OMitting the historie of all that past betweene Tristan and petronilla, and the tra­gicall end which came of their loue, I will only rehearse the dis­cours past betweene Tristan & Nice­phorus, contayning many points much disputed of in these our dayes. Tristan a proper and wel bredd yong gentilman much grieued that his mi­stresse [Page 2] petronilla whom he pursued so long time (of displeasure that shee could not obtaine her parents consent to marrie him) went into Religion, resolued also to retire himself from the world in some religious Monaste­rie; but after communicating his reso­lution therin to seuerall Religious men of diuers orders and getting their opinions therof, at length he follovved his owne fancie & inclina­tion, which was to goe to the wil­dernesse and leade an Heremiticall li­fe; and the Perinean mountaines vvhich separate France from Spaigne being the neerest vnto him, he went thither, taking with him a good purse of mony and his lute, at which he was very skilfull. But neither his lu­te nor his solitarinesse did any thing asswage his passion, or make him for­get the creature which brought him to that anxietie of minde, but rather inflamed him more, especiallie the lu­te conformable to the old prouerb, which saith, that musick is an impor­tunat [Page 3] gest to a hart afflicted. Being then in this perplexitie he was told that not farr from him there was a de­uote and wel built Hermitage wher­in dwelt a venerable Hermite who­se sainctitie of life gaue a good odou­re to all the Country about, and who by long experience did learne how to guide himselfe to perfection by the way of solitarinesse in that wilder­nesse. His good Angell made Tristan draw towards this sainctly old man, vvho receiued him with the same charitie wherwith he was accustomed to receiue and intertaine other passing Pilgrimes (for he was in pilgrimes weede) who straying from their way in those dreadfull deserts, fell someti­mes vpon the litle path which leade to his sell. Tristan beholding him did take him for an Angell of God, and beleeued that he was the Raphaël which would conduct him to Rages, I would say, to the perfection of the contemplatiue life. Hauing then brief­lie declared his intent to the good [Page 4] Hermite, he gaue him for answeare, that to loue a thing it is necessarie to know it before, and that the Heremi­ticall life as well as the Monasticall doth require a good approbation of a man before he be admitted to it. Tri­stan hauing submitted himselfe to him in all things. My child, quoth father Nicephorus, for so they called this re­ligious man, it is nothing for a man to vndertake such a life if he be not cal­led to it by God, & amongst many that are called, few are choosen. I know wel that it doth not appertaine but to God, to know perfectlie and waigh iustlie the hearts of men, yet his will is that his seruants do see and trie whe­ther they be of true or false coine: the touchstone of such as are called to the seruice of God is, the renunciation of all things, and of themselues also. Fa­ther, quoth Tristan, if that be the mar­ke of the elect I haue it; for I do free­lie quitt the world, the subiect which retayned me in it being separated from me, & it will be easie likewise for [Page 5] me to forsake my selfe seing I haue relinquished an obiect of which I did esteeme much more then of my selfe.

My child, quoth Nicephorus, the warrs seeme sweet, according the prouerb, to such as did not trie it, do not triumph before the victorie, and do not proclaime victorie before the battle; none shall be crowned, saith the word of veritie, that will not rea­sonablie and valorouslie fight, and the battle which wee haue with our selfe Selfe loue ingrauen in our na­ture. loue doth last as long as our verie li­ues: for that errour is so deepely in­grauen in our nature, as it doth subsist after wee renounce our selues; wee may mortifie it, but not make it die, contrary wise it seemes like the fabu­lous Gyant, to take new forces from it prostration and ouerthrow, and li­ke great trees, the more they be sha­ked, the faster the fix their rootes. It may be assaulted but rarely ouercom­med, & neuer rooted out: the walls of that rebellious Hiëricho, although [Page 6] they be vndermined and sometimes razed to the ground, yet do they get vp againe of themselues. I do not say this to discourage you, nor to imitat those timorous spies, which would fai­ne disswade the children of Israël from vndertaking the conquest of the land of promis; I know there be diffi­culties in it, but I tell you with Iosüe and Caleb, that you may boldlie en­ter in the power of our lord, who, if he be for you, nothing can preuaile against you, for who can resist the will of the highest power, of this Lord of armies, who is terrible ouer all po­wers, if he vndertake to fight with you? But you must not hope that he wil put himself of your side, if you do not put all your trust and confi­dence in him, by a perfect distrust of your self, which may not consist with those loftie termes, which promis mer­uailes, and carrying you vpon the wings of the wind make you aspire to great matters, which surpasse the reach of a man that is not yet a Nouice. It is [Page 7] not, that I do lightlie iudge of your soule, which I beleeue is more perfect then my owne, who serues God so ne­gligently and loue him so coldlie, nor that I am ignorant but in the cōfusion of the Babylon of the world, God hath seruants and secret disciples, which do not bow their knees to Baal, and that keepe their hearts pure a­mongst the impuritie of the world, of which number you may be; add that the extraordinarie effects of grace do produce in an instant admirable conuersions, which puts those that are replenished with it, in a state of great perfection, conformable to that which is written, that the workes of God are perfect and without repen­tance, that is to say, without defect.

Tristan, who beleeued that this dis­cours of the Hermite did tend to de­ferr and put of his reception, estee­ming (as he was full of worldly maxi­mes) that the Hermite did feare that chardging himself with him, his almes would be too short to furnish him a [Page 8] portion said, Father the time will ma­ke knowne whether I be touched with true or fained charitle, & the triall will make manifest the force or the weak­nesse of my vocation. but to the end that you may not think that I come hi­ther to incommodat, or importune you, I will shew vnto you that it is ra­ther to occommodat you, & to draw you from the paine of going here and there to searche your liuing, which must bring much interruption to your contemplation, which require repose & silence, and may not be had but in the wildernesse. Know then that being left an orphan without father and mo­ther I was emancipated by publick au­thoritie a litle before the terme of my maioritie & consequently put in the possession of my goods which are not so small but they are sufficient to nou­rish twentie Hermits as you are, & I beleeue that not making the vow of pouertie in any Religious order, that I may keepe them and dispose of them as God shall inspire me. We [Page 9] shall then liue together & what reuer­sion wee shall haue we will bestow it in almes, & in such other pious works as you shall think good, without trou­bling our selues to begg for our main­tenance. And to shew that it is true, that I came not hither with emptie hands, or vnfurnished of things ne­cessarie to nourishe and cloathe my selfe, behold a scantlet of the matter.

Then did he shew the Hermite a great purse full of pistolls, and also so­me pretious stones more worth then gold, and yet did occupie lesse place. Good Nicephorus, who did not see while he kept in this wildernesse such great quantitie of this yealoue mettall, whose luster doth dazle the eyes of many men in the world, did firmely beleeue in his minde that he was the Tentator, who vnder a humaine shape came to diuert him from the way of perfection, which is that of holy po­uertie, which he traced for many yee­res within his litle caue. Wherupon ar­ming himselfe with the marke of our [Page 10] saluation and vttering the name of our Sauiour with a low voice, seing that Tristan did not vanish away, to cleare himselfe of his doubt, he tooke him softlie by the arme and said to him; If I had not knowne that spirits haue nei­ther fleshe nor bones, as I do feele you to haue, I would say that it is the Diuell that came to sollicit me to my ruine, offring me richesse, as he did to the sonne of God when he assaulted him in the wildernesse. But I feare that not taking vpon him the forme of man he doth possesse your hearr to produce in myne the same effect, & to slide into it the death of grace by the venime of auarice. I will then say vnto you the same that the Apostle said to Simon Magus, away with your gold & siluer from me, which I know are the I dolls of the world, to which they are like, that do adore them, and that put their confidence in them: that man is abondantly riche that is poore in IESVS CHRIST. I loue my begging, by which I cōquer heauen for my selfe [Page 11] (& make others to conquer it for them, making them to merit euerla­sting goods when they giue me of their earthly goods) better then all your treasure: It is long since I haue put of that shirt of earthly possession, and how should I putt it on againe? I haue washed my feete & chased from my minde those grose affections, and how should I contaminat them of the new? I will neuer call back againe what I haue once quitted and renounced with a good will for the loue of my Maister; he hath nourished me so ma­ny yeeres in these deserts, both with the dew of heauen, which is the Manna of his consolations, and with the fatt of the earth, which is the daylie bread of the necessitie of the body, as I haue all subiect to blesse his prouidence, & to confirme my selfe in this truth that such as seeke for God and his kingdo­me can neuer want any thing. For my part, I will promis you no gold nor siluer, but that only which God will send me by the hands of such as he [Page 12] shall inspire to do me charitie, I will impart it to you. In the meane ti­me I will tell you, that if you will do as Iacob did, quitt the house of the traitour Laban, which is the world, to inioye the embracing of Lia and Rachell, to witt, Action and Con­templation, it is necessarie that you burie those Idolls at the foote of the Terebinthe of the crosse, and that glorifying in nothing but in IESVS CHRIST crucified, you will imitat him in his nuditie, gloriously ignominious, by depriuing your sel­fe of the care of temporall richesse, according the Counsell, which he gaue to that yong gentilman, who was like to you, to quitt all, that Matt. 19. v. 21. he might be perfect, not admitting him of his traine if first he vvould not distribut to the poore all that he possessed. But my sonne quoth the good Hermitte, I feare you re­semble too much this yong man, & that like vnto him you will retire your selfe with à heauie heart, not [Page 13] being able to digest the bitternesse of this drugg, which make men for­sake all the goods of the earthe, that they may aspire to heauenly goods, and that you will not so ea­sely dispossesse your selfe of them as Iacob did putt of the skins which couered his hands, & good Ioseph his cloake.

That I may not lie vnto you, quoth Tristan, I could neuer beleeue that for being an Hermite a man must haue renounced the inheritan­ce of his forefathers, but well I knew it to be necessarie for to be admit­ted of those religious orders, in which is made the solemne Vow of po­uertie; a thing not only necessarie, but also very easie in those great Communalties whether they be ri­che The vovv of pouer­tie very easie in Commu­nalties. or begging Communalties be­cause the Religion doth oblige it selfe to intertaine the Religious as they do consecrat themselues to the obseruance of the rules of the Religion. But an Hermitte that li­ues [Page 14] alone without support is often­times trusting to a badd dynner while he exspects Manna or larks to fall from heauen to him; as they did to the Israëlites; for God doth not shew such fauours to all nations nor worke such miracles vpon all occasions. Such as putt their trust in God, quoth the Hermite, are not shaked no more then is Mount Sion: He that dwells in Hierusalem, which is in the protection of the God of heauen, & whose very gates he doth loue, is no more moued when he is in want, then when he hath plentie of all things, being assured that the hand of God is not shortned, nor his power diminished. He that hath care of the croes litle ones being abandonned by their Dames, and of the least sparrow; yea, of the least flie, will neuer abandon him that li­ues iust before him all his life time. The sunne will sooner faile to lighten the world, then his prouidence to shine vpon such as he loues; he that [Page 15] spreds his beames and pouers his rai­ne equally vpon the iust and the vniust, that giues nourishment to all flesh, and that neede do no more but open his hand to replenish all creatures with benediction.

All that may be good, quoth Tri­stan, in the pulpet but the practise is quitt otherwise. For my part, I would make no difficultie to re­nounce to the inheritance of my forefathers, nor to make a vow of pouertie in a good Conuent, which should be well rented, or being of a begging order, that should be si­tuated in a good cittie, where they eate the sinnes of the people, whe­re all men labour for you while you pray for all men, where they find the bread ready baked, the wine all pure, the meat ready dressed, where they haue no care of any thing, nor think of tomorrow, practising, sim­plie & in good earnest these words of the Scripture: Aske and thou shalt Matth. 7. vers. 7. haue, seeke and thou shalt find; But [Page 16] without, that, to renounce my owne, it is a thing that all the eloquence of men and of the Angels may not perswade me to do, for I do see but too much euery day how sottish and ridiculous it is, to be a poore priest.

So it is without doubt according It is a glorious thing be­fore God to be a poore priest. the world, said the Hermite, but be­fore God it is a glorious thing, yea, before that great God, who makes but follie of the wisdome of the world, & of the follie of the crosse wisdome, and who doth confound the fast and pompe of richesse by humble po­uertie, before him that came to euangelize the poore, who doth heare their prayers, who calls him­self their father and tutour, who doth extoll them in his iudgment as much as they are vilipended and held ab­iect in the iudgments of worldlings. But those that are instructed in the schoole of the crosse, which is fol­lie to the Gentils, and scandall to the Iewes, but the vertue and sa­pience of God to the faithfull are [Page 17] of an other beliefe, they hold the poore to be very happie, according the sentence pronounced by the proper mouth of the sonne of God: but the children of the word do not vnderstand that probleme of strong Samson, because they do not glorie but in the multitude of their richesse. I must for all that graunt vnto you, Mona­sticall po­uertie ve­ry easie. that the pouertie of Monasticall per­sons hath this aduantage of the po­uertie of Hermites and secular priests (as they call them) that it is well shrouded from all pressing ne­cessities within a well gouerned cō ­monaltie. You know I speake of beg­ging orders, for to speake of Con­uentuall friars which liue by their reuenewes, they are not poore but in particular, in common they are riche, and they are poore inough in as much as they haue no pro­prietie of any thing; in this fashion then may they be said to be poore in the middest of their richesse, and riche in the middest of their pouertie. [Page 18] But the others albeit they be poore not only in particular but also in com­mon, yet their pouertie is alwaies supported, succoured and applauded, or at leastwise honored and esteemed, in sort that their sufferances are regarded, and their wants glorious; they are riche in honnour, yea, in the middest of their sufferances. In steade that a poore Hermite is des­pised by euery body, his complain­tes are reiected, his wants vnknowne, his necessities do not appeere to any but to God: He is all alone, he is fore­saken, and abandoned, hauing no body to comfort him, nor to take cō ­passion of his miseries, none to cast him into the pond wherin he might fish some reliefe.

The same, I say of a priest that is in necessitie, euery body doth laugh at him, and in steade of succouring him they vpbraid and floud him, they chardge him with false reprochesse and calumnies, so that he may well say with the Psalmist: O lord the re­prochesse [Page 19] of those that Disdayne your deare Vertue of pouertie, with which you haue beene borne, you liued and died, making your self nee­die and poore to replenish vs with the inestimable richesse and treasures of your merits; these reprochesse ô Lord are fallen vpon me, and con­fusion hath couered my face: I am Psal. 68. made a stranger to my ovvne brothers; and a vacabond to the children of my owne mother.

Father, quoth Tristan, that is the thing which I find least supportable of the infinit euells, which accōpanie pouertie: for honour of all the goods which doth inuirō vs being most pre­tious, I would sooner suffer that they should touch the ball of myne eye, then ingage me in that point. And. I do graunt vnto you that I am not yet come to that point of mortifica­tion, that I may suffer and indure iests and contumelies no more then did the Prophet Eliseus, much mo­re holy and more patient then I am, [Page 20] that could not indure the litle chil­dren to reproach vnto him that he was bald, an imperfection very light and naturall. and which as it should seeme he should acknowledg, and mocke the weaknesse of those litle soules, rather then destroie them by the imprecation and curses wihich he fulminated against them.

My sonne, quoth Nicephorus, you take this example by a bad bias, & handle the brone where it burnes. The Prophet did not regard the ou­trage which those children did vnto him, as an iniurie done to his owne personne, he was too humble to take it in that sort: but he did it to magni­fie his office, for he would be estee­med of men as the Minister of God, and the dispencer of his Mysteries; and because he carried the ambassade of God, and that an affront or dis­grace done to an Ambassadour doth hurt the honour of his Maister, and returne to the preiudice of his glo­rie that sent him, according that [Page 21] which is written: He that heares you heares me, and he that despiseth you de­spiseth Luca 10. v. 16. me. For this reason the Pro­phet prayed God that he would cha­stise those insolent boyes with exem­plar punishment, to teach great men what the fire of Gods choler would do being once kindled in drie wood, if it did consume the greene wood with so great ardour; and what do you know but the corporall euell which he procured to them boyes was cause of their spirituall good, and of the Saluation of their soules, ma­king them to tast of death in an age more capable of innocencie then of malice, and consequentlie more sus­ceptible of Gods grace then of his wrathe? in stead that had they in an age more reepe filled vp the mea­sure of their sinnes, and gone forward in their vice, they might perchance acquire their damnation. In this sort did S. Paule deliuer to Sathan the body of that fornicatour, who made the liuing temple of God the mem­bers [Page 22] of a lecher to saue his soule from euerlasting damnation. O my child how yong thou art yet in the warfa­re of the crosse, which in it self is no more dolorous then ignominious & shamefull, yea, execrable, according that saying: Cursed is euery one that hāg­eth on a tree. How farr you straie from the standard of him who for vs was Gal. 3. loaden with reprochesse, who did not turne his face from those that spett vpon it, nor his cheekes from those that did buffet them, nor his chinne-from those that pulled of his beard; how farr, I say, you goe from him who was made a spectacle before his eternall father, before the Angels and before men, who was exposed to be a mocking stock to those that sa­we him nayled vpon the crosse, to be iested by them & to nodd and shake their heads on him? How badd a disciple wouldest thou be to those great Apostles, those high montaignes whereon is laid the fun­dation of the cittie of God, who de­parted [Page 23] frolike and ioyfull from the great assemblies where they were flouted and contumeliously handled; for the publicatiō of the sacred name and holy doctrine of IESVS CHRIST? Verely you must chāge your stile and language, and also your thoughts and maximes, if you perseuere in that ho­ly desire of a religious life, especiallie that which regard the mortification of honour: for as I haue alreadie told you, the Conuentuall pouertie is respected and reuerenced, but our pouertie is mocked and flouted.

