The mirrour of religious perfection deuided into foure bookes. Written in Italian by the R. F. Lucas Pinelli, of the Society of Iesus. And translated into English by a Father of the same Society.

How Religious Perfection consisteth in the three Vowes.

CHAP. V.

LORD, if Religious Perfection consist in perfect charity, and the coniunction with the supreme Good, which thou art; what need we to busy our selues in other vertues, and leaue that which is our end. Thou knowest Lord, that charity is the Queen and Lady of all vertues, and of it de∣pendeth all the law of grace, and therfore if we conuert all our cares, studyes, and co∣gitatiōs to the purchasing therof, we should not labour much about the procuring of other vertues: for if we haue but that one vertue, we can want nothing.

2. It is true my Child, that the end & scope of Religious perfection is perfect charity, & vnion with me thy Creatour, but how canst thou be able to attaine the end with∣out the due meanes vnto it? How wilt thou be vnited with me, vnles thou remoue all the things that hinder thee? Wherfore vn∣derstand

thou, that, to that most inward v∣nion with thy Creatour, that is, with me, in which perfect charity consisteth, thou must come by internall affections of mind, conspiring with the spirit of Religion, whereunto thou art called by me. And three things there be, that may hinder the hu∣mane affection, that it be not conioyned with me.

3. The first is the desire of riches, and of other goods of Fortune, which when it shall once haue seazed vpon a part of a mans harts, suffereth not the whole man to come vnto me. Wherupon that yong man to whom I said, that if he would be perfect, he should sell all that he had, and giue it to the poore, and then come and follow me, went his way sad, because he was ouer much deuoted to his possessions, which he had, many and great. This affection is taken a∣way by the Vow of pouerty, whereby the Religious renounceth all that be possesseth in the world, that he may with all his affe∣ction, and loue vnite himselfe with his Lord.

4. Another impediment and bar, is the loue of carnall and sensuall pleasures, that he cannot see to vnite himselfe with me, which consisteth in spirituall loue. Where∣upon

in a parable of the Ghospell a certaine man being inuited to a wedding, answe∣red, that he could not come, because he had married a wife: and this carnal loue is quite taken away by the Vow of Chastity.

5. The third thing that hindreth, and is lesse acknowledged, is the inordination of mans will, which as it is propense to co∣maund others, so doth it with much ado subiect it self to the will of another. And this inordination is such, as it separateth a man from me, and therfore I said in the Ghospel: He that will come after me, let him deny himselfe, that is, his owne will, and re∣nounce as it were himselfe. Neither is it a∣ny other thing to be vnited to me, then to forsake himselfe, & to yeald himselfe wholy to me; but he laboureth in vaine to vnite himselfe to me, who doth not first of all de∣part from himselfe. This third let is taken away by the Vow of Obedience, by benefit whereof the Religious by subiecting him∣selfe to others, suffereth himselfe to be go∣uerned by the will of others. Seeing then Religious perfection consisteth in perfect charity, and an inward coniunction with me, and these Vowes be the means of ob∣tayning it, and ordained for remouing the impediments thereof, it is not without

cause affirmed, that in these three Vowes Religious perfection consisteth.

6. Moreouer, sith these three Vows be the very foundations of a Religious life, it is not without congruity also said, that the perfection therof hath it dependance of thē, euen as the perfection of a materiall edifice dependeth of the foundations. And there be three things in the foundations necessary. The one is, that in laying them, there be a special care & consideratiō had: for the surer the foundations be, the more stable will be the building. A second thing is, that they be kept whole and sound, and be not remoued. For by the very least mouing of them, there follow great cracks and ruines in the walls. The third is, that the edifice retayneth not the name of a building, or of an house, if the foundatiō be wanting, but is called a poore cot, wherinto the ordure and filth is wont to be cast.

7. Seing then the three Vowes be the foundations of Religion, these three things also ought to be obserued in them. And first that a Religious mans principall care be of his Vowes, for that of them dependeth the life and essence of his vocation: and if the Vowes be sure and stable, all the frame of a Religious mans spirituall building will

stand sure and immoueable also. Secondly, that the Vowes be conserued and kept vn∣stayned: for the very least default in the Vowes, causeth a notable hurt in Religious discipline. Finally, as when the houses foun∣datiō being taken away, the house forgoeth and looseth it name: euen so the Vowes being away, the Religious is said no more to be Religious, but an Apostata, who be∣ing once fallen from his state, is easily stay∣ned with the filth and dirt of this world. When the rootes of the tree, which are the foundations therof, be hurt, the tree doth ea∣sily either wither away, or is little worth.

