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ALL vertues said Alphonso, may best be redd, & learned in the booke of lyse, & fountayne of wisdom our Sauiour Chirst. And let
none hope nor think they can be en∣riched with vertues, vnlesse they learn them of the Sonn of God made man, & principally of his sacred passion, for this is geuen vnto the world by the Father of heauen, as a moste plenti∣full gould-myne, that owt of it we may gather all treasures, see & heare the excellency of euery vertue.
Therefore happy is he that by cō∣tinuall meditation, entrethe into the hidden & inner secretts of this myne: for there he shall finde stoared vppe, all the treasures of God.
What vertues said Probus, will he that we first learne of him?
He haith willed vs said Alphonso, to learne of him self two, which are, Humilitie, & Patience, saying, Learu of me, that I am patient, and humble of harte: which two, when we haue learned: we shall be full of true wis∣dom and not before. Of these two therefore, I will tell you howe they may be gotten.
Many haue writen of the stepps & degrees of Humilitie, for it is a ver∣tue
which reacheth verie high, & des∣cendeth verie low: & without stepps let no man hope to clyme to the topp thereof: but he that once arryue the thither, shall presently come into such knowledg of himself, & all thinges: that thereby he shall most clearly see how of him self, he is and haith vetie nothinge, and that onely God is the thing, that trulie is. For which cause he desireth that all the thoughtes and powers of men be bente to praise & magnifye him onely, whose is euery thing that is. Moreouer he wish∣eth (because Humilitie coueteth no∣more then is it owne) that the whole world entreate & esteme him as he is, that is for nothinge: And that menns harts be not occupyed, yea for any li∣tle moment, in esteming that to be of some worth, which in truth is nothing∣or a vessell of iniquitie which is worse then nothing, as euery sinner is.
Herein therefore consisteth the key of Humilitie, that this which I haue now said, may be fixed in our hartes, by many actes of good consideration:
couetinge with-all, that they which harme or dispyse vs, & that they also which see it, may thinke vs to suffer, not vpon humilitye, but because we can not otherwyse doe, as S. Bona∣uenture saith, that he which laboreth to please God, muste endeuour to be thought vyle & abiecte, not humble and modest.
Me think said Probus, it were good to shew our Humilitye to others, for their edification.
If a man said Alphonso, were of such perfect vertue, that without any repug∣nance or difficulty, he could wishe to be estemed of all men vyle, abiect, & nothing, as I said before: suche a one might desire, for the edification of his neighboures, that they should think him to suffer iniuries willingly, & with ioy, for the loue of God and humilitie, & this were heroycall hu∣militie, which was moste perfecte in our Sauiour.
I pray you Father said Probus, de∣clare to me the humilitie of our Sa∣uioure, seinge I muste haue it before
myne eyes as a patern to imitate.
The humility of our Sauiour said Al∣phonso, conteyneth in it, most high & vnspeakable misteries, & better may all creatures admire it, then com nigh in folowing it. For our Sauiour being God omnipotente, of infinite good∣nes, and a moste perfecte man, did choose & will with great ioy, to be estemed for a most meane thing, yea almost for nothing, & for such a one he would be hardly intreated with in∣iuries, contumelies, reproches, & tri∣bulations, from the first day of his birth till he suffred a most sharpe & shame∣full deathe. All which he did, not for that they weare needefull for him self: but that we who haue great neede thereof, mighte learne the manner of humbling our selues by his example.
Now the seruant of God must stu∣dy & doe his best endeuour, to frame his humilitie, like to this of our Saui∣ours: that is, consideringe his owne vylenes, abiection, and vnworthines, he ought to couet & desire, with great ioy (I say againe with greate ioy, for
for this is the pith of all) that in the eyes & hartes of all men, he be repu∣ted as worthlesse, and accordingly to be intreated, for of our selues we are none other, nor deserue better. This is the humilitie which oure Sauioure would haue vs to learne of him.