So I beleeue, quoth Tristan, that you Hermites are not poore but of necessitie; and not of free will, by rea­son of which your pouertie may not haue the glorie of the voluntarie which the Euangelicall pouertie doth deserue. This is the cause why men putt you not in the ranke of regular but of secular beggers, who are redu­ced to necessitie by the desaster of fortune, which if they support with patience, I beleeue they shall haue [Page 24] honour befote God who sees their hearts, but not before men. And that I do not lye vnto you, I would not esteeme it an act of prudence of him that hath à patrimonie and makes himself an Hermite, to renounce to that which he doth possesse, to make himself afterwards by begging odious and importune to the cōmon wealth, perswading my self that a man should drinck of the water of his owne cesterne, and draw the last drop of it, before he would goe to the well or fontaine of his neighbour, being that it is reasonable that euery man liue of the goods which God gaue him, or at leastwise, that he eate his bread by the sweat of his bro­wes.

Deare sir, quoth the Hermite, the holy Apostle doth say, that being a litle one he spoake according his age but comming to be more great, he had thoughts and discourses of a hi­gher kind. I know well by your song that you are yet in a spirituall infan­cie, [Page 25] but when you shall be more ad­uanced in it, you will change those humaine maximes into Euangelicall axiomes, which are of a higher note, and of a more excellent accent; if thou haddest beene a Religious man thou wouldest learne to speake ac­cording the precepts of Religion, which consist in the practise of the Euangelicall counsells.

That is good, quoth Tristan, for those Religious men which oblige themselues by vowes, but not for you Hermites, who do nothing but what you please, who liue after your owne fancie, and who are your owne maisters. I will replie vnto you, quoth the Hermite, that which an ancient painture said to a great lord, who The saying of an anciēt painteur. tooke vpon himself within his shopp to discours of the art of painting, as many words as you speake are so many solecismes against my art, hold your peace or els my apprentices will mock your ignorance. It is true that your ignorance is pardonable, [Page 26] considering that being a soildiour (for Tristan had a swerd at his side) you speake of Religious affaires, euen as a Churchman would speake of matters of warrs. But if thou wilt inrolle thy self in the ho­ly and spirituall warfare of Religion you will discours more netely and more correctly of these things. Fa­ther, quoth Tristan, I told you alrea­dy that I desire much to be an Her­mite, but not a Religious man. And I, quoth Nicephorus, do answere vn­to you, that that is as if you would say, I would faine be a reasonable creature but not a man, or otherwise, I would faine be a Monke and no Religious man; or thus, I would be a Religious man and no Monke, con­sidering that a Monke & a Religious A Monke & a Re­ligious man is the same thing. man is the same thing, as is a man and a reasonable creature. But many, saith Tristan, do not vnderstand it so, for I haue seene many Religious men which would take it for an in­iurie, & for a kind of disgrace to be [Page 27] called Monks, and such as confesse themselues to be Monks and are so named in their rules are glad to be called Religious men, so much this holy mame of Monke, so venerable The name Monke novv out of request in ancient time is become disagrea­ble to the eares of this our age, and that without doubt, through the fault of those that did profane and disho­nour it by their badd liues.

You say true, quoth the Hermi­te, and this imaginarie distinction hath beene inuented of late yeeres, and that only in France, because of the heresie which defamed that holy name of Monke, as she did open her vnpure mouthe against the church, corrupting that which shee knew, and blaspeming that which shee knew not, or was ignorant of, and lancing out quippes & tants (in which she putts all the force of her argu­ments) against the most sacred my­steries of our holy faith. And when I say that this distinction of a Mon­ke and a Religious man is of a new [Page 28] impression, and came lately out of the braines of some which ground themselues vpon imaginations distil­led. I know not how, I do not say it of any contempt of their subtilitie, but to maintaine the truthe, of which I haue for witnesses all those that are beyond the Alps & the Perinean montaignes, as the Italians and Spa­niards, The vvord re­ligious is not vsed in Spaine nor in Iralie. among which the word Re­ligious is not knowne, albeit those Countries do abound more with Monks, then doth our Countrie of France. The Italians do call Reli­gious men 1. Monachi, or 1. Fratti, the Spaniards call then Los Monyes, or los Frayles, which is as much to say, as the Monks or Friars of such an or­der. As for the name Father, which the vulgar sort do giue to the Regu­lars, who are honored with the Sa­cerdotall character, and with the di­gnitie of priesthood, it was not at­tributed in the begining of Monasti­call institution but to the Superiours of euery Monasterie, who as such, we­re [Page 29] called Abbotts, which is as much to say as father, and all the rest that were their children and subiects were called brothers. And to speake as I think, if those that are married folke haue not the qualitie or title of Fathers and mothers but when they haue issue, and that the heauens do fauour, them with the benediction to haue children; so this appellation of spirituall Fathers doth Pastours only are to be cal­led Fa­thers. not seeme to appertaine but to Pa­stours only, be they Prelats or infe­riour priests, who haue chardge of soules, and watch ouer them, as being bound to render an account of them to God. who is the Prince of Pastours, the Bishop of our soules, and the grand Maister of the vinuersall flock of the world. Which appellation of Father, if it be appropriated to sim­ple priests, principallie in the admi­nistration of the Sacraments, it is be­cause that in the dispensation of the Diuine mysteries they hold the pla­ce of the Pastours, who can not do [Page 30] all things by their owne proper hāds and in proper person; and to speake with the Canons, who do administer the Sacraments by the allowance and permissiō of the proper Pastour, leauing to our Doctours to decide who that is properlie speaking, for there is a controuersie of it, which should not be decided by a poore Hermite as I am. Neuerthelesse such as I am, in my youth, I made some voyages, and principallie into Italie, and made some staye & seiour in the Court of Rome, following a great Cardinal, I say great in ranke, as they are all, and greater in bloud and sanctitie, as they are not all. You know the eminencie of the qualitie which those famous Seigneurs haue, and to which the sea Apostolick hath raised them: Yet when the Popes do draw them out of Cloisters, taking their lamps from vnder the bushell, and putting it vpon the candlestick, to the end that the light of their me­rits do lighten all the house of God, [Page 31] which is the church, they neuer for­sake the qualitie of brothers, or Friars, as the marke of their regula­ritie, no more then they forsake the colour of the habit of the order wher­in they made their profession. Their titles are most renowned lord and right reuerend father in God, if he be a Bishop, brother such a one, Car­dinal of the holy church of Rome, Bishop of such a place, or priest or Deacon of such a title.

As for Bishops, when out of Re­ligious Orders they are assumpted to Episcopall dignities, for a marke of their ancient regularitie, from the obseruance of which they are exēp­ted passing to an other obedience & discipline, they carrie alwaies the colour, and in some sort, the forme of their habit, albeit they passe from the state of perfection to be acqui­red, to the state of perfection acqui­red, Bishops the suc­cessours of the Apost. as the successours of the Apo­stles, yet be it of humilitie, or of af­fection to their oder, to the title of [Page 32] Right Reuerend father in God, they add that of brother or Friar such a Bishop, of such a church: in which is seene that they take the name Fa­ther as they are Pastours, and the name brother as they are Monks or Friars. Whence it may be concluded that the name Father doth not pro­perly Of vvhat should Friars be called fa­thers. belong to Friars or Monks as such, but to Pastours and Priests who haue Chardg of soules. Add that the vulgar sort speaking of a Bishop that hath beene a Religious man do say; that Bishop is a Friar or Monke, and those Prelats do not take it to scorne to be called Monks or Friars, as do in those parts some simple Conuen­tuall Friars, otherwise called Reli­gious men.

I confesse vnto you, quoth Tri­stan, that I haue as litle skill in tho­se Monasticall matters, as I haue ex­perience in that kind of life, which is sequestred from the world; Wher­fore I went still with the common opinion, which as I perceiue is a po­pular [Page 33] errour. Yet cannot I well yeld or assent to what you propose, when I cōsider that this word Monke doth signifie a man who of deuotion doth leade a solitarie life, which Conuen­tuall friars do not, liuing in Com­munitie, and if I may so terme it, in troups within their Cōuents, hauing all their exercises in common, & being almost still together, be it in the quire, or in the Refectorie, at their Chapter, or at their corporall labours, at their lessons and at their conferences, and also at their con­uersations with the neighbours, in sort that me thinks they haue reason to call themselues Religious men, as it were men tyed together by a so­cietie Reason vvhy they may be called Re­ligious mē dravven out of the frenche vvord re­lié. of an vniforme life, which ma­kes, that albeit their companies con­sist of diuers members, they are ne­uerthelesse conducted by one & the same spirit and mind, which is the plaster and mortar by which they are tyed and ioyned in God the one to the other, according to that which [Page 34] is written of the first Christians, that they had not amongst, them but one hart and one soule. And the most pressing knots which bind them to­gether, besids the knot of charitie, which bind the most perfect of them, and is the great tye of perfection, are the solemne vowes, by which those that be profest do oblige themselues to the order in which they are incor­porated, & the order in like manner doth oblige it self to such as it recei­ueth. And the are those vowes, as farr as I could learne of learned & deuote Religious men, that put them Their so­lemne vovves putts thē in the sta­te of per­fection. in the state of perfection: in which are not the Anacorits who make not these vowes; at leastwise solemne, but lead a priuat and particular life, without hauing any other societie with their neighbours, but that which tye all Christians one to an other, as children of the same church.

In the time of our Sauiour, saith the Hermite, Martha murmured against Marie. I see well that you haue [Page 35] learned all those things out of the mouth of some Conuentuall friar animated by a kind of zeale, which if it be not indiscrite and without science, at leastwise, it is sharp, and bitter against vs poore Monks, the outcast and sweeping of the world, and who are nothing els but voices, which by their grones and sighes do make the Ecchos of these deserts ring and sound. But blessed by God, who in this qualitie made vs, at least­wise imitatours and followers of that great fore-runner of the Messias de­clared to haue beene the greatest amongst the children of men by the proper mouth of the sonne of God, & placed vs vpon Maries portion, which he said to be the best, not­withstanding the complaints and going about of Martha. There is Friars approue nothing but their ovvne actions. nothing more iniust then those kind of people which approue nothing but their owne actions, and find nothing good but what they do themselues. Happie is he that can escape their [Page 36] censures. In the meane time there is no charitie in these reprehensions, for that vertue is not iealous, and in tho­se kind of people nothing is seene but emulation, not of the best grace, as the Apostle saith, but such as tend to certaine particularities, which breede partialities and these partia­lities ingendreth false imaginations of deuotion, which hath but the bar­ke and not the true pith of pietie: for true pietie is good for all things, and all these cōtentions are good for nothing. Charitie doth no idle nor euell thing, and the effects which are ingendred of those subtile que­stions, of those states of perfection, of these comparisons of liues, and of Compa­risons of liues & orders are good for nothing. the diuersities of rules and Orders, are good for nothing, but very hurt­full some times to the reputation of many. Charitie is not puffe vp with pride, nor ambition, but humble and respectiue of all men, neuer prefer­ring herselfe to any. The hart which she doth possesse is neuer puffed vp [Page 37] with presumption, neuer lifts vp it browes with scorne of any body, nor make it aspire to great things; albeit shee be herselfe very perfect, yet doth she apprehend this great word of perfection. She neuer seekes her owne proper intrest nor profit, but that of IESVS CHRIST, & in him that of the neighbour. Notwith­standing it is a disease common in­ough within Cloisters, and I dare say, in a manner contagious (not to despi­se those of other orders; for that had beene manifest follie) but so to estee­me of the order wherin they are thē ­selues inrolled, as if there were none but it worthy of consideration in the church of God. It is a Pharisaicall speech to say, I am not like other mē, especially like this Publican. I do not say but a Monke or Friar may, yea ought, as he is tyed in body & habit to his Order, so ought he to haue a particular inclination to it, & to loue it with a loue of preference, and singular preferēce: But this esteeme [Page 38] should remaine with in his owne breast, without suffring it to passe out of his mouthe, in sort that the account which he makes of it may not obfu­scat the merits of other Regular cō ­panies. For euen as all particular men, so all societies haue receiued of God diuers graces and fauours, some this way, & some that way, as they receiued so many liniaments of their visages, as do distinguith them one from an other, and so many allure­ments to call them from the world that would giue themselues to pietie with more perfection. But, that they should thinke to exclude, either from the state of perfection, or from pre­tending to perfection (which is most desirable) such as do not make profes­sion of that kind of Conuentuall and Monasticall life, it would not be only to offend our faith, but also to swar­ue from the common opinion, and fall into absurdities which may not be admitted by any of solide iudg­ment. For if the state of perfection [Page 39] by tyed to certaine obseruations without which men may not be per­fect; or depend of an habit made after a certaine fashion, and of vowes, yea solemne, more then of the practise of those heroicall vertues, which are counselled in the Ghospell, who doth not see that it must be concluded that our Sauiour himself, the patter­ne Our Sau­iour did not make the vo­vves of Religion. of the mountaine, and not the modell only of perfection, but per­fection it selfe, hath not beene in this state, considering that we do not read that euer he made those vowes in which they put the essence of the state of perfection? The same may be said of his holy mother, who by the imitation of her sonne hauing perfectly obserued obedience, po­uertie and chastitie, ought necessari­lie to be held very perfect, albeit wee do not reade in expresse termes, that by vowes solemnely made, she pro­mised to practise these Counsells. But if the church doth piously belee­ue with S. Hierosme, that by these [Page 40] words, which she said to the Angell who saluted her, how shall that be which thou saiest, that I shall be a mother whenas, I know no man? Shee doth witnesse that shee resol­ued in her heart to keepe her inte­gritie, and promised to God perpe­tuall virginitie; it is certaine that this interpretation is not yet propo­sed to the faithfull, as an article of faith, no more then is to this present her immaculate Conception, but well is proposed, that shee was a Virgin before, during, & after her child­birth, and in somme, that shee remay­ned alwaies a Virgin vntill her death. It would follow also that the Apo­stles, Apostles and Pa­triaches did not make the vovves of Religion. and if wee please to ascend higher, the Patriaches and Prophets, and he that participated of the gra­ces and qualities of the one and the other, S. Iohn Baptist the greatest amongst the children of men, should not haue beene in the state of per­fection, because we do not reade that euer they made these vowes in which [Page 41] they put the essence of the Regular life, albeit they had the practise of those vertues in an eminent & high degree. It would follow moreouer that so many millions of Monks which peopled the deserts, and who­se actions almost inimitable wee cā ­not reade without admiration, should not haue beene in this blessed state, being that they were many yeeres be­fore these two great law-makers of Regularitie, S. Basile in the Orient, S. Basile, & S. Be­net the first au­thours of Regular cemmo­nalties. and S. Benet in the Occident, who first established lawes & rules, for the gouernement of those whom the de­sire of perfecting themselues in the Monasticall discipline made to liue together in common. And then the vowes of these two rules were but simple vowes, dispensable according Solemne vovves introdu­ced but of late day as, the will of the Superiours, the solem­ne vowes being not introduced in the church, but in those later ages, for a more sure bond and tye of Re­gular Orders. Euen so did the Popes decide in our dayes in consideration [Page 42] of the regular Clarks of the societie of IESVS, that simple vowes are suf­ficient to put him that makes them in the state of perfection which Re­gularitie doth promis, to the end that the yong Nouices of this holy so­cietie, who make but the first vowes should haue the consolation to be­leeue that they are in this honorall state. But to diue more deeplie into the matter, if the vowes which giue precepts to such as obserue the Euā ­gelicall counsells put them in the sta­te of perfection, how shall the Mon­kes of S. Benet, S. Bernard and the The vovves of Benedi­ctins, Bernardins & Car­thusians. Carthusians, which make but vowes of stabilitie, & of correcting their manners, without specifying the vowes of chastitie, pouertie or obe­dience, be in this state of perfection? I know that the schoole Doctours do answere, that the promises of the­se three Counsells are implicitè, as they speake, contayned in the two vowes aforesaid. But if so be, that in a contract there is no more force, [Page 43] according the prouerb, then such as men put in it, and that words are worth no more then as they sound, how shall the state of perfection be amongst the Benedictins, the Car­thusians and the Bernardins? We may say, that properly speaking, that happie state is not descended from heauen but since the Conuentuall Friars are deuided into more bran­ches then euer Xerxes deuided the riuer Gindes, & that as many as will not put themselues within their Ar­ke shall remaine in the Deluge of im­perfection. I know well they will re­plie, that for calling thēselues Regu­lars they do not hold that all other Christians are irregular, that for cal­ling themselues brothers, they do not separat themselues from the Frater­nitie of Christianitie, nor do not take from the laitie that title which the In the primitiue Church all Chri­stiās vve­re called brothers. first Christiās in the primitiue Church gaue to themselues, that for calling themselues Religious they do not hold other men to be irreligious & [Page 44] impious, that for being inrolled in particular Orders, they do not hold that other children of the Church doe liue in disorder; but that their vowes putting them in a state which doth oblige them to tend to a higher perfection, then that of the com­mon sort, they haue reason to think that they are in the state of perfectiō. To which I answere, that the state of perfection is that, which approche neerest to the imitation of the sonne of God, of his most holy mother, & of the holy Apostles, and that this imitation cōsisting rather in the pra­ctise of the Euangelicall Counsells then in the vowes of them, that such as are most aduaunced in those ver­tues are most perfect, & in a more perfect estate then those that only make vowes of them, and not practise them. And if they will say that a vow doth oblige him that makes it, to imbrace also the practise of it, & to run in that sort, as the Apostle saith, that he may arriue to the butt [Page 45] of perfection; I will replie that of­tentimes it had beene better not to haue vowed, then after vowing to performe so ill their promise, as ma­ny doe, for they may not mock God, but in the end they shall be punished for it: and the punishmēt which he takes is so much the more seuere that it comes but slow. But they will say, that a vow added to the practise of the Counsells hath the same aduantage that faire appar­rell, and pretious stones haue being added to an excellent beautie, which is neuer so excessiue in it owne na­ture but the art of garments doth alwaies bring it more luster; so a vow besids the grace which it giues to a man, giues him also a certaine stable­nesse & firmenesse, when he sees himselfe ingaged by these holy bōds to the seruice of God, from which he may not withdraw himselfe with­out incurring, or as S. Paule saith, without acquiring his damnation. And I confesse so much, that a vow [Page 46] is a most holy and Religious action, & that it is a strong motiue, and a pressing sting to make a man run the race of perfection: but for a man to Many did practise the Euan­gelicall vertues as vvell vvithout vovves as vvith vovves. denie also that many men did as per­fectlie practise these vertues without vowes, it would be to draw vpon his owne back the examples, which we haue already produced of our Sa­uiour, of his holy mother, of the Apostles, Patriarches, Prophets, and of the first Christians, who were so perfect without that vow being be­fore the fundation of Monachisme and Conuentuall life. Witnesse that ancient Monke, who hauing consu­med many yeeres to perfect himsel­fe in the exercise of the Euangelicall Counsells, had reuelation that the Emperour Theodosius was equall to Theodo­sius per­fect vvi­thout vovv. him in merit, albeit according the Rule of Regulars he was not in the state of their perfection: but he was a good Prince in the perfection of his owne estat, and whosoeuer is so, according my simple iudgment may [Page 47] be said to be in the state of perfe­ction. And that which doth fortifie me in this thought is, that I do not find that the Scripture doth attribu­te perfection but to the practise of pouertie where it saith: If thou vvilt Matt. 19. v. 21. be perfect, goe, sell the things that thou hast, & giue to the poore, and come, fol­lovv me. And S. Peter saying to our Sauiour that he had executed the counsell which he gaue to him and to his Condisciples, doth not speake of any vow, but of the effect of it by these words: Behold vve haue left all tbings, and haue follovved thee: vvhat therefore shall vve haue? To whom for reward our Sauiour did promis a hundred fold in this world, & euerlasting glorie in the other. I know well that a vow doth oblige a man to the practise of it, and also that it doth depriue a man of all proprietie, leauing him nothing but the simple vse of things necessarie, according the saying of the Apostle: Hauing foode, and vvhervvith to be 1. Tim. 6. [Page 48] couered, vvith these vve are content. And also I graunt that practise ma­de in vertue of a vow, is like vnto trees graffed, whose fruict are more sweet, & sauorous, then that of other trees, but I know also, that as he that vow and effect it, shall be much re­warded, so he that doth not execute what he promiseth shall be doublie punished for hauing ingaged him­selfe in a combat which did not suc­ceede with him, or to speake with the Apostle, for hauing broken his word. And he that followes the Counselles without obligation, if he be but sim­plie rewarded, he is not at all pu­nished when he failes, in sort that it is written: Let him take it that can, he that imbraceth it doth vvell, & he that doth not, doth not ill, in which consi­steth the difference betweene Coun­selles and precepts. And meditating with my self vpon this subiect, I did often admeere, how it hapned that perfection was attributed in expresse termes to pouertie, and not to chasti­tie, [Page 49] nor to obedience, considering that these two last vertues seeme to be so much the more excellent, by how much their subiect and obiect doth excell that of pouertie: for there is no doubt among men of iudg­ment, but that corporall goods, which are the pleasures, to which men renounce by chastitie, and the goods of the soule, to which men bidd farewell by renouncing them­selues and their proper wills, are of farr greater esteemation and worth then are the goods of fortune, wher­of men depriue themselues by po­uertie: for who will denie that the soule is more pretious then meate, and the body more worth then it apparrell without he contradict, not only the Scripture but also common sens? But if perfection consist in fol­lowing our Sauiour, doth not he say? He that vvill fallo vv me let him re­nounce Luca 9. v. 23. himself, take vp his crosse and follo vv me? And who is he that would not easier quitt what he doth possesse [Page 50] then himself? toothe for toothe, and eye for eye, saith Iob, will man giue in counterchange of his soule, whose Sacrifice is made by obedience, obedience, which is better then all the Sacrifices of body and goods? That the practise of chastitie is a most perfect thing, it is very euident by that which the wisman saith: That there is no price vvhich can equalla cha­ste Sap. 4. and continent soule. O vvhat a faire & excellent thing is, a generation full of puritie! And he that is more then Sa­lomon, speaking of those volunta­rie Eunuches who gelded themselues that they might the easier aspire to heauen, doth not he say: That fevv Matth. 19 v. 11. doth vnderstand, and fevver doth exer­cise this vvord, shewing by the raritie of the practise the excellence of this vertue? In like manner, if I durst say so, it seemeth that the vow and ex­ercise of pouertie which is made out of a Commonaltie (which otherwise A vovv of pouertie made out of a Com­monaltie vvhat it. hath great merit, because of the obe­dience which double the goodnesse [Page 51] of the action by the force of her in­fluence) is more compleat, as shee is more difficile and hard, then that which is made within a societie, where the one carrieth the burthen of the other, where they incourage & com­fort one an other, and to speake with the Scripure, where the one doth heate the other in deuotion, and succour his brother in his neces­sitie by a mutuall ayde; in steade that a solitarie Monke, who sells all that he hath, & distribute it in almes, & renounce all that he had, or might pretend in the world, to follow our Sauiour in that nakednesse, remay­ning with this proppe without any other proppe but the eternall pro­uidence, doth exercise more accor­ding the letter (I cannot tell what he doth according the Spirit) the Coun­sell of pouertie after the manner that it is laid downe in the Ghospell, then the other, where it is said, that a man must quitt all that he hath and follow the sonne of God in this absolute [Page 52] nuditie, which hath no proppe in earth, and makes a man cast all his thoughts on God. And who doth not see that he who renounceth his patrimonie, and puts himself into a Monasterie well rented, or to a Conuent of begging friars, which probablie hath her maintenance at the gate for demaunding it; doth not often times passe from a litle and poore secular familie into a riche and well supported regular Monasterie, where he is more assured that he shall want nothing that is necessarie for his maintenance, then if he had remayned in the world, where such as are most fauoured by fortune, and that are most aduaunced in ho­nours The state of fauo­rits. and richesse are subiect to ouerthrowes, to great falls, and to strange desasters, and are like vnto those false starrs which fall and neuer get vp againe? In one word, it is ve­ry cleere to such as haue eyes, that as Conuentuall pouertie hath a luster and an aduantage because of the [Page 53] vow of it, so is shee also well rampared against the assaults of all misfortune, well refresched by the help of many assistances, though tho­se many times may be more cerimo­nious then compassionat. True po­uertie is that which indure with pa­tience True po­uertie vvhat is it. the want of things necessarie; and to desire to haue the glorie of this vertue without feeling the other points of necessitie, it is to desire triumph and victorie without com­bat, laurell and palme crownes with­out putting himself to any hazard. Euerie body knowes that Ananias and Saphira for hauing ambitiouslie desired the honour to seeme poore like other Christians, who did cast all their goods without reseruing any thing, at the feete of the Apostles, were strucken with the anatheme of death by the Spirit of God passing out of the mouthe of the Prince of the [...]. I know that the subti­litie [...] hoole diuinitie, where the vertues, are refined as within a cruset, [Page 54] hath found out a number of faire reasons to colour with a liuely, and pretious enamel the Conuentuall po­uertie, which, when all is said, doth consist in disappropriating a man of the possession of the goods wherof he retaines the vsage: but it happēs often that these determinations so distilled, do ressemble those quint­essens which turne into vapours as soone as they see the aire. For in No man in this vvorld hath but the vse of things. fine who in this world can say that he is proprietaire of any thing, con­sidering that life it self, without which all other goods, mouable and im­mouable are vnprofitable, is not giuē to vs but in vsufruict, and not in pro­prietie? And to say that a man doth renounce to his life, but keeps onely the vse of it, is it not to say that he quits that which he keepes, seing that life as well as richesse doth not consist but in vsage?

