Chapter 6

Of two causes that there are, of sensual tentations; & what means we must use against them, when they rise, from the Malice of the Devil.

WE are much to mark, that the remedy of which I have spoken in afflicting the body, is wont to help, when the tentation springeth from the body; as it useth to do in young men, who have good health, and have used to regale themselves. Then, a According to the several root, & motive of the tentation, so is the remedy to be applied. I say, it is fit to reform the body, when the root of the infirmity riseth thence. But sometimes, the tentation groweth by means of the Devil; and it may partly be perceived by this; that it fighteth with us more by thoughts, & foul imaginations of the mind, then by impure motions of the body. Or if you find these later also in your body, it is not because the tentation began there; but having begun by thoughts, it groweth, at last to result into the exterior. Which exterior of the body being sometimes extremely weak, and little better than dead; evil thoughts are yet, now and then, most lively in it; as it happened to S. Hierome, according to his own relation. It is also another sign, that such tentations are of the Devil; when they come upon a sudden; and when a man giveth least occasion, or hath cause to expect them least. Nor b There is no sin at all, if no occasion, nor consent be given, nor pleasure taken in the suggestion of carnal thoughts. can he, as it may happen, observe due reverence, in the very times of his Prayer; no nor at the Altar, nor in other holy places; where yet even a very wicked man, would consider where he were, & abstain from thinking of such things. Sometimes c Note. these thoughts are such in quality, and so many in number, as that a man never knew, nor heard, nor imagined any such things, as do then present themselves. And by the force, wherewith they come, and by the very things themselves, which interiorly are told him; a man finds that they spring not from himself; but that it is somewhat else, which suggested, and represented them, to his mind.

When you have these, or such other signs as these, be well assured that it is a persecution of the Devil; and that, howsoever you may suffer it in your flesh and blood, yet is it not from thence, that it proceeds. This war is more dangerous than the other; through the much evil which he wisheth us, by whom it is made; and for that he is an enemy, that is never weary of fight, when we are either waking, or sleeping, at all times, and in all places. The remedy of this inconvenience, is d To put thyself upon some honest business, is a good diversion. to procure some good employment, which may put us into thought, and care; making us thereby, cast off, those impure imaginations. S. Hierome, for this purpose (as himself relates) gave his mind to the study of the Hebrew tongue, with much labour, but not without much fruit; and he saith, Let the Devil, ever find thee well employed. Speaking also in conformity of this, how profitable the manner of life, which is lead in Monasteryes was, to this purpose; he instructeth it, saying thus. e S. Hierome was no Protestant. See, that every day, thou perform, whatsoever thou hast in charge; and be subject to whom thou wouldst not; and go well weary to thy bed; yea and so, that even, as thou art walking, thou mayst be ready to fall down a sleep. Be thou also enjoined, to rise before thou hast slept thy fill; and recite thy Psalm, when it cometh to thy turn; and serve thy brethren; and wash the feet of strangers; and when thou art wronged, hold thy peace; and as for the f So that in S. Hieromes tym there were Abbots and Monasteries. Abbot of the Monastery, see thou fear him, as if he were some great Lord; and see thou love him, as if he were thine own Father; and believe, that all g V●les evidently it should contain some sin. Such is the religious obedience, which is practised in the holy Catholicque Church; and such a Papist as you see, was S. Hierome. that which he commandeth thee, is fit for thee to obey him in; and take not thou upon thee to judge of thy superiors, since thy office is but to obey; and to comply with that which is commanded; according to that which Moses saith, Harken, O Israel, and hold thy peace. Being thus employed upon diverse things, there will be no place, for evil thoughts; and when thou art to pass from the doing of one to another, have that only in thy mind, which thou art then, about.

This is said by S. Hierome; and according to this, it was then the use of Monasteryes to exercise their younger men, more in these good employments, than in solitude & large Prayer; through the dangers, which, by flesh, and blood, and passions, (as yet unmortifyed) both might, and did grow upon them. Though yet, this rule is subject to an exception, through the diversity of dispositions, and the particular gifts of God.¹ Upon which motives, there may be reason, to allow a large time of prayer to a young man; and to abridge another, who is more in years. When I said before, that young men did not employ themselves in large prayer, I understand that to have been large, wherein, almost all his time was spent; and as if in effect he had no other office but that. For, not to let him have some good spaces for it, should be a very great error; by reason of the benefits which he should lose thereby; and² because even for the well going through, any other employment, it is necessary that he gain strength and spirit, in his Prayer. For otherwise they who are exteriorly employed, are wont to be still complaining, and untoward, like³ a cart that is loaden, without having the wheels made easy towards turning, by the tenderness of devotion.

Let beginners be advertised, that the Devil doth particularly procure to trouble them, with these impure imaginations, in the time of their prayer; that so they may be induced to leave it; & the Devil himself may so take his ease, the while. For although the Devil do much weary us by these tentations; much more do we weary, and even add fire to him, by our devout⁴ prayers; & therefore he procureth, that we either make them not at all, or not well. But we, on the otherside, ought (even, as it were, for spite against him) to labour with all possibility; that so we may not give over that holy exercise; since even by the very persecution itself which he brings upon us, we may see how profitable it is. And if the war should press us so hard, whilst we are praying mentally, as that we might find much danger by impure imaginations, the least that we must do is to put ourselves into vocal prayer; and to beat our breasts; to punish our bodies; to cast our arms into the form of a Cross; to raise our hands, and eyes towards heaven, desiring succour of our Lord; in such sort, as that, howsoever the tym which we deputed for prayer may be well employed. We must else do somewhat that may divert us; and especially procure to speak with some good man that may give us hart. Though⁵ this last, should not be done, at that time, till we can no more; that so we may not discover our weakness, in not being able, to overcome otherwise, then by flight; and lest our enemy, do so make us quit the field, and distrust our forces. For in fine, our Lord, who is both full of pity, and full of power; will impose silence upon our adversary, when it shallbe fit for us; that he may not interrupt the private, and friendly conversation, which we were wont to hold with him.

Footnotes

1. Men must not be restrained from liberty to make much prayer, but upon very particular reasons. ↩

2. There is nothing which makes our miseries, and burdens so light, as the frequentation of Prayer. ↩

3. Mark this comparison, for it is a good one. ↩

4. Prayer is a scourg to the Devil. ↩

5. He means, that we must not give over our Prayer, for the going to ask counsel; but we must do that afterward. ↩