Chapter 8

How the Devil, useth to deceive spiritual men, by means of this enemy of our Flesh, and Blood; & of the course that we are to hold, in keeping ourselves from error.

Thou¹ art to be advertised, that the fall of devout persons, is not understood at the first, no not so much, as by themselves; and for this, it is the more to be feared. At the first, it seems to them, that by communication with such persons, their souls do profit; and confiding therein, they do often resort to such conversations; and² thereby is engendered in their hearts, a kind of love which doth captive them a little; and putteth them to pain, when they see not one another, and with seeing, and speaking they are at ease. After this, it grows, that they express the love they mutually bear; whereby, and by other discourses, which already are not so spiritual, as the former, they take joy to be talking at large. And by little & little, that conversation which formerly might profit their souls, they find to have taken them prisoners; by often thinking of one another, and by the care, and desire, which they have to meet sometimes; and mutually to send amorous presents, and sweet recommendations, or letters. These things with other such like fawninges, are not agreeable to a holy affection, as S. Hierome saith; and by these slippery steps, from one to³ another, they use to come to such ends, as give them to understand (& that very much to their cost) that even the beginning & entertaining of that conversation, which first they took to be a service of God, without finding any ill motion at all; was no other, than a mere deceit of the fly Devil; who at the first, gave them security, that afterwards he might catch them in the snare, which he had hidden for that purpose. And after, being fallen, they learn, that a man and a woman, are but fire and flax; and that the Devil's errand, is but to bring them near one another; and when they are so, he blows the bellowes with a thousand arts, & tricks, to inflame them here, with the fire of Flesh and Blood; and to carry them afterwards into that of hell.

Therefore thou, O Virgin, fly away from the familiarity of every man; and continue, to the end of thy life, in that good custom, which thou hast begun, to be never alone with any man; except thy Confessor; and that, no longer then why lest thou art making thy Confession; & yet even let that, be dispatched with as much brevity as thou canst; without interlacing other discourses; fearing the account of the speech that thou shalt either utter, or hear, which thou art to give unto the strict judge. So⁴ much the more, art thou to avoid this in confession; because that, is ordained, for the taking away of old sins, and not for the committing of any new; or to make thyself sick with the very taking of physic. The spouse of Christ, (especially if she be young) ought not to be easy in the choice of her Confessor; but⁵ careful that he be a man of virtuous, and tried life; of good reputation, & ripe years; and thus thy conscience shall be safe, in the sight of God, and thy fame, shallbe fair, & spotless, in the eyes of men.

Thou must understand and know, that thou hast need of both these things, for complying with the height, of the state of Virginity. And when thou shalt have found such a Confessor, give thankes to our Lord; and obey him; & love him; as a gift that he hath bestowed upon thee. But yet still be very careful; for although this love be good, as being spiritual, yet there may be a fault in it, if it be too much; and it may bring him that hath it, into danger; and it is an easy matter, for spiritual affection, to translate and turn itself over, into carnal. And if thou use not restraint in this, thou wilt grow to have thy hart as much taken up thereby, as married women have with their husbands, & their children. Now this, thou seest, would be a great irreverence, in respect of the loyalty which thou owest to our Lord, whom thou hast taken for thy Spouse. Do not therefore place, and keep thy Ghostly Father, in the most interior part of thy hart; keep him near thy hart, as a friend of thy Spouse but not in the place of thy Spouse himself. And let the memory which thou holdest of him, serve for the putting of his directions in practice; without reflecting otherwise upon his person; esteeming him as a gift of God, bestowed for the helping thee to unite thyself to thy celestial Spouse, but yet without bringing him into that Union.

Thou⁶ must also be provided, for the losing him, without loss of thy patience, if God shall so ordain, in whom alone thou art to lodge thy hopes, and he is to be thy only resting place. That which we read in S. Hierome, of the love and familiarity between him and S. Paula, did keep conformity with these rules. Though yet many things are lawful, and safe, to them who have sanctity, and mature years, which yet are not so to such others, as want one of these qualities, if not both.

In this sort then, art thou to carry thyself, with the Ghostly Father, whom thou choosest, he being such as I have described. But if thou canst not have him such, it is much better, that thou⁷ confess and communicate but twice or thrice in the year, and keep good account with God, and with thy spiritual books in thy Oratory, then by confessing often, to bring thy fame into hazard. For if, as S. Augustine saith, Good name amongst our Neighbours be necessary for us all; how much more necessary then, shall it be for the Virgin of Christ; whose reputation is very delicate, and tender, as S. Ambrose saith. And that so much, as that to have a confessor who wanteth any of the former qualities, doth cast a spot upon her fame; which because it is in so precious, and pure a cloth, it seems to be very deformed, and in no case to be endured. And to the end that they, who content themselves with saying, There is no hurt, my conscience is clear; and, who have the reputation of their honesty, in small account, should not be able to help themselves with a conceit, that men imposed any of these infamies, upon the most sacred Virgin Mary; it⁸ pleased her most blessed Son, that she should be espoused; choosing rather that they should hold him for the son of joseph, which yet he was not; then that men should have colour to say, and thing sinisterly, of his most sacred Mother, by seeing her have a son, and not to think, that she had a husband.

Therefore let such as have no care to prevent scandals, seek out some other shelter; for that which they may learn of the most sacred Virgin Mary, and of other holy women, is purity within, and good example without; together with all reservation, and caution, in conversation. And although none of these inconveniences did follow upon those superfluous intertaynments, yet⁹ should they deserve to be speedily avoided; because they do with the multitude of thoughts, which they use to bring, deprive the soul of liberty, whereby it might freely fly up, by the cogitations thereof, to God; and it takes away that purity, which the secret corners of our hart (where Christ desires to dwell alone) were bound to have. And it seems, that it remaineth not so entire, nor so shut up against all creatures, as it were fit that the bed of so sovereign a spouse, should be; and that it doth not wholly possess the perfect purity of chastity, if therein there may be found, but even the air, or memory of a man. But thou must know, that yet what hath been said, is meant, when there is excess in familiarity; or when there groweth any scandal by it. For otherwise, thou art not to converse with such, as reason leads thee to, with a scrupulous, or perplexed mind. For from hence, even the very tentation itself, doth often rise; but thou art to carry thyself, with a holy and prudent simplicity; and neither to be careless, on the one side; nor malicious on the other.

Footnotes

1. This excellent Chapter deserveth to be seriously pondered, by all kind, of spiritual persons. ↩

2. By how insensible degrees, may the most spiritual persons come to be sold over to this sin of sense. ↩

3. In the end they find, that even the very beginnings were naught: which ●e● at the first they suspected not. ↩

4. Note this, and for the reverence of the Sacrament, avoid even the least idle words. ↩

5. What kind of Confessor a woman of honour, & especially a Virgin, must procure. ↩

6. Note. ↩

7. By this he showeth the great care which a Virgin ought to have, of her good name; though such as live not in villages, but in towns, can have no difficulty, to find many most worthy Ghostly Fathers▪ at whose hands they may receive the Sacraments, as often as they will do it with devotion. ↩

8. Note. ↩

9. Note this, for the preserving of thy soul, in perfect purity, & peace. ↩