By this reconing Princes [...] lords who are inglutted in [...] and wealth ouer head and shoulders [Page 55] should be without vow in the state of pouertie, seeing that like vnto the Conuentuall friars they haue but the vse of their treasures, & that they do not handle it but by the hands of their treasoriers, and such other offi­cers; and the greatest kings of the earth what haue they but their liuing in this world, and the vse of the same sunne and the same elements which the simplest Countrymā doth parti­cipat equallie with them? Yet for all that the regular Doctours do not graunt vnto them to be in the state of perfection, albeit that in the Scri­pture the soueraigne powers of the earth are putt in a state of sublimi­tie. O how the first Monks proceeded after an other fashion, if not in vow, at leastwise in the practise of pouer­tie, for after hauing sold & distributed to the poore their patrimonie, they did cast themselues into the deserts, flying from the world as well in bo­dy as in hart and minde, and there afflicted, necessitous and miserable, [Page 56] to vse Apostolik termes, they retired thēselues into caues and holes within the earth, imitating our Sauiour, who during his life had not a place to put in his head, hauing no house of his owne, no Cloister, no cell, no Con­uent nor any other thing, which he might call his owne, but the crosse, which he carried vpon his shoulders to Mont Caluaire. Alas! when shall that happie time come, in which the Monks, Anacorites and friars will re­suscitat in themselues the Spirit of that great Apostle, which may in­duce them to gaine their liuing by the labours of their hands, and to eate their bread with ashes, by the sweate of their browes, without mo­lesting Monks & friars should rather vvorke for their liuing then begg this man or that man, some ti­mes by begging of almes from doo­re to doore, some times importunat­lie demaunding fundations for their Monasteries, and some times taking dowries, as they do in Nunries; & to speake in sacred termes, and ther­fore irreprehensible, making lucre of [Page 57] pietie & busying the simpler sort to Titi 1. v. 12. draw profit to thēselues & doing like the liuer, which doth not become fatt, but by the leannesse of other members? I haue not beene a bur­then Act. 20. to any man, saith S. Paul glo­rifying 1. Cor. 4. himsef in God, but teaching, preaching and labouring, I haue by 1. Thes. 2. the work of my hāds prouided what 1. Cor. 9. was needfull for me. So did, so liued these ancient Anacoretes, who made basketts & other small works which they carried to the market to be sold, to nourrish themselues with the pri­ce of them, & to giue the surplus to the poore. So did also the ancient Regulars, as may be easelie seene in Ancient regulars liued by their labour. the Chronicles of the Orders, who liued in the seruice of God, and in the obseruance of their rules, tilling the earthe, digging and labouring the vine-yards, gayning their daylie wages during the haruest and the ventage, and bringing all to the cō ­monaltie, without reseruing any thing to themselues in particular, [Page 58] vnder paine of excommunication, and to be buried, if they were found dying, possessours of any thing whatsoeuer, in the sepulchers of beasts▪ cutting the woods, drying vp marrish grounds, playing the joyners, and the carpenters, building of houses, keeping of cattle and doing all other Countrie husbandrie: the weaker sort giuing themselues to those arts which are lesse painefull, as to play the taylours, the paintu­res, working, of wooll, & coppying of books, before printing became so common. In this sort euerie one did cōtribut his paine without any other reward to himself, but the abondance which is promised in heauen. The millions of Monks which liued in Monasteries did infinit good to the neighbours about them, in steed of incommodating & oppressing them as now some do, they made themsel­ues by their labourious industries the Fathers of the poore, being themsel­ues poore in all respects. I do not [Page 59] intend by this to blame the reue­newes of the church (knowing that all extremities are vitious and incline to errour) so they be moderat: for if moderation in all things is to be estee­med, in this kind it is not only praise worthy, but in some sort necessa­rie, the experience of so many ages making vs to see and feele that ex­cesse doth carrie men to abuses and licentiousnesse, that I say no worse; and as S. Bernard saith, that if so be deuotion doth ingender richesse, these bad daughters when they be­come great doth suffocat & stifle their mother, and induce her to sinne, as Loth that was so holy was induced by his owne daughters. Much lesse do I intend to blame mendicitie or begging, considering that my self doth make profession of it, and knowing that it hath beene deuout­lie permitted in the church, and that such as cried against the begging Orders of S. Francis and S. Domi­nick when they were newly institu­ted, [Page 60] were constrained to imbrace the silēce which was imposed to them by the soueraigne Bishop the Pope. But it is to be wished, that this mēdicitie should not be vsed but to supplie the default of manuel labour, when Begging is to be vsed vvhē men can­not gett their li­uing by their la­bour. after a diligent imploy they should find themselues short of meanes to nourish the Commonaltie: for in that case they might vse the priuiledg of the law of nature, which permit euerie man to aske his liuing when he cannot labour for it. But to re­duce that to a forme or fashiō, which is ordayned by the rules of the Mo­nasterie touching corporall labour, towards the inclosures of gardens, which they till rather, for the health and pleasure of particular persons, then for the profit and vtilitie of the house, and rather to haue flowers to deck and adorne the altars then to haue fruict to putt vpon the ta­bles; is in my opinion to make a delicat Sabath at the chardges of the common wealth, whom it concernes [Page 61] that euery body labour, and make vse and profit of his talent, and in­dustrie, in manuring the vigneyard, that is to say, in following the voca­tion which fell to his lott, according the line of diuine distribution. The Emperour Diocletian hauing putt of The Em­perour Diocletiā did vvork the Empire, tooke great paines to trim and dresse his litle garden, pas­sing sweetlie his time in the innocēt imploy of tilling the ground, and after that fashion he saw himself as riche in his pouertie, as before being in his Emperiall dignitie, he found himself poore in the middest of his richesse, hauing not alwaies wherby to recompence worthelie such as ser­ued him well, nor to pay his armies. It is not that in this occasion, I would iustifie my self, considering that I was conceiued in iniquitie, and that I am all rotten with vitious cicatri­ces, and much lesse would I preferr my self to those whose shooe lat­chets, I am not worthy to loose. But I may assure you, that I do not begg [Page 62] in these quarters but in as much as my infirmities do take from my ar­mes the pouer to trauaile, hauing seene my self sometimes of that force and vigour, that I had by my owne industrie the meanes, not only to in­tertaine my self without chardging any other, but also to intertaine others that came to visit this cell. And if now necessitie doth constrai­ne me to haue recours sometimes to the charitie of those to whom, I gaine heauen through the good which they do vnto me, my age and my weaknesse doth pleade my cause be­fore their pietie, & make them har­ken to my petition.

Here Tristan, as in a place which to him seemed very proper to offer his goods to Nicephorus, breaking the cours of his long discours; Father, saith he, the prouidence of God hath conducted me hither, and to speake otherwise, hath leade me by the hād of his will, to draw you out of all paine, and your old yeeres from care [Page 63] and labour. I haue by the grace of God abondantly to maintaine you without suffocating your Spirit by bodely labour, and putting your self to trouble to searche your lyuing. Sir, quoth the Hermite, if I had not knowne in your face your ingenui­tie, and the sinceritie of your inten­tion in the offer which you make vn­to me, I would make you the same answere which our Sauiour made to S. Peeter, who would faine disswade him from going to suffer to Hieru­salem wherof he heard him speake to Moyses & Elias vpon mont Thabor: Retire from me Sathan. What? you are then come hither to tempt me to descend from the crosse of holy pouertie, in which I desire to die, in the nuditie and nakednesse of my Sauiour. Ha! not so Sir, nothing shall separat me if I can from the charitie of IESVS CHRIST, not death nor life, not hunger, not cold, not nuditie, not pouertie nor want, not mē nor Angelles, not the powers [Page 64] of the earth nor that of hell, not the time past, nor the time present, nor the time to come: For I am certaine with the help of his grace to re­maine constant in my resolution, and neuer to relent in any one point of it: I meane to die poore with him that being riche made himself poore for our sakes, to the ende to inriche vs by his want. Labour taken for him is no labour, for he made the yoke of his crosse so sweet and easie by the oyle of his bloude which is baulme shedd for vs, that his bur­then is rather a solagement then a chardge, resembling the feathers of birds which lift them vp to the ayre in steed of waighing them downe to the earthe. There is no paine where there is loue, or if there be any, it is but a deare and desirable paine; for to labour for that which a mā loueth, of all delices it is the sweetest. And if you think that manuel labour doth dissipat the Spirites (that which some delicat fellowes said, vnworthy mē ­bers [Page 65] of a heade all torne with thor­nes) cōtrarywise, I hold that it doth rather fortifie it, witnesse the Apostle 2 Cor. 12. v. 10. saying, that his Spirit was then most vigorours and strong when his body was ouercommed and weakned by infirmities, or by voluntarie morti­fications; and I feare much that such as say that manuel labour might cause the dissipation of their Spirit do ap­prehēd more the dissipation of their bodys, and as S. Paul saith, the dissipa­tion of this machine & terrestriall ha­bitatiō which inuirone the soule. For euē as the nobilitie which in peace ti­me do reserue for thēselues slouth & idlenesse, and in warr time the exer­cise of armes. In like manner it see­meth that these fathers more contē ­platiue then actiue do confine them­selues to the singing of Psalmes, as if it were a function very laborious to sing, or that it had beene the harp of Dauid to chase away the Diuells of vice by her melodie, which possesse sinners, or that it had the force of the [Page 66] Sacerdotall trōpetts, at whose sound did fall the walls of Hiericho, or of the hands of Moyses which gaue vi­ctorie to the childrē of Israëll against Amalec. Certes, if by the effects we may iudge of the vigour and force of the cause, we may well say of their Congregations that which the sacred Cantique doth say of the Sulamite, what will you see in her but Quires of combattants and squadrons of Choristers? It is there they take that sweet and pleasant sleepe vpon the breast of our Sauiour, from which, no lesse then the Amant and louer of the same spouse would they be drawē or waked, vntill it please themselues to passe from the ease and content­ment of this sacred contemplation to the action, & from the sweet attentiō of Marie to the tumultuous labours of Martha; in the meane time the litle ones demaund bread, & few do breake it vnto them; the neighbours do grone and waile, & few do succour them: many are wounded vpon the [Page 67] way of Hiëricho and there are but few Samaritans that would solace Ioan. 4. v. 34. and comfort them. The Countries are white to haruest, and there are but few haruest-men: the vigne-yard is desert and vntilled, and there are but few venteners, much worke and few workmen. The three principall functions of an Ec­clesiasti­call per­sonne.

