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Of the Evangelical Counsels

1. Which are called the Euangelicall Councells?

THose1 surely, which though they be not absolutely necessarie for the getting of saluation: yet to the intent that wee may haue a more ready and easie way to procure the same, they are proposed & counsailed by our Sauiour Christ.

For which cause, the difference that the Scripture hath sette downe betweene Preceptes2 and Councells, is very diligently to be noted: that we may vnderstand, that the first are prescribed, as necessarie to be obserued: but the other are counsailed and voluntarilie3 vndertaken, as furtherances of the perfitte obseruation of the commandements. Hereupon the Apostle, when hee woulde giue instruction about the leading of a single life, pronounceth this sentence: As concerning 4 Virgins, a commandement of our Lorde I haue not: but counsell I giue as hauing obtained mercie of our Lorde to be faithfull. And to this end is that which S. AVGVSTINE hath plainelie saide: A Counsell is 5 one thing, a Commandement is an other. Counsell is giuen to conserue Virginitie, to abstaine from wine & flesh, to sell all that we haue, & to giue it to the pore: but there is commandement giuen, to keepe Iustice, to turne from euill, and to doe good. And againe: He that shall willingly heare, and fulfill a 6 counsell, shall haue the greater glorie: He that shall not fulfill a commandement, vnlesse he be holpen by penance, he cannot possiblie auoid punishment. Vnto S. AVGVSTINE consenteth S. AMBROSE, when as he writeth thus: That is not commanded 7 which is aboue the lawe, but is rather persuaded by a counsell being giuen: and that which is the safer is shewed vnto vs. Also: Counsell inuiteth them that are willing: the Commaundement, bindeth euen them that are vnwilling. And of the same mind was S. HIEROME, as these his words do declare:8 Wher counsell is giuen, there is the free choise of the offerer. Where a commandement is giuen: there is necessitie of a seruant. But that deserueth a greater rewarde, saith he, which is 9 not constrained and yet is offered.

2. How many Euangelecall Counsells are there?

TO Recounte them all in this place, it is not needefull: but there are three principall, of embracing & professing Pouertie, Chastitie, & Obedience; as the Fathers haue gathered out of holy scripture. Pouertie10 appertaineth to those that once doe forsake al worldly things, that after the example of S. PETER & the Apostles, they may perfectly followe Christ. Chastity11 belongeth to those that haue cutte themselues for the Kingdome of heauen. And as TERTVLIAN hath12 saide, doe shewe thenselues voluntarie Eunuches. And they do performe obedience, who, to the intent they may fully deny thenselues;13 are not only vtterly auerted from all cupidities, but also from their owne wil as the scripture14 admonisheth: whilest they doe wholly submitte thenselues vnto his wil, whom in the steede of Christ they haue chosen to be their superiour.

Such kinde of Counsells, Christ the absolute example of Euangelicall perfection, hath not only taught in word, as we will presently shew: but hath also confirmed the same vnto vs, by the example of his most holy life: who, when he was riche,15 for our sakes became poore, not hauing where16 to lay his heade: who17 borne of a Virgin, perseuereth a Virgin, and the18 spouse of all most holy virgins: who finally was so diligent in exhibiting obedience, that being subiect to his19 mother a Virgin, yea & that which is more vnto a Carpenter, and being obedient euen to20 the death of the Crosse: he witnesseth of him selfe: I descended 21 from heauen not to doe mine owne will, but the will of him that sent me.

