Letter, number unidentified. To a Cavalier his friend

The Author shows, that the carrying of the Cross, in the company of Christ our Lord, is exercised best in sickness, when it is borne with patience. He also defends the Fathers of the Society of Jesus, advifing him also to esteem them, the rather, because he had been instructed by them.

YOu do well, in being contented to serve, in that house of our great Lord, in the Office of being sick. For to pass from doing, to suffering, is a sign, that Christ our lord advaunces his servants, & raises them from below the stairs, to attend above. Certainly, there is nothing in this exile of ours, which is so fit for us, as to carry the Cross in company of our lord, who did so love it, & who, for love, died upon it. Now this is better exercised, in sickness, which is so unsavoury to flesh and blood, and which cannot cause vain glory in the patiented; then in health, how well soever it be employed.

Great were the works, which Christ our Lord performed in this mortal life; but in his sufferring, he exceeded them all, & all the world; That so we might understand, what the Apostle S. james saith, Brethren, ●. james 1. esteem it as a reason of supreme joy, to see yourselves in many afflictions. And the same Apostle saith, that the work of patience, is perfect. So that, you must be grateful to our lord, for having sent you sickness; and if you bear this Cross, & burden well, he may perhaps advance you to the carrying of others, which are more interior, and irksome, and which he provides for such alone, as are his nearest friends; that so they may comforme themselves to him, whose Cross was extremely great, even in that which was to be seen; but incomparably more extreme, in that part thereof, which was invisible. And though it may seem to you, that God hath taken away your other Offices or employments, because you gave him not a good account thereof; yet forbear not to be thankful to him, who hath ordered the matter, as now we see. For to be corrected by the hand of such a father, and with so great love, puts us rather into need of humility, for the moderating of our joy and comfort, then of patience, wherewith to endure the punishment.

But yet nevertheless, I am in some fear, that perhaps, you may not profit by this fever of yours. For some beginners, are wont to give liberty to the soul, in the infirmities of their body, though yet, they be not such, as threaten danger or death. It is a thing very contrary to reason, for a man to turn Physic, into poison, and to take occasion of growing worse, by that which was sent a man by our Lord, to make him better. Call therefore upon him, with your hart and beseech him, that since he strikes you, in the strength of your body, it may be, to make you go more lightly towards him, with your soul. And forasmuch as this sickness, is sent you, that your body, by the pain thereof may pay for that sin which hath been committed by the same body; you must not suffer it to be the occasion of your incurring new debts, since it was meant that it should discharge the old.¹

You must live, with great reflection upon yourself: and give no credit to flesh and blood in all that which it shall desire of you but offer it to the Cross of our lord, in the company of his own holy spirit. And he, who was content to let his Cross be sided, by the Crosses of two murdering thiefs, will not drive you from him. And since you cannot now continue, your custom of meditation, or spiritual reading, as you would, yet fail not to be doing somewhat, the best you can, so that it be without evident disadvantage to your health. For our lord is so powerful, and so good▪ as that he gives strength to such as have a mind to take pains. And sometimes, he bestows more favour upon sick men in theyre beds, who cannot pray; then upon others, who spend many hours in that holy exercise. And perhaps, he will vouchsafe this mercy to you, since it costs him no more, than his very will. And I beseech you, for the love of our lord, Eph. 4. non circumferaris omuivento doctrinae, that you be not whirled about, with every wound of doctrine, and that you esteem of those persons, by whose means, our lord hath showed mercy on you. Imitating the man, who was borne blind in the gospel.

John. 9 From whom no persuasion of any man, could take the good opinion, which he entertained of that person, who had cured him of his continual blindness. He took that benefit, for a great token of the goodness of his Master, when he said, si peccator est nescio, unum scio, quod cum cacus essem, modo video, whether or Noah, he be a sinner, I cannot tell: but one thing I know, that I who was blind, do now see. And though he said as we have heard, yet he believed well, that his Master, was a just person, as may appear by the holy kind of earnestness which he used towards the jews, and beside by our lords making himself known to him, in the temple: in reward of that faith which he defended. Myself have heard some things, which are said by such as oppose, and emulate those Fathers, but I find not yet, that any one of them is grounded upon reason, neither do I believe, that there is any: but yet I like well, that yet when you defend them, it be rather with meekness, and few words, than otherwise. For our lord hath these things in great recommandation; and his pleasure is, that they should be carried sweetly and with patience. I beseech our Blessed lord, to remain with you, since he died for you.

Footnotes

1. Gen 33. ↩