Of the three principall functiōs of the Ecclesiasticall state, which are to preach, to administer the Sacramēts, and to pray, be it in particular men­tally, or vocally; be it in publick by singing of the publike office, the greatest part of the friars toke this last, which is the most speciouse and lesse profitable, for the lott of their inheritance, and for their imploymēt saying with the Psalmist: I vvill sing your iustices o lord, in this sejour of my pilgrimage. And in effect, when all shall be well counted, for three or foure which announce to the people the word of God, which is the breade of life and vnderstanding, for the ad­ministration of which the Apostles [Page 68] themselues did cease from distribu­ting the sacred communion, which the holy text doth call to serue to the tables, there are fiftie or three scoare in great Conuents deputed only for the Quire, and fifteene or twētie lay brothers tyed to the dome­sticall functions. But perchance they will say that they imploy the Friars according the talents which they re­ceiued from God, it being very rea­sonable that in the Church which is a terrestriall Paradis, the trees do beare fruict according their kind, & that men do worke according their qualities, and that the tallent of prea­ching or of helping soules, which re­quire great science and prudence in discerning of Spirits, being giuen but to a few, there are many more that are capable of the Quire then of the chaire. To which I answere that such as are proper for the Quire cānot be vnproper for manuel labour, and that perchāce the weale publique would be as much content and solaged by [Page 69] their labour as by their singing. It is not that I call in doubt the excel­lencie of prayer, and that I do not know that men may say of her what that anciēt painteur said of his owne worke, that shee labours for the eter­nitie, and that shee hath this aduan­tage ouer mechanicall things, that these being visible are consequentlie tēporall as the Apostle saith, & that the other which is inuisible, as that of prayer; is eternall. But if in this age men esteeme more of sinsible thē of spiritual things, none being in it which doth not preferr almesdeeds to prayer, & also to fasting; it may be said that manuell labour which doth necessarily nourishe a poore man, as he is, that worke of neces­sitie, shall not be lesse estimable then prayer, and that the worke of those hands wherof the great Apostle did glorifie himself, shall not be lesse esti­med then was his rauishment to the third heauen, a fauour which serued him rather for recompence then for [Page 70] merit. Hence is it, that he doth name himself in the one and not in the other, as hauing some part in the one and none in the other, which arriued to him by a gratuit grace, such as reuelation is, and the gift of Prophecie. By reason of which the Psalmist doth call happie, not those that are euerie-day in extasie, but those that maintaine themselues by the sweate of their browes.

Peraduenture some will say that the particular office of Monks, ac­cording The par­ticular office of a Monke. S. Hierome, is to weepe & to pray, and that the functions to preach and to administer the Sacra­ments are not for them but in way of supererogation, that they might not fall into the reproche which is ma­de in the Ghospell to the priest and Leuite, who did not succour him that was left for deade by the theeues that thought to murther him in the high way. But seeing that the dif­ference which men put betweene Monks & Religious men, is drawne [Page 71] from that, that Monks do not applie themselues, or ought not to applie themselues by their institution but to the solitarie and pure contempla­tiue life, and that the Religious do not applie themselues to prayer on­ly, but also to cōtemplation, making as our Sauiour and the Apostles did, a kind of life called a mixt life, of action and contemplation, by which, as by Iacobs ladder, some times they lift themselues vp to God by prayer, sometimes they descend towards the neighbour by the works of mercie; a life which the scholasticall diuinitie, grounded vpon great reasons, estee­meth the most perfect; it should follow that such as call themselues Religious men, and that obtayned of the soueraigne Bishop so many exemptiōs and priuiledges, that they might exercise Clericall or Ecclesia­sticall functions for the seruice of soules, should attend more to sowe the sacred word, & to administer the Sacraments, then to the exercise [Page 72] of the Quire, which is more conue­nient for Monks then for them. And seeing that none doth enter their Orders, but by the choice and trial which they make of such as pre­sent themselues to them, they should not receiue any but such as should haue the talents necessarie for the functions of the mixt life, which they say, as the most perfect, to be confor­mable to their institutiō, and to their state of perfection. In this manner the commonwealth should be more solaged by their labours then by their clamours; for to tell no lye, it see­meth, as said great S. Charles of his owne time, that as the Church of this our age tormented by Libertins and Hereticks, hath more neede of good Pastours then of good Religious The church hath mo­re neede of good Pastours then of good Re­ligious men. men, so hath shee more neede amōg Religious men of those that are peo­ple of action, then of singers & con­templatiues, and of Champions then of Choristers: for albeit Marie choo­sed the best part for her, it is not for [Page 73] all that the best alwaies for the neigh­bour, & albeit it is the most emi­nent part, yet is it not the most pro­fitable. And if they should alleage Moyses praying, and Iosüé with so many thousands Israëlites fighting, the obiection will carrie it owne an­swere with it self, seing that for one that lift vp his hands praying, thou­sands of others do exercise their hāds against the enemies. Which is con­trarie with the Regulars, who for a hundred that sing in the Quire haue not two that take paines to descend to the succour of the neigh­bour and of the church, forsaking the mountaine of prayer, a fatt moun­taine, a mountaine of creame, a moun­taine all of honny, where it pleaseth them to remaine with God in peace, rather then in warr among the in­combrances which are found in the Regulars vvould not take the pai­nes that Pastours do. tabernacles of seculars and Pastours. Euen so some sinners who cannot draw themselues from their badd ha­bitudes, and who deferr their con­uersion [Page 74] till the time of their death do make a badd buckler of the exā ­ple of the good theefe, who conuer­ted himself vpon the crosse, and the very same day entred into Paradis according the promis of our Sauiour: because, that for that one man that was saued in that point, thousands and thousands are lost and damned, it being very reasonable saith S. Au­stin, that he doth forget himself dying, who lyuing did not remēber to returne to God. Euen so the Spa­niards in their Solemnities, because that Dauid danced once before the Arke by an excesse of pietie, and by an extraordinarie motion of the holy Ghost, would not think to make a good procession if there were not dancers in it.

That is the same thing, quoth Tristan, which some Religious men said to me, to whom I did communi­cat the dessigne which I had to retire my self to an Hermitage; that Monks were not good but for themselues, [Page 75] but Religious men are necessarie for the Christian common wealth, which is the church. To which Nicephorus replied, if by Monks they vnderstād the Hermites which applie themsel­ues soly & simplie to contemplation, and of which men call Anacorites, they haue some apparance of reason, but if to preach, to catechise, to visit the sick, to attend to the conuersion of the strayed, to administer the Sa­craments of pennance and the Eu­charist, & to do all things according the commaund of the Ordinarie, and vnder the imploy of the Pastours, do make a Religious man, many Hermites will be found, which will be no more Monks, but Religious men, and many Conuentuall Friars, which do nothing of all these things, shall be no Religious men but Mōks. And to shew vnto you that it is not in that point that this blessed distin­ction of a Monke & a Religious man doth consist; But in I know not what imagination, which I conceiue as litle [Page 76] as I do the Ideas of Plato, and the atomes of Dimocrites; The Benedi­ctins, the Bernardins, the Celestins, the Fueillantins, and those of the Order of S. Basile, to whom they giue the name of Monks, as being at­tributed to them by their rules, do not they liue in Conuents, do not they preach, do not they teach the Chri­stian doctrine, do not they admini­ster the Sacraments in vertue of so many indults and so many immuni­ties, and Bulls as they haue from the Sea Apostolique? in sort as I do not see, neither in their liues, nor in their Monks do not differ from Con­uentuall Friars. functions in what they differ from the Conuentuall Friars who call thē ­selues Religious men. The differen­ce is not in mendicitie for there are Conuentuall Friars which call them­selues Religious men who are not beggers: it is not in abstinence from meate, for in that the Minimes are more austere then the Benedictins or Celestins, yea, or the Carthusiās themselues: it is not in mendicitie & [Page 77] abstinence together, for in that the Reformed Dominicans and the bare The Re­formed Domini­cās differ much frō the Miti­gate. footed Carmelits are admirable in abstayning frō the vse of flesche, they liuing but by almes. And to say what I think, I see so litle difference, be­tweene those whom they call Monks aboue named, and the Conuentuall Friars be they beggers, or not beg­gers, shodd or not shodd, that I think men may call Monks Religious men by as iust a title, as they call Religious men Monks; and I must graunt vnto you that, I am not so subtile nor so penetratiue as he that found seuen­teene essentiall differences betweene the habit of the Capucins and that of the Tertiarians which men call Regular Penitens of the third order Seuētin [...] essen­tiall dif­ferences found betvvee­ne the ha­bit of the Capucins & that of the Tier­tiarians. of S. Francis of strict Obseruance. To say that the differēce doth consist in the vowes, I see no apparance of it, because the three essentiall vowes of Religion, which are the three Euan­gelicall consells, are common to all orders as well Monks as Religious [Page 78] men. In this sort I do not see that the name Monke may be pro­perly attributed to any but to the Carthusians, to the Friars of the Cō ­gregation of Camaldoli, and to some shutt vp Anacoretes, because of their silence, of their inclosure, and of their solitarinesse, which interdi­cting them the commerce of men, doth also take from them all Cleri­call functions, for which the Con­uentuall Friars called themselues Religious men. And for the word Regular, it is certaine that as many as make profession of any rule do as­sume it to thēselues, as do these new Congregations of Clearkes which are called Regulars to the imitation of the Chanon Regulars which liue vnder the rule of S. Austin, Wherof I remember being in Rome, which is the nurcerie of all these Orders as being the matrice of the Church, to haue obserued seuen sortes, without counting the priests of the Oratorie, Seuēsorts of Clekes Regulars called of our ladie of the white-well, [Page 79] or of Vallicelles, instituted by sainct Philip Nerio Florentin, and the Oblats of S. Ambrose, founded by S. Charles, and the priests of the Oratorie of IESVS, whose Congre­gation sprong vp in France are almost all Frenchmen, powre out a sweet odoure of sainctitie and vertue throught all the French Church, & begins to extend it branches, like a vigne planted neere the Oliues of grace, to forraine Countries.

Is it possible, quoth Tristan, that there are so many sorts of Regular Clearks, wheras there are but foure sorts of begging Orders? I told you that I obserued seuen seuerall insti­tutions of them while I was in Italie, and I know not but since there is some other new fashion sprong vp. If my memorie doth not faile me, I beleeue I shall name them well yet. The Theatins are the first for the date of the time, instituted by the right Reuerend Father in God Iohn Peeter Carraffe Bishop of [Page 80] Thiette, who renounced his Bi­shoprick, to lead a kind of life truely Apostolicall, with some priests which did associate themselues to him, renouncing all things as well in common as in particular, adding this point to the strict pouertie of begging Orders, that albeit they liue onely by almes, yet do they neuer begg A strange institutiō of the Theatins. neither by themselues nor by any in­terposed persons, casting all their thoughts vpon the paternall care of the prouidence of God concerning their maintenance, and putting in practise according the litterall sens this Euangelicall Counsell, not to think of to morrow, nor of that which is necessarie for foode or cloa­thing, imitating therin the Lyllis of the fields, and the birds of the aire, which God doth cloathe and feede without that they spinne or labour themselues for it. This Bishop, in­stitutour of this holy Congregation, after hauing illuminated & seasoned all the Court of Rome with the light [Page 81] and salt of his Doctrine, and of his good life, was eleuated from the preambular dignitie of Cardinall to that of the soueraigne Bishop, pos­sessing the Sea Apostolique vnder the name of Paul the third. The vulgar sort named these Regular Clerkes Theatins, in steed of calling them Thietins, as who would say, the Clerkes of the Institution of the Bishop of Thiette. They haue many houses in Italie, and I know not if they extēd themselues elswhere, this much I know, that as yet wee haue not seene of them in France, where it is to be thought they should be ill addressed if they would not aske or begg, cōsidering that such as do begg do often find their almes very short, such is the humour of our Nation, which haue their hands open for vaine expenses and prodigalities, and shutt vp to iust and holy liberalities, by which doth appeere that the end of the world will come by that way seing charitie is growen so cold [Page 82] in it. Which is not in Italy, where men beleeue more firmely then we do, that sinne is redeemed by almesdeeds, and that by this lauor or font all their filth & ordure are clensed. The second institution of Regular Clearkes is that of the priests of the societie of IESVS, of which, as that ancient writer said of the magnificēce of Rome, it is better say nothing then say litle, being suffi­ciēt that this holy societie is praised by the mouthe of the holy Counsell of Trent, which is that of the holy Ghost, saying that their institution is praise worthie. The Barnabites doth make the third institution; this Order tooke it origine in Millan, the ordinarie residēce of their Generall, and they are so called, because that the first Church where they did as­semble together was called of sainct Barnabe, euen as the Friars Preachers of the Order of sainct Dominick are called Iacobins in Paris, because of a Chappell of S. Iake, otherwise [Page 83] Iames where they first loadged. The Clerkes Mineurs, which are of the institution of Pope Sixtus V. who was of the Order of the Friars Mineurs, do make the fourthe sort. The fift is of the Sommasques, a name some­what strange to such as do not know the origine of it, which is, that this Congregation of Regular Clearkes was instituted by a gentilman of Venise in the marche of Treuisane, in a bourg called Sommascha. So that as the Chartreux or Carthu­sians were so called of the place called Chartreuse, where they made their first aboade, and where is the Capitall house of their Order, as the Cluniacenses were called of the towne Clugny, the Cistercienses of Cisteaux, Camaldu­lenses of Camaldoli, euen so did the Sommasques receiue their nomina­tion from the place where they were first established. These do extend thēselues in Italy & in France vnder the title of Fathers of the Chri­stian [Page 84] Doctrine whose houses are renowned in Prouance, Languedoc and Guenne. The Sixt institution is of Regular Clearks surnamed the Infirmes, because their chardg is, to serue the sick, be it within the publick Hospitalls or in priuat houses, & also to succour such as are most miserable and forsaken. The seuenth is that of the Regular Clerks of the mother of God, called the Congregation of the priests of Lucques, wherof Father Franciotti, who wrote so deuotely, hath beene one of the principall pillars.

And that which is admirable in this varietie of institutions is, that they are all particular rules, which leuell at some particular marke; the Theatins do applie themselues to study and to leade a retired life; the Iesuits to instruict youthe; the Barnabites to the Quire and to heare Confessions; the Clearks Mineurs to the rigour and austeritie of morti­fications; the Sōmasques to keepe S. [Page 85] and maintaine forsaken Children, & Orphans, and to teache the Christiā Doctrine; The Clearks of the in­firme to looke to the sick, and the Clearkes of the mother of God, to direct deuote people to spirituall things. This notwithstanding they haue all but the self same habit, which is that wee see the Iesuits carrie. All of them make professiō of a certaine rule with the solemne vowes, and call themselues Religious men, diffe­ring in this from the Conuentuall Friars, that these vnder different ha­bits do make but the self same thing, and the other do make differēt fun­ctions vnder a like habit. In sort that the one and the other coming to the succour of the Pastours do exercise All those Regular Orders came to succour the Pa­stours. Clericall functions, which heretofore was not affected or ordayned but for the priests of the Ecclesiasticall Cleargie, some of them may be called Religious Clearks, others Clearks Religious, and all of them are comprehended vnder the Name [Page 86] of Regulars. Besids, all the Cha­nons, which liue vnder the rule of sainct Augustin, who are very many, do call themselues Clearkes Regu­lars, as those of the Order of sainct Anthonie, of sainct Ruf, of Val de Choux, of Val des Escoliers, the Tri­nitarians, the Friars de la Mercy, the Hieromites, the Dominicans, and so many other Militarie Orders which haue this rule for the line of their di­rection and obseruance.

Why do you put the Dominicans, saith Tristan, among the Cha­nons, or Regular Clearks, wheras they are one of the foure begging Orders? If you number, quoth the Hermit, the begging Orders accor­ding their rules there are but three sorts of them, for the Dominicans and the Austin Friars haue but the self same rule, albeit their habits and constitutions do differ; the Friars Mineurs haue the rule of S. Francis, and the Carmelits that of sainct Ba­sile, or of the Patriarche Albertus. [Page 87] But if you take them according their Congregations, the begging Orders do farr exceede the number of foure; Of the rule of S. Francis there are ten sorts. the only rule of sainct Francis doth fournish ten sorts of them: The Cordeliers called Obseruantins; the Conuentualls called the great Friars, which begg almost euery where, albeit they may haue rents; the Re­colects of strict Obseruance, the Ca­pucins, the Becquins, the Tertiarians; the Religious women of S. Clare, who hath a particular rule framed by S. Francis, which are subdiuided into Damianists & Vrbanists, besids the Capucin womē and the Hospita­lists of sainct Francis, in sort that men may say the ten begging Orders of Francis. Add to this the Domi­nicans, as well the Mitigated as the Reformed; the Friars Hermites of sainct Austins Order as well the Mi­tigated as the Reformed, the shodd as the vnshodd: In like manner the Carmelits as well the Mitigated, and the vnshodd of the reformation of [Page 88] S. Teresa, as the Reformed shodd; the Friars Hospitalists of the Charitie instituted by S. Iohn de Dieu; the Iesuates instituted by sainct Iohn Colomban; the Minimes, which are put among the begging Orders, as are also the professed Iesuits of the last vow, the Theatins, the Clearks Mineurs, the Clearks of the Infirme, the Friars de la Mort, and the most part of the Hermites; besids many others which are seene in Italy beg­ging after diuers manners, as those that are called Fate ben Fratelli, and those that crie asking almes: Faciamo bene mentre che hauemo tempo, and such like, in sort that according the count which we haue now made, not spea­king of that wherof we are ignorāt, wee should not say the foure but the nyne and twentie Mendicant Orders. To which if you will add such as liue by rents and fundations, you shall find a litle armie of Regulars, of which men may say what Iacob said of the Angels, these are the squa­drons [Page 89] of the God of battles. Now to know among so many people, who are they whom wee may call Monks without offending them, and who are to be called Religious men, it is no small matter, and to do it without danger of mistaking, a man must know many particularities and many histories, which is cause that men, to eschew all those formalities, do call all Regulars Religious men, & that the rather that all true Mōks are very glad to be so called, and that such as hold themselues to be Reli­gious men, do take it for an outrage and inciuilitie, when men call them Mōks. Which make me call to mind our gentilwomen who are very glad when men through errour do call them Dames, and our grand-Dames who could not indure that men should call them Gentilwomen, no more then those priests who will not haue themselues called Clearks. In what then, replied Tristan, doth cōsist this state of perfection of which [Page 90] all Monasticall and Conuentuall persons, Monks or Religious men, call them as you please, do make so great account, and from which they say you Hermites are so farr, as you can neuer pretend it?

