Claustrum animae, the reformed monastery, or, The love of Jesus a sure and short, pleasant and easie way to Heaven in meditations, directions, and resolutions to love and obey Jesus unto death : in two parts.

§. 11. Of our obedience to the Church.

The first instance o•• our love in this way o•• free-will-offerings should be a pious obedience to our Mother the Church; not but that it is many ways requir'd, but because 'tis almost wholly neglected. What by pride and refractoriness, what by ignorance and indevotion, and what by looseness and irreligion, that obe∣dience which ought to be paid to those that have the rule over us in the Lord, to the standing rules and or∣ders of our Spiritual governors, is so generally laid aside, that many that would, yet dare not press it up∣on the people; and that, even they that obey, do it secretly, and, as though 'twere dishonourable, are in a manner asham'd to own it; Hence comes that great neglect of Confir∣mation, that most necessary and An∣cient,

if not Apostolick constitution; hence the desuetude of fasting upon appointed days, and even of bid∣ding of them: and the non-obser∣vance of Holy-days, and times of so∣lemn devotion; hence the slight re∣gard had to the publick worship of God, and the seldom receiving of the Lords Supper; hence the reservedness & unhappy secresie of most people in not acquainting their spiritual guides with the state of their conscience when it needs, and not receiving their comforts and directions; hence the not sending for the elders of the Church to do their office upon sick persons, and the seldom desiring their absolution; and hence even in too many of the Clergy, the neglect of daily saying Divine Offices, as they are commanded, and observing other injunctions peculiar to them. I may say that it fares with our Church as with some Princes, who have their due Sovereignty denied them be∣cause they are Christians: (as if by becoming members and defenders of the Church, they were become subject to Pontifical Chairs and Pu∣ritan Synods) for so, many would not have this Church obey'd be∣cause

'tis Reformed; they would not have its laws observ'd, because it makes them inferior to Gods; as though, by not imposing a blind su∣perstitious, and oversevere obedi∣ence, as Rome doth, this Church were become uncapable of exercising any authority over her children and re∣quiring any duty from them. But I say, let those that love JESUS amend this, for his sake: for the Church is his spouse and hath re∣ceiv'd her power from him; let them yield a free and Religious obe∣dience to Ecclesiastical injunctions, because JESUS hath said, he that receiveth you receiveth me. It is doubt∣less our duty so to do: and I am sure it will be a good token of a pious heart, when we shall obey them in the Lord, whom the Lord hath set over us. We shall make it appear that we own the Authority of our heavenly King, when we are subject to those his officers, by whom he now reigns over us: to whom he hath given the keys of his kingdom, and whom he hath appointed Stew∣ards of his saving Mysteries: we shall have a share in the Mysterious representation of the great expiatory

sacrifice, which by the Church is ce∣lebrated in the Eucharist, and in those Divine Services and solemn Prayers which the Church offers to God daily: and we shall receive the full benefit of being members of the Church and holding communion with it; if this were not absolutely re∣quir'd, yet I am sure it will be a very acceptable free-will-offering, if we do it devoutly and joyfully, because we love JESUS; and this Christian obedience to the known, rational, and pious orders of the Church, will answer the best part of that ancient and so much magnified self-abnega∣tion, vow'd by the Coenobites, when they gave up themselves to be in all things rul'd and commanded by their superiors: and it will exercise those two heavenly graces, meekness and humility, which the world despiseth, but all true Christians own to be most Divine: as they that bring rest to the soul, and make us most con∣formable to the meek and humble JESUS.

Notes

• Mat. 11.29