A TREATISE OF BENIGNITY.  
WRITTEN BY FATHER FRANCIS ARIAS, OF THE Society of JESUS, in his second part of the Imitation of Christ our Lord.  
Translated into English.  Estote invicem Benigni, misericordes, donantes invicem, sicut & Deus in Christo donavit vobis. Be benign to one an other, merciful, pardoning one an other, as God in Christ hath pardoned you. 
With permission of Superiors Anno 1630.   

TO THE READER.  
GOOD Reader, The translator of the treatise of Patience lately printed, had also rendered this of Benignity out of the same Autour: but it came not in time to be dispatched with it; & therefore goeth here a part by itself. It will serve no less than that other of Patience to enamour us with Christ our Lord, if we will consider the unspeakable sweetness of his charity, whilst he made the world happy by conversing in it. The particulars whereof thou shalt find, Good Reader, admirably expressed in this treatise by this holy Autour; which is therefore recommended unto thee.   

A TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS.  

THE 1. CHAPTER. IN what the virtue of Benignity consisteth; and how Christ our Lord discovered it, in the Mysteries of his Incarnation, Nativity, and Apparition to the Shepherds, and in the vocation of the Gentiles in the person of the Magi. pag. 1  
The 2. Chap. Of the Benignity which Christ our Lord used towards sinners, and other very weak and imperfect men, supporting and instructing them. pag. 17  
The 3. Chap. Of the Benignity which Christ our Lord used towards the Apostles, enduring and curing their defects. p. 34  
The 4. Chap. Of other examples of that Benignity which our Lord used towards his disciples; enduring their imperfections, and sweetly curing their ignorances, and other defects. p. 40  
The 5. Chap. How we are to imitate this Benignity of Christ our Lord. p. 57  
Tho 6. Chap. Of the Benignity which Christ our Lord did use, in touching sick and leprous persons with his own sacred hands. p. 74  
The 7. Chap. How the Saints have imitated this Benignity of Christ our Lord towards sick persons. pag. 82  
The 8. Chap. Of the Benignity, which Christ our Lord did use to diverse blind men, harkening to them, expecting them, and illuminating them, and how we are to imitate him in this Benignity. p. 93  
The 9 Chap. Of the Benignity which Christ our Lord shown to little children; and what he taught us thereby. p. 102  
The 10. Chap. Of the Benignity, which Christ our Lord shown towards wicked persons, who came to him with a corrupt intention. p. 111  
The 11. Chap. Of the Benignity, which we are to use towards our neighbours, doing them honour by good words; and of the examples which Christ our Lord gave us herein. pag. 122  
The 12. Chap. Of other examples, which Christ our Lord gave us, of his Benignity in the same kind. p. 132  
The 13. Chap. Of the Benignity, and courtesy of speech, which the holy Apostles used in imitation of Christ our Lord. p. 142  
The 14. Chap. How we are to exercise this Benignity, and to use this good manners, towards them who use us ill. p. 157  
The 15. Chap. That it is not contrary to Benignity, to reprehend wicked, and obstinate persons in their wickedness, severely as Christ our Lord did. p. 161  
The 16. Chap. That it was convenient, that Christ our Lord should use these severe reprehensions, to teach the Prelates of his Church, how they should proceed against sinners: and how the Saints have been ever want to proceed. pap. 176  
The 17. chap. Of the Benignity, wherewith a Christian it to be glad of the good of his neighbour, and to approve and praise the same: and of the example, which Christ our Lord gave us thereof. p. 192  
The 18. chap. Of the intention, and moderation, wherewith we are to praise virtue in our neighbours: and of the examples which Christ our Lord gave us thereof. p. 207  
The 19 chap. How we must praisse virtue, for the making it be more esteemed: and of the examples which Christ our Lord gave us to this purpose. pag. 220  
The 20. Chap. How it is fit to praise the virtue of some, thereby to correct the vice of others. p. 231  
Tho 21 chap. How we are to praise the virtue of our neighbours, to defend them so, from some unjust slander. p. 245  
The 22. chap. How we ought to praise wise men, when they are virtuous, to the end that others may profit by their example and doctrine. p. 156  
The 23. chap. Of the rule which we are to hold, when upon the aforesaid reason, we shall praise the servants of God. p. 266  
The 24. chap. Of other rules which we must observe when we praise men: that is, that we praise some, without offence to others: and that we do it in moderate words. pap. 276  
The 25. chap. Of the rules, which they are to keep, who are praised; that so they may be at no prejudice, but receive profit thereby. p. 282    
A TREATISE OF THE VIRTUE OF BENIGNITY, wherein the nature thereof is declared, together with the operations and exercises of the same, and the examples thereof, which Christ our Lord gave us. Translated out F. Francis Arias of the Society of jesus, in his 2. part of the imitation of Christ our Lord.  