For my part, quoth Nicephorus, I beleeue they are as well grounded in the possession of the state of per­fection, as they are in the title of Re­ligious men. Those that are called in the Acts of the Apostles, Religious men, were deuote persons in the pri­mitiue Church, which were neither Monks nor Regulars; and all Chri­stians which liue according the pre­cepts of the Ghospell, and of the Catholike Religion, established by IESVS CHRIST seemeth to me to haue right to call themselues Reli­gious All good Christiās may be called Re­ligious men. men, though they be lay and married men, and what other trade they be of. And that it is so, who doth not know that S. Francis wrote a third Rule of pennance, in which all faithfull people of what sex or [Page 91] condition soeuer they be may be en­rolled, and carrie the qualitie of Re­ligious men of the third Order of this Seraphicall Father? Yea but, replied Tristan, those Religious men are not in the state of perfectiō, as the others are which make the three vowes conformable to the Euangelicall Counsells: for me thinks the said Fa­thers said to me, that it is in that that this state of perfection doth consist, from which the Hermits are exclu­ded. At this word excluded, the bloud mounted to the Hermits face, & co­loured it, if not for spite and cholar, at leastwise for confusion and emo­tion. This then made him replie in this sort: if wee be excluded, it is with good companie, for besids that we do not read, as I said alreadie, that our Sauiour, his holy mother, and the Apostles euer made the said vowes, well wee reade that they practised the holy vertus counselled in the Ghos­pell; and by this practise they arriued both to the perfection of their estate, [Page 92] and to te state of an eminent perfe­ction; they must exclude with vs all the Chanons of the Cathedrall and Collegiall Churches, all the Pastours & venerable Priests which are in the Church and haue no other rule but the rule of rules which is the holy Ghospell, to the line and square of which all other rules should be fra­med to be made right. Behold then wee are in good companie, the Pa­stours, Doctours, and Preachers, if they do not vow vnder a certaine rule, they shall not be in the state of perfection, they that are the salt of the earthe, & the light of the world. And a lay Brother that A hard censure. beggs yp and downe, that playes the Cooke, and the gardener in a Conuent, shall be in a more eminent state in the Church of God then all those people. A man without doubt must be well versed in the subtilities of the schole to comprehend this Diuinitie, very hard to be inculcated to ignorant men. Let vs mount our [Page 93] string to a higher note, and say that the Bishops, the Cardinalles and the Pope himself shall not be in this state of perfection, hauing not vowed the obseruance of any of these rules ap­proued by the Cburch, vnder which the Regulars are inrolled.

To this the Regulars do replie, quoth Tristan, that those Pastours are in a state of perfection more eminent then that of the Religious, in so much as they call it the state of perfection Bishops are in the state of perfection acquired. acquired, and the other but a state of perfection to be acquired. So that they are the sunne which comprend in their light all the light of the lesser starrs: and the firmamēts of the earth lifted vp ouer the topp of the mon­taignes of perfection, whose fruict do extend it self farr ouer mount Liban, where these puissant Gods of the earth are stronglie placed, because they are the children of the highest, and his arrowes in the hand of the Omnipotent, which flee out with im­petuositie. This is the estate which is [Page 94] called the supreme amongst men in the militant Church, which corres­pond to that of the Seraphins in the They cor­respōd to the Sera­phins in the Hie­rarchie. first Hierarchie of the Angelles. In sort that as the rodd of Moyses did swallow vp the rodd of the Magitiās, euen so in the estate of Prelatship & Pontificat are contayned all the per­fections of all the Regular Orders, in the same manner that Priesthood doth containe in it self the inferiour Orders. But my difficultie is to know in what doth consist this distinction betweene perfection acquired, and perfection to be acquired; for I be­leeue that the greatest part of the world are in the last, and but very few in the other. For to say a perfect man, is to say a man without sinne, and he that saith he hath no sinne, is a lyer and hath no truth in him, ac­cording the holy Scripture: Vvho thinks to be vvithout sinne doth seduce himself, for vvee are all conceiued in iniquitie. To say also with that Bishop of the Apocalyps lo: I am full of [Page 95] grace, and haue no neede of any thing, is to say, I am in the topp of perfe­ction, and consequently to get this reproche: Thou art naked, poore & miserable, & foolishlie you esteeme your self riche. For I hold that man to be very imperfect that thinks himself to be perfect; it is in a manner to say as said the father of the proud: I Will lift vp my throne of the North side, and I shall be like to the highest. Behold so much for the perfection acquired, & for the perfection to be acquired, it is a condition wherin are those that are most imperfect, seeing that at the most it suffiseth them to haue the will to arriue some time to it when they shall be purged of their faults, and for men to vant themselues to be riche, either by the goods, which they desire to haue, or pretend to gather, is expresse vanitie. And by this estate to think to draw them­selues from all paritie, and to be se­parated Friars in their ovvne estimatiō are not like other men. from the rest of the lay or secular people, it is in some sort to [Page 96] sing that song blamed in te Ghospell: I am not like other men.

Sir, quoth the Hermite, I see well that neither you nor my self are too well versed in these scholasticall subti­lities, this is a wrangling point which is not good but to intertaine disputa­tions vpon the stooles; it is properly according the prouerb to contest with the Bishop for his crosiers staffe. But as I heard say heretofore, they put great difference betwene the state of perfection acquired, or to be ac­quired, & perfection it selfe, be it ac­quired or to be acquired. I know that this distinction will astonish you at the first sight, as it did terrifie me the first time that it sounded in my eares: but our maisters the Doctours haue farr more subtile distinctions which would deuide the very atomes. They say that he may be in perfection or perfect, that is not in the state of perfection, and that some are in the state of perfection which are farr from being in perfection or perfect. [Page 97] And that it is so, wee see but too many Monks, Religious men, & Pa­stours of very scandalous and badd liues who are neuerthelesse in the state of perfection, and many lay men of very holy conuersation, and most compleat in their owne pro­fession, & as it were perfect in their oeconomie, who are not for all that in the state of perfection; yet our Doctours after many debats do con­clude, that it is farr better to be in perfection without the state, then in the state without perfection: Which do much comfort the simpler sort who goe more round to worke, and preferr their saluation to their repu­tation; in sort that it is much better at all aduentures to be in the perfe­ction of his estate, then in the state of perfectiō, hauing nothing more sure in all that matter then to searche his perfection in his owne profes­sion, and to liue in peace according the Counsell of the Apostle. This makes me think of those Polititians, [Page 98] who seing themselues balanced betwixt reasons of state, and the consideratiōs of Religion, as it were betweene the tree and the barke, do leaue sometimes to support Religiō, & run to succour the state; or els they let the state perish to conserue Re­ligion, whenas they should main­taine Pollicie & Reli­gion are the tvvo poles of all vvell gouerned common vvealthes the one and the other if it were possible, as being the two poles, & the two hinges of all well ordered common wealthes, giuing to Cesar what belongs to Cesar, and to God what belongs to God. Euen so amōg these cōtestations, sometimes a man doth quit the perfection of his estate to run to the state of perfectiō, some­times he doth not care for the state of perfection to aspire to the perfe­ction of his estate: but it happens often to such bad Polititians, desi­ring to conserue the state at the cost & chardges of Religion, that they loose the one & the other, as it doth happen to vnskilfull Pilotes vvho, to preserue their shipp and mar­chandise [Page 99] do make shipwrake of both together: those that omitt to perfect themselues in a laicall state thinking to aduaunce themselues more in spi­rituall things in a Religious state, dis­sipating their attētions, do not pros­per in the one nor in the other, like Romain Senatour vnto that Romain Senatour, who being a very good man in his chardge of Senatour, did beleeue that in ma­king himself à Monke he would be­come an Angell, but he had such bad successe in the Monasticall exercises, that his Abbot one day said vnto him: My frend you left of to be a good Se­natour Many that are good in the vvorld may be badd in Religion. to make a badd Monke. An example which makes me remember an other very remarkable which is rehearsed in the life of sainct Philipp Nerio fundator of the Oratorians of Rome; he brought vp a yong Polo­nian Priest, called Francis Bassus, who remayning for certaine yeeres vnder his discipline became a great prea­cher, and full of rare qualities; at length a temptation surprised his [Page 100] thought, perswading him that being but of the Oratorie, which is a Con­gregation of reformed Priests, who haue no other vowes, but such as the Church annexed to Priesthoode, that he was not in a state of so great perfection, as if he had made himself a Monke in one of the begging Or­ders. Notwithstanding any exhorta­tion that S. Philipp made vnto him he yealded so much to this impres­sion, that he neuer ceased to pursue his pourpose till such time as he was admitted to the Dominicans. Sainct Philipp did assist at his reception, & at his profession, & albeit the Friars did think to haue purchased a great deale of honour to their Order, by the organe of a subiect which seemed to them so worthy of consideration, yet the good Father, who loued him tenderlie, did nothing els but weepe during the solemnitie of these actiōs; and wheras the Dominicās thought that it was because he lost one of the most famous worke men of his vigne­yard: [Page 101] Ha! saith he, it is not that, for charitie is not iealous, nor subiect to it owne proper intrest, I deplore only the euident losse of so many vertus. He was a Prophet, for he that was so prudent, & of so good edification in a Cōgregation, in which he did not beleeue to be in the state of perfectiō to be acquired, much lesse acquired, did committ so many scandalls after in the Regularitie, that he gaue much paine and discontent to his Order. It is not alwaies the best to aspire to the sublimest degrees, the most dan­gerous trades are those that are exer­cised in eminent places; the higher the ascension be the heauier is the fall. You must not looke to be emi­nent wise, saith the holy word, but keepe your self in an humble feare: Do not affect sublimitie, saith the Apostle, but accommodate your self to the litle ones. Let vs remember Iacob, who whould not hasten to goe with Esaü, nor goe with a great pace towards his Fathers house, but [Page 102] choosed rather to goe soft & faire after his children & his lambs, meanely, but surely.

I do not intend by this discours to diuert any man from embracing the Regular life, contrarywise I do counsell it as much as I may, as did the great Apostle counsell chastitie, wishing that all had beene Virgins like himself. I know with what ana­themes they are threatned that diuert faithfull people from these pathes of peace, & from the way of It is not lavv­full to dissvvade any from Religion. the crosse, and that it is in this point most of any other. that the Talion law should be executed with rigour, rendring to God in himself seruant for seruant, & soule for soule. Also I know it is of this state of life that it is said, whosoeuer can embrace it let him take it; yea, that it is good to presse sweetly, without constraint, such as be doubtfull and staggring to put themselues in it, to see & tast how sweet our Lord is. It is good I say to giue them courage to lift them­selues [Page 103] vp vpon this sacred Palme, to gather of it fruict: for no man can denie without offending our holy faith, & the discipline of the Church, that which S. Ambroise said here­tofore of voiled Virgins, such as are now our Nuns, but it should and may be also said of the Regulars, that they are a famous portiō of the flocke of IESVS CHRIST. That which is to be desired in all this matter, ac­cording my iudgment, (which is but a small thing) is, that such as are in this state of perfection, either to be acquired as are the Regulars, or ac­quired, as are the Pastours, do not looke disdainefullie, and as it were ouer the shoulders on those that are at their feete, no more then doth the horse troups of an armie despise the foote companies, because that Euery mā in his ovvne profession may vvork his saluation these foote men, I would say these whose secular condition doth not oblige them to so great points of perfection, may make themselues perfect and agreeable to God in [Page 104] their owne profession. And recipro­cally, it is not fitt that such as are not in the state of perfection do insolent­ly loose the respect which is due to those that dedicated themselues to God by holy motions, and by the profession of a life sequestred from the world. This is neere the opinion of that great Apostle, who would not haue him that fastes to despise him that eates nor tax him of gluttony, much lesse would he haue him that eates mock him that fastes, and reproach him of hypocrisie. And albeit those that lead a chaste life are in an eminent condition, as saith the holy word, that continence cannot be duely prized: Yet is the state of marriage holy & blessed by God, & therfore ought to be respected, by Virgins themselues. It is good for a man to humble himself in all things, saith the holy Ghost, and not to as­pire to things which are too great, or too sublime. They must be ho­nored that are in the state of per­fection, [Page 105] but those that are in the per­fection of their estate, do merit farr greater commendation, according that which the Apostle saith, that Good Pa­stours are vvorthy of double honour. those who in the Pastorall chardge haue learning ioyned to good life, are worthie of double honour: for to that honour which is due to their qualitie should be ioyned that which is due to their proper merit.

All those faire considerations, saith Tristan, do not satisfie my de­sire, which is to know in what doth consist properlie this state of perfe­ction acquired, or to be acquired. That I may not lye vnto you, quoth the Hermite, I am so badd a schola­sticall Diuine, that those very termes, which are not so well knowne to me as they are to such as haue them euery day in their mouthes, and dis­pute hard of thē vpon the Bench, do seeme very sauage & strange to me. This word of perfection attributed to men doth astonish me, considering that the very Angels, which are in [Page 106] the state of subsistēce do not attribute it to themselues but turne their wings ouer their eyes before the throne of God, who is only good and perfect, without euell and without fault. But that I do not blame, or it may be blaspheme that which I do not well vnderstād, without censuring the Au­thours, or authorising the censurers of a Doctrine wherof I vnderstād so litle, that the same litle is nothing; (if none vpon earthe be without spott, not a child of one day, saith the sacred Texte; if the starrs be not nete before him, who found disorder amongst his Angels) who can iustly alleage that he is in the state of perfe­ction, considering that to be perfect & to be iust is the same thing, and that no man liuing can iustifie him­self before God? There is a certaine generation, saith the holy Ghost Prou. 30. v. 12. which seeme to it self, cleane & yet is not washed from their fithlynesse: I know not which it is, but whatso­euer it be, we may compare it to the [Page 107] Peacocke which attēd so much to the looking glasse of her round taile, that shee forgetts the deformitie of her feete. Those kind of people putts me in minde of that anciēt Hermite who imagined that he was an Angell, & so The ima­ginatiō of an anciēt Hermite. threw himself into a well wherin he had died miserablie if his fellowes had not drawen him out, and cured him of his follie. Notwithstāding, that I may not take the firebrand where it burnes, I will tell you my opinion with the simplicitie of a poore Mōke, who knowes better how to make Images then to decide a point of Di­uinitie: I do think that the Regulars do say they are in the state of perfe­ction to be acquired, in as much as they haue choosen the Euangelicall Counsells as the shortest way to ar­riue to perfection, or els, be [...] Vvhy are Regulars said to be in the sta­te of per­fection to be acqui­red and Prelats in the state of per­fectiō ac­quired. there state doth oblige thē to searche for that perfection which is pro­posed vnto them by their Rules, which is, as it were, the creame of the Euangelicall Doctrine: in sort that [Page 108] their life should be nothing els but a perpetuall combat, a studie & exer­cise that aime at the acquisition of perfection. And they say that the Prelats & Pastours are in the state of perfection acquired, because they are in eminent cōditions, whervnto none should be called but men consum­mated in Vertue & sciēce: Or els be­cause they are the successours of the Apostles whom wee may not doubt Prelats the suc­cessours of the Apostles. to haue beene both very perfect, as being confirmed in grace, and also in the state of perfectiō: or otherwise because they are obliged by the greatnesse of their dignitie, to be a patterne to the flock which are com­mitted to them, by their good exāple: or also because they ought in this state, to exercise not simple & cōmon vertus; out heroicall and important vertus, wherof the greatest according the iudgment of the Gospell, is to giue his owne soule for the saluatiō of his flock. This was also the Rule by which our Sauiour measured the cha­ritie [Page 109] of sainct Peter, before making No chari­tie goes beyond that of the Pasto­rall charg▪ him his Lieutenant in earthe, when he demaunded of him three times if he did loue him more then the rest, & that to his affirmatiue answeares CHRIST replied; feede then my sheepe, finding no greater proofe of loue then the exercise of this Pastorall charge.

If Monastical and Conuentuall persons, quoth Tristan be not in the state of perfection to be acquired but in respect of the obligation which they haue to make thēselues perfect, & that the Prelats are not in the state of perfection acquired, but because they are obliged to be exemplar, me thinks the state of all Christians in generall is such, considering that our Sauiour in the Ghospell said vnto vs: Be perfect as your Celestiall father is, vvho doth make his sunne shine equallie vpon the good and vpon the bad, and povvre his raine vvithout distinction vpon the land of the iust and the iniust. And what? Kings & Potētastes, who [Page 110] as Constantin the great said, are the exterior Bishops, Magistrats, Good­men of houses, and all those that are in sublimitie and Superioritie, are not they bound to giue good example to their inferiours, and to be a good odour to all men in IESVS CHRIST? After this manner they shall be in the state of the perfection of Prelats, who are the Princes within the Church. And all Christians that pre­tend to come to the perfection of their estate shall not they, by this desire, as well as by vowes be in the state of perfection to be acquired, as well as the Regulars?

