parti∣culer and selfe respect, and follow

purely that which God shall in∣spire, and teach her.

6. The sixt point is, how that the superiour part ought to ans∣were to the propositions or offers, that our Lord will make vnto her concerning these paines, and affli∣ctions, or other greater.

REMEDIES.

AFTER this that hath byn a∣boue said, our Lord is accu∣stomed to make many propositiōn to the soule: as for example, that he will send her many other affli∣ctions, or els make her endure this present affliction along tyme, yea that we will cause her to suffer euen the paines of hell; and then ought she with great promptnes to be wholy resigned vnto God. He also is accustomed to giue the choice of two kindes of afflictions for her to accept of one. And in

this case raysing & ••ixing the eyes of her soule wholy in the perfect loue of God, with a meruailous purity, she ought to make her ele∣ction in God, and this choice must be alwaies of that which will re∣dound most to his honour and glory.

7. The seauenth is, in what manner she ought to behaue her∣self, that she may vse all her pow∣ers in the execution of this affaire, or of this affliction, and of all that which shalbe necessary, to come to the height of this perfection.

REMEDIES.

FOR as much as ordinarily in the exercising of all these thinges, it is necessary that all the powers, & faculties of the soule concurre therunto, to put it duly in execution; she ought fully to resolue with herselfe to obserue all

that she hath deliberated vpon, in such sort, that aswell in generall, as in particuler, she may perfectly accomplish, & put in execu••iō all this that she hath already chosen, and resolued to doe in the present affliction, or in any other thing: and she ought to take heed dili∣gently to correct the faultes that may happē in the executiō, ••yther by reason of her imagination, and representation of afflictions, or of the vnderstanding, or of the will, or of all the other powers. And thus the soule that is perfect, shall become much more perfect: and all this is a disposition vnto the state, that rēdereth the soule who∣ly diuine.