Sancta Sophia, or, Directions for the prayer of contemplation &c. extracted out of more then (sic) XL treatises / written by the late Ven. Father F. Augustin Baker, a monke of the English congregation of the Holy Order of S. Benedict, and methodically digested by the R.F. Serenvs Cressy of the same order and congregation ...

CHAP. III.

§. 1. Of Internall Prayer in generall, And principally of Internall Affectiue Prayer.

§. 2. 3. 4. 5. The excellency & necessity of Affectiue Praier. And that it was practised by the Antients (& not dis∣coursiue Prayer or Meditation.)

§. 6. The great necessity of it in these dayes.

§. 7. 8. The Testimony of Cardinall Bellarmine to shew that Vocall Prayer &c. suffiseth not.

§. 9. 10. 11. &c. Fiue admirable Vertues of Internall Affe∣ctiue Prayer.

§. 16. 17. An exhortation to constancy & courage in pur∣suing the exercise of it.

1. INTERNALL or, Mentall Prayer (vvhich is sim∣ply and merely such and) vvhich vvee made the second member in the Diuision of Prayer in generall, (if indeed it be a distinct kind) and of vvhich only vvee shall treate hereafter: is either 1. Imperfect and acquired: 2. Or Perfect, & that which is called properly Infused Prayer. The former is only a Preparation & In∣feriour Disposition, by vvhich the soule is fitted &

made capable of the Infusion of the other, to vvit, the Prayer of Contemplation vvhich is the end of all our Spirituall & Religious Exercises. I shall therfore in order treate of them both, & of their seuerall speciall degree••, beginning with the lovvest, & thence ascending orderly till vvee come to the highest, the vvhich vvill bring a soule to the state of Perfection.

2. But before I come to deliuer the speciall Instru∣ctions pertinent to the exercise of the seuerall Degrees of Internall Prayer: It vvill be very requisite by vvay of Preparation & encouragement, to set dovvne the necessity & excellency of Internall Prayer in generall; I meane especially of that vvhich is Affectiue. For as for Discoursiue Prayer, or Meditation, the vvorld is but euen burdned vvith bookes, vvhich vvith more then sufficient nicenes prescribe Rules & methods for the Practise of it; and vvith too partiall an affection magnify it; The Authours of such bookes neglecting in the meane time, or perhaps scarse knovving vvhat true Internall affectiue Prayer is; the vvhich notvvith∣standing is the only efficacious Instrument that im∣mediatly brings soules to Contemplation & perfect Vnion in spirit vvith God.

3. Some there are that because they doe not find in the vvritings of the Ancient Fathers & Mysticall Doctours such exact Instructions touching the practise of Internall Prayer, as are novv common & aboun∣ding in the Church; doe therfore vndervalue & despise it as a mere humane inuention, not at all necessary, but rather on the contrary, subiect to great inconue∣niences,

exposing soules to Illusions, Errours &c: And therefore they in opposition to it doe only recom∣mend & exact Vocall Prayer, & a solemne protracted performance of it.

4. Notvvithstanding to any one that shall heedfully read the writings, not only of the Ancient Solitaries, but likevvise of S. Augustin, S. Basile, S. Gregory Na∣zianzene & others, it vvill euidently appeare that they both knevv and practised most profound & Recollected deuotions internally, yea & exhorted soules to a conti∣nuall attendance to God & his Diuine presence in the Spirit; Sufficient Proofes vvhereof shall occasionally here∣after be inserted.

5. True indeed it is that they haue not deliured any exact methods for the practise of such Prayer, the vvhich in those times vvere not at all necessary, or at least not at all needfull to be communicated to the vvorld. For to soules that liued (as anciently they did) entirely sequestred from all vvordly busines or conuersation, in Continuall laborious & penitentiall Exercises, hauing no Images of creatures to distract their minds, and much lesse any inordinate Affections to creatures to depresse them from mounting to spi∣rituall vnion vvith God, it vvas more then sufficient for such to knovv that their duty & the end of their solitude vvas to liue in a continuall conuersation vvith God, suffring themselues to be conducted and managed by his holy Spirit. To such, all other more nice or particular Instructions vvould haue proued but distractiue & intangling. And therfore vvee see

that our holy Father, though he ordained dayly Con∣uentuall short recollections for the exercise of (that vvhich he calls) Pure Prayer: yet he neither interprets vvhat he meanes by such Prayer (for all his Disciples vnderstood that sufficiently) & much lesse does he de∣liuer any instructions hovv to exercise it.

