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Of the Cardinal Virtues

1. What meaneth the name and nature of Cardinall vertues?

CErtaine vertues be therfore1 called Cardinall, because they be as it were fountaines and hingels of all the rest: & as the dore turneth vpon the hingells, soe the wholle course of honest life consisteth of them, & the wholle frame of good workes doth seeme after a sorte to depend2 vpon them. And they are accounted foure in3 number: Prudence, Iustice, Temperance, and Fortitude. Whereof it is thus written. Shee teacheth 4 Sobriety, and Prudence, and Iustice, & Vertue: Than the which thinges there is nothing in life more profitable vnto men. Where, by Sobriety,5 Temperance; by Vertue, fortitude; is not obscurelie signified: And all of them are so commended vnto vs, that wee may assuredly vnderstande, that by the eternal wisedome6 which is God, they are properly bestowed, and are receiued and exercised with verie great fruit of mans saluation. Which vertues are called also Officiales, that is, appertaining to offices or duties, because that from them, as7 Saint AMBROSE hath noted do spring the diuerse kinds of offices; and are deriued all manner of duties appertaining to the ordinary life of man, according to euery mans vocation.

2. How are the Cardinall vertues defined?

8PRudence, is a vertue which according to the rule of honestie prescribeth what is to be desired, & what is to bee eschewed by a man. Iustice, is a vertue whereby we giue euery man his own. Temperance, is a vertue moderating the pleasures of the flesh, which are fealt in tasting and touching. Fortitude, is a vertue whereby labors, & dangers of death are constantly both vndertaken, and suffered out.

This is the noble chariot of vertues, whereby wee are carried into heauen: These are the foure riuers of9 Paradise, as10 S. AVGVSTINE calleth them: of whom also this saying of worthie memorie is extant: That, saith he, is the science & knowledge of 11 humane things, which knoweth the light of Prudence, the decen cie of Temperance, the strength of Fortitude, the holinesse of Iustice. For these are they, which fearing no fortune, wee may be bolde to call truely our owne.

3. Howe is Prudence commended vnto vs in holy Scripture?12

VVIselye doeth Ecclesiasticus teach vs in this manner:13 My sonne, without aduice doe nothing, and after thy deede thou shalt not repent thee. And againe:14 A wise heart that hath vnderstanding wil keepe it selfe from sinne, and in the workes of Iustice it shall haue successe. Also the15 fountaine of all Wisedome & Prudence, Christ, that true16 SALOMON teacheth thus: Be yee 17 wise as Serpents, and simple as Doues, to the intent that we may vnderstand, that to perfect Prudence, both, are iointly required, to witte, both the simplicitiy of the doue, which maketh men meeke and innocent: And the Prudence of the Serpent, which maketh men circumspect & prouident: so that they neither deceiue, nor be of others deceiued. That, shall be brought to passe, if we conforme ourselues to the doctrine of S. PAVL. See 18 brethren saith he, home you walke warely: not as vnwise, but is wise: redeeming the time because the daies are euill. Therefore become not vnwise: but vnderstanding what is the will of God, to witte, 19 good, acceptable, and perfect. And heereunto appertaineth that speech of SALOMON: Hee 20 that goeth with wise men, shall be wise; a friend of fooles shall become like vnto them. And this also: In the 21 face of a wise man shineth wisedome. Finally that which the same affirmeth: The 22 heart of a wiseman shal possesse knowledge, and the eare of wise men seeketh Doctrines.

4. Of Iustice, what doth the holy Scripture deliuer vnto vs?

Istice aduaunceth 23 the Nation: by 24 Iustice the Throne is established. Better is a little with Iustice, than anie fruites with iniquitie. And the office of this Iustice doth the Atle explicate vnto vs in these wordes:25 Render to all men their due: To whom tribute, tributes. To whon custome, custome: To whom feare, feare: To whom honour, honour: Hereunto belongeth those partes of a iust and happy man thus sette downe26 in the Psalme: He that hath not done deceite in his tongue, nor hath caused euill to his neighbour, and hath not admitted a reproch against his neighbours: he that sweareth to his neighbour, and doth not deceiue: He that hath not giuen his money to 27 vsurie, and hath not taken rewardes against the innocent. By which we may easely see that the name of Iustice is heere taken after a more stricte manner, then where we discoursed of Christian Iustice in generall.