Why doth God said Probus, re∣quyre of vs so great humilitie & con∣tempt of our selues; & why would he teach it vs with so great cost & harme to him self?
He requyreth it of vs said Alphonso because in truth it is conuenient for vs, & because that of our selues we haue no good, nor deserue any at all, thoe we receiue many good thinges from the magnificall hande of God, from whom we ought to acknowledge to haue receiued them, & therefore glo∣rify him & not our selues. Againe he requyreth it, because it (beinge vo∣luntarily taken) is the perfecte medi∣cyne of our mortall infirmitie, which cometh by pryde. Neither shall any man euer be soundly cured of that dis∣ease, withowt perfecte humilitie.
And the more we wante of perfect curinge, the more also we shall wante of the puritie of our soule: & the more we wante of the puritie of our soule, the more shall we want of godds gra∣ces & benefites, and so much the lesse shall we be his. Now that he woulde teach it vs with so much harme to him self, proceded from his infinite good∣nes, & from his most tender & inef∣fable loue to vs, not appointing men, or Angells to this office, but deligh∣ting him self to be our instructour and guyde, notwithstandinge any harmes or inconueniences, that mighte befall him therefore.
How may we said Probus, come to gett this Humilitie, and to reioyce in contempts, iniuries, & tribulations, for it is verie hard to desire these thinges?
We may obteyne all this, said Al∣phonso, by much considering the Hu∣militie of godds Sonn, which I toulde you of before, & the profitt that com∣meth to our selues by it: & cheefely because we are so abled & made fitt, to yelde acceptable seruice vnto God,
and to please him. Wherefore we must verie often inclyne our willes, to couet and with ioy desire, abiections, contempts, and iniuries, which are so preceous & so profitable.
O how deseruedly oughte he to be humbled, or to be humble, & to de∣sire to be despysed, that so often haith bene traiterous against his eternall lord yelding his soule to the deuill by sinn, & taking it from god, that so louing∣ly dyed for it. Surely if we would se∣riouslye marke this, we should receiue honoures (if at anie tyme they were offred vs) with much greife, consi∣dering they hinder vs of the inestima∣ble goodes which we might gett by i∣mitating & accompanying the Kinge of heauen, in contempts, dishonoures, contumelies, & the lyke.
May not a man with humilitie said Probus, desire somtimes to be estee∣med & honored?
Yes said Alphonso, he may desire this in some cases, as when (without respect of his own estimation) he haith his eye, respect, & intention onely to
some seruice, & honour which he se∣eth, may redownde to god thereby.
But in this case also he ought to de∣sire such estimation with feare and som sorow, that he must be honored, & with great circumspection, that he be not deceiued with self loue.
How may I know said Probus, whe∣ther in such case as this I kepe humi∣litie, with that desire of honour?
You may know & discerne this said Alphonso, if you ioy noe whitt in that estimation & honour, but onely in the seruice & honour which is done to god by it. And again, if you fele in your hart an vnfeaned desire or disposition, that leauing all honour & estimation (if so it might please God) you had rather for your owne part, chose to yeld him your seruice, by suffering contempts, dispysinges, disgraces, & iniuries, then by that estimation, credit, & honour.
And lastly, if you fynde your hart as desireous & ioyfull, that other mē be estemed & honored for the seruice & honour of God, as your self, or that they be preferred before you: without
any emulation.
When a man said Probus, haithe receiued benefites & good gifts from God, why may he not delight & re∣ioyce in them?
He may ioy & delight in them said Alphonso, so he kepe humilitie with∣all, & fall not into vayne-glorye: for otherwyse he shoulde turne all gods gifts to his dishonour, & his own gre∣uous ruyne. I must therefore by the way, geue you warning of vayn-glo∣ry, which is a vyce that defileth & de∣stroyethe, all our vertues and good deedes, vnlesse we auoyde it well.
I pray you said Probus, teach me to escape it.