The practise of Christian workes. Written in Spanish by the R. Father Francis Borgia, sometymes Duke of Gandia, and the third generall of the Society of Iesus. Togeather with a short rule, how to live well. Englished by a father of the same society. VVhereunto are adioyned certaine pious meditations vpon the beades: translated also out of the Spanish

THE VI. EXERCISE.

Of the things, that man is to know for the sauing of his soule. CHAP. I.

A Christian man, that wil lead a good life for the sauing of his soule, must know three things. 1. His end,

for which he was made and crea∣ted. 2. The meanes, necessary & profitable for the attayning of his end. 3. The manner, and way, how practise the same.

Of the End of man. CHAP. II.

THE last end of man is euer∣lasting blysse. For he was created by God to be foreuer hap∣py in paradise: And his soule be∣ing once separated frō the body, so it be free from stayne of syn, shall be conducted by his good Angell into heauen, there for all eternity to enioy the vision of God. And after the worlds con∣summation, man shall enioy his end of beatitude wholy, both in soule and body, which shall be

againe resuscitated and conioy∣ned to the soule, to appeare be∣fore the soueraigne Iudge; and of him to receyue the reward of life euerlasting. But, alas, many there be, who neuer shall ariue to this end, for which they were created, because they put not in practise the meanes requisite for the sauing of their soules. It is therefore good and needfull to know, what these meanes be, & how they are to be practised.

Of the meanes to come to our End. CHAP. III.

SOME meanes there be ab∣solutely necessary towards the attayning of our last end: & some againe very profitable for

the same respect. The necessary meanes be principally three. 1. A man must haue faith, and be∣lief in God, and further belieue al that which God hath reuealed vnto vs by his Holy Catholike Church, because it is infallible verity: he must haue knowledge of the things, that concerne his saluation which are declared in the Catechisme; whereby it ap∣peareth, how maynly it impor∣teth all to know and vnderstand the principall points of Christi∣an Doctrine comprehended in the said Catechisme.

As touching God he must know, that he is omnipotent, most wise, most good, most iust: that he hath euer been, and euer shall be: that he is euery where: that he seeth and knoweth all things: that there is but one God

in three persons, the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost, who be al of one and the same Nature, of the same Omnipotency, Wis∣dome, Goodnes, and Perfecti∣on.

Also that the second Person, in Trinity, which is the Sonne of God, became man and tooke mans flesh in the wombe of the sacred Virgin Mary, by the ope∣ration of the Holy Ghost, & that he hath redeemed vs by his most paynefull death.

2. We must hope in God, because he is our supreme and soueraigne good.

3. We must loue him a∣boue all things seeing that for his soueraigne bounty and goodnes he is most worthy of our Loue. And the loue of God is demon∣strated and practised in obserua∣tion

of his Commaundements, and of the Commandements of the Church, and in abstayning from all syn, and in particular from mortall, because the same is wholy opposite to him, and di∣uerteth vs absolutly from our end. And we must loue our neighbour, as our selues, for the loue of God.

Other meanes there be, that may also greatly help vs toward the more easy, & more assured at∣tayning of our end. Such be, 1. To exercise some things in the mor∣ning, when we rise, afterwards in the rest of the day following, and at night when we go to bed. 2. To examine our Cons∣cience euery day. 3. To frequent the holy Sacraments of confessi∣on & Communion. 4. To heare Masse euery day, or as often

as we find the oportunity, but especially on sundays and Holi∣daies. 5. To frequent vocall, and mentall prayer. 6. To be dili∣gent in hearing of Sermons, and the explication of the Christian doctrine. 7. To be frequent in reading of spirituall books. 8. To giue our selues to the exercise of al vertue & good works &c.

Of the manner, how to practise the aforesaid meanes well. CHAP. IIII.

MANY there be, who know right well, what they ought to do for the sauing of their soules, but they haue not the knowledge, how to practise the same: and therefore the prin∣cipall

subiect of this short and spirituall Treatise, shall be to spe∣cify the manner of practising those meanes well which may conduct vs to our end. And for the easier orders sake, we wil de∣uide it into two parts; In the former wherof shall be declared the manner of the pactising of diuers spirituall exercises, heere after mentioned: And in the lat∣ter we will giue instructions, how we ought to demeane and carry our selues towards God & his Saints, towards our neigh∣bours, and towardes our selues.