I would be neere of your opinion in that, quoth the Hermite, if I did not feare to offend our Maisters the Doctours, who haue in their hands the kees of the doctrine, who doe open that which no man durst shut, who doe shutt that which no man durst open, and who haue, the Em­pire of science. But the respect which I beare to their opinions, which to [Page 111] me are Oracles, to which I submitt my owne iudgment, do make me re­nounce to my owne particular reason; and follow the most common opiniō, considering that the Apostle doe for­bidd vs all contentions. But yet when I consider with my selfe that the The An­gels vvere at variā ­ce sor the body of Moyses. Angels of heauen were at veriance betweene themselues for the posses­sion of the body of Moyses, I doe be­leeue that men consecrated to God, either by the Sacerdotall character, or by the Monasticall habit, who are called in the Scripture the Angells of the God of armies, may a litle contest about the state of perfection, euery one being glad, without preiudice to humilitie and charitie, to magnifie his owne ministerie, according the coun­sell of the diuine Apostle.

Passe for magnifying their ministe­rie, but to despise others and to pull from those who according God & man do both appeere, and are in ef­fect more worthy then they; that is the thing which I cannot approuue, [Page 112] quoth Tristan, for had you knowne how the Conuentuall Friars did des­chiffer vnto me the Ecclesiasticall Clergie whom they call Seculars; how they did depresse this condition, & represent it vnto me not only to be base but alsoe dangerous, and aboue all the rest, how they did teare in pie­ces the condition of you Hermites, I beleeue that had you had the patiēce of Iob you would breake out in cho­ler against them.

For why should they take from the Pastours, Priests, Pteachers, Do­ctours, Confessours, Vicars, Chanōs, Deanes, Abbots, and Priours called Commendataries, & from you Her­mites the pretention to the state of perfection to be acquired? Sir, quoth Nicephorus, I did wind my selfe ex­presly about this subiect without en­tring into it, to shun this rock against which you force me now to strick, all that I can doe is, to say with S. Paul, that you constraine me to passe through this danger and exceede a [Page 113] litle the limits of moderation: Be an­grie, quoth the Psalmist or according an other version: Stirr and frett a litle, but do not sinne. Vnder this permission Psal. 4. I vvill say to God: Lord put a sentinell to my mouth, and a doore of circumstances to my lipps, to the end that my tongue may not vtter vvords of precipitation, or of mallice. I know it is vvritten, thou shalt not speake ill of the Gods: That is to say, of eminent persons, either in qualitie or sanctitie, because that greatnes and pietie doe make men approche to the Diuinitie. But albeit Socrates and Plato are my frends, and that I doe perfectlie honour the Regular Com­panies, yet the zeale of the truthe hath more power ouer me then all that. I will then say this word of li­bertie, not for my self who am the meanest of all men, & the most con­temptible (a title which one of the Prophets gaue to our Sauiour) but for soe many graue and venerable Eccle­siasticall persons which are in the ranke of the Clergie, and compose [Page 114] the true Hierarchie of the Church in­stituted Vvho are of the Hierar­chie. by IESVS CHRIST, and whose mission & vocation is altoge­ther diuine, that it is to pull away the fairest rose of the crowne of soe many sacred Priests, to take from them the honour to be in the state of perfe­ction, at leastwise to be acquired, in which the Regulars doe not stick to put their seruants, & the verie Nuns, as well those that sing in the Quire, as their maids seruants that looke to the businesse of the Conuent. Ah! where shall Priestly vnctiō be placed, which make those that are adorned with it a holy and Royall people, if they make the state of it inferiour to the state of a simple girle, who hath commaund to hold her peace, and no right to speake within the Church, or to some porter or garde­ner of the Conuent? Those that ap­proche to the Altar, to whose words God doth make himself obedient, who haue the kees of the kingdome The fun­ction and povver of a Priest orderly laid dovvne. of heauen, who doe bind and loose, [Page 115] who are the Magistrats of the Church, who sitt vpon the seate of iudgment in the house of Dauid, and iudge the twelue tribs of Israël, that is to say, all the world; whose sentences giuen vpon earth are confirmed and rati­fied in heauen, whose hands blessed and consecrated doe handle the most dreadfull mysteries of our Religion, and who do that thing which the Angells do adore; who haue power ouer the Diuels, who dispence the Sacraments, and confer the grace of God to all mortall men; those Di­uine men which S. Francis preferred S. Francis prefered Priests to the very Angels. to the Angels, because that one only man of them doth make euery day that which all the Angels in heauen cannot doe. For to whom of the An­gels was it euer said, consecrate my body, and what thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heauen? those men that are almost to be adored, & that the Angells do reuerence and call their fellow seruants to God, shall they be the vnderlings of those [Page 116] which doe not merit (in considera­tion of their dignitie) to loose the lachets of their shooes? Ah! Re­gulars, pardon me, it is the zeale of the house of God which doth gnaw me, it is the desire of his glo­rie and of his beautie which I see dried vp in his principall members, which doth transport me to tell you, that you vse very discourteously your elders the Ecclesiasticall Clear­gie, whom (forsooth) you call Se­culars, notwithstanding that by their Clericall habit they haue deposed Secular is no fitt Epitetho for a priest. the ignominie of the secular habit, & that by the reception of their holy Orders they haue renounced to the desires of the world, and to all that is profane in it. It seemes that you would imitate Iacob, and supplant them as if they were all Esaüs, but know; that if you be Hebrewes, so are they; if you be Israëlites, so are they; if you be the seede of Abraham, so are they; and I will say more for them, that they are both more an­cient [Page 117] in the Church, and of a greater ranke (witnesse the processions) & of a higher dignitie, & of more eminēt functions, I will say so much (for it The Church may be vvithout Monks but not vvithout Pastours. is no time for a man to hold himself vp when he is shaked and falling downe) that their imployments are more vtile and more necessarie then yours, for the Church hath beene & may be without Mōks, but it cannot be without Pastours, without Vicars, without Priests, without Doctours, without Preachers: for if the salt be moltē with what shall men salt? if the candle be quinched how shall men haue light? Perchance you will say that you doe the same actiōs which It doth not pro­perly be­long to Regulars to admi­nister the Sacra­ments. the Pastours doe, but in you it is but in way of accessarie, in them princi­pally; in you it is pleasure, in them paine; in you it is of free will, in them of necessitie; in you by way of re­creation, and as passingers, in them it is of dutie and office; in you it is without chardge of soules, in them with chardge, which make them to [Page 118] be answerable for the soules, and so farr answerable that they shall giue soule for soule, and bloud for bloud; in you it is but in some things, in them in all things; in thē at all times, in you when you please, & that your commoditie doth permit it; in you so that the seruice of your commo­naltie doth marche before that of the neighbour, in thē there is no excep­tion; in you it is at certaine houres, in them at all moments; you fight as voluntaries, they as necessaries; you marche but in the wings of the battle, they make the body of the armie; they carrie the waight of the heate of the day, and the cold of the dew of the night, in summer and in winter, in spring time and in haruest, without rule in their dyet, without assurance in their sleepe. Of seuen Sacraments you administer but two, and the one of them which is the Eu­charist, but at your ease, within your houses, without carrying it to the sick in the heate of the sunne, in [Page 119] frost, in snow, in raine and in Th life and exer­cise of poore Pa­stour exa­ctly des­cribed. tempest, at all houres of the day & of the night, and all dayes of the yeere through the dirt & incōbrāces of the cities and townes, through the woods and the meere, through the mountaines and the vallees, through the stones and the moores of the fields. And the other Sacra­ment which is that of pennance you administer, when you are prayed, & particularly called vpon, and as pleaseth your Superiours, who haue as great care of the conseruation of their owne subiects, as they haue of the sick, for whom they are not an­swerable. But the Pastours by obli­gation ought to keepe still neere the sick, to presse them to enter in fauour with God by the Sacrament of recō ­ciliation, to preache vnto them in season and out of season, to the end to make them think of their salua­tion, which is part of their owne sal­uation, as being bound to giue account to the Prince of Pastours [Page 120] the Bishop of our soules IESVS CHRIST, of his sheepe committed to their Vigilance. As for Marriage, Baptisme & Extreme-Vnction, they are things which you do not medle with all (they are for the gleaners) no more then you medle with Con­firmatiō and Order which you leaue for the Bishops. This you shew your prudēce, & declare that you haue eatē both butter and honny, which make you reiect the least and choose the Isaia 7. v. 15. best, & that you know how to make vse hansomely of the fanne which se­parate the corne from the chaffe, and pretious things from vile and base things. You doe not snuff your lamps but with golden snuffers, & you doe not take the coales as the Seraphim of the Prophet, but with gilt tongs. The rodd of Moyses doth not please you, because sometimes it is turned to a serpent and deuoure, or doth worke dreadfull and rude effects: The rodd of Aaron fitts you best, because it ingenders nothing but [Page 121] flowres & fruict. Euen so you know Friars ta­ke the profit & leaue the paine for the priests how to pull the rose without tou­ching the thornes, to gather the hony without feeling the sting of the bee, to eate the kernell of the nutt & cast away the shell, & to doe as children doe when they gett bread & butter, licke away the butter and leaue the breade. To cooperate to the saluatiō of soules without taking chardge of them, is properly to take away the creame and leaue the curd. It is an admirable thing to see that such as gouerne the people will not take chardge of them, and such as haue chardge of them and are answerable for them, cannot haue the gouerne­ment of them. And with all these de­licatnesse & spirituall allurements, they are in the state of perfection, and those who like Gyants do grone vnder the waters, that is to say, vnder the chardge of the people, who are the waters of the sea of the world, shall be out of perfection? Truely I am faithfull, and beleeue all that the [Page 122] Church doth beleeue, and if the Church beleeue that, I beleeue it also, but not without captiuating my vn­derstanding to the obedience of faith.

Would not you thinke that those good people vould faine add a cubite more to their stature, or to speake otherwise, would faine extoll their owne estate putting betwixt thē & the Pastours inferours to Prelats, their lay brothers? For if those be in the state of perfection, and not the Cha­nons, Pastours and other Ecclesiasti­call persons of the Clergie, to what height do they raise themselues, pla­cing their seruants and their cookes before those that are the Maisters, the Fathers, and the Doctours of the people? What? and if they preferr to them simple vailed girles, yea the lay sisters, is it not to destroy the law of nature, and the gouernement of the Church, which in all kind of fashion hath declared women kind inferiour to men? If the iniquitie of a man is [Page 123] preferred to the well doing of a woman, what good can a woman do, suppose shee made miracles, which may be compared to the greatnesse of Priesthoode? Would not men laugh at the impertinēce of him that would giue the title of Excellence to a poore man that asketh almes from doore to doore, & would but thou a gētle man of note, or a Magistrate. The Regulars, and principally the begging Orders haue baggs which speake dayly for them asking almes, and yet they must haue so many Pa­ternities and so many Reuerences giuen them; and the Pastours and Priests shall be without honour, and vnworthelie treated so farr forth as Great in­equa­lities. to be putt in a ranke and state in the Church, more low then that of the Friar seruants of the Reuerend Fa­thers. But yet amongst themselues they know well how to keep the best place for Priesthoode, and keepe the Conuers or lay Brothers in the hu­militie and basenesse of seruitude, di­stinguishing [Page 124] themselues by these ter­mes Fathers and Brothers, albeit all of them are Brothers and children of one Order & of one habit, making profession of one and the self same rule, liuing vnder the same obseruan­ce and the same vowes, & all of them as well priests as others not permitted heretofore to take any other title but that of Brother, which is well obser­ued by the most humble and most Friars he­retofore had no other de­nomination but that of Brother. moderate of them. And I pray you, is priesthoode another thing in the Regulars thē it is in the Clergie? Is it an other charracter, an other Order, an other power, for being vnder a Ca­puce, vnder sandales, vnder a scapu­lar, or vnder a claspe? Is it more emi­nent so then vnder a surplice, vnder a sutane, and vnder a corner capp? Cer­tes we are now come to the time wherin the last are the first, and the first are put in the last ranke. In your opinion to plant cabbage, to washe dishesse, to carrie a bag, to keepe a doore, to snuff lamps, to patch, ha­bits, [Page 125] the ordinarie exercise of the lay brothers of the Conuents, are they employments comparable to that of the Pastours, who do consecrate the The fun­ctions of Pastours. body of the sonne of God, who dis­pence the merits of his bloud in the Sacrament of pennance, who do bap­tise, who do annoinct the sick, who do marrie those that are called to that holy yoake, and do such other Pasto­rall functions?

Verely, quoth Tristan, you restore them well what they lent you, and their bill of exchange is well payed in the same coyne. If I had not knowne that you are well versed in these mat­thers in controuersie, I would say that you are a Prophet, and that you haue heard part of that which they said to me, to diuert me from being an Hermite, or of the secular Clergie, so well you rehearse the particularities of that which they insinuated to me. For me thought I heard them say, that all deuotions cōpared to Religious de­uotion is but orpin cōpared to gold, & [Page 126] glasse compared to a diamant, & that they are like to those Romā scarlets, which seemed all stayned and deco­lored, when they were put neere that piece of purple of Tyr and Sidon, which for the excellencie of it was The fun­ctions of Regulars inferiour to that of Priests & Pastours. sent to the Emperour. For ought I see then their state of perfection doth not proceede from their functions, which are inferiour in greatnesse, in eminencie, in vtilitie, in necessitie to that of Priests and Pastours, but from their vowes; it is so held commonly in the schooles, quoth the Hermite, Schoole diuinitie disputes of all matters, & moues as many questions as it doth decide. but seing this sort of Theologie doth maintaine as much dispute and con­trouersie as it doth decide, & stirrr vp as much as it doth resolue, no point of faith so sacred on which she doth not moue questions and frame diffi­culties; of this point which is but of gouernemēt, I think that without of­fending Religion, wee may speake problematically, submitting alwaies most humblie & most absolutely our particular reason & iudgment to the [Page 127] iudgmēt of the vniuersall Church, & to the holy sea Apostolike, the firme & fundamentall stone, against which errours, which are the gates of hell, may not preuaile. I say then after this protestation, which may serue me as a buckler against the plotts of calumnie, that if the state of perfe­ction to be acquired doth consist in vowes, the Priests of the Clergie, who are in the Hierarchie of the Church, ought to be admitted to it: For they make two solemne and indispensable Priests make tvvo so­lemne vovves. vowes of chastitie and obedience, an­nexed to their holy Orders. And if they do not make the vow of poo­uertie, it is because that being not in Commonaltie, as the Regulars are, but as the Apostles were, dispersed Priests dispersed amongst the people do imit­tat the Apostles. amongst the people as the salt of the earth, it would be impossible for them to obserue it in that manner that the Conuentualls do. But if it pleased them to goe to the Countrie, and to see in the villages to what ex­tremitie of necessitie are the poore [Page 128] Pastours brought, they would haue occasiō to say that it is much easier to vow pouertie, as the Regulars doe, then to practise it as the Pastours do. The Regulars cannot sing but in very close Quires, they cannot say Masse The plea­sāt life of Regulars in these Countries but with siluer challices, with nete vestments & with parfums, they can­not sleepe but in hoate celles, they cannot eate but very nete meate, pro­per & well seasoned, in gilt and pain­ted Refectories, accompanied with pleasant lecture, hauing after euery refection a full houre of recreation, they cannot walke but in faire gar­dēs all laced with flowers & arroused with fontaines, they cannot goe but vnder Cloisters & well couered from sunne & raine, they cānot make their assemblies but in Chapters well po­lished and very lightsome, they can­not study but in faire and ample Bi­bliothekes, in somme he that would learne a thousand litle secrets for the commoditie of mans liuing, let him take the paines to consider the Mo­nasticall [Page 129] & Conuētuall life. Insteede that the Pastours of the Countrey The life of a Country Pastour. (for those of the citie are a litle better prouided, but yet are they also in trouble ouer head & shoulders) are loged in cabanes, like the grott of Bethleem, exposed at all times to the iniurie of the aire, they lie vpon the straw and vpon the ground, they are nourished like clownes, without con­uersation, without consolation, they haue much paine and litle Vnction, they are ill loged, ill attired, ill payed, ill assisted, miserable in their Chur­ches, in their ornamēts, in their load­gins, in their houshould-stuffs, & in all other things. And for all this, the Regulars amiddest all commodities Priests held to be riche though othervvi­se more poore the Friars. haue the glorie of the state of pouer­tie, and the Pastours in all necessities and want are held for riche, & to be dispossessed of the state of perfection, which properlie doth not consist so much in the vow of pouertie, as wee said before, as it doth in the practise of voluntarie, & Euangelicall pouer­tie, [Page 130] which is when a man selling all that he hath doth giue it to the poore, without assurance of any prop or the help of any commonaltie, of which wee see very few exāples. For, to forsake thirtie or fiftie pound rent to cast himself into a Monasterie that hath a thousand pound rent, and to haue his part of the same with thir­tie or fortie other Monks, I do not see that such a leape is any thing dangerous: but to leaue great reue­newes in the world & distribute them to the needie to put himself all alone, & without ayde in a naked mēdicitie, as did the Apostles, who reserued nothing of all the goods which the first Christiās brought & laid at their feete, is a practise that is as rare as it is excellent, & some Regulars might be found which would call it temeri­tie, although it be the true manner of the pouertie counselled in the Ghos­pell, in which our Sauiour, who did counsell it, did place perfection. But let vs make this matter agree, a Reli­gious [Page 131] man that is proprietaire shall be deepelie in imperfection, because he doth contrarie to his vow, and yet in vertue of the same vow, he shall be said to be in the state of perfection: It is not all one to be in the state of perfection & to be per­fect. and a secular mā who doth distribute all his goods in almes to follow our Sauiour, by this renouncement of his goods shall be without doubt well aduanced in perfection, and yet shall not he be in the state of perfection? For my part I must acknowledge at one time both my ignorance, and the grosenesse of my vnderstanding, that cannot get out the connection, of this admirable distinction, which me thinks cannot subsist but by this, esse rationale, wherof there is such great debate betweene the Philoso­phers, and by separating by the thought the state of perfection, as they separate in man, the animal part from the reasonnable. But perchance I shall expound my self better by this example.

