Chapter 16

How the gift of Chastity, is granted to some, not only in the interior part of the soul, but in the sensual part also; and this, after two manners.

TO others, our Lord giveth this blessing of Chastity, more abundantly. For not only doth he grant a detestation of these delights, to the soul; but even in the sensitive part, and flesh, they have so much temper, as that they enjoy great peace; and do scarce know what a painful temptation doth mean. Now this happeneth after two manners. Some have this peace and purity, even by natural complexion; but others, by election, and favour of God. They who have it by natural complexion, are not greatly to applaud themselves, for the peace that they find; nor to contemn such, as they see are tempted. For¹ the virtue of chastity, receives not her measure, from the having of this peace; but from the maintaining, in the soul, a firm purpose not to offend our Lord, by the contrary sin. And if one being tempted with sense, make good, the purpose of Chastity, in his soul, with greater strength than the other, who is not called into that war; more chaste shall this person be, who is assaulted; then the other, who is not solicited.

Neither yet, are those well complexioned persons to go out of countenance, by saying, I do little, or I gain little by being chaste; But they must serve themselves of their good inclination, and make choice of chastity, by discourse of spirit, to please our Lord; to which they are invited, by their own inclination. And, by this means, they shall serve God, with the superior part of the soul, by a virtuous election; and with their sensitive part, by their obedience, and good inclination.

Others² there are, who not by natural inclination, but by favour of our Lord, are so chaste, as that they feel in their soul, a most profound, internal detestation, of that baseness; and in their se●siti●e part, so great obedience, that it goeth not dragging, after the commandment of reason, but obeyeth with gust, and speed; and they both, enjoy an entire peace. At this excellent condition, did those Philosopher's point, who said, That some men there were, so excellent: & who had their minds, so well purged that not only they did operate virtuously, without any war of their passions, but that, even those passions, being so absolutely overcome, they forgot that they had any; and that, not only their passions did not conquer, but not so much as assault them.

But³ that which the Philosophers were talking of, and never had, (for without grace, there is no true virtue) that, good Christians do possess, to whom God is pleased to impart this perfect gift. Not purchased by their own force, but granted by his strong, and celestial holy spirit, which is bestowed through Christ Jesus our Lord, in resemblance of the same Lord, who kept the entireness of Virginity, in mortal flesh. This heavenly spirit infuseth perfect chastity into whom he wil And this he worketh in them, That as the superior part of the soul, is with perfect obedience, most subject to God, & from him receiveth powerful strength, and most excellent light, being so perfectly united with him, and so ruled by his will, that he may say with the Apostle, He⁴ that cometh close to God, is made one spirit with him; so this efficacy of God, which infuseth force, and giveth, to the sensitive part this disposition; doth procure, that (wholly forsaking bestiality, and that fierceness which naturally it hath) it may be obedient, and yield itself very subject to reason. And although they are of different natures, the one being spiritual, & the other sensual; yet doth the sensitive draw so near to reason; and takes the bridle into her mouth so well, that she goeth tamed, and in order. And howsoever it be not that thing, which reason is; yet doth it proceed according to reason; not hindering, but rather helping the spirit; as a faithful wife, would do her husband.

And⁵ as the souls of some, are so miserably given over to the flesh, that they sail not by, any other star, then of their appetite (& though, the nature thereof be spiritual, yet they abase themselves to the lamentable subjection of their body (being so transformed as it were into flesh, that they grow fleshly, and do seem in their will, and in their thoughts, to be but a mere lump of flesh;) so the sensual part of those others, cometh so close to their reason, that the same doth more, look like reason, than even the very souls. of those others do. This⁶ seemeth a hard thing to be believed; but in fine it is the work & guise of God; and conceived especially (through Jesus Christ his only Son) in this time of the Christian Church. Of which time, it was prophesied, That the wolf and the lamb, the Lion & the Bear, should feed together; because the irrational affections of the sensitive part (which (as cruel beasts) would be striving to vex and swallow up the soul) should be put in peace, by the gift of Jesus Christ; and, having given over the war that they were in, should live in amity. As job saith, The⁷ beasts of the earth shallbe peaceable to thee; and thou shalt keep friendship, with the stones of the earth. And then also, is that fulfiled, which is written in the Psalm, Thou man of one consent with me, and my guide, and familiar acquaintance, who didst⁸ eat with me of that sweet food; and we went into the house of God, with one consent. Which words, the interior man, doth say to the exterior; holding him in such subjection, that he styleth him to be, of one soul: and of such conformity to his will, that he saith, they eat sweet food together, and go jointly into the house of God. For they are in such a league, that if the interior man, do feed upon chastity, or prayer, or that he fast, or watch, or perform any other holy exercise, finding much sweetness in them; just so doth the exterior man also, and they are savoury to him, like a sweet food.