6. But in these dayes, in which Religious Persons and others that aspire to spirituall Contemplation, doe ei∣ther vvant the meanes to enioy, or haue not the cou∣rage and strength to support such solitude and Auste∣rities; least the spirit of Contemplation should faile in the vvorld, God raised vp first in Germany Maisters of Con∣templatiue Prayer, as Suso, Harphius, Eschius, Thaulerus &c. in former times, and more lately in Spaine S. Tere∣sa, B. Iohn de Cruce &c. vvho no question by the di∣rection of Gods Spirit (as the grace of miracles con∣ferred on them may vvitnes) haue iudged it neces∣sary to supply the vvant of the foresaid aduantages, by adding a certaine obligation to the daily practise of Internall Recollected Prayer, prescribing orders & times for the performance of it. They haue likevvise more exactly discouered the degrees and progresse of Prayer: And in a vvord most earnestly doe they ex∣hort soules to a diligent pursuance of it, professing that vvithout it, it is impossible to comply vvith the essentiall Designe of a spirituall or Religious life.

7. I vvill content my selfe in this place to expresse the grounds & summe of the Exhortations of those & other Illuminated Persons (the glorious Instruments of God for the reuiuing of decayed Spirituality in the vvorld)

by producing a passage of Cardinall Bellarmines, vvhich may be applied to this purpose, taken out of one of his Sermons (in fer. 2. Rogat.) vvhich is this, Ego illud mi∣hi videor verissime posse affirmare &c: That is, This, I beleiue I may most truly & confidently affirme, (saith he) that without a diligent pursuit of Internall prayer none will euer become truly spirituall, nor attaine to any degree of Perfection. Wee see many, which often times in the yeare doe aproach to the Sacrament of pennance, & as far as hu∣mane fraylty & infirmity will permit, doe with sufficient diligence endeauour to purge away all the staines & vn∣cleanenes of sin; And yet they make no progresse, but are still the very same that they were. And hauing bene at Con∣fession; if a weeke after they come to the same tribunall againe, they bring neither fewer nor lesser faults then such as were formerly confessed. Yea without offending against truth I may adde some what more strange then all this; to wit, That wee see sometimes Religious Persons, & not a few Preists, which by their vocation & habits professe sanctity, & moreouer doe assiduously reade Diuine Scrip∣tures & bookes of Piety, they doe often (if not dayly) ce∣lebrate the most holy Sacrifice, they haue neither wiues nor children, but are free from all cares & sollicitudes which may distract them from a continuall attendance to Diuine things; And yet after all this they are so veyd of all Deuotion, & the spirit of God; so cold in diuine loue, & so earnest in the loue of secular vanities; so replenished with impatience, enuy & all inordinate desires, that they seeme not one iott to differ from secular persons wholly engaged in the world. Now the only cause of all these disorders is,

that they doe not seriously enter into their owne hearts by Exercises of Introuersion, but only esteeme & regard the exteriour &c: Thus far are the vvords & too iust com∣plaint of the learned & pious Cardinall.

8. The vvhich vvith very great reason may be fur∣ther extended euen to those Religious vvho by their profession ought to Aspire to Contemplation, & being mistaken in the true vvay thereto, erroneously beleiuing that by an exact performance of outward Obseruances & the solemne saying of the Office, adioyning the Ex∣ercises of such internall discoursiue Prayer, doe yet find but little fruit, as to any interiour reformation or sim∣plification of their soules, by reason that they rest in such Actiue Exercises (vvhich in a short time to Soli∣tary liuers loose all their vertue:) & doe not from them proceed to the truly enlightning Exercises of Internall affectiue prayer (vvhich is a prayer of the heart, or vvill, by good Affections quietly & calmely produced, & not vvith the vnderstanding;) a Prayer made vvith∣out those distracting methods, or that busying of the Ima∣gination, & vvearying of the soule by laborious dis∣courses, vvhich are only inferiour & Imperfect prepa∣rations to true Prayer.

9. Novv to a consideration of the necessity of In∣ternall affectiue Prayer, vvee vvill adde certaine Ver∣tues, Benefits, & Preeminences therof compared vvith all o∣ther sorts of Prayer, either Vocall or discoursiuely Men∣tall; The vvhich vertues are indeed admirable & in∣estimable, deseruing to be purchased vvith all the cares & endeauours of our vvhole liues.