THE I. CHAPTER. In what the virtue of Benignity consisteth; and how Christ our Lord discovered it, in the Mysteries of his Incarnation, Nativity, and Apparition to the Shepherds, and in the vocation of the Gentiles in the person of the Magi.  
THe virtue of Benignity consisteth in that a man desire, and dispose himself to do good to his neighbour, whosoever he be; and in that he do it from the heart; yea and with a sweet and tender kind of will; and in that he put this will in execution by doing good indeed to his neighbour; and in that he do it abundantly, if it be in his power; and lastly in that it be with a kind of contentment, and joy. It doth also consist in that a man treat & converse with his neighbours after a sweet and gentle manner, condescending to them, and giving them gust in any thing, which is lawful, and agreeable to the service of God; and beholding them with a clear, and discharged countenance, and speaking to them in sweet and gentle words.  
There are men, who in very truth have the essential part of the virtue of Charity with their neighbours, both friends, & enemies; both wishing them good, and performing it to them: but yet they fall short, in remedying their necessities according to their ability; and they are austere and sharp in their conversation, and dry and untoward in performing the very good, which they do.  
The virtue of Benignity, doth cure and heal a man of all these defects; making him who is the owner of it, to love his neighbour heartily, and sweetly; and to do him good liberally & cheerfully; and to converse with him affably and gently, avoiding (for as much as the law, & good pleasure of God will permit) all that which may give him any disgust, or pain. And so, Benignity falls out to be, the act and exercise of Charity, with that perfection, which we have declared; and interiorly it embraceth the act of benevolence and love; and exteriorly the exercise of beneficence, liberality, affability, and of all sweetness in conversation. It is also one of the fruits of the Holy Ghost; For an act of virtue, in regard that it proceedeth from thence, and giveth gust to him who performeth it, is called a fruit; and therefore Benignity being an act of Charity, and causing delight in him, by whom it is possessed, is accounted amongst the fruits of the Holy Ghost. All this is confessed by the Saints, when they speak of Benignity. Saint Isidorus saith; That man is said to be Benign, who doth good with a good will, and useth sweetness in his words. And Saint Anselmus, declaring what Benignity is, saith thus; Benignity is a good affection of the will, & a serenity of heart; in virtue whereof a man doth, for God's sake give all he can, after a gracious and cheerful manner; and discourseth and converseth gently, and sweetly with his neighbours. And Saint Thomas, explicating the nature of Benignity, saith, that it is the very sweetness & tenderness of Charity which spreads, & communicates itself exteriorly; & that as natural fire doth melt metal, & make it flow; so the fire of love, which is Benignity, maketh a man scatter what he hath towards the succour of the necessities of his neighbours.  
This is that, which the Saints say of Benignity, and the sum of it all is this: that it is the tenderness of Charity, which doth not only communicate a man's exterior goods to his neighbour, but together with them, it communicates his own very bowels; which is, to discover both by words, and works, the dearnes & sweetness of Charity. The Apostle declareth this, by saying, Charity is Benign. Which signifieth, that it makes the man who possesseth it, not to be strait handed, but apt to communicate his goods; and not to be harsh or bitter; but that he communicate even his very hart by conversing with all men after an affable and sweet manner. And to give us to understand this truth, the holy Scripture, doth by one & the self same Hebrew, and Greek word, which signifieth Benignity in doing good, signify also a softness, and sweetness in the manner of showing mercy. And so, whereas David saith; Our Lord is sweet towards all, another letter saith, Our Lord is benign towards all. And whereas he saith, That man is gentle, & sweet, who showeth mercy; another translation saith; The man who showeth mercy, is Benign. And therefore S. Basil, when he would explicat what it was, for a man to be Benign, saith; that it is he, who doth liberally enlarge himself to do good to all such as are in necessity. And he confirmeth it by that Psalm which saith, Our Lord is benign towards all; and by that other, which also saith, That a man is Benign, who showeth mercy, and imparteth his goods to such as are in necessity.  
