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.

CERTAINE ADVERTISEMENTS to Religious men, For the leading of a vertuous life in Re∣ligion, and for the better obserua∣tion of their Rules.

GOD sayth by the mouth of the Prophet Ieremy: What is it, that my Beloued hath in my house done much wicked∣nes? As though he meant to say more expresly: I haue good occasion to complain, in seeing that my creatures haue so sore offended me, but that those whome I loue most, and whome I nourish in Reli∣gion, as my house-hold seruants, and fami∣liar friends haue so highly offended me, and make no reckoning neither of their insti∣tute they haue imbraced, nor of the Vows whereunto they be bound, nor of the ob∣seruation of their Rules, nor of profiting

and g••••••••g forwards in the way of perfe∣ction, is a thing intollerable, and not to be borne withall And if God may not endure to see this abuse, meet is it that we be sory also, and therwith also endeauour to find out a way & meanes for the remedying of so great an euill by all possible industry. And to this purpose it will profit vs to me∣ditate and often to reuiew these points fol∣lowing.

1. Consider first, my sonne, how rigo∣rously God did punish the sinnes, that were committed in the holy places: as in the person of Lucifer, who was for his pride thrust out of heauen and cast downe into hell: in the person of Adam & Eue, whom he banished out of the terrestriall paradise for their disobedience: in that of Dathan & Abyron, whome the earth swallowed vp aliue: in that of Ananias & Saphyra, who fell downe dead at S. Peters feet for lying vnto him. Consider these examples, and feare thou also, least he punish thee in body or soule, or at least for the sinnes thou hast committed in Religion, he abandon thee cleane. Therefore make thou from hence forth this resolution, & firme purpose, that thou wilt keep all thy rules and lawes of Religion, for feare least God lay his heauy

and rigorous hand vpon thee.

2. Secondly consider, what our Sa∣uiour sayth of the tree, that did not beare any fruit: Cut it down, to what end occu∣pieth it place in the ground? He cōmaun∣ded it to be cut down being against reason it should take the place of another tree that would beare fruite. If our Sauiour would giue so rigorous a sentēce vpon an vnfruit∣full tree, what would he haue done, if it had borne fruit infectious, impoysoning, and deadly? Thou art that barren tree, that in Religion dost in vayne occupy the place of another that would serue God truely, and as it should best beseeme a Reli∣gious man. Thou art the vnfruitfull tree, that bearest none, but the fruits of death, & of many sinnes: and for this thou hast cause to feare, that God will with the axe cut thee down, & remoue thee from the place, where he hath so mercifully set thee, and plant another for thee, who sha••l serue him Religiously, and shall beare fruit to life e∣uerlasting. Therefore my sonne, read thy Rules often, obserue them exactly, be fer∣uent in thy vocation, and endeauour to go forwards from one vertue to another, to the end our Lord may gather the fruit, that he desireth, of thee, whome he hath by so

singular a priuiledge planted in the vine∣yard of holy Religion.

3. Thirdly consider, that all the holy inspirations, spirituall helps, and all the ordinances & rules of Religion be giuen by God for this, that the Religious seeke to perfect themselues in his seruice: and therfore thou must thinke, that doing the contrary, thou wrongest God, and iniurest thy selfe very much, and hast iust occasion to feare, least he will pronounce this dread∣full saying, mentioned in his Prophet Esay, against thee: In the Land of the Holy he hath done wicked things, and he shall not see the glory of our Lord. As though he should say: I haue giuen thee a place, in an holy place, amongst Holy ones, to the end thou shouldst become like vnto them. I haue for the same end prouided thee of all possible commodityes, and so many good inspirations, lawes, ordinances, and rules for thy better help, and the more perfecting of thee in my seruice, and all these helps thou hast abused, and hast been so far from profiting & going forwards in my seruice, as thou art become worse. And what will be the end of all this? Because thou hast abused al these helps that I haue giuen thee towards thy increase in vertue, thou shalt

not haue any part in my eternall glory.

