Meditations vppon the mysteries of our holy faith with the practise of mental praier touching the same composed in Spanish by the R.F. Luys de la Puente ... ; and translated into English by F. Rich. Gibbons ...

The first Pointe.

FIrst, I am to consider what God commaundeth, and prohibiteth in his holy lawe, and in what sorte wee doe sinne against it, running through the ten commaundements, and thorough that which spiritually they include within them. The first com∣maundement, commaundeth the principall workes that appertaine to the vertue of faithe, hope, chari∣tie, and religion: that is to say, to adore one onely God; to beleeue firmely all such things as hee hath reuealed to his churche: to expect those which hee hath promised, and to loue him more then all things that are created. Against this I may sinne, First, by idolatrie, or infidelitie, adoring false Gods, or deny∣ing that which God hath reuealed, or doubting thereof. I may likewise sinne, (as the holy scripture sayeth) adoring the idole of mine owne iudgement, and will, rebelling against the will of God, or hol∣ding for my God, my belly, or money: or denying God by my workes, or not obseruing due loyalltye vnto him. Secondly, I sinne, in despairing that I shall obtaine heauen, or pardon for my sinnes, or that God will heare my praiers according to his promise: and contrarilie in presuming to obtaine this, without vsing the meanes that God hath there∣fore ordained. Thirdly thorough hatred, or want of loue, louing some creature more then God; or reie∣cting

the will of God, to fullfill that of the creature, or in beeing slacke in louing him with all my heart minde, and soule, and with all my force; much forgetting both him, and his benefits.

2 The second commaundement, prohibiteth euery defect whatsoeuer, in the truthe, iustice, reuerence, and necessitie of an oathe: so that I may not by swearing, affirme any thing contrarie to my beleefe: or promise any thing without intention to fullfill it, or any thing that is euill, or not fullfill that which is good, nor swear without necessitie or vtil∣litie, nor without considering well what I saye; nor without that reuerence that is due to the soueraigne name of God, whensoeuer I take it in my mouthe. I may likewise sinne, breaking my vowe, or cause∣lessely differring to fullfill it, or beeing slacke in the obseruation of it, derogating from the perfecti∣on that I professe.

3 In the third of sanctifying the feastes, I may sinne in doing in them any seruile worke, that is prohi∣bited, or in not hearing a whole masse, or in not as∣sisting thereat with due reuerence and attention: or wasting such dayes in things vnworthy of the feaste, and of the ende for the which they were instituted, which is, to praie, and to glorifie God.

4 The fourth commaundeth, to honour our pa∣rents according to the fleshe, to susstaine them in their necessities, and to obey them in their iust pre∣ceptes: and in like manner our spirituall fathers, pre∣lates, and superious, obeying their ordinances with∣out contradiction, or without peruersenesse of iud∣gement, without repugnancy of the will, and without delay in the execution. And to drawe this out more curiously, I am in humillitie to holde all for my superiours, honoring all, and subiecting my∣selfe to euery humaine creature for God

5 The fifth, not to kill, prohibiteth all that hath

beene declared in the two and twentieth meditation, of wrathe: and spiritualizing the seuerall wayes of killing. First, I kill my soule by sinne, taking away from it the life of grace. Secondly, I extinguish the spirit, that is, the inspirations of the holy spirit, re∣iecting those good desires wherewith hee inspireth mee. Thirdly, I crucifie Christe with in mee, and trample vpon his blood, doing workes, for which hee might againe bee crucified, if the first crucifying had not suffized. Fourthly, I kill the soules of my neighbours with scandall, beeing to them a stum∣bling blocke by my euill example: or not succouring them with correction, or counsaile, or spirituall al∣mes, when charitie obligeth mee thereunto: as wee call it killing of the poore, when wee succour them not with the corporall workes of mercie.