In this Benignity did Christ our Lord instruct us, and persuade us to it, by many examples, & Mysteries of his holy life which we will endeavour to declare. The first and principal Mystery, wherein he discovered his Benignity, was that of his Incarnation. In that, the most high son of God was pleased to become a natural man, & to appear visibly in the world in mortal flesh, obnoxious to the miseries and penalties of other men; and in that he did all this, to do good to man; and to draw him to his love, and so to save him; not only did he discover an immense love towards us, but a love which was also most sweet and dear. And not only did he communicate his blessings to us, but he also did it with supreme liberality, and gust, and joy of his own sacred heart. And together with his blessings, he communicated to us, his very self; namely his body, his blood, his blessed soul, and his divinity; and all that which he hath, yea and even all that which he is, he communicated to us, by many admirable & mysterious ways. This did the Apostle signify by saying; When in the time of grace, the Benignity & immense love of our God and Saviour to man, did manifest itself to the world, he saved and freed us from our sins, not by the title of justice, and the merit of our works, (which were not of any value without Christ our Lord, for the arriving to that end;) but through his own great mercy, and most gracious bounty, and by means of that sacred Lavatory, which is holy Baptism, whereby we are engendered a second time to be the sons of God, and renewed by a spiritual generation, & renovation, which is wrought by the holy Ghost; which Holy Ghost, the eternal Father hath by means of his gifts and graces infused and communicated to us in great abundance, through the merits of Christ our Lord, to the end that being justified through the grace of the same Lord, we might from this instant become heirs of eternal life, which now we hold by certain hope, and which hereafter we shall have in actual possession. This is delivered by Saint Paul. And Saint Bernard, upon these words, declaring that Benignity of God which was discovered in this Mystery discourseth thus. Before the humanity of Christ our Lord appeared in the word the Benignity of God was hidden from us. There was already in God this Benignity, & mercy, which in him is eternal; but so great Benignity as this, was not known before, nor was there any means how to to know it. And although it were promised by the Prophets, yet men understood it not, and felt it not, and many did not so much as believe it. But when that time arrived, which had been ordained by the divine wisdom, Almighty God came in mortal flesh, and being vested with his sacred Humanity, and appearing to the eyes of our flesh & blood, his Benignity came to be made known; for by no means could he more have manifested his Benignity, then by taking our flesh; and by no means could he more have declared his mercy, then by undertaking our misery. Let man consider, and understand from hence, how great care God hath of him; and how much he esteemeth him; and for how mighty an end he made him; since he did, and suffered so great things for him. And thus, by this Humanity we may know his Benignity; for how much the less he became by his Humanity, so much the greater, doth he show himself to be in bounty; and by how much the more he abased himself for us, so much the more amiable doth he show himself to us. This is said by Saint Bernard; and so it is a most clear truth, that nothing hath made so great discovery ●o us of the bounty, and Benignity of God, nor hath moved & obliged us so to love and praise him, as for that he hath taken our Humanity. And therefore as David saith, give praise to God, because he is benign and good; and sing praises to his name, because he is sweet.  
Christ our Lord did also discover to us his Benignity, after a most sovereign manner, in the Mystery of his most holy Nativity. For what love can be imagined more dear? & what communication of ones self more a morous? & what dew of heaven more abundant, and more sweet, then to see that hidden God, that God of vengeance, that God of those Celestial Hosts, that judge of the quick and dead, that Omnipotent in his works, and that Terrible in his judgements? to see him I say, become a tender and delicate little Infant, hanging close upon the breasts of a Virgin; all burning in love, & all expiring the sweetness, and dearnes of the same love towards us? And that he comes to us, not as anciently he came to the children of Israel in Mount Horeb, with thunder and lightning and with the terrible sound of the trumpet, and with huge flames of material fire; and with prohibition that no man should approach to the foot of the mountain upon pain of death: but that he should come to be borne an Infant, and appear on earth, with a most clear, and sweet light from heaven, to discover him and with most delightful songs, and exultation of Angels; who being full of joy, sing Glory to God, and peace to men. And that instantly then, he should recreate, and honour those poor shepherds with an Embassage performed by Angels; and should invite them to come visit him, and to receive the comfort of his presence, and to be enriched with the gifts of grace through his goodness. And that by his love, and humility, and meekness, and sweetness, he should encourage all men to approach towards him; and to come to him by faith and obedience; and so to take their part of all the riches and benedictions of heaven; for being the son of the eternal Father, be came full of grace and truth.  
He also discovered his Benignity to us, in the vocation of the Magis, that first flower of the Gentiles, whom he meant to call in after times. He calls them instantly, as soon as he was borne, and he sent no Prophet for them, nor any Angel; for they had no knowledge of Prophets, & they were not wont to see Angels, and so they might have rather been estranged by such unusual invitations: but condescending to their condition and custom, he sent them a star, which by the novelty thereof might move them to a kind of admiration; and to a search of what it might mean; and by the secret virtue thereof might be teaching them withal, that if signified the birth of the new King; and he admonished and invited them to seek him, by following that star, & he gave them courage not to fear the tyrant Herod; and he gave them faith and devotion to know, that the Infant, whom they saw new borne, was the eternal God; that so they might dedicate themselves to do him eternal service, as to the King and Lord of heaven and earth, whom they saw in so great poverty and contempt, for as much as concerned the world.  
All this is the supreme Benignity, and most sweet dear love of God towards man; and it invites us to seek him; and if we have offended him, to confide, that lamenting our sins, we shall obtain pardon of him; and that he will receive us, to his grace and love. For now, when he hath already discovered his great Benignity to us; by his sacred Humanity; with more reason doth he say, that to us, which anciently he said by the Prophet joel, be you converted to your Lord God for he is Benign, and merciful; and as he is Benign, he taketh gust in dealing graciously, and most liberally with you, and in pardoning your offences past, and as he is merciful he will deliver you from your miseries, and from the greatest of them of all, which are your sins.   