8. Besides, certaine it is, that Religion is a state, and a place of rest for the mind, where a man freed from dangerous stormes and tempests of this world, reposeth as in a quiet and secure harbour, and leadeth a spi∣rituall and peaceable life. And Religion most of all compasseth this by the help of the Vowes, which intertaine and defend the Religiou•• tranquillity and quiet, by de∣liuering a Religious man from the sollici∣citude, care, and trouble of this world: and for this cause also it is said, that Religi∣ous perfection is cōprehended in the three Vowes.

9. Wherefore the Vow of Pouerty first

is in cause, that a Religious man is exempt from the care of keeping, or increasing, or also of dispensing temporall goods. Next, the Vow of Chastity freeth him from the care of house, of wife, of children and fa∣mily, which is otherwhiles so combersome and tedious, as it bringeth many to despe∣ration. Finally, by the Vow of obedience there is taken from the Religious the anxi∣ety, & care, where with most men are wont to be vexed, whiles they be not able to de∣termine and resolue by themselues, whether they should do this, or that, whether it would more profit to lead this manner of life, or that. But the Religious, who hath by Vow of Obedience left himselfe in all things wholy to the directiō of Superiours, is most free from such kind of superfluous anxietyes, perplexityes, tentations, and doubts.

10. Sonne, thou must haue a speciall re∣gard to thy tranquillity and peace of mind, for that of it dependeth thy soules weale. Where trouble and disquiet is, there can be neither spirit nor deuotion. And know thou, that as long as in Religion thou kee∣pest thy Vowes, they will in like manner keep thee in peace and quiet.

11. To conclude, Religious perfection is

attributed to the Vowes, because it perfe∣cteth the holocaust, that the Religious offer of themselues to God. In the old law the holocaust was all consumed with fire for an odour of sweetnes, and the oblation of it was soone ended. But the holocaust of the Religious continueth for life, & the nearer it is to the end, sweeter is the sent thereof, and therfore is to me made a Vow of perpe∣petuall Pouerty, perpetuall Chastity, and Obedience foreuer. In the holocaust of Po∣uerty are offered me all the externall and temporall goods: in that of Chastity, the goods of the body: & in that of Obedience, the goods of the mind. For in that the will is offered to me, all the faculties and powers that be in subiectiō to it, be offered withal, and because nothing more remayneth be∣hind to be offered, by the Vowes a whole, entire, and perfect holocaust is not without cause offered.

12. The state of Virgins is perfect in it selfe, and very acceptable to me, but the Religious state is much more perfect, and more pleasing to me, because the Virgins do for loue of me only depriue themselues of the pleasures of the flesh, but Religious fur∣ther spoile themselues of their owne will, and giue me what soeuer they haue. He gi∣ueth

not little, who giueth all he hath; neither shall he receaue little in heauen, who shall for his remuneration and reward receaue me myselfe.

13. Now I would haue all to be them∣selues iudges in this matter, of how great reckoning the Vowes of Religious ought to be, sith they be the foundations and ground-worke of Religious life, the conseruers of the minds tranquillity and quiet, so much desired and sought for of men, and the most effectuall meanes towards the attayning of perfection, & the offering of a perfect sacri∣fice to the Creatour. A souldier maketh a great reckoning of his horse and armes, by the benefit wherof he may be able to main∣taine his temporall life, and triumph ouer his enemyes. And shall not a Religious man esteeme of his Vowes, by help whereof he conserueth his spirituall life, and goeth a∣way with victory, not only ouer his ene∣myes, but ouer himselfe also?

14. O how great will the splendour of these three Vowes be in Heauen, when like vnto three most precious stones they shal be set in a crowne of glory? For if the same now couered, concealed, and hidden as it were, do neuertheles giue out so great a light on earth, as the very great and mighty ones

of this world admire them; how great wil the brightnes therof be in heauen, where all things shall be seen, and appeare? doubt∣les their ioy and peace of mind will be ex∣ceeding great, who shall transport these iewells with them into heauen: as contra∣riwise great will be their grief and confu∣sion, who whiles they liue, had them not in the esteeme that they ought to haue had. If thou contemnest those precious stones, which haue a vertue to raise thee vp to grea∣test honour, what is it that thou makest any great reckoning of?