6 The sixth, not to committe fornication, prohi∣biteth all that which is declared in the 20. meditatiō of Luxurie. But yet there are other sortes of spirituall fornication, and adulterie, forsaking God which is the true spouse of our soules, to ioyne mysefe by dis∣ordinate loue vnto some creature; or adulterating the workes, and wordes of God, doing, and saying, them, not to please him, or to ingender spirituall children that may bee pleasing vnto him, but for my owne pleasure, or temporall proffit. Or finally beeing alltogither forgetfull of God, and diuerted with idle occupations. The seuenth not to steale, prohibiteth all that hath beene spoken of in the one and twenteth meditation of auarice: and besides this, spiritually I robbe, and destroie many things pertaining to others, conrarie to the will of their owner. For I robbe God of his glorie, and play the banqueroute with his giftes: I am an vnthrift of the time that I had to spende in his seruice: I pay him not the debtes, that I owe him, by reason of my sin∣nes, or of his benefits, satisfying for the one, and

beeing thankefull vnto him for the other. I robbe my will which I deliuered him by my vowe of obe∣dience: and I vsurpe his authoritie, interposing my∣selfe to iudge the secrets of my neighbours, which belong to his tribunall. And in like manner, I des∣troye the charitie, and spirituall riches of my neigh∣bours, ayding the Captaine of theeues the diuell, who is continually busied in robbing them.

8. The eigth not to beare false witnesse, prohibi∣teth all sinnes of the tongue, that are against the honour, and fame of our neighbour, whereof men∣tion was made in the two and twenteth meditation, of wrathe. Also, to iudge rashly of his affaires, or to suspect euill of them, taking them in the worst parte without a sufficient foundation: or to deceiue him by any manner of lye, or fiction, as is that of hipo∣crisie, adulation, flatterie, worldely compliments, and offers, hauing no purpose to fullfill them. And spiritualizing this precept, I beare false witnesse against God, when I thinke basely of his goodnesse, and mercie: of his iustice, and prouidence: And when by my euill workes, I defame, and discredit his lawe, and his doctrine, and am a cause that his holy name is blasphemed among the gentiles, or lesse esteemed, and reuerenced among the faithfull. I also lye to God, when I fullfill not my worde, hauing giuen it vnto him: nor the resolution that I made to doe some thing in his seruice. The ninth and tenth commaundements are declared in the sixth and seuenth.

After I haue considered these sinnes, I am to charge myselfe with them before our Lorde with greate dolour, and shame for hauing committed them. And allbeeit I had broken but one commaundement onely, I may esteeme myselfe (as the Apostle S. Iames saithe) gilty, and culpable of all: for in euery sinne I shall finde that which is spiritually prohi∣bited

in all: for one mortall sinne onely, in the forme that hath beene declared, is as idolatrye, infidelitie, hatred, adulterye, theft, infamye, and homicide. And therefore reprehending myselfe, I may call my∣selfe by these infamous names, saying. Idolater, infi∣dell, adulterer, theefe, hypocrite, and homicide, hovv hast thou dared to iniurie so many vvaies a God of so infinite maiestie? VVhy doest thou not breake thy hearte vvith griefe, for hauing broken the so iust commaunde∣ments of thy Lorde? O God of my soule, that I might say to thee vvith Dauid: Mine eies haue gushed forth issues of vvaters: because they kept not thy lavve, Graunt vnto mee these teares so abundaunt, that I may vvashe therevvith my innumerable sinnes.

Notes

• 1. R••g. 15.23. Ad Phil. 3.19. Ad Tit. 1.16.
• Ad Phi∣lip. 2.3. 1. Petr. 2.13.
• 1. Ad Thess. 5.19. Ad Heb. 6.6.
• D. Amb. d. 16. c. pasce fa∣me mo∣rientem, si non pauisti, occidisti. 2. Corin. 2.17. Ex Cas∣sian. col∣lat. 14. cap. 11.
• D. Basil. sermo de abdica∣tione re∣rum.
• Isai. 52.5. Ad Rō. 2.24.
• Iaco. 2.10.
• Colloquie
• Psalm. 118.136