THE II. CHAPTER. Of the Benignity which Christ our Lord used towards sinners, and other very weak and imperfect men, supporting and instructing them.  
AFter our Lord had begun to manifest himself in Israel, and to converse with men, he discovered and exercised his Benignity, many several ways: One of them was, that such persons as were ignorant, tude, and very imperfect, who came to demand succour of him, he received with much sweetness, and condescended to their great weakness, and tolerated their rudeness, and after a mild and gentle manner, dispossessed them of their ignorance. Nicodemus the Pharisee, Io. 3. came to Christ, to be taught by him; and though our Lord saw his great weakness, in that he had not the heart to publish himself for the disciple of Christ our Lord, nor to confess his faith, for the fear he had to be persecuted by other Pharisees, and was ashamed that they should know of him, that being an Ancient, and Master in the law, he should go to Christ to learn the Mysteries of the same Law; for which reason he went by night, & that in very secret manner. And though our Lord did well discern his great ignorance, and rudeness, and that he had no understanding, or apprehension of spiritual things, or divine Mysteries; but that whatsoever he said, and taught, the other did measure, and judge of it by the rule of corporal and sensibles things, without raising his heart from earth to the consideration of things invisible & divine: notwithstanding all this, our benigue Lord, did not reprove these so notorious defects, with severity, nor did he exaggerate his ignorance, nor reproach him for his rudeness, nor condemn him for his inordinate fear, nor did he drive him away for his weakness, nor shown he any wearisomeness, or disgust in respect of his cross answers; but he entertained himself at large with him alone, and held long discourse with him, whereby he did, after a sweet manner give him to understand his ignorance & rudeness; and he discovered to him the Mysteries, which were necessary for his salvation; namely the spiritual regeneration which is made by Baptism; and the Mystery of the Incarnation; which he declared to him, by saying that he was in heaven, whereby he signified that he was God, and in all places at once. And by saying also that he was descended from heaven, & he signified that he was true man. He declared also the Mystery of his Passion, by saying that he was to be raised up to the Cross, as the Brazen Serpent was lifted up upon a pole, to the end that, as all they who beheld the serpent were cured of their torporall diseases, so might all they be healed of their sins, who would behold and believe in him, with a lively faith. It was a great Benignity to dissemble, or pass by so many defects of a timorous & imperfect man, and to discourse with him after so loving and sweet a manner; & to discover so great Mysteries, to a person so rude and weak; and to give him light to understand them, & help whereby he might go increasing, and profiting in the good way which he had begun.  
There came to Christ our Lord, Mat. 9 Marc. 5. a Prince of the Synagogue, to ask remedy for a daughter of his, who already was at the last cast, and he held her for dead; as indeed she died instantly after; and he desired our Lord, that he would go to his house, and lay his hand upon her, that so he might give her life. This man coming to Christ our Lord with so imperfect a faith, and with so mean a conceit of the power of our Lord, as to think that it would be necessary for the health of his daughter, that he must go to his house, & lay his hand upon her, not believing that he could cure her without these ceremonies; yet notwithstanding all this, our Lord received him, and conversed with him after so sweet a manner, and shown himself so affable to him, that he dissembled the seeing of all these defects; and he reproved him not for them, lest he should have grieved him by his words, whereas he meant to cure him by his works. Nor did he deny that which the other asked; nor did he differre the doing of it; but instantly he rose up, and went with him, and granted not only that which he asked, but a great deal more. For he raised his dead daughter to life in body, and he also gave health to her soul, by making her believe firmly in him, upon the sight of so great a miracle, and he moved and obliged him, to do him service with devotion, for so singular a benefit.  
This was an act of great Benignity, and so did Saint chrysostom observe thereof, saying; Behold the dullness of this man, who for the health of his daughter, desires Christ our Lord that he will go to his house, and lay his hand upon her. And yet our Lord, not looking upon the unworthiness of him who asked the benefit, did with much facility and suavity grant his suit, going presently to his house, to do the thing which he desired, and much more than he desired. For he resolved to raise her from death to life; and moreover to give a firm hope of the Resurrection to them, who saw, and believed that miracle.  
Let us be hold other examples of the same kind of Benignity, in his receiving rude, and imperfect people, after a sweet manner, and in teaching, and comforting them, both by word and deed. john 4. There came a Samaritan woman to Christ our Lord; and, notwithstanding that she were a creature of very base condition, and of more base life; and a Gentile by descent, and extremely rude in matters which concerned Religion and spirit, yet he invited her to have speech with him, himself beginning the discourse and desiring water of her, whereof he knew he would not drink; and he fell into a most sweet and favourable communication with her, and he made her a very long Sermon, full of Mysteries, and he passed by the rudeness both of her questions and answers; and he condescended to her ignorance; and he accommodated himself to her weakness; and by the resemblance of corporal things taught her things which were spiritual; and by means of material water, he advanced her to the understanding of the value, and effects of the water of grace. And he went instructing her by little and little; discovering to her first that he was a Prophet, and teaching her afterward, how she was to honour one only God, with spiritual and true worship. And having already disposed her, by the knowledge of these things, he plainly declared to her at last, that he was the very Messiah, who was come to save the world; and that which he told her in words, he imprinted in her heart, giving her both light to believe it, and courage, and devotion to confess it.  