3. In what place is Euangelicall pouertie taught by Christ?

IN S. MATHEVVES22 Gospell, it is declared in that place which followeth the rehersal of the diuine preceptes: Of which preceptes it is saide to euery one with out exception: If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commandementes. And then after is the counsell proposed of vndertaking23 voluntarie pouertie, with a particuler forme of words annexed, which might leaue it to the free wil of him which choseth the same. For our Lorde saith: IF THOV WILTE 24 be perfecte, goe sell the things that thou hast & giue to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen, and come follow me. Where our Lord doth not only giue this counsaile: but addeth also as it were a spurre, and to the intent that men might be more willing to embrace this cou saile, he proposeth the greatnes of rewarde wherby he may allure and comforte them: promising that so it shall come to passe, that he which by leauinge all for Christes sake is poore: shall haue a treasure in heauen, shall receiue a hundred folde,25 & possesse life euerlasting, which otherwise is very26 harde for rich men to come vnto.

Such27 practisers & professors of28 pouertie, were the Apostles in whose name S. PETER said boldly vnto Christ: Behold 29 we haue lefte all thinges, and haue followed thee.

Of this number also, were the Christians of the Primatiue Church who as30 S. LVKE testifieth, did sel their possessions, and applied the money that came thereby, to the common vse: so that no man called any thing his own, because nothing was priuate, but al thinges remained common amongest them.

But this pouertie requireth that it be a voluntary and full resignation of Ritches, whereof, no31 proprietie may be retained.

And heere taketh place that famous32 sentence approoued by the auncient Fathers: It is good by portions to giue a mans substance to the poore: but it is better to giue all at once with an intent to followe our Lorde, and beeing free from care, to bee poore with Christ.

4. Where is the Councell of Chastity commended?

BOth in the Gospelles, and in the Apostles writings. For Christ commendeth those33 kindes of Eunuches, that haue gelded themselues for the kingdome of heauen. And least we should thinke that this is rather a Commaundement, than a Counsell; he addeth presently; He that can take it, let him take it. In which speech our Lord doth as it were exhorte, (as wel doth S. HIEROME34 interprete) and inuite his souldiers to the rewarde of Chastity; as if he saide: He that can fight let him fight: let him conquere & triumph. This can he do, vnto whon it is35 giuen: and it is giuen to all (as witnesseth the same36 holy father) that will aske: that will desire: that will labour for to receiue. For to euery one that asketh, it shall be 37 giuen, and he that seeketh, shall finde, and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. Thus saith S. HIEROME.

And to this Chastity, holy38 Scripture assigneth certes a reward: but to the Chastitie of Virgins; it promiseth a particular and singular rewarde. For they that39 haue not beene defiled with weemen, but haue remained Virgins: doe stande without spotte before the throne of God, and doe singe a newe Songe before God and the Lambe, & doe followe the Lambe whither-soeuer he shall go.

And the Apostle hath saide expressely: It is 40 good for a man not to touche a woman. And againe, as concerning 41 Virgins: A Commaundement of our Lord I haue not, but Councel I giue, as hauing obtained mercie of our Lorde to be faithfull. I thinke therefore that this is good for the present necessitie, because it is good for a man so to doe. And againe writing of the widdowe: Let her 42 marry (saith he) to whom shee will: only in our Lorde: but more blessed shall she be, if she so remaine according to my counsell. And I thinke that I also haue the spirite of God.

Vnto the Apostle very finely accordeth S. AMBROSE,43 when he writeth in these wordes: Iustly certes is the good wife commended, but more rightly is the deuout Virgin preferred, the Apostle saying: He that ioineth 44 his virgin in matrimony, doth wel: and he that ioineth not, doth better: for the one thinketh of the thinges that be of God; the other of the thinges that be of the Worlde: the one, is bound with the bandes of Wedlocke; the other is free from bandes: the one, is vnder the Lawe; the other, vnder grace. Good is Marriage, by meanes whereof there hath bin found posterity of humane succession: but better is Virginity, whereby hath beene atchiued the inheritance of the heauenly kingdome, & the succession of heauenly merites hath beene founde. By a Woman came care, by a Virgin was procured saluation. Hitherto S. AMBROSE.