But⁹ yet, do not thou conceive, that in this exile of ours, one shall arrive to so great abundance of peace; as not to find sometimes, both in this, and other particulars, some motions against reason. For excepting Christ our Redeemer, & his sacred Mother; this prerogative was never granted to any. But thou art to understand, that although there be of these motions, in persons to whom God doth grant this gift; yet are they not either so many in number, or such in quality, as to put them to any great pain; but without engaging them to much war, or taking from them true peace, they are overcome by them, with ease. And¹⁰ if, in a City, we should see a couple of boys together by the ears, & instantly after to shake hands; we should never say, That, for that short little bickering, the peace of the City were broken, if it were maintained by the rest of the people.

And since, even the Philosophers, confessed that there was such a state of soul as this; without knowing what belonged to the power of the holy Ghost; Let¹¹ it not be hard for a Christian, to confess it, and to desire it, for the glory¹² of the redemption of Christ, and of his power; to which nothing is impossible. Of whose coming, it was prophesied, That then, there was to be an abundance of peace. And Isay saith, It is as a river. And S. Paul saith, That it exceedeth all understanding. And when the flesh shall be thus obedient, and thus tempered, then shall we be far from hearing the voice of her¹³ natural language; and out of danger also, of falling under that terrible malediction, which God cast out against our first Father Adam, because he bearkned to the voice of his wife. It rather belongeth to us, to make her serve us; and to hear our voice; and, (as we would do, to a bird in cage) so to teach her to speak our¹⁴ language; and to make her learn it, since she can obey us, with so much readiness. By¹⁵ which long rooted obedience, which she yieldeth to reason, she groweth so well nourtured, that if she ask for any thing, it is not for the use of pleasure, but for the relief of necessity. And that voice we may well hear as God commanded Abraham to hear the voice of his wife Sara; who was then so aged, and her body so weakened, and so mortified, that now it had no more the superfluityes, which others of fewer years were subject to. And such a body as that, we may trust the more; hearing that which it will say to us; though¹⁶ yet, we must not give it so much credit, as that the will thereof, may be a law. But we must examine it with prudence of spirit, lest that flesh of ours, which seemed to be dead, do but only counterfeit the being so; & lest it do so much the more dangerously draw us down, as we thought it had been more faithful to us.

Footnotes

1. The greater the temptation is, the greater is the virtue, in overcoming it. ↩

2. A more noble kind of chastity. ↩

3. Few Philosophers, were ever chasts and never any was truly humble. ↩

4. 1. Cor. 〈◊〉.
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5. Even the reasonable part, of a carnal man's soul, groweth to be, as it were br●●tish; and so, even the sensitive part of a chest person, groweth to be, as it were reasonable. ↩

6. The doctrine of Chast●●y, till the coming of ●●sus Ch●●st our Lord, was a great piece of newe●● & the Sectaryes of this age would now say put it out of ●ashion. ↩

7. job. 5. ↩

8. A place of Holy Scripture, well pondered and applied. ↩

9. Note. ↩

10. A significant comparison. ↩

11. A fortiori. ↩

12. We proclaim the Divinity of Christ, by the conquest of our sensualityes. ↩

13. Of sensuality ↩

14. Of reason & religion. ↩

15. A sweet frai●e, of a long labour. ↩

16. Note. ↩