What dearnes, what sweetness of discourse, and conversation, can be imagined to exceed this? That the Creator of all things should speak, in so familiar manner, with so base a creature, and that the eternal wisdom should vouch safr by his very self, to instruct at so great leisure and by such a lowly manner of speech, so ignorant and rude a woman, and should give so high mysteries to be understood so quickly and so clearly by her.  
This is the Benignity, which Christ our Lord used towards this woman, and the Apostles were in wonder at it, as Saint chrysostom observeth saying; The Apostles were in admiration to see that excessive meekness, and humility of Christ our Lord, in that he was content, so publicly and in sight of all men, to speak so of set purpose, and so at leisure, and so benignly with a poor woman, & that a poor Samaritan.  
There came to Christ our Lord Matt. 9 Marc. 5. a sick woman who was subject to a bloody flux, and she came with much want of virtue; for out of shame and inordinate fear, she durst not discover her infirmity; and she thought to keep herself from being known by Christ our Lord, by means of the press of people, coming secretly near him, without the observation of others; and meaning, after this sort, to steal health from our Lord, without so much as his knowing of it, who was to give it. But notwithstanding she came so imperfect and weak, our most piteous Lord, did pass by all these defects of hers, without so much as reprehending them, or reproaching her for them; and he granted that which she desired, and hoped for, yea and much more than that. For instantly he cured her of that corporal infirmity, and he cured her soul, by taking away that vain fear, to which she had been subject, and by enabling her to confess both her sickness, and the health which she had received; and by augmenting in her, the gifts of faith and love. And having used so great Benignity towards her by this work, he was also benign to her in words. For putting her into quiet, and giving her comfort, he said, Thy faith hath made the whole. Which was as much as to say; In regard of that saith, wherewith thou didst touch me, although it was imperfect, I have delivered thee from thy disease: go thy ways in peace, and still be free from the same disease. So saith Chrisostome. This woman had not a perfect opinion of Christ our Lord, for if she had, she would never have imagined, that she could hide herself from him; & our Lord took public notice of her, for the good both of herself, and many others. For by discovering her, he took away her fear, and he prevented that remorse of conscience, which was to accuse her, as having stolen the gift of her health; and he rectified her from that false imagination; and he made her know, that nothing could be hid from our Lord, and then commending her faith, he placed her for an example to be imitated by others.  
We also are to imitate Christ our Lord in that Benignity which he used towards such as came to him full of imperfection, weakness and ignorance; and we must receive after a sweet manner our neighbours, when they come to us full of necessity & ignorance; enduring with a serene countenance their importunity, & rudeness; and giving ear and satisfaction to their questions; and benignly instructing them in those things which are fit for them to be known by them, according to the capacity of every one, and removing the ignorance, wherein they are, & comforting them with the knowledge of truth, and the hope of salvation, and appeasing their conscience, delivering them from vain scruples and fears.  
To this doth the Apostle Saint Paul Gal. 6. advice in these words. My brethren, if any of you be surprised by any sin; as it happens to them who sin out of Passion, or weakness, orignorance, and not out of mere malice; and who are as it were prevented, and surprised by that sin, into which they fall, because they have not well considered the ill they do, in respect whereof they are the more worthy of mercy, and more easy to be reform; If any such, I say, have fallen, you who are spiritual men, and live according to spirit, (that is, according to the true and spiritual understanding of the Law of God) instruct and inform well such a kind of sinner as this; and do it not with sharpness, & rigour, but with sweetness and gentleness both of words, and deeds, wherein true Benignity consists. And for this purpose, let every one consider himself, and reflect well upon his own weakness, and danger, and how subject he is to fall, as the other did, and peradventure worse. And from hence he will grow to instruct, and correct others, with the sweetness of mercy, and Benignity, and not with too much rigour, and severity; lest himself also grow both to be tempted, and conquered. This in substance is delivered by the Apostle; and with great reason he wisheth him who treateth such, as have fallen into sin, without mercy and Benignity, that he look well to himself, lest he be tempted and overcome. For in very truth it is the punishment, which he deserves, and which ordinarily almighty God inflicts, upon such as rashly judge and condemn their neighbour for committing any fault, and as despise him for it, to let them fall into the same sin. As on the other side, our most piteous Lord, is wont to use supreme Benignity and mercy, towards such others, as use Benignity & mercy towards their weak and imperfect brethren. This did that great and admirable woman Christina, with great ponderation and feeling affirm, when she said; There is no thing in the whole world which doth more move Christ our Lord to use Benignity, and mercy towards men, then to see that themselves are benign and merciful towards others; and such Benignity and mercy, cannot but lead them on to a happy death, which will deliver them up to eternal life.   

