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Chapter 55

That we must fly fast from our own opinion; & choose some person to whom for the love of God, we must be subject, and be ruled by him, and what kind of man he must be, and how we must carry ourselves with him.

BEING therefore afraid, and taking a warning by occasion of these fellows, I admonish thee, that as thou art to be an enemy to thine own will, so thou art, much more to be so, of thine own opinion; and of resolving to carry things, by thine own judgement; since thou seest the evil conclusion, which is made by self conceit. Be an enemy thereof, both within doors, and without; and follow it not, even in trifles. For1 thou shalt hardly find a thing which so much will disquiet the peaceful rest, that Christ desireth to find in thy soul, (that so he may communicate himself thereunto) as to be obstinate, & resolute, to carry the matter after thine own mind. And better for thee it were, not to have that which thou desirest, then to lose that, whereof thou hast so much need, for the enjoying of God, with entire peace. This I say is to be practised by thee, if the ordering of the house do not belong to thy care; for in case it do, thou must not forbear to do that which seemeth best to thee, though yet withal, thou art to inform thyself well, both by making prayer, and taking counsel, according to the quality of the thing in question.

Thou2 knowest well enough, that they who are in danger of receiving some great affront, do begin to make trial, upon enduring certain toys; that so they may be exercised towards the bearing of such as indeed are great ones. And know thou assuredly, that whosoever is accustomed to believe himself; and doth esteem himself to have a wise understanding, resolving to bear himself out in small matters; will find it very strange, and hard, to departed in greater from his own opinion. And on the contrary side, a man who hath used to call his understanding fool, and to give it little credit in trifles, will find himself facilitated, towards a subjection of himself to the pleasure of God, and of his Superiors; and not easily to judge ill of his Neighbours. And as I have said, that in things of small importance, thou shalt do well to forsake thine own, and to follow another man's opinion, without much examination of who it is, that saith, or saith it not; so I tell thee, that in the things which concern thy conscience, thou art much more to follow advice; neither trusting thyself therewith, nor yet some such other man, as thou mayst find at random.

It will therefore be fit for thee, to take for thy guide and Ghostly Father, some person, who is both3 learned, and of experience, in things that belong to God. For without both these qualities (speaking ordinarily) he will not be for the purpose. For learning alone, is not sufficient to provide for the particular necessities, and prosperityes, and temptations, which happen to the souls of such as walk in a spiritual life; and in these cases, as Gerson saith, recourse must be had to men of experience. And it will fall out, many times, to them who have no more than learning, as it fell out to the Apostles; who (being one night, in a tempest at sea) thought that Christ coming towards them, was but some other idle apparition; (holding that for a deceit, which yet indeed was a real favour, & the truth of our lord) Some man will strike thee into excessive fears, condemning every thing for evil. And as their own hearts are very fare from the experience of any spiritual gusts, and illuminations of God, so do they speak thereof, as of a thing never heard of, and can with difficulty be induced to believe, that nobler and higher things do pass in the hearts of others, than they find in their own.

With others also thou shalt meet, who are practised in matters of devotion, and who are easily carried towards any gust of spirit, & who make much account thereof. And if any such thing be told them, they harken to it, with great admiration; esteeming him for more holy, who hath more of them; and he is light in giving credit to them, as if in them, all were safe. But because indeed it is not so, many of these persons fall into error; and they suffer also them to fall, whom they have in charge, for want of giving them sufficient advice, against the craft of the Devil; and in this respect they are as unfit to govern souls, as the former. But4 know thou, that there are some of so good judgement, as to understand, that true sanctity consisteth not in such things as these; but in the accomplishing of the will of our Lord; and they have experience in spiritual things, and they also can tell how to doubt, and to ask of others who may inform them. Thou5 mayest trust these last, although they have no eminency in learning; because that which they have, is enough, since they have no other employment, but to look to themselves. And since it doth so much import thee, to light upon a good guide, thou must with great instance, beseech our Lord, that he will direct thee, by his providence, to such a one; and thou being once addressed, put thy hart into his hand, with great security; & hide nothing from him, whether it be good or bad. Not the good, to the end that he may address it, and advice thee; and not the evil, to the end that he may reform it. And do not any thing of importance without his opinion; placing confidence in God, (who is a friend to obedience) that he will put, into the hart, and tongue of that guide of thine, the thing which shallbe fit for thy salvation. By this means thou shalt fly from those two evils and extremes; The one, Of them that say, I have no need of man's counsel, God teacheth me, and satisfieth me; The other, Of them, who are so subject to some man, without considering any other thing, but that he is a man; as that the malediction layeth hold on him which saith,6 Cursed be the man that confides in man.

But7 do thou submit thyself to a man, & thou shalt have escaped the former; and do not confide in the knowledge or force of that man, but in God, who will speak to thee, and strengthen thee by means of a man; and so thou shalt have declined the later danger. And be thou well assured, that how much soever thou seek, thou shalt never find any other way so strait, or so secure, for the knowing the will of our Lord, as this of humble obedience, which is so much ad●●●ed to, by all his Saints; and so much practised by many of them; as we find, by the testimony, of the lives of the holy8 Fathers. Amongst whom, it was held for a great sign of a man's approaching towards perfection, if he subjected himself much to the old man, that was to govern him. And amongst the many good things, wherewith Religious Orders do abound; thou wilt hardly find any other so good, as that all of them, live under a Superior, whom they are to obey; not only in exterior actions; but interiorly also in the opinion and judgement. Who if they have confidence, and do carry devotion to the virtue of Obedience; they shall lead a life both very safe, and very sweet.

Footnotes

  1. Note this well. ↩

  2. Whosoever will master his will in great matters, must be content to begin in small ones. ↩

  3. Both learning, & experience are wholly necessary to such as are to be the Ghostly Fathers of spiritual persons. ↩

  4. Note this and learn thereby, wherein true sanctity doth consist. ↩

  5. Great experience with great humility, goeth far in making a manable to guide another in matters of spirit, though there be not so great learning. ↩

  6. jerem. 17. ↩

  7. The true middle way that is to be walked in. ↩

  8. He meaneth chiefesly such as lived in that desert. ↩

Chapter 57 of 115