A good Pastour of a village, who An exāple of a poore Pastour. [Page 132] was (as almost all of them be) in the perfection of pouertie in his owne estat, receiued to his poore cabane a Conuentuall Friar, that should be a foote by his rule, but in effect was well mounted he entertayned him accor­ding the short extētion of his power & of his meanes. Wodden & earthen dishesse were his best mouables, new straw was his best bedd, the ground was his most assured bedstead, two brones made his fire, and the middest of the place was his cheminie, a block was his chaire, his table was two plāks ill ioinct together, held vp by some sticks made in forme of a trestle, ill fastned; for the rest he was so austere that scarce he did weare any lynnen: he found neuerthelesse some napkin; for the vse of table-cloathes were as much vnknowne to him, as they are to the Capucins. The Religious mā who had occasiō to esteeme more of his good reception then of his good cheere, and of the Pastours good­will then of the effects of it, drew [Page 133] a purse out of his sleeue, well fur­nished with a kind of mettall which is the rule and measure of all things, yet forbidden in the rule of Con­uentuall Friars; With this he thought to entertaine himself in all places: but this village was as ill furnished with things necessarie, as was the house of the good Pastour. He was therfore constrayned to content himself with a kind of pottage and some pulse, but to take this leane refection he vsed many fashions, & disposed himselfe with much delicatnesse and proprie­ties; he drew from his pocket a case wherin there was a siluer spoone, a forke of the same mettall, & a knife with a haft also of siluer. The good Pastour who had a pleasant witt, and knew a litle more then his Prosne or sonday Sermons seing this Regular sumptuositie said to the friar, Father, you and I would make one good Mōke, for you would make the vow of pouertie, and I would keepe it. This blow of the beck or mouth did [Page 134] not hinder the good Friars teeth, who did not loose a whitt of his ap­petit for it. Now tell me, I pray you, who before God had the merit of pouertie, he that was really poore, and vsed hospitalitie, or he that was not poore but in vow, with so much delicatnesse? For my part, quoth Tristan, I beleeue that as he is much commended in the Scripture that might transgresse, and do euell, & did it not: Euen so he, that putting him­self in the state of perfection, & doth not tend to it, but lett himself fall into imperfections, shall be whipt with many stripes. And as the merits of Regulars, are very great whē they do their dutie well, so are their faults very notable when they faile therin. They are like the figgs of the Pro­phet, either all good, or all badd, which makes me remember an other example.

A man of qualitie that liued very An exāple of a man of quality & of his seruant. dissolute, being touched with repen­tance of his sinnes did cast himselfe [Page 135] into a Monasterie: and a seruant of his much fearing God following him in that retrait of the world, was recei­ued in the same Monasterie in qua­litie of a lay brother. What hapned? the Maister that knew his owne ini­quitie, and that saw without cease his sinnes before his eyes, became so humble by that consideration, that he became a good Religious man, & the seruant contrarywise seing him­self entred into the portion of Saints in a good riche Monasterie, became so insolent & so delicate that nothing could content his vanitie and delicat­nesse: He that was his Maister in the world seruing him with all sort of charitie and cordialitie he did checke and rebuke him like a slaue; which the other did indure with incredible patience, by which he gayned heauē, and the seruant became so arrogant and so presumptuous, that in the end his sottisnesse and disorder did oblige the Cōmonaltie to take the habit frō his back and chase him away ignomi­niouslie [Page 136] like a knawe, that became as insupportable as he was incorrigible. Euen so the same sunne which melt wax, doth harden dirt, & Regularitie which is instituted as a holy Acade­mie, to giude those that put themsel­ues in it, as becommeth, to perfectiō, was cause of the imperfection of this seruāt, who had done far better if he had remayned in his first state of life. And indeede solitude, which the Scripture and experience doth teach vs to be so proper to draw to it the Spirit of God, is often cause of the ruine of such as cast themselues in­to it without iudgment. Loth, that was so wise and so chaste in an infa­mous citie infected with the most horrible disorder that sensualitie could commit, became dissolute and incestuous in the desert. And some Regulars do say that they find none so tractable nor so humble as those that were before eminent in dignitie in the world, nor none so arrogant & harder to be gouerned then those [Page 137] that coming from base descent, do see themselues as the Asse of Isis in the Embleme, honored because of the reputation of sainctitie which there The Friars much ho­nored by their ha­bits. habit doth gett vnto them, and that without it, neither by their birth, nor by their merits should they be any thing esteemed. It is to those that it belongs to say with the Psalmist, my cordes or knots, that is to say, my vowes do me great honour, & they are the most excellent portion of my inheritance. And if ease & commo­ditie doe carrie them to immodera­tion, then may they say that their ini­quitie doth proceed frō their fatnesse and from the abondance of their breade, being no more subiect to the labour & trauaile of other men. And if proprietie do slide amongst them, then is all lost, for that is the sinne of Achan which draw malediction, vpon their heads.

For ought I can gather out of your discours, quoth Tristan, the state of perfection acquired in which are all [Page 138] Prelats doth consist in the eminencie of their dignitie & character: and the state of perfection to be acquired, wherin are the Regulars, doth consist in their three vowes, in which they put the essence of Regularitie. That is the opinion of some Doctours, saith Nicephorus, but in this subiect all are not of the same opinion. And that it is so, the Regulars themselues do make distinctions of the state of per­fection amongst them, and although their Prouincialls and Generalls who with thē do hold the place of Bishops and Archbishops in their particular Hierarchie, are but simple Priests for Supe­riours of Regulars are but simple Priests. their character, & for these dignities vnknowne in the Church foure hun­dred yeeres agoe, neuerthelesse do they repute them to be in the state of perfection acquired as Prelats are, & they giue them also the name of Pre­lats, which doth passe to the Abbots by they Titulars or Cōmendataries, and to many others in the Court of Rome, which haue no Prelatship but [Page 139] by name only, hauing no chardge of soules nor any functiō in the Church. Some Regulars do make this state of perfection acquired to descend yet more low, to their Priours, Gardiens, Ministers, Correctours, Rectours & other Superiours of particular Con­uents, although they denie it to Cu­rats & Pastours of Parishesse, it may be with as litle reason as they do at­tribute it to themselues. For I do not think that I should swarue much frō the iudgment of the truthe and of the Pastours as great as the Su­periours of Regu­lar hou­ses. Church, if I should say that the Pa­stours are at the least as great & grea­ter then the Superiours of Regular houses, as hauing many more soules vnder their gouernement then they haue; for where is that Monasterie which hath fortie or fiftie thousand Friars in it, as there is a Parish that S. Eustase in Paris for one. hath so many Parisioners within it precinct, and which is more, holding The Hie­rarchie of the Cler­gie is the principall & most ancient of the Church. the same rāke in the first, principall & most anciēt Hierarchie of the church, which is that of the Cleargie, that [Page 140] the Claustrall Priors and Superiours do hold in the second and new Hie­rarchie, of Regulars? There do not want also some famous Doctours The Regulars ma­ke a nevv Hierar­chie by thēselues. which haue placed the Pastours in the state of perfection acquired; as the Prelats are, because they haue the same obligation which they haue (& in some sort more strict then they, be­cause they are the immediat Pastours of the people that put their liues in hazard for the saluatiō of their flock. For it is in that that the high point Perfect charitie in the Pa­storall chardge. of perfect charitie doth consist, and consequentlie the topp of acquired perfection. Wherfore then saith Tristan, do they cast you so farr of (I speake of you Hermites) from the state of perfection to be acquired? It is without doubt, because you do not make the vowes nor the profession of any rule. Sir, said Nicephorus, I did alwaies diuert my self from that blow, desiring rather to speake of those that are of some worth in the Church thē of vs poore solitarie people, who liue [Page 141] in obscuritie, among the dead men of the world, of which there is no men­tion in the Catalogue of the liuing: but seing you, by your inquiries do present them vpon the stage, who by the profession of their life ought to hide thēselues, to imitate our Sauiour in his hidden life, it is requisit that I speake vnto you of a thing that is not, as of a thing that is. Know then that as there are Conuentuall friars and Conuentuall friars, so are there Hermites and Hermites. There Good & bad friars as there be good and bad Hermites is not almost any Order of Regulars wherof there is not a Reformation, in sort that such as liue according the strict obseruance of their rule are cal­led the Reformed, and the others the Mitigate, a name truely too milde, which doth iniustly flatter their dis­order and relaxation. For mitigation doth presuppose some temperature of austeritie in the rule by Aposto­licall authoritie: But not so manifest infraction of the vowes of obe­dience and pouertie, as that which is [Page 142] knowne to be, and which the holy sea did neuer authorize. In like man­ner there are Hermites vacabonds & voluntaries, who haue neither house nor home, children of Belial, who will haue no yoke nor subiection, who liue after their owne fancie, and as the Psalmist saith, who do walke in their owne desires, & passe their liues according the inconstant affection of their harts: Cloudes vvithout vvater Ep. Iudae. carried about of vvindes; and for whom the tempest of darknesse is reserued, & perpetuall vnquietnesse in punish­ment of their instabilitie. These kind of people are Hermites only by habit, & not by life, by apparence and not by effect, people without approbatiō, slaues to their proper wills, and not only farr from the state of perfectiō, but also from the perfection of their estate, if a condition so vncertaine & so irregular may be called an estate. But there are other Hermites, who are in the stabilitie of a setled life, true followers and children of those [Page 143] first Anacorites, who like shining starrs lightned the heauen of the pri­mitiue Church by the liuely beames of their holy vertues, whose memorie shall neuer perish, but will be still cō ­serued freshe, in the very decline of time, and in the old age of the world They are men that stick like Iuie to the stock & wall of the Ecclesiasticall Hierarchie and like the vigne that ioyne fast to the elme tree. Those mē do sequester themselues from the world by a locall solitude, to the end to harken more attentiuely in the mentall solitude that, which God shall speake to their harts. They haue chosen the best part with Ma­rie, but in that sort that when the ne­cessitie of the neighbour or the ser­uice of the Church doth call them, they imitate these wise maydens, as said that ancient Hermite, who neuer departed their fathers house, but to carrie water when their neighbours house was surprised with fier. Charitie & necessitie being the only two cau­ses [Page 144] which might and ought iustly in­terrupt the sweet repose of their silence. These Hermites are ab­solutelie and entirelie subiect to the Ordinaries, who are the Bishops, they may be iudged by their Offi­cialls, they are subiect to the visits of their Generall Vicars and Archdea­cons, and they acknowledge also for their Superiours & Pastours, the Pa­stours in whose Parishesse are situated their Hermitages. These do receiue their holy habit at the hands of the Prelats, or of such as are depu­ted by them to cloath them with the Ecclesiasticall benedictions & ce­remonies, they goe not out of the Diocese without leaue, they establish themselues in their dwellings with the permissiō & leaue of the Bishops and Pastours, & also with the cōsent A good example for Regu­lars. of the neighbouring people, they do not begg but with the licence of the Pastours; in somme they depend in all things of their wills. If they be Priests, they make the two solemne [Page 145] vowes annexed to holy orders, betwene the hands of the most Reue­rend Bishop who doth consecrat them, which are the vowes of chastitie and obedience, and that they may not loose also the merit of the vow of pouertie, besids the practise which they make of it by begging, many of them do vow it betwene the hands of the Prelats or of their Officers, bereauing themselues of all proprie­tie, and reseruing but the simple vse of the almes which are giuen them, readie to quitt the same at the first command of those whom the heauēs hath giuen them for Superiours. What think, you Sir, are those men in the state of perfection to be acqui­red as are the Conuentuall friars? I would think they are, quoth Tristan, but the Conuentualls do not think it, who do not put the state of perfe­ction in the vowes only, but do re­quire besids that they be made vnder some of the Rules approued by the Church.

Truely, quoth the Hermite, that is extreme rigour; but I pray you, what better rule can wee haue then that of the Scripture, then the exam­ples of the Patriarches & Prophets, who liued in the wildernesse, then that of our Sauiour fasting in the de­sert, transfiguring himselfe vpon mōt Thabor, and passing a great part of his life vpon the most retired moun­taines; then that of his fore-runner saint Iohn Baptist, then that of saint Paul the first Hermite, of great saint Anthonie, of saint Hilarion; in som­me, of so many thousand Anacore­tes, whose names writtē in the booke of life are glorious in heauen, and blessed on earthe? Can any man doubt but these excellent Anacore­tes were in the state of perfection although they did not make the three vowes vnder any rule? In good sooth, a man must haue extraordina­rie patience to indure these inequali­ties; and to speake with the sacred Amante; The children of my mother [Page 147] fought against me, & put me, in the gard of the vignes. It did not appertaine but to S. Paul to diuulge his owne proper praises with good grace, because he did know how to referr all very pro­perly to God, when he said: Not I, but the grace of God in me, by vvhich I am that which I am: but I did menage it well, & in such sort as it was not inutile in my hands. I dare neuerthelesse praise my soule in God as saith the Psalmist, to the end to reioice the curteous, and tell you, that if so be the Regulars do say they are themselues in the state of perfection, for hauing made the three vowes vnder a certaine Rule betwene the hāds of their Superiours, The Supe­riours of Regulars are but simple Priests. who are but simple Priests, I think to haue right to say the same, hauing receiued my habit by the hands of a Bishop, made profession of the same vowes betwene his hands, vnder such rules & Constitutions as pleased his charitie to prescribe vnto me, and ha­uing so submitted my will to his, that I haue no other desire but to obey [Page 148] him: When he bids me goe, I goe, when he bids me come, I come, shuning no occasion by his com­maundement to do seruice according my power to the sheepe of his folde, with the permission of the Reuerend Pastours; In this sort I do visite the sick in these quarters, I confesse those that come to me, being for that purpose approued by the Ordi­narie, Regulars should haue the approba­tion of the Bis­hops. I do administer to them the holy Eucharist when they come to the Oratorie of this house; I goe from village to village teaching the Chri­stian doctrine to children, Catechi­sing the rude, Euāgelizing the poore, instructing the great ones, & making exhortations to them according the tallent which God gaue me. If in con­sequēs of this they do me some good, it is according the Apostle, to reepe temporall things hauing sowen spiri­tuall things; and what I get ouer and aboue what is necessarie, I giue it to the poore. Loe how I passe ouer this life, caring litle if I be in the state of [Page 149] perfection or no, so that I correct my selfe of the imperfections which are vnworthie of my estate, litle curious of those titles which the Cenobiticall friars do attribute to themselues, to be the Coadiutours of the Bishops, Specious titles vvhich the Regu­lars giue to them­selues. to be Apostolicall men, to leade the Apostolicall life, to be men sent by the sea Apostolike to supplie the de­fects of the ordinarie Pastours, to be troupes of succour, to be the props of the Church, to be the pillars and firme colomnes of her which is her­selfe the colome and fundation of truthe, knowing that all these qualities are annexed to Priesthoode, sith that Prelats ordering Priests do call them their cooperators & fellow workers, the supporters of their Pastorall Or­der, and many other very honorable names. The condition of a Monke is truely very venerable, so is that of Conuentuall friars, of Religious men; let them call them as they will, and as they please, or in one word, that of Regulars or of Friars, (albeit the [Page 150] Regular Clerkes do apprehend as much to be called this last name, as they would to handle a burning cole without tongs.) But for my part, I beleeue that all men of good vnder­standing will alwaies esteeme as much The con­dition of a Priest is to be esti­med as much or more, as any other state in the Church. and more the condition of a Priest as any of those. Notwithstanding to shun the obstinat contention which the Apostle doth so expresly forbid, it is better leaue them in the arbitra­ble possession of the state of perfe­ctiō, seing that by their tongues as by the tongue of Hercules Gaulois the Destinies do spinne the reputation of men, nothing being well done, accor­ding the Castilian prouerb, but that which proceedeth out of a Monke or friars head.

YOV haue seene gentle Reader in the precedent Discours how the Regu­lars to extoll themselues are not content by their rigorous censures to giue a sentence of exclu­sion against Hermites and Secular Priests (as they terme them) from the state of perfection in which they pla­ce the meanest of themselues, in ver­tue of their three vowes of pouertie, obedience and chastitie, but also pro­claime them to be base and of no [Page 152] consideration. And that you may iudge whether that be conformable to the holy Scripture & to the Do­ctrine of the ancient Fathers of the primatiue Church, I thought good to produce here a few authorities of the one & of the other, prouing the dignitie and authoritie of Priests.

God instructing the children of Israël how to decide all controuersies that should arise amongst them, said: Thou shalt come to the Priests of the Le­uiticall stock, and to the iudge, that Deut. 17. shall be at that time: and thou shalt aske of them, vvho shall shew thee the truth The high Priests chiefe iudge of all con­trouersies of the iudgment. And thou shalt do vvhatsoeuer they, that are presidentes of the place, vvhich our Lord shall choose, shall say and teach thee according to his lavv; and thou shalt follovv their sentence: neither shalt thou decline to the right hand nor to the left hand. But he that shall be proude, refusing to obey the commandement of the Priest, vvhich at that time ministreth to our Lord thy God, & the decree of the iudge, that man shall die. [Page 153] What could be said more to shew the dignitie and authoritie of Priests then whosoeuer would not obey them, nor stand to their iudgment should die; but that is not all.