THE III. CHAPTER. Of the Benignity which Christ our Lord used towards the Apostles, enduring and curing their defects.  
THis very manner of Benignity, did Christ our Lord use towards his blessed Apostles, whilst he conversed with them, in mortal flesh. For during all that time (which was the space of three years) they were very imperfect, and lived in great ignorance; and by reason of their much rudeness, made little profit of the great light of doctrine which was propounded to them; and of that so admirable example of the life of Christ our Lord; which they had before their eyes. Let us produce some examples to prove this truth.  
Our Lord had already wrought that illustrious miracle, in the sight of his disciples, Matt 15 of feeding five thousand men with five loaves of bread; and shortly after, another necessity offering itself, wherein our Lord was pleased to feed four thousand men with seven loaves, and having already told his disciples, that he would not permit those troops of men & women, to return home to their houses, till he had fed them; they conceived it to be a matter of so much difficulty, that (as if it had indeed been impossible for our Lord to do) they said, where can we be able to procure in this desert, such a quantity of bread, as would be necessary for the feeding of such a multitude?  
What a great imperfection was this in them? and what a strange rudeness, and blindness of heart, that having seen with their own eyes, that our Lord had wrought so many like, and greater miracles than that, they did not yet believe, and confide so much in him, as that with so few loaves, he was able to feed so much people? and especially considering, that he had declared himself to have a will to do it; and that he had wrought the like in the self same case some few days before. And yet these disciples, making him answer with so little faith, and indeed with so little good manners; our most blessed Lord did yet treat them with so great tenderness, and sweetness, that he blamed, or reproved them not; nor shown himself a whit disgusted, or offended, for the little account, and estimation which they shown themselves to have of his power. But passing by all this, he asked them how many loaves they had, and they saying that they had seven, he commanded the troops to sit down, and he gave them all to eat of those seven loaves, and he made the Apostles gather up seven baskets full of the overplus; and in this sort, he did by that action of his let them see their rudeness, and he removed their ignorance, & settled them faster in their faith. And this was so great a fault in the Apostles, that the confessing and publishing of it themselves, after the coming of the Holy Ghost, was an act of great humility in them; and the suffering and curing it by our Lord, with so great pity and mercy, was admirable Benignity in him. So saith Saint chrysostom. It is worthy of great admiration, to see the Apostles so great friends to the truth, as that themselves, who wrote the Evangelicall history, would not cover those so great faults of their own. For it was no little one, that they could so soon forget that miracle, which our Lord had wrought so lately before, in the multiplication of the five loaves of bread. And Theophylact addeth thus; It was not reason that they should so soon have forgotten that miracle, whereby our Lord had given food in the wilderness, to more persons, with fewer loaves of bread. But the disciples, were men very gross, and of mean understanding; which our Lord permitted to be so, to the end that when afterward we should find them so full of discretion, and wisdom, we might know that it was the gift of divine grace, which caused it. But their ignorance and untowardness being so great, as we see it was, our Lord did not yet rebuke, or reproach them for this fault, but cured it with great Benignity; and instructed us thereby, not to put ourselves in choler with ignorant people, nor to be sharp or wayward towards them, but that we must have compassion of their ignorance, and instruct them and correct them with charity.  
Our Lord did also discover his Benignity to the Apostles, in that having already wrought that miracle of the seven loaves; & telling them that they were to take heed of the leaven of the Pharisees and Saducees, Matt. 16. Marc. 8. (which signified their evil doctrine and example) they would needs understand as if he had said it, because they were not provided of bread enough for the desert; and so they were afraid they might want food. And our Lord reprehending this fault in them, which they had added to the former, said in this manner; do you not understand, and remember the five loves of bread, and the five thousand men, which I sustained with them; nor yet the seven loves, wherewith I fed four thousand men? And thus reproving them, as much as was necessary, he did it yet in words as gentle, as you have heard; and with so great sweetness, as that, together with reprehending them, he excused them; imputing their fault to ignorance and forgetfulness. O admirable Benignity, worthy of such a Lord as he, who together with the chastisement, giveth comfort; and whilst he speaketh of the fault, he giveth hope of pardon and remedy▪ So doth Saint chrysostom observe. Consider the reprehension which he giveth them, all tempered with meekness; for whilst he reproves them, he excuseth them; yea & he answereth for the very men whom he reproveth.  