10. The first Excellency of Internall Affectiue Prayer aboue all other is, that only by such Prayer our Vnion in spirit vvith God (in vvhich our Essentiall Happi∣nes consists) is perfectly obtained. For therin the will vvith all the povvers & affections of the soule are ap∣plied and fixed to the louing, adoring, & glorifying this only beatifying Obiect. Wheras in Vocall Prayer there is a continuall variety & succession of Images of crea∣tures suggested, the vvhich doe distract the soules of the imperfect from such an application. And Medita∣tion in vvhich discourse is employed is, so far, little more then a Philosophicall Contemplation of God, de∣laying this fixing of the heart and affections on God, the vvhich are only acceptable to him.

11. The second vertue is this, That by this Prayer of the Will the soule entring far more profoundly into God, the fountaine of lights, partakes of the beames of his diuine light far more plentifully, by vvhich she both discouers Gods perfections more clear∣ly & also sees the vvay vvherein she is to vvalke more perfectly, then by any other Prayer. And the Rea∣son is, because vvhen the soule endeauours to apply all her affections entirely on God, then only it is, that being profoundly introuerted, a vvorld of impu∣rities of intention, & inordinate affections lurking in her, doe discouer themselues: & the obscure mists of them are dispelled, the soule then finding by a reall perception & feeling hovv preiudiciall they are to her present vnion in vvill vvith God: Wheras vvhen the vnderstanding alone, or principally, is busied in the con∣sideration

of God, or of the soule herselfe, the Ima∣gination (vvhich is very Actiue & subtile) vvill not represent to the soule either God or herselfe so liquid∣ly & sincerely, but being blinded & seduced by natu∣rall selfe-loue, vvill inuent a hundred excuses & pre∣texts to deceiue the soule, & to make her beleiue that many things are intended & done purely for God, vvhich proceeded principally, if not totally, from the Roote of Concupiscence & selfe-loue.

12. A third a••mirable Perfection of Internall affectiue Prayer is this, That not only Diuine light, but also grace & spirituall strength to put in practise all things to vvhich supernaturall light directs, is obtained prin∣cipally by this Internall Prayer of the heart; And this by a double causality & vertue; to vvit. 1. By way of im∣petration, grounded on the rich & precious promises made by God to Prayer, aboue all other good Actions. 2. By a direct & proper efficiency; For since all the ver∣tue & merit of our externall Actions does depend v∣pon and flovv from the internall disposition & ope∣rations of the soule exercising Charity & Purity of intention in them, & conquering the resistance of nature, And since all Internall exercises of all vertues vvhatsoeuer are truly & in propriety of speech di∣rect Prayer of the Spirit; hence is followes, that as all habits are gotten by frequency & constancy of exer∣cise, therfore by the perseuering in the exercise of in∣ternall Prayer, the soule is enabled vvith facility to practise perfectly all vertues.

13. To this may be added, that such Prayer is vni∣uersall

Mortification; & a Mortification the most pro∣found, intime & perfect that a soule can possibly per∣forme, entirely destructiue to sensuall satisfaction. For therein the will forces inferiour nature & all the po∣vvers of the soule to auert themselues from all other obiects pleasing to them, and to concurre to her in∣ternall Actuations tovvards God; & this oftimes in the midst of distractions by vaine Images, during a tor∣pide dullnes of the heart, yea a violent contradiction of sensuality, vvhen there is, according to any sensible perception, a totall disgust in the soule to such an exer∣cise, yea vvhen the spirit it selfe is in obscurity & cannot by any reflexed Act reape any consolation from such an exercise. Such an Exilium cordis, such a desertion & in∣ternall Desolation is a mortification to the purpose; yet as of extreme bitternes, so of vnexpressible efficacy to the purifying & vniuersall Perfecting of the soule & spirit. Therfore S. Chrysostome (Tract. de Oratione) had good reason to say, It is impossible; againe I say, it is vt∣terly impossible that a soule, which with a due care & assiduity prayes vnto God, should euer sin.