Nowe this Chastitie requireth, that a man doe with deliberation45 and firme purpose, endeuour to liue vncorrupted and to lead a perpetuall single life, voide of all filthe of the fleshe, or venereous voluptuousnesse: that he may be holy both in46 bodie and spirite for Christes sake. And in regarde hereof the Apostle hath saide: Hee that 47 hath determined in his hart, being setled, not hauing necessity, but hauing power of his owne will, and hath iudged this in his heare, to keepe his Virgin: doth well.

5. How is the Euangelical Counsel concerning obedience proposed vnto vs?

48CHrist our Lord, first by the example of his most holy life, as we saide before: then by his worde, hath proposed and commended vnto vs the exacte and perfect manner of this obedience. For he came not to doe49 his owne will but the wil of his Father, and of those vnto whom we reade50 that he was subiecte: he came, to51 serue, and not to be serued, in so much that he hun bled himselfe being made obedient euen to death,52 euen the death of the Crosse.

Then by worde also mouing vs to his imitation, he saide:53 If any man will come after me, let him denie himselfe, and take vp his Crosse, and follow me. Which wordes may be certes, very well vnderstood, as spoken generally to all: but yet after a more peculiar & perfect manner, they do belong vnto those; who, so farre as their frailty can reach, doe so conforme themselues vnto Christ: that they will not in any one thing be gouerned by themselues: and doe endeuour to liue rather at an other mans direction, then at their owne; whilest they do follow of their own accord the will & commandement of an other, whom they haue made their gouernour in Christs roome.

The superiour of such persons, as teacheth S. BASIL,54 doth beare the person of Christ, and being made as it were an intercessour between God & men; doth Sacrifice vnto God, the saluation of them that obey. And therefore as sheepe doe obey their Shepehearde, going the same way that the Shepehearde leadeth them: so is it meete that such practisers of piety, doe obey their superiours: not curiously searching the thinges that are commanded, so that they be free from sinne: But with all alacritie & diligence, fulfilling those thinges that are prescribed: And of this Superiour, after S. BASIL S. BERNARD55 also affirmeth: him whom we haue in Gods rome; we ought to heare as God himselfe, in those thinges, which are not manifestly against God.

And such56 faithfull and excelent followers of Christ, as haue busily attended to the obseruation of the said counsells; the Church hath alwaies had: as auncient histories doe make mention: and amongest them certaine choise and approued companies of deuout and religious men, who aboue the custome and example of the common sorte, forsaking at once all their goodes, and abandoninge the pleasures of the fleshe, haue giuen them selues by profession to a holy obedience: only seeking and labouring that they might wholly conforme thenselues to the example of the obediente Christ, and to the perfection of the Euangelicall rule; leauing no place at all to their own proper will. Witnesses whereof very fitte and substantiall, we haue S. BASIL, S. AVGVSTINE, S. HIEROME, S. BENEDICT, S. GREGORY, CASSIANVS, S. BERNARD, and others innumerable professors of Euangelicall perfection, and not only defendours, but most perfect obseruers of a monasticall rule.

6. In breefe; what conceipte ought we to haue, of the Euangelicall Counsells?

THis surely, that they be prouocations & certaine helpes very profitable, which doe yelde armour vnto weake persons against the57 baites of the worlde, and the flesh: which doe further the endeuours of good men in the race of true pietie: which doe make the Spirite more at libertie to performe the functions of religion and diuine worshippe: and which moreouer are much auaileable, as we haue declared, for the atchiuing of the reward of eternall life, and more ample glory58 in the kingdome of heauen.

But the whole summe of Euangelicall perfection standeth in this; that as much as thou maiest thou endeuour to get59 charitie; and that thou followe60 Christ. And him thou doest imitate; if, according to thy power, thou doest seeke to conforme thy selfe to Christ, who was both61 poore and a62 Virgin, & subiect63 to others, and obedient64 euen to the death of the Crosse: If with the Apostle S. PAVL:65 neglecting those thinges that are behinde,66 with vnwearied labour thou doest trauaile towards those things that are before, & doest stretch out thy selfe euery day to the price of the supernal vocation, vtterly forsaking in the mean season, as much as thou canst, thy owne proper will, and submitting it to a man for gods sake, that thou maiest67 pursue the better giftes, and maiest both choose68 the best-parte, and with faithfulnes conserue the same euen to the69 end.