4. Fourthly consider, that the sinne which is committed against any Vow is much greater, and displeaseth God more then do other sinnes. A Vow imposeth a greater and straiter obligation of seruing God, and therfore when the fault is made in that behalfe, the sinne is the greater a∣gainst God. And more then this, thou must perswade thy selfe, that al which thou vsest for thy meate and drinke, cloathing or o∣therwise, whether thou hast it of the Reli∣gion wherof thou art an vnworthy mem∣ber, or otherwise by way of almes of well disposed persons, turneth to the sinne of fraud, because thou defraudest & deceauest thy Religion on the one side, in not obser∣uing the rules therof, and on the other side thou art vnworthy, and incapable to pray for them, who bestow such almes vpon thee. For our Lord vouchsafeth not to heare thy prayers, so long as thou shalt o∣mit to obserue what thou hast promised him.

5. Lastly consider, how feruent and earnest a desire thou hadst to serue God, when he did first call thee vnto Religion. And if euen now notwithstanding thou be intangled in so many sinnes, and affections

of the world, thou yet feelest in thy self•• so h••rty and earnest a desire to aspire to per∣fection, whence is it, that being in so holy a place, amidst so many and excellent help•• and meanes of profiting to perfection, thou art so miserable, cold, and negligent? And if thou answer me, that thou art indeed a grieuous sinner, but thou entredst into Re∣ligiō to be good, whence commeth it, that after so long tyme of thy being, & of tray∣ning vp in this schoole of vertue, thou see∣mest to be so far of from thy first desires, and from that which appertayneth to thy pro∣fession? And therfore my sonne, be ashamed that thou art so imperfect, & make a firme resolution to returne to thy first feruour, and to an exact obseruation of thy rules, & of thyne Institute, that thou mayst from this tyme forwards serue God in all loue, and holynes, as meet is thou shouldst do.

Certaine Considerations, that may help to the obseruing of the Rules in Religion.

THE first is, to read them often, and to meditate the forementioned points euery moneth once, or more often, to the end by such meditation thou mayst stir vp in thy selfe a desire of obseruing them And to conceiue a firme purpose neuer to infring

or breake any Rule whatsoeuer, vnder pre∣tence that it importeth little, or is not of any consequence, will help much there∣unto.

2. The second is, to desire thy Superi∣our, and all the other Religious persons of the house to reprehend and admonish thee freely, as often as they shall see thee to trās∣g••esse against the Rules, or to commit any other fault, which thou seest nor thy selfe.

3. The third is euery, moneth to do some voluntary pēnance, either in secret, or in publique by the permission of thy Supe∣riour, for the faults that moneth commit∣ted against the Rules, and good desires and purposes that God hath inspired thee with, accompayning it with a good desire and firme resolution to obserue them better for the tyme to come.

4. The fourth is, that thou haue a par∣ticular affection to the obseruation of thy foure vowes of Pouerty, Chastity, Obedi∣ence, and Enclosure, keeping them with more care, then thou wouldst most pre∣c••ous stones. And to the end thou mayst the better affect them, read or meditate the aduertisements following.

Of the vowes, which the Religious make and first of Obedience.

THov must obey thy Superiour per∣fectly for the loue of God, & consider that hauing the vertue of Obedience, thou shalt togeather with it haue the other al∣so: and especially for this, that by it our Sa∣uiour did redeeme the world, that was ru∣ined by the contrary vice of disobedience. And therfore cease not to make petition to his diuine Maiesty, that he please to grant thee, to know and vnderstand the impor∣tance, merit, efficacy, and perfection of this vertue, that knowing it thou mayst be the more stirred vp to plant it, and procure it to increase in thy soule.

The Religious man that desireth to be perfect in the vertue of Obedience, must be perswaded, that the voice of the Supe∣riour, when he or she commaundeth any thing, is nothing els, but the very voyce of God, and when he vnderstandeth the signe of doing any thing, he must thinke that it is God who calleth him. And then he must leaue off all other busynes, and instantly go about that whereunto he is called: namely when he is called to the Quire, to Masse, to prayer, and to other the like spirituall exer∣cises.