5. How doth the scripture teach Temperance?

FOr the eschewing of intemperance, this doth the scripture enioin vs, that we make not the prouision 28 of the flesh in concupiscences, nor that by29 glottonie our hartes be at any time ouer charged with surfeiting and dronkennesse. But it exhorteth to the exercise of temperance, where it willeth vs30 to be sober and to watch, that is to say, by holy watchinges and praiers, to be ready, that we giue not31 place to the Deuill. For which cause Ecclesiasticus also giueth this admonition:32 Vse like a thriftie man, the thinges that are sette before thee, that when thou eatest much thou bee not had in contempt. Neither doth he forget to con demn dronkennes; For much 33 wine being dronke, maketh prouoking, & anger and many ruines. Yea also as the same saith: Wine & 34 women, make wise men to become Apostates. Therfore of drincking wine temperately, he addeth this also: The exultation 35 of the soule and of the harte, is wine moderately druncke: health to the soule and the body is sober drinking. And therefore we reade it written also in an other place:36 Blessed is the lande whose Princes doe eate in due time, to refreshing, & not vnto lechery. 37 And he that is abstinent, shal encrease life. But this vertue of Temperance extendeth it selfe further38 than to the moderate taking of meate and drinke.39 S. IHON Baptiste, (if euer any other) exhibited himselfe vnto vs a most perfect and absolute example of Temperance, Abstinence, yea & of all manner of Continencie, when as he cut off from himselfe all manner of excesse in diet & aparell, and contenting himselfe with a marueilouse kind of frugalitie, passed ouer his life in the wildernes.

6. What admonisheth the scripture touching Fortitude?

TO the vse and practise hereof it exhorteth vs sufficiently when it forbiddeth a peruerse40 feare; & commendeth vnto vs confidence, cherefulnes, constancie, and magnanimitie of a Christian minde:41 The wicked man flieth when no man pursueth him saith SALOMON: But the iust man as a confident Lion shal be without feare. And S. PETER giuethe this admonition touching the enemies of Faith, and Pietie:42 The feare of them, feare ye not, & be not troubled. Who 43 is he that can hurt you, if you bee emulatours of good? But if you suffer ought for Iustice, blessed 44 are ye. And S. PAVL being himselfe an inuincible45 souldier of Christ doth ofte encourage others to true and Christian fortitude: My beloued 46 brethren saith he, be stable & vnmoueable: abounding in the work of our Lord all waies, knowing that your labour is not vaine in our Lorde. And againe: Brethren be 47 strengthned in our Lord and in the might of his power. Put you on the armour of God that you may stand against the deceiptes of the Deuill, and resiste in the euill day, and stand in all thinges perfite.

Of a man that hath Fortitude these are the proper speeches. I haue 48 trusted in God, I will not feare what fleshe can doe vnto me. Our 49 Lorde is the protectour of my life, of whom shall I tremble? If whole armies stand against me, my heart shall not be affraide. If I 50 shal walke in the midst of the shaddowe of death, I wil not fear euils, bicause thou art with me. Who 51 shall separate vs from the charity of Christ? 52 I can al things in him that strengthneth me. This is that which the most couragious King DAVID53, as it were soundinge the allarume to al the sonnes of god, his fellowe souldiers, doth say: Doe 54 manfully and let your hart be comforted, all you that trust in our Lorde. In god 55 we will doe vertue, and he will bring to nothing those that trouble vs. But that certes is a life worthie of a Christian man, wherein we do liue wisely, iustly, temperately, and with fortitude. Hence is it that golden56 mediocritie, that we do nothing too much nor too little. This is that which the Scripture meaneth, when it saith: Doe thou 57 not decline either on the right hand, or on the lefte.

Footnotes

  1. Vid. Ambros. in Luc. 6. & lib. 1. offic. ca. 24. Prosp. de vita contemplatiua. lib. 3. cap. 18. ↩

  2. Greg. l. 2. mor. cap. 36 ↩

  3. Amb. lib. 3. de Virg. et l. 2. offic. c. 9 ↩

  4. Sap. 8. b ↩

  5. Aug. l. 1. retract. c. 7. ↩

  6. Pro. 8. b c d Eccli. 24. a c ↩

  7. Lib. 1. offic. c. 25. ↩

  8. Vide Aug. l. 1. de l. arb. c. 13. & lib. de morib. Eccl. Cathol. cap 15. Amb. in libris de officiis. Prosp. l. 3. de vita con templatiua c. 18. & seq. Ber. ex paruis. ser. 35. & in Cant. ser. 22. ↩

  9. Gen. 2. b ↩

  10. Lib. 2. de Gen. contr. Manic. c. 10. Amb. lib. de Paradis. c. 3. ↩

  11. L. 1. cont Acad. cap. 7. ↩

  12. Bas. in constit. Monast. c. 15. & ho. 12. in Principium Prouerbiorum. Bern. ser. 49. in Cant. ↩

  13. Eccli. 32. d 37. c Pro. 12 c 1. b ↩

  14. Eccli. 31 d 18. d 33. a Pro. 14. b Iob. 28. d Deut. 4 32 d vide Pro. 3. b 8. b Sap. 6. a c d 7. a b d ↩

  15. Eccli. 1. a ↩

  16. Mat. 1. d Luc. 11. d ↩

  17. Mat. 10. b & ib. Theophyl. & Hieron. Aug. q. 8. ex Matth. Greg. lib. 1. mor. c. 2. & ho. 30. in Euang. Prosp. lib. 3. de vit. contempl. c. 29. & 30. ↩