Footnotes

  1. Aug. ser. 65 de temp. & in ench. c. 121. Item l. 1. de adult. coniug. c. 14 & l. de sanct Virg. ca. 14. Item. l. 2. q. Euang. c. 19. et Paulin. ad Seuerun. ep. 4 ↩

    1. Cor. 7, d Mat. 19, c 16, d Luc. 19, f
    ↩
    1. Cor. 9, b c Mat. 26. a Mar. 14. a 3. Reg. 8, b Gen. 8, d Num. 6, a
    ↩
    1. Cor. 7, d Cypr. in ser. de nat. Chri.
    ↩

  5. Serm. 61. de temp. ↩

  6. Ibidem. ↩

  7. Amb. ep. 21. ad Eccles Vercellens. vide cund. in lib. de viduis. ↩

  8. Lib. 1. aduers. Iouin. cap. 7. ↩

  9. Ep. 22. ad Eustoch. de Virg. cust. cap. 8. ↩

  10. Mat. 19, c d , Act. 4. g Vide vitam S. Marci, Cypriani, Anthonij, Hilarionis, Chrysost. Paulini, Augustini, Gregorij, Iosaphat, cap. 35. Damascen &c. ↩

  11. Mat. 19. b Euseb. l 2. hist. c. 6 & Nyceph. l. 2. cap. 16. ex Philoe de vita conten platiua. ↩

  12. Lib. 1. ad vxorem. c. 6. ↩

  13. Mat. 16. d Luc. , c. ↩

  14. Eccli. 18, d Gal. 5, e Bas. in regulis breuior bus quaestione 96. ↩

    1. Cor. 8, b
    ↩

  16. Mat. 8, c ↩

  17. Esa. 7, c ↩

  18. Hier. ep. 22. ad Eustoch. c. 1. & 6. Amb. lib 1. de Virg. & ser. 90. ↩

  19. Luc. 2, g Mat. 17, d ↩

  20. Phil. 2, b Mat. 26, d Rom. 5, d ↩

  21. Io. 6, d 4, c 5, c ↩

  22. Mat. 19, c ↩

  23. Hier. ep. ad Helled c. litem in 19. Mat. & ad Deme triad. de seruand. virg. epist. 8. c. 7. quaest. 1. ad Hedib. epist. 150. & ad Pammachium, super obitu Paulinae. ep. 26. c. 3. & 4. Bas. quaest. 9. in regulis fusius disputatis. Damasc. in hist. Barlaam & Iosaphat. cap. 1. Chrysost. in illud Pauli, Salutate Prisc. & Aquilam. ↩

  24. Ibidem. Luc. 18, c Marc. 10, d & ibidem Bed & Theophylact. ↩

  25. Mat. 19, d & ibidem Hieronym. Euthymius. & Anselm. item Theophylact. & Beda, in Mar. & Luc Cassiancollat. 24. c. 26. Greg. ho. 18. in Ezech. Bern. in declamat. de deserendis facult. Damian in ser. de S. Bened. ↩

  26. Mat. 19, c ↩

  27. Luc. 6, c & ibid. Amb. Leo. in ser. de omnibus Sanctis. Chromat. in c. 5. Mat. Bern. ser. 1. in festo omnium Sanctorum. Tert. lib. 4. cont. Marcionem. cap. 14. ↩

  28. Aug l. 17. de ciu. Dei. c. 4. ↩

  29. Mat. 19, d ↩

  30. Act. 4. g 2. g Hier. epist. 8. ad Deme. c. 7. & in catal viror. illust. de Marco. Aug. in ep. 89. ad Hilar. Possidon. in vita Aug. c. 5 Cassian. l. 7. c. 14. 17. & collat. 3. c. 6. ↩