The good & obedient Religious ex∣amineth not whether that which is com∣maunded him, be well or ill commaunded, but obeyeth promptly, readily, and with∣out any murmuration in all thinges where there is not any manifest sinne.

Of the Vow of Chastity.

I Need not to tel thee of the vow of Cha∣stity, sith it is cleare and manifest, how perfectly it ought to be kept, & sith it hath two cōpanions & sisters, that neuer depart from her side. The former is a certaine ho∣ly Bashfulnes, which may worthily be cal∣led the keeper and intertayner of Chastity, as that which defendeth and preserueth it against all stayne of dishonesty. The office of this Bashfulnes is to cause that the eyes be kept downe, and cast vpon the ground, and to cause the Religious person to con∣ceiue an horrour of seing, & of being seen. And if peraduenture she should be fo••ced to speake, or to suffer her selfe to be seene, she eftsoones couereth her face with an honest blush, the testimony of the care which she hath of the purity of her soule. To be short, this Bashfullnes causeth her to be modest in her gestures, in her going, and in all that she doth, and by that occasion conserueth

the vertue of Chastity in her perfection.

The other sister of Chastity is a Pu∣rity of hart, by meanes whereof the soule becommeth so exceedingly affected to ••his vertue, as it conceiueth not only an horrour at the very least dishonest thought, but also at euery inordinate affectiō to whatsoeuer creature, euer carrying a chast hart to her Spouse, and holding it for spirituall adul∣tery neuer so little to separate her affection from him.

Of the Vow of Pouerty.

AS touching the Vow of Pouerty, I would haue thee to be carefull to cō∣tent thy selfe with the only vsage of things that shall be vnto thee necessary, and to make a conscience of vsing them as thyne owne, for feare least vnder the colour of necessity thou become in tyme a Proprieta∣ry. Therfore thou must not giue any thing vnto another without licence of thy Su∣periour, nor in like manner take any thing without leaue, though it should be other∣wise necessary. Thou must neuer haue any money at thyne own disposition, whether it be in thyne owne hands, or in anothers, least the Diuell deceaue thee, and vnder the pretence of necessity induce thee to violate

thy vow of Pouerty, and by so doing cause thee to incurre the danger of eternall dam∣nation for not keeping thy promise made vnto God. And because this vice of propri∣ety is wont to raigne in the negligent, and carelesse Religious, thou must marke cer∣taine points, which may serue as antidots for the dryuing of this affection far from thyne hart.

Consider first, that this is a greater sinne, then it is to cast off the habit, or to go from one Couent to another, which yet is held for a very scandalous thing. It more importeth the Religious to keep the three essentiall Vowes thereof, and in particuler the vow of Pouerty, which is as the wall and rampier therof, then to weare such an habit, or to liue in such a monastery. If then it be so great a sinne to returne to the habit of the world, and to cast off that of Religion, or to runne from one monastery to another: what then thinke we, shall it be to vse any thing as our owne, and to breake the vow of Pouerty, which conserueth Re∣ligion in her integrity.

Consider secondly, how great a scā∣dall thou giuest thy Religious sisters, yea & sec••lar persons, and how thou de••amest thy Rel gion in as much as is in thee, besides

that, in so doing, is to robbe and steale, by keeping, or g••uing that which is not thyne. For that which the Religious may gaine by her industry and paynes, or that which is giuen her, whatsoeuer it be, is not hers, but the communityes. And this theft is so much the greater, because it is committed in that which appertayneth to the Church, to an holy place, to the poore, and to Gods seruants: and of this it com∣meth that the sinne of propriety is called sacriledge, and consequently worthy most grieuously to be punished.

Consider thirdly, that the pretious stone, whereof our Sauiour maketh men∣tiō in the Ghospel, is nothing but Pouerty, and that thou hast bought it with the price of all thy goods, in forsaking Father and Mother, brethren and sisters, and all thyne other friends, all thy pleasures & commo∣dityes, and more then all this, thy owne selfe also. And draw out of this an holy confusion, that thou giuest all againe for a thing of nothing, which thou doest when thou vsest the things, that are giuen thee as though they were thy owne. Acknow∣ledge thy owne fault herein, and remem∣ber, that thou canst not haue any greater treasure, then holy Pouerty, for that in it

is found the Creatour, and Lord of all thinges.