17. A fourth Excellence of Internall Affectiue Prayer is, That it is the only Action that cannot possibly want Purity of Intention. Soules may from an impulse of na∣ture and its satirfaction exactly obserue Fasts, per∣forme Obediences, keepe the Quire, approach to Sa∣craments, yea exercise themselues in curious specula∣tions during Meditation or in the exercise of sensible deuotion they may comply vvith selfe-loue &c. (And indeed they haue no farther any Purity of intention

in any of these duties, then as they doe proceede from Internall Affectiue Prayer, that is, the vvill fixed by Charity on God.) Wheras if any oblique intention should endeauour to insinuate it selfe into Internall Prayer of the vvill, it vvould presently be obserued, & vnlesse it vvere contradicted & expelled, there could be no progresse in such Prayer. So that it is not pos∣sible to find an exercise either more secure, or more proffitable; since it is by the vertue of it alone that all other exercises haue any concurrence towards the per∣fectionating of the soule.

15. Lastly, Affectiue Prayer of the will is that alone which makes all other sorts of Prayer to deserue the name of Prayer. For vvere that excluded, Meditation is but an vseles speculation. and curiosity of the vnderstanding; and Vocall Prayer, but an empty sound of vvords: For God only desires our hearts or Affections, vvithout vvhich our tongues or Braines are of no esteeme at all. Yea there is not so much as any proffitable At∣tention in any Prayer, further then the heart concur∣res. For if the Attention be only of the mind; that vvill not constitute Prayer: for then study or dispu∣tation about Diuine things might be called Prayer. Hence sayth an Ancient holy Hermite, Nunquam verè orat, quisquis etiam flexis genibus euagatione cordis et∣iam qualicumque distrahitur. That is, That man does neuer truly pray, who though he be vpon his knes, is di∣stracted with any wandring or vnattention of his heart. And likewise the learned Soto to the same purpose conclusiuely affirmes, Orationi mentali deesse non potest

attentio; cum ipsa attentio &c: That is: Attention can∣not possibly be wanting to Mentall Prayer (of the heart:) since the Attention it selfe is the very Prayer. And ther∣fore it is a contradiction to say, that one prayes men∣tally & is not attentiue; as is of it selfe manifest: For as soone as euer the mind begins to wander, it ceases to Pray. Therfore Vocall Prayer is only that Prayer which may want attention: namely when the thoughts diuerting themselues to other obiects, the tongue without the con∣currence of the mind giues an vncertaine sound. And vvee may adde, That the attention of the mind vvhich cannot be separated from Discoursiue Prayer, is little valuable, except it be accompanied vvith, or perfor∣med in order to the causing an attention (as vvee may call it) of the heart, or affections.

16. These inestimable Benefits (to vvhich more may be added, as shall be shevved) vvhich flovv from In∣ternall Prayer of the will being considered, a vvell-minded soule vvill thinke no paines too much that may auaile to purchase so vnualuable a Ievvell. And Reli∣gious Superiours vvill esteeme that nothing does so essen∣tially belong to their duty, as to Instruct & further their subiects in the practise of it; According to the Counsell of S. Bernard, Docendus est Incipiens spiritua∣liter orare, & a corporibus vel corporum imaginibus cum Deum cogitat quantum potest recedere. That is: Who∣soeuer begins a Religious course of life must be taught Spirituall Prayer and in eleuating his mind to God, to transcend all Bodies & bodily images. And vvith iust reason did the holy Grecian Abbot Nilus (a disciple of

S. Iohn Chrysostome say, (Beata mens quae dum orat &c) Happy is the soule that when she Prayes empties her∣selfe entirely of all Images & formes; Happy is the soule that Prayes feruorously & without distraction; Such a soule encreases continually in the desire & loue of God. Happy is the soule that when she Prayes does altogether quit the vse & exercise of all her senses. Happy is the soule that during the time of Prayer looses the possession & in∣terest in all manner of things (but God.)

17. And indeed a soule must expect to passe through a vvorld of difficulties before she attaine to such a pu∣rity in Prayer; for as the same Authour saith, Vniuer∣sum bellū quod internos & doemones conflaetur, non est de alia re quàm de oratione. That is; All the warre & cōtrouersy that is betwene vs & the Deuill is about no other thing but Prayer: as being most necessary to vs, & most destructiue to all his designes. And hereupon a certaine holy Father being asked, vvhat duty in a Religious life vvas the most difficult, Ansvvered, To Pray well. The reason is, be∣cause Prayer can neuer be perfectly exercised, till the soule be cleansed from all manner of impurities, yea not only from the Affections, but all Images also of creatures.