  31. Act. 5, a Hier. epist. 8. ad Demetr. cap. 7. Bas. ser. 1. de instit. Monach. & in constit. Monast. cap. 19. & 35. Item quaest. 85. in regulis breuiorib Aug. ep. 109. & ser. 49. ex diuers. c. 1. & seq. Item lib. de morib. Eccles. Cathol. cap. 31. Hier. ep. 22. ad Eustoch. cap. 14. Greg. 4. dial. cap. 55. & lib. 10. epist. 22. ↩

  32. Genna. de Eccles. Dogmat. cap. 71. Amb. 1. offic. cap. 30. & Hieron. aduers. Vigilantium. cap. 5. & 6. Prosper. lib. 2. de vita contemplatiua. cap. 9. Aug. lib. 1. de bono coniug. cap. 8. ↩

  33. Mat. 19, b. Esa 56, b & ibiden. Hier. item lib. 1. adu. Iouin. cap. 7. Bas. de Virginit. Epiphan. haeres. 58. cont. Valesios. Aug. de San cta Virginit ca. 24. & 25. ↩

  34. Hier. in c. 19. Mat. & l. 1. adu. Iouin. cap. 7 Cyp. in tract de disciplin. & habitu Virginum. ↩

  35. Sap. 8, d ↩

  36. Ibid. & Orig. tract. 7 in Mat. Aug. lib. 6. Conf. c. 11. Chrys. hom. 63. in Mat. Nazian. in rat. 31. ↩

  37. Mat. 7, Luc. 11, b Trid. ses. 24. can. 9. ↩

  38. Sap. 3, c 4, a Eccli. 26, c Mat. 13, a c 22, c Mar. 12, c Luc. 20, f ↩

  39. Apoc. 14, a Esa. 56, b Psal. 44. c d Cyr. catech. 4. 12. & 15. illum. Martial. in ep. ad Tolosan. c. 8. 9. & 10. Cypr. in tract. de disciplin. & habitu Virginum. Hier. in epist. ad Philem. Aug. in lib. de sancta Virginitate cap 14. 27. & seque. Greg. in 3. parte curae pastor. admonit. 29. ↩

    1. Cor. 7, a
    ↩

  41. Ibidem, e vide Hier. l. 1 adu. Iouin. c. 4. & seq. Amb. in 1. Cor. 7. & ibid. Theod Iten cund. in ep. diuin. decret. cap. de Virginit. Chry. in lib. de Virginit. c. 9. & seq. ↩

  42. Ibid. g Iudit. 8, a 15, c Luc. 2, e ↩

  43. Ambr. in epist. 83. ad Syricium Papam & 82. ad Vercellenses. ↩

    1. Cor. 7, g Legatur iden Amb. de viduis. & in 3. libris de Virginibus. Item in exhort. ad virgines & in institutione virginis cap 6. 15. 17. & Damas. l. 4. orthod. fid. cap. 25. Praeterea Athanasius. Basilius. Nazianzen. Aug. de virginitate. iten Fulgent. ep. 3. ad Proban. cap. 9. & 10. Hier. ep. 22. ad Eustoch. c. 8. & lib. 1. cont. Iouin. cap. 1. item apol. pro libris contr. Iouin. ca. 1. Ignat. ad Philadelph. Cyp. de bono pudicitiae. Isidor. lib 2 de summo bono cap. 40.
    ↩