But let us look upon some other examples of this Benignity, which Christ our Lord did use towards his disciples. When thus he had answered that rich young man, Matt. 19 who said. He had kept the comaundments, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell all that thou hast, and give it to the poor, and come and follow me, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and when the young man was going sad away, because he was very rich, and had not the heart to embrace the counsel of our Lord, and to make himself poor for the kingdom of heaven; Saint Peter said to our Lord, Behold, o Lord, how as for us, we have left all things, and we have followed thee, what therefore shall be done to us? What reward wilt thou bestow on us? Our Lord made them this answer; Verily I say to you, that you who have followed me, shall sit upon twelve seats, and thrones, to judge the twelve Tribes of Israel, with the Son of man, when he shall sit in the seat of his Majesty, at the general resurrection to a life of glory. At that day, you shall have great authority, and glory, by reigning with the son of man, and judging the world together with him.  
It was very little, which Saint Peter and the rest of the Apostles had left for Christ our Lord; for they were but a poor company of fishermen; and that which they had left (as Saint Chrysostom saith) was some fishing rod, some net, and some little bark. And although together with these things, they also left whatsoever they might grow to have, yet that also must needs be very little; for in the trade they had, they were never able to get much. And all this being so little, and that Saint Peter with so much liberty, and audacity should say to him, Behold, o Lord, we have left all, we had, for thee, as if they had left most abundant riches and great hopes; our Lord might with much truth and reason, have said to Saint Peter: What great possessions hast thou left for me; and what great acts of prowess hast thou performed in my service? And yet he said no such thing; nor did he answer them with any show of any disdain or even disgust, or with little estimation of that which had been left for his sake; but he spoke to him in great earnest and with words, of much weight and with show of great estimation of that which they had lest, and of that which they had performed in following him; and he declared that most high reward of glory & that most eminent dignity which he would give them, in the kingdom of heaven.  
By this answer, Christ our Lord did show extreme Benignity, partly by making so great account of such a trifle as his disciples had left for his sake; and promising such a sovereign reward for such a sleight service as they had performed in following him; and partly by showing how greatly he loved them, who then had laboured so little for him; and by esteeming them so much, who were so mean, and poor, as to promise to exalt them to so great dignity, and to give them a seat of so great Majesty; and by answering them in words so serious, so sweet, so full of comfort; and which gave them such a height of hope. So saith Origen. Saint Peter asked what reward he would give him for what he had left, as if he had performed things of mighty difficulty. But although the things which he & his brother left were little, in the account of the world; yet in the sight of God who regarded the love, and great good will wherewith they were left, they were much esteemed. This is the most benign & sweet condition of Christ our Lord, and our God; who be holdeth the services which are done him, and the good will men have to serve him, & their holy desire to please him, and that grace which he liberally bestoweth for the doing of them; and therefore doth he recompense little works, with most high and everlasting rewards.  
Our Lord, 10.11. whilst he was in the desert, having heard the message of Lazarus his sickness, and two days passing on, after he had heard it; and now understanding that Lazarus was dead, he said resolutely; Let us go yet once again into judea; for Bethania was seated in that Province. But his disciples answered him after this manner, Master, it is but the other day, since the jews were ready to stone thee in judea, and dost thou think of going back, where there is so much danger? And our Lord saying still, let us go yet again into judea, and they seeing his resolution and being full of apprehension and fear of death, Thomas said to the rest of the Apostles, Well then, let us go, and die with him.  
Now the Apostles having known by so many experiments, that our Lord knew the secrets of men's hearts, and that his enemies having a mind to take and stone him, were not able to touch him, because he had all power in his hands; and having heard him say many times, that in all things he performed the will, and good pleasure of his eternal Father; they ought to have believed, that if our Lord went into judea, it was most convenient thnt he should do so; and that he knew very well whatsoever was to happen to him there; & that if he should have a mind to free himself from his enemies, they could fasten no hurt upon him; and that themselves going in his company, might hold themselves secure enough; and that without his will, they could receive no harm; and that they ought to make themselves wholly subject to that will of his. But they forgetting all this and distrusting his power and protection, would have hindered his going into judea, and would needs have dissuaded him from the resolution which he had taken in that behalf; as if he had been either ignorant of the danger which there he might incur, or impuissant in defending himself from the same; and they were full of apprehension and fear, as if our Lord had not been able to protect them.  
And these defects of theirs being so great, our most merciful Lord was not yet offended with them; nor did he show any disgust, nor did he reprove them with sharp words, for the mean conceit which they had of him; but he informed them in sweet terms, that there was no danger in his journey, and that they might hold themselves safe in his company, by saying thus to them; Are there not perhaps twelve hours in the day? He who goes by day, stumbles not, because the day light lets him see the way; but he who walks by night, may stumble and fall, because he seethe not the light. Whereby he would let them know, that just as, whilst the natural day lasteth, which hath twelve hours of light, it is not in the skill or power of any creature to take away or diminish any one of these hours, or any part thereof; and that during this time, a man may walk securely without stumbling or falling; just so, as long as that time of his life was to last in this world, which had been determined by the will of his eternal Father, in which time he was to illuminate the world with his doctrine, and by his miracles, there was no cause for them to fear; for that all the power of the world was not able to take one moment of that time from him; and that so both himself, and all they of his company, were very safe. With this Benignity did he tolerate their boldness, and cure their rudeness, and their want of that faith, and confidence, which they ought to have had in our Lord.   

