The holy court in five tomes, the first treating of motives which should excite men of qualitie to Christian perfection, the second of the prelate, souldier, states-man, and ladie, the third of maxims of Christianitie against prophanesse ..., the fourth containing the command of reason over the passions, the fifth now first published in English and much augemented according to the last edition of the authour containing the lives of the most famous and illustrious courtiers taken out of the Old and New Testament and other modern authours / written in French by Nicholas Caussin ; translated into English by Sr. T.H. and others.

The eleventh SECTION. The Practice of Examen.

THe practice of Confession is made more ea∣sie by the examen of conscience, as well ge∣neral as particular. Think not too much is required of your profession, if there be speech used to you of the examen of conscience. Not one∣ly the Philosophers have made it, as Pythagoras, Seneca, Plutarch, but poor barbarous Indians, by the relation of Apulejus, took an account every even∣ing of the good and evil they had done each day. This is it, which is required of you. Prepare dai∣ly a little Consistory of justice in your conscience; see what passeth within your self, acknowledge your defects, and amend them to prevent the justice of God.

It is said the eclipse of the Sun causeth the earth∣quake: and the eclipse of reason by ignorance of the interiour man produceth great disorders in the soul. For the wicked spirit (saith Procopius) upon the first of Kings, endeavoureth to use us as did the Ammonites the inhabitants of Jabes: They seek to pull out our right eye, and to bereave us of the sight of our selves, to bury us in great and deep confusions. But let us make use of all the lights which God hath given us, to cast reflections into the bottom of our thoughts. The conscience is an admirable Tribunal, where Justice pleadeth and Mercie sentenceth. All that which the me writes, the other blotteth out, putting as it were the point of the pen upon the heart of the penitent.

A good Interpreter of the Scripture relateth the vision of a wise man, who on a day sought for the house of conscience, and it seemed to him he be∣held a Citie built with goodly architecture, beauti∣fied with five gates, which had as many narrow paths ending in one larger way. Upon this way stood a Register, who took the names of all passen∣gers to record them. Beyond that he saw two Tri∣bunes, attended by a great concourse of the com∣mon people, who governed the inferiour parts of the Citie: above was beheld a Cittadel, wherein a great Princess commanded, who had a scepter in hand and crown on her head.

By her side was a Ladie very ancient and venerable, who in one hand held a torch with which she light∣ed this Queen, and in the other a goad wherewith she pricked her, if she governed not according to her direction.

The wise man amazed, asked in his heart what all this train meant, and he heard a voice within, which said unto him: Behold thy self ere thou art aware, arrived at the house of conscience, which thou ••oughtest for. These five gates thou seest are the five senses. The way where they all meet is common sense: All the people which enter in by heaps, are the objects of the creatures of the world, which first touch our senses before they pass into the soul. This Register who writeth down the names, is imagina∣tion, that keeps record of all things: These two Tri∣bunes are the two appetites, the one is called the ap∣petite of concupiscence, which is ever in search after its desires, the other the appetite of anger, extream∣ly striving to strike at all obstacles which oppose its good, either real or pretended: This mass of people thou seest, are the passions, which make ill work in the inferiour parts of the Citie: This Princess in the Cittadel with crown and scepter, is reason: The ancient and venerable Ladie by her side, is consci∣ence: She hath a torch to shew the good way, and the goad to prick those that wander: In a word, if thou desirest to know what conscience is, it is a so∣vereign notice of good and ill, which God impres∣seth on our hearts as with a hot iron, and is very hard to be taken off.

Happy he who often visiteth this interiour house God hath given him, and pondereth all his thoughts, his words, and actions, to adopt them to the measures of the eternal law.

You know a general examen hath five parts: Thanksgiving, invocation, discussion, petition, resolu∣tion. In thanksgiving, we thank God principally for the benefits received that day. In invocation the light of heaven is required to know our sins, and a∣mend them. In discussion an account is asked of our soul, running through the hours of the day, of thoughts, words, works, and omissions. In petition pardon of our sins is implored. In the up-shot of all, good purposes are made to correct ones self by the assistance of grace. If you think to live in such pu∣rity, that you may find nothing more to examine, it is for want of light or application of mind. Know there are six things ever to busie the most perfect in their examen.

The first, to ponder the roots of our defects, er∣rours, imperfections. The second, to see the reme∣dies which may be given thereunto. The third, to distinguish true and solid virtues from those which are no other than virtues in apparence. The fourth, to pick out in all our works the intentions and mo∣tives which transport us, and what the affections are which at that time govern our soul. The fifth,

to see what wanteth of perfection in good works which we do, and how they may be performed with the most accomplishment. The sixth, to compare our gains, our losses, our encrease, our decrease in matter of virtue.

A particular examen is made, when one underta∣keth to wrastle with one vice alone, and to extirpate one sole imperfection. For he that will sometime strike at them in gross, resembleth the souldier of Ser∣torius, who tugged at a horses tayl, by strength of arm to pull it quite away: Another more wise pulled it off hair after hair, and so prevailed. The like hap∣peneth in our vices and defects. He must pull them away by little threads, who will effectually correct them. Wherefore, one riseth in the morning with a thought not to fall that day into such an imperfecti∣on, and to oppose it in every place, as some enemy which one would vanquish. After dinner retiring himself apart, he doth three things. The first, to ask an account of his soul of the relapses which have been made into this imperfection. The second, to note the number, making so many pricks with a pen. The third, to purpose to arm himself for the rest of the day. After supper the like exercise is made, and so one findeth out from day to day, from week to week, from moneth to moneth, what profit is made. There is no imperfection so deeply rooted which is not pulled away by the grace of God, you remaining in the constancy of such an exercise.

Notes

• Necessity of examen.
• Culielm. Pa∣ri••iens. c. 12. Sacro poenite. In hoc Tribu∣nali sedet mi∣sericordia, as∣sidet autem ju∣stitia, ubi quic∣quid contra poenitentem in∣scribit justi∣tia, totum de∣let misericor∣dia, acumen styli velut ••i∣gens in corde poenitentis.
• Delrio ser. de Conscientia.
• Dictamen ra∣tionis, spiritus corrector, & paedagogus ani∣mae. S. Thom. 1. p. q. 79.
• Parts.
• Six things in examen to employ the most perfect.
• Particular examen.
• Plutar. in Ser∣tor.