  45. Bas. in Praefat. in Ascetica & in constitutionibus Monasticis. cap. 1. Cassian. collat. 12 cap. 4. & 7. ↩

    1. Cor. 7. f
    ↩
    1. Cor. 7, g Bas. ho. in Psal. 44.
    ↩

  48. De Obedientiae laude, & perfectione, vide Aug. l. 14. de ciu. Dei. cap. 12. Hier. epist. 8. ad Demetr. cap. 10. Greg. lib. 35 moral. c. 12. Item in 1. Reg. lib. 2. cap 4. lib. 4. cap. 5. & lib. 6. cap. 2. Cassian. lib. 4. cap. 10. collat. 2 cap. 11. & collat. 4 cap. 20. Bern. in serm. de 3. ordinibus Ecclesiae, item ad milites templi cap. 13. & in serm. de virtute Obedient. ↩

  49. Ioan. 6, d 4, c 5, c ↩

  50. Luc. 1, g. Bern ser. 3. de Cicumcis. Domini. ↩

  51. Mat. 20, d Luc. 22, c ↩

  52. Phil. 2, b ↩

  53. Mat. 16, d Luc. 9, c. Hieron. ad Rusticum Monach. ep. 4. c. 6. et 7 Bas. in ser. de abdicatione rerum, & ser. de instit. Monach. & quaest. 96. in regulis breuioribus. Item in con stitutionibus Monastici. c. 23. Greg. lib. 32. moral. c. 21. Niceph. l. 1 Eccles. nst. cap. 37. ↩

  54. Bas. in con stitutionibus Monst cap. 23. 1. Reg. 15, c Eccles. 4, d Luc. 10. c Ephes. 6, a Coloss. 3. d ↩

  55. Bern. in tract. de praecepto & dispensatione cap. 12. 13. & 23, vide cund. in ep. 2. ad Adam Monachun. ↩

  56. Philo in lib. de vita contemplat. & ex eodem Euseb. & Niceph. Iosephus. lib. 18. antiq. cap. 2. & lib. 2. de bello Iudaico. cap. 7. Epiphan. hae res. 29. Hieronym. epist. 22. ad Eustoch. de custod. Virginit. cap. 15 & 16. Item de viris illust in Philone & Marco. Dionys. de Eccle. Hierat cap. 6. Eusebius. lib. 1. de demonst. Euang. cap. 8. Aug. in Psal 132. & de morib. Eccl. Cathol. cap. 31. & 33. Item lib. 8. conf. cap. 6. Amb. ep. 82. Cassian. Collat. 18. cap. 4. & sequent. Nazian. orat. 20. Athanas. in vita Antonij. Sulpit. in vita Martini. Isid. lib. 2. de Eccles. offic. cap. 15. Sozom. lib. 1. hist. cap. 12. Greg. lib. 2. dial. & lib. 1. ep. 33. Chrys. aduers. vitur. Monast. vitae, & ho. 5. ad pop. cum sequent. Item ho. 41. in 1. ad Tim. Bern. in apol. ad Guil. Abb. & ho. de bonis Margaritis. ↩

    1. Io. 2, c Luc. 14, de f g 8, b Mat. 19, b c 13, c 1 Cor. 7, f Eccli. 31, a Pro. 29, c Iudic. 17, c 21, d Gal. 5, b
    ↩

  58. Mat. 19, b c d Greg. lib. 26. moral. c. 25. ↩

    1. Cor. 13, a 1 Io. 2, a 4, c Col. 3, c Aug. de morib. Eccles. Cathol. c. 33
    ↩

  60. Luc. 9, c ↩

    1. Cor. 8, b Mat. 8, c
    ↩
    1. Pet. 1, e
    ↩

  63. Luc. 2, g ↩

  64. Phil. 2, b ↩

  65. Phil. 3, c Psal. 83, c Ber. ep. 253. ad Garinun: Abbatem et ep. 341. ad Monachos Sanct. Bertini item ser. 2. de Purific. B. Mariae. Aug. ep. 137. ad Hip. ↩

    1. Pet. 2, d
    ↩
    1. Cor. 12, d
    ↩

  68. Luc. 10, g ↩

  69. Apo. 2, c ↩

Chapter 29 of 36