Consider fourthly, how foolish and ill aduised that man should be, who being escaped out of the dangers of the sea, by the help of a good ship wherinto he had got himselfe, he should fill it with water by little and little: for so doing he should in cōclusion sinke the ship, & drown himselfe withall. Thinke then thou dost the same. For being escaped out of the sea of this world, and got into the ship of holy Reli∣gion, and resuming the thinges which thou hadst formerly forsaken, for the satis∣fying and fulfilling of thy own will, is no∣thing els, but more shamefully to ruyne thy selfe, then thou wouldst haue done in the world. And therfore acknowledge thyne owne blindnes herein, & haue nothing to do with this so dangerous a vice of propri∣ety: lay hold vpon thy most sweet Sauiour, dying naked vpon the Crosse, and to that purpose renew thy vow of Pouerty, which thou hast formerly presēted vnto him, with all possible feruour and affection, as thou didst when thou first madest it.

Of the Vow of Enclosure.

THAT thy Enclosure which thou kee∣pest may be pleasing to God, & profi∣table to thy selfe, thou must keep it of a pure and free wil, for that the Religious person who keepeth it not but in body, & in will runneth all the world ouer, besides that, that she neuer inioyeth true repose, looseth all the fruite and benefit of her Enclosure. Consider my child, how many graces thou hast receaued by the meanes thereof: how many occasi••ns thou hast auoyded of of∣fending God: yea & into how many sinnes thou wouldst haue fallen, if it had been in thy liberty to go forth at thy pleasure: and it may be, that if thou hadst not been de∣barred of thy liberty in this behalfe, thou hadst been peraduenture euen now tormē∣ted in hell fire for all eternity. God hath deliuered thee from these, and other like dangers not to be numbred, by the meanes of this thy Enclosure: & for this thou hast most iust cause to loue it. And seeing thou hast made a promise of it to God, thou must keep it exactly, to the end thou maist merit, and make thy profit therof.

Of the Ioy, which the Religious ought to make vpon the day of their Conuer∣sion, and what ioy it ought to be vnto them.

IT would be good to haue a particuler deuotion of thy Vows, that is to say, that euery yeare thou make a festiuity of the Day that thou didst enter into Religion, and madest thy vowes. For as we euery yeare celebrate the day of the dedication of a materiall Church: so ought we in like manner, and with more iust reason keep solemne the day of the dedication of our Soule, which is the liuing Temple of the Maiesty diuine. And for the well effecting thereof, thou mayst practise, and do these three thinges.

1. In the first place, thou must make a generall Confession of all the yeare past.

2. In the second, thou must offer thy selfe anew to God, to serue him in perpetu∣all Pouerty, Chastity, Obedience, and En∣closure, being sory for not hauing, for the tyme past, perfectly kept that which thou hast promised him, and for hauing profited so meanely in vertue, and in his holy ser∣uice.

3. Lastly thou must take new hart, & new forces, renewing thy holy purposes, and thy first desires and feruours, returning to thy exercises intermitted, and endea∣uouring to perfect thy selfe in them. Fur∣ther, thou must see if thou canst by the grace of God, find out any other meanes, more proper, and easy for helping of thee to put in execution all that which thou art to do, and in particuler thou must haue at al tyms this desire to renew thy selfe in the vertue of prayer, and in the exercise of all other vertues. O how would this festiuity, and celebration of this thy Conuersion, & day of entring into Religiō, haue profited thee, if thou hadst done it as thou shouldst. But thy own slouth and negligence hath beene an occasion, that thou hast omitted to vse the meanes, and helps, that God hath af∣foarded thee. And therefore pray thou instantly, that he would please to pardon thy passed faults, and to giue thee grace to do thy endeauour better for the tyme to come.

FINIS.