  18. Ephes. 5. d Col. 4. a 1. Pet. 4. Pro. 4. d Eccles. 2. c ↩

  19. Ro. 12. a 1. Thess. . a ↩

  20. Pro. 13. d Eccli. 6. d ↩

  21. Pro. 17. d Eccles. . a ↩

  22. Pro. 18. c ↩

  23. Pro. 14. d 15. b 21. c Eccli. 4. d ↩

  24. Pro. 16. b 25. a Aug. l. 4. ciu. c. 4. & l. 19. cap. 21. Greg. l. 7. ep. 120. ad reg. Franciae. ↩

  25. Ro 13. c Mat. 22. c 17. d Luc. 2. a 3. c 1. Tim. 5. c Bern. ser. 3. de adu. Aug. ser. 19. de verb. Do. & l. 22. cont Faust cap. 74. & 75. Theoph. in c. 13 ad Ro. ↩

  26. Phil. 14. a b Mat 5 a Chry. ho. 15. in Mat. Amb. l 1. offic. c. 28. & 29. & ser. 16. in Ps. 118. & in l. de Parad. c. . Aug. l. 4. doct. c. 18. See the 7. & 8. Command. ↩

  27. Exo. 22. d Leuit. 25. c Deut. 23. c Ezech. 18. b c d 22. c Luc. 6. c Leo. ser. 6. de ieiun. 10. mensis. Ber. ep. 322. ad Spirenses. Amb. de Tob. cap. 14. & 15. Hieron. in 18. c. Ezech. Conc. Later. sub Alexand. 3 part. 1. cap. 25. ↩

  28. Ro. 13. d 1. Pet. 2. c Gal. 5. c 1. Cor. 9. d ↩

  29. Luc. 21. g See before of Gluttony & Fasting. ↩

    1. Pet. 5. c 1. Thess. 5. b 1. Tim. 3. a c 2. Tim. 4. a Tit. 1. c. 2. a b c Leuit. 10, b
    ↩

  31. Eph. 4. f ↩

  32. Eccli. 31. b ↩

  33. Ibid. d ↩

  34. Eccli. 19. ↩

  35. Eccli. 31. d ↩

  36. Eccles. 10. c ↩

  37. Eccli. 37. d ↩

  38. Vide Prosp. lib. 3. de vita contemplatiua cap. 19. Amb. l. 1. de Iacob. cap. 2 Hier. in cap. 44. Ezech. ↩

  39. Mat. 3. a 11. a c Mar. 1. a Luc. 1. b g 7. d e Bern. in ser. de natiuit. Io. Baptist. Greg. ho. 6. in Euang. ↩

  40. Mat. 10. c 8. c Luc. 12 a d Esa. 8. c 35. a 41. c d 43. a 44. a 51. c d Hier. 10. a Eccli 7. a 34. b Pro. 3. c Psal. 3. b 22. a 26. a 55. b 117. a Esa. 12 a Heb. 12. a b c d ↩

  41. Pro. 28. a Iob. 15. c 6 c Pro. 29. d Eccli. 22. c Psal. 13. c Io. 12. f Apoc. 21. b 2. Cor. 1. c Mat. 11. a Gal 3. a Pr. 15. a 27. b Eccli. 27. b ↩

    1. Pet 3. c
    ↩

  43. Ibid. & 2. d 4. c ↩

  44. Mat. 5. a Luc. 6. c ↩

    1. Cor. 4. c 2. Cor. 4. b c 6. a b 11. f 12. c Act. 20. e 21. c 2. Tim. 4. b Ro. 8. f g
    ↩
    1. Cor. 15 g 16. c 9 d Ro. 11. c Gal. 6. c 2. Thess. 3. c Teb 2. c Eccles. 10. a Eccli. 4. d 5 c 11. c 2. Par. 15 b Iac. 5. b Heb. 10. f Mat. 10. c 24. b Bern. epist. 129. ad Ianuenses.
    ↩

  47. Ephes. 6. b Esa 40. g Pro. 14. c 2. Paral. 16. c lac. 4. b 1. Pet. 5. c Vide Prosp. l 3. de vira contempl c. 20. Amb. l. 1. offic. c. 35. & seq. ↩

  48. Ps. 55. a c ↩

  49. Ps. 26. a ↩

  50. Ps. 22. a ↩

  51. Ro. 8. g ↩

  52. Phil. 4. c ↩

    1. Reg. 17. d 2. Reg. 14. d 16. b c 17. b 23. a Psal. 17. c
    ↩

  54. Psa. 30. d ↩

  55. Ps. 107. d Heb. 11. f g Dan. 3. b 1. Mach. 2. b f g 2 Mac. 7. a f Act. 4. c 5. f g Apo. 2. b c g 3. a c d ↩

  56. Bern. lib. 2. de consid. cap. 10. ↩

  57. Pro. 4. b ↩

Chapter 26 of 36