The Prophet Malachias speaking of the couenant which God made with the tribe of Leui saith to the same purpose: The lipps of the Priest Mala. 2▪ shall keepe knowledge, and the law they shall require of his mouth: because he is the Angell of God.

The Ecclesiasticus teaching à man how to carrie himself first tovvards God, & after towards the Priests saith Eccles. 7. thus: In all thy soule feare our Lord, & sā ­ctifie his Priests. And after; Honour God withall thy soule, & honour the Priests.

Saint Peter vvho vvas a Priest himself speakes thus to Priests: You are an elect generation, a kingly Priest­hood, Pet. 2. a holy Nation a people of purchasse.

Was it not to Priests that our Sauiour himself said: Whatsoeuer you Matt. 18. v. 18. shall binde vpon earth, shall be bound also in heauen: and vvhatsoeuer you shall loose [Page 154] vpon earth, shall be loosed also in heauen.

Many other passages might be pro­duced out of holy Scripture to proue the dignitie of Priests, & the respect which is due to them, but these shall fuffice at this time so you consider them well: for you see that to Priests God gaue power to iudge and decide all controuersies, and that he gaue sentence of death vpon any that would not obey them. You see more­ouer that they are called the An­gells of God, that all men were com­manded to honour and respect them, that they are called an elect genera­tion, a holy nation, and that their Priesthood is a Royall dignitie. And which is more then all that, you see how CHRIST gaue them the power to loose and bind vpon earth, and that their act therin is ratified in hea­uen.

Now rests to shew what the an­cient Fathers of the primitiue Church do say of Priesthood, and in what [Page 155] esteeme Priests were in their time, in which there was no speech neither of Benedictins which are the Anciētest in our Latin Church, and began the yeere 529. nor of Dominicans, nor Franciscans, which began the yeere 1209. nor yet of Augustins, nor Car­melites as they are approued by the Church, no nor of Bernardins, much lesse of the rest which now, flourish in the Church vnder seuerall names, but all was ruled and gouerned by Priests.

Sainct Ignatius Martyr and the third Bishop of Antiochia after S. Peter commaunding all lay persons to be subiect vnto, and reuerence Epist. ad Smyrn. Priests and Diacons saieth thus: Dia­conos reuereamini vt ex Dei praecepto mi­nistrantes: Honour yea the Deacons as ministring by the precept of God. Epist. ad Ephes. And after: Enitimini charissimi subiecti esse Episcopo & Presbyteris & Diaconis. Qui enim his obedit, obedit Christo. My dearest doe your best to be subiect to the Bishop, and Priests, and Dea­cons, [Page 156] for he that obeyeth these obeyeth CHRIST.

Sainct Policarp disciple to saint Iohn the Apostle saieth: Subiectiestote Epist. ad Philip. Presbyteris, & Diaconis, sicut Deo, & CHRISTO. Be yea subiect vnto the Priests and Deacons, as to God and CHRIST.

Sainct Clement disciple to saint Peter, saith: Presbyteris si assiduè in stu­dio Const. Apost. l. 2. c. 8. docendi verbum Dei laborauerint, se­ponatur dupla etiam portio in gratiam Apostolorum Christi, quorum locum te­nent, c. 35. tanquam Consiliarij Episcopi & Se­natus Ecclesiae. Si de parentibus secundum c. 38. carnem ait diuina Scriptura: Honora pa­trem & matrem vt benè tibi sit. Et qui maledicit patri aut matri, morte mo­riatur: Quanto magis de Patribus spiri­tualibus Priests are spiri­tuall Fa­thers. verbis Dei moneamur, honore & charitate eos prosequi, vt beneficos & ad Deum Legatos. Quanto anima corpore praestantior est, tanto est Sacerdotium re­gno excellentius. Let there be a double portion, reserued for the Priests in honour of the Apostles of CHRIST, [Page 157] which shall haue laboured in teaching of the word of God diligently, whose places they enioye, as Coun­sellours of the Bishop, and the crowne of the Church. They are the Councell & Senat of the Church. If the holy Scripture saith of carnall parents: Honour thy Father and thy mother, that it may be well with thee. And whosoeuer doth curse his father or his mother, shall die: how much more shall we be admonished by the Priests are spiri­tuall words of God, of our Spirituall Fa­thers, to respect them with honour and charitie, as beneficiall to vs and Legats to God? How much more no­ble the soule is then the bodie, so much more excellent is Priesthood before à kingdome. And S. Ignatius Epist. ad Smyrn. addeth: Sacerdotium est omnium bono­rum, que in hominibus sunt apex; qui aduersus illud furit, non hominem igno­minia afficit, sed Deum & Christum Ie­sum primogenitum, qui naturâ solus est summus Sacerdos Patris. Priesthood is the ornament of all things, vvhich [Page 158] are in men; whosoeuer doth rage against it, he doth not dishonour a man, but God & Christ Iesus the first begotten, who by nature is the only high Priest of his Father. The Apostles write by saint Clements Const. l. 2. cap. 2. penne: Si Reges inuadens supplicio dignus indicatur, quamuis filius vel amicus sit, quanto magis. qui Sacerdotibus insultat: quanto enim Sacerdotium regno est excel­lentius, cum regendarum animarum officio praesit, tanto grauiori supplicio punitur, qui aduersus id aliquid temere fecerit, quam qui aduersus regnum: If he that setteth on a king is iudged worthy of punishement, although he be his sonne or his frend, how much more should he be blame worthy that in­sulteth ouer Priests. For by how much more Priesthod excelleth a kingdome, when it doth by office go­uerne The pre­rogatiue of Pa­stours. soules, by so much more grea­ter punishment is he to be afflicted, who shall rashly doe any thing against it, then he who hath offended a kingdome.

Presbyteri sunt (saith saint Ignatius) Epist. ad Trallen. concessus quidam & coniunctus Aposto­lorum Chorus, sine his Ecclesia electa non est: nulla sine his Sanctorum Congregatio, nulla Sanctorum electio. Quid Sacerdo­tium aliud est, quam sacer caetus, Consilia­rij & assessores Episcopi. Priests are in­deede a certaine Assemblie, and vni­ted quier of the Apostles. Without The Church cannot be vvithout priests. these the Church is not chosen, without these there is no Congrega­tion of Saincts, nor electiō of Saincts. What else is Priesthood, then an holy Assemblie Consellours and Assistants of the Bishops?

Saint Anacletus Pope liuing in this age & made Priest by S. Peter, saith: Epist. 2. Iniuria Sacerdotum pertinet ad Christum, cuius vice funguntur. The iniurie done vnto Priests, appertaine to Christ, whose place they supplieth.

Sainct Chrysostome treating of Homil. 5. de verb. Isaiae: Vi­di Domi­num. the same matter and comparing a Priest to a king, saith: Ne mihi narres purpuram neque Diadema, neque vestes aureas, vmbrae sunt isthaec omnia, vernis­que [Page 160] flosculis leuiora. Ne inquam mihinar­res ista, sed si vis videre discrimen quan­tum absit Rex à Sacerdote, expende mo­dum potestatis vtrique traditae, videbis Sa­cerdotem multo sublimius Rege sedentem. Regius thronus rerum terrenarum admi­nistrationem sortitus est, nec vltra pote­statem hanc praeterea quicquam habet au­thoritatis: Verum Sacerdoti thronus in caelis collocatus est, & de caelestibus negotijs pronūtiandi habet authoritatem. Quis haec dicit? ipse caelorum Rex: Quaecūque ligaue­ritis superterrā, erunt ligata & in caelis, & quecun (que) solueritis super terrā, erūt soluta & in celis. Deus ipsum Regale caput Sacer­dotis manibus subiecit, nos erudiens, quod hic princeps est illo maior. Speake not to me of these things, but if thou wilt see the power giuen to them both, thou shalt see the Priest sitting much higher in dignitie then the king. The throne of a king is chosen of the ad­ministratiō of earthlie things: neither hath he any other authoritie besides this: but to a Priest a throne is placed in heauen, & he hath authoritie to [Page 161] iudge of heauenly businesse. Who saieth this? The king of heauen him­self. Whatsoeuer yee shall bind vpon earth shall be bound also in the heauens: and whatsoeuer yee shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in the heauens. God hath subiected to the hands of the Priests the Regall head, teaching vs, that this Prince is grea­ter then that. The same Authour speaking further of this matter saith: Sacerdotibus datum est, vt potestatem ha­beant, Chrys. l. 3. de Sacerd. quam Deus neque Angelis neque Archangelis datam esse voluit. Neque enim ad illos dictum est: Quaecunque alli­gaueritis in terrâ, erunt alligata & in cae­lo, Et quaecunque solueritis in terrâ erunt soluta & in caelo. It is giuen to Priests, that they shall haue power, which God would haue giuen neither to Angels nor Archangels. For it is not said to them: whatsoeuer you shall bind vpon earth shall be bound also in heauen: and whatsoeuer you shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in hea­uen. The power of binding which is [Page 162] in Princes, is only ouer bodies, that of Priests ouer soules, and extendeth to heauen.

A continuation of the same Au­thour: Chrysost. ibidem. Habent & terrestres Principes vin­culi potestatem verum corporum solum: id autem quod dico Sacerdotum vinculum ipsam etiam animam contingit atque ad caelos vsque peruadit. Terrene Princes also haue the power of fetters, but of the body only; but that which I say, the bonds of Priests toucheth the sou­le it self, and passeth vnto the heauēs. This is the doctrine deliuered by CHRIST, so expounded both by the Greeke and Latine Church.

Item, In an other place he saith: An Chrysost. Homil. 2. super 2. ad Timot. ignoras quid sit Sacerdos? Angelus vtique Domini est, non ex se ipso loquitur, si de­spicis, non illum despicis sed Deum qui illū ordinauit. Art thou ignorant what is a Priest? he is verily the Angell of our Lord, he doth not speake of himself, if you despise, it is not him that you despise, but God who ordayned him.

And in an other place: Monachorum [Page 163] certamen ingens & labor multus est: Ve­rum si conferre quis volet instituti illius su­dores Chrys. lib. de Sacerd. cum rectè administrato Sacerdotio, certè tantū esse inter duo illa discrimen com­periet, quantū est inter priuatū & Regem. The conflict and labour of Monks is great: but if any would confer the pai­nes & labour of that institution with priesthood duely administred; truely he shall find as much difference be­twene them both as betwene a king and a priuat man. Loe how farr he putts à Priest beyond a Monke or Religious man.

Saint Hierome who was himself a S. Hier. in Malac. 3. Religious man saith: Sacerdotibus ac Leuitis honorem debitum deferamus: quod qui non fecerit, Deum fraudare & sup­plantare conuincitur. Let vs giue due honour to Priests & Leuites: which, who will not do is manifestly proued to defraude and supplant God.

The same Authour in an other place Epist, ad Heliod. saith: Mihi ante Presbyterum sedere non licet, illi si peccauero licet tradere me Sa­thane in interitū carnis. It is not lawfull [Page 164] for me to sitt before the Priest, for him it is lawfall if I sinne, to deliuer me vp to Sathan, to the destruction of the flesh.

Saint Ambrose in his learned trea­tise of the dignitie of Priests salutes Lib. de dig. Sacer. them with those venerable Epitets: Audite me, beatissimi Patres, etsi dignum ducitis, sanctissimi Fratres, audite me stirps Leuitica, germen Sacerdotale, pro­pago sanctificata, Duces & Rectores gregis Christi. Et paulò post. Honor & sublimitas Sacerdotalis, nullis poterit com­parationibus adaequari, si Regum fulgori compares, & Principum diademati, longe erit inferius, quam si plumbi metallū, auri fulgorem cōpares: quippè cum videas Re­gum & Principum colla submitti genibus Sacerdotum, & exosculatis eorum dextris orationibus eorum credunt se communiri.

Heare me, most blessed Fathers, & if you take it in good part, most holy It is due to Priests to be cal­led Fa­thers. Brothers, heare me you Leuiticall stock, you Sacerdotall branch, you sanctified race, you leaders and go­uernours of Christs flock. And a litle [Page 165] after; The honour and sublimitie of priesthood cannot be equalized by any comparisons, if you compare it to the splendor of kings, & to Prin­ces crownes, that will be farr more vnequall to it, then if you did com­pare the mettall of lead to the splendor of gold: for you see the neckes of kings and Princes bowed downe to the knees of Priests, and hauing kissed their right hands they beleeue that they are fortified and strengthned by their prayers.

S. Chrysostome wrote six bookes of the dignitie and power of Priests putting it aboue all kings, Princes & Potentats of the earth, and in his third booke he saith thus: Sacerdo­tium ipsum in terra quidem peragitur, sed in rerum caelestium classem, ordinem­que referendum est, atque id quidem me­rito; quippe non mortalis quispiam, non Angelus, non alia quaeuis creata potentia, sed Deus ipse ordinem huiusmodi disponit. Prieshood truely is exercised in earth, but it is to be referred to the [Page 166] ranke and order of celestiall things, and that truely very worthely; be­cause it is no mortall man, nor An­gell nor any other created power, but God himsef that doth dispose & appoint this order.

Sacerdotibus sicut Episcopis, inquit sanctus Isidorus, dispensatio Mysterio­rum Dei commissa est: praesunt enim Lib. 2. de Diu. Off. cap. 7. Ecclesiae, & in confectione diuina cor­poris & sanguinis consortes cum Epis­copo sunt, similiter in doctrina populorum & in officio predicationis. To Priests as to Bishops the dispensation of the mysteries of God is committed: for that they beare the rule in the Church and in the diuine consecra­tion of the body and bloud of Christ, they are consorts with the Bishops likewise in teaching the people, and in the office of preaching.

Philippus de Hareing a Religious and a most learned Abbot in his worke which he wrote foure hundred and fiftie yeeres agoe: De dignitate, scientia & iustitia & continentia Cleri­torum, [Page 167] doth highly commend the Re­gulars, but in euery chapter he pre­ferreth the Clergie before all Regu­lars, though himself was one: In his 17. chapter he saith thus: Nostrum est nouissimum locum eligere nec ad altiora volatu praesumptuoso nos ipsos erigere. It is our partes (that is to say, the part of Religious men) to choose the last place, and not by a presumptuous flight to eleuat our selues to higher things. And in his 17. epistle he saieth, that from all the bounds and limits of the earth, all antiquitie did euer extoll the Clericall order, and euer gaue it amongst the other Orders the principall ranke and degree, and though by diuine disposition a Soil­diour or Rustique do excell in sancti­tie, yet the Clergie man in excellen­cie of Ecclesiasticall dignitie; and al­though the Clergie man, as we do sometimes, decline to worldly things, and to the weake & poore elements, yet their Order declineth not in au­thoritie. Thus he: To which I must [Page 168] add this other passage of saint Iero­me which doth occur vnto me: Communi Presbyterorum Concilio Ec­clesiae S. Hier in ep. ad Tit. gubernabantur: The Churches were gouerned by the common councell of Priests; And I must not forget this passage of Bellarmin who was a Iesuit and a Cardinall: Tria sunt Ecclesiae membra praecipua, pri­mum eorum est, qui in statu perfectionis Belar. l. 2. cap. 5. de Gemitu Columbae. adeptae esse dicuntur, qui sunt Episcopi Ecclesiarum Principes, & Magistri, qui­bus adiungimus Presbyteros qui sunt mi­nores Sacerdotes, atque eorum administros. There are three chiefe members of the church; the first of them are those that are said to be in the state of per­fection acquired, which are the Bis­hops the Princes and maisters of the churches, to which we ioyne the Priests, who are the inferior Priests, and their assistants. And the same Authour in the preface of his second booke, De Monachis saith: Disseruimus, libro superiori de Episcopis & Clericis, id est, de prima & nobilissima parte corporis [Page 169] Eclesiastici: We haue discoursed in the former booke of Bishops and Cler­gie-men that is to say, of the chiefe & noblest part of the Ecclesiasticall body.

The Councell of Trent speaking of the Hierarchie of the Church saith thus: Si quis dixerit in Ecclesia Catholica Can. 6. non esse Hierarchiam Diuina ordinatione institutam que constat ex Episcopis, Pres­byteris & ministris anathemasit. Who­soeuer will say that in the Catholike Church there is not a Hierarchie in­stituted by diuine ordinance, which cōsisteth of Bishops, Priests & Mini­sters, let him be cursed. Loe, You see that the Councell makes no mention here of Regulars, which by all like­lihoode it would haue done, if they had bene of this Hierarchie.

To be briefe in all these passages, both out of Scripture & out of the Fathers which are not the tieth of the passages which might be produ­ced for this matter, the Reader will see but litle or no mention of Re­gulars; [Page 170] and in the litle mention that is made of them by late writers, he shall find that Priests, both for di­gnitie & office are still preferred to them, and are put in a farr higher ranke then they; which considered, he may conclude with him self that the propositions specified in the De­dicatorie Epistle of this Tretise, are of a new stamp forged by the Regu­lars themselues: For had there bene any such prerogatiue graunted to them by God or by his Church, who can imagine that all ancient writers, speaking of all the members & digni­ties of the Church would omitt to speake of them, & of these preroga­tiues which now they challenge to themselues? Notwithstāding I do not wish Priests (but counsell the cōtrarie) to take any pride of this, nor sett the lesse by Regulars, but acknowledge them to be a noble & profitable portion of Gods Church, and as such to embrace & cherish them; and ra­ther receiue iniuries patiently of [Page 171] them, then offer them any, remem­bring that saying of the Apostle: If you bite and eate one an other: take Gal. 5. v. 15 heede you be not consumed one of an other.