THE iv CHAPTER. Of other examples of that Benignity, which our Lord used towards his disciples; enduring their imperfections, and sweetly curing their ignorances, and other defects.  
THE two brother's Saint james, and Saint john, came to Christ our Lord, Matt. 10. Luc. 22. to demand at his hands, the two prime dignities of his kingdom; and herein they served them selves of the intercession of their mother. Now the rest of the Apostles, seeing the pretention of these two, grow into indignation against them, and were offended and troubled much, to see that they would offer to outstrip all the rest; and it moved a strife amongst them, to know which of all the company was to be the greatest in the school, and kingdom of Christ our Lord. These faults of the Apostles, being so worthy of reprehension; for faults they were (as we have declared elsewhere) in some of them, of ambition, & in the rest of envy; and such faults in men who had been so long advised, and instructed by the doctrine, and example of Christ our Lord, which was ever preaching, and persuading humility and charity, did well deserve to make our Lord offended with them, & that he should reprove them after a serious and sharp manner, & that he should punish them severely: yet our most meek Lord, having compassion of their ignorance and rudeness, which was the root from whence those faults did spring, used so great Benignity towards them, and cured their defects, with so great sweernes, that as for the two, with only looking upon them, and giving them answer to that petition, which their mother had presented, he made them see that fault into which they had fallen, by making their mother their intercessor for that suit, and by desiring to cover under the piety of a mother the inordinate appetite which they had to be preferred before the rest; and with only saying; You know not what you ask, he corrected and cured all the ambition which they had; and so reprehending their fault, he did withal, excuse them by imputing it, not to malice, but to the ignorance of men, who knew not what was best for themselves. And as for the other ten, he reform them also by calling them to him, & advertising them, that to desire command, and advantage over others, was the vice of Gentiles, who lodged not their heart upon heavenly but on earthly things; and that they were not to do so, but to imitate their Lord and Master, who came into this world, not to be served by men but to serve them, yea and to give his life for them.  
With this Benignity, Christ our Lord did tolerate, and cure those so great defects of his disciples. So saith S. chrysostom. As those two Apostles did obey the inordinate appetite of flesh & blood and did beg of our Lord, the two chief seats in his kingdom; so also the other ten, obeying the like evil inclination of flesh and blood, were offended and afflicted by the demand, and pretention of the former two. For it was ill done by the two, to desire to be preferred before the rest; and the rest, conceived it to be an affront to them, that the two should be preferred before them. And Saint Hierome addeth; That our Lord, who was all meek and and humble, did not sharply reprehend that inordinate appetite of honour, wherewith those two came to him; nor yet the indignation and envy, which the ten conceived against the two; but he treated them, and instructed them, and ●ured them all with supreme Benignity, and meekness.  
The Apostles being in the garden, with our Lord, the night of his Passion, he admonished them to remain watchful in prayer, lest otherwise, they might fall into that temptation, & tribulation, which was coming towards them. But they, the while, laid themselves to sleep; and our Lord having been at Prayer, and going to visit them, and finding that they were fallen a sleep, did wish them a second time, to watch and pray; and he said; Why sleep you? rise up to watch, and pray, lest else you be overcome by temptation. And having given them this lesson, he returned again to Prayer, and after went to see them a second time: and finding them asleep yet again, he said nothing to them. A third time he went to Prayer; and a third time he went to see them; and finding them still sleeping, as being oppressed by the great sorrow they had, he said to them, sleep on, and take your rest. And so he left them for a while, till the time was come, when his enemies who were to apprehend him, were approaching. Then he turned towards them & said; It is enough: rise up, let us go; for the hour is already come, wherein the Son of man, is to be delivered over, into the hands of sinners.  
This was a great defect in the disciples, because they were advertised, of the much danger wherein they were to see themselves that night; and they had promised, that they would give their life for our Lord; and they had been warned by him, two several times in words of great exaggeration, and weight, that they should watch and pray, because they were to be tempted in a grievous manner; and their prayer was to be the means, for their not being overcome by that temptation. And yet notwithstanding all this, they neither watched, nor prayed; and they suffered themselves to be overcome by sleep, which was the cause, why afterward being overcome by the temptation, they fled all away for fear, at the time when our Lord was apprehended, and they denied their Master, who was the head and crown of them all. But yet our Lord did suffer, and pass by, & seek to reform this so great defect with so great Benignity, that finding them asleep the first time, he corrected them with no other than these gentle words; Why sleep you? Whereby he would give them to understand, how vain that confidence was, which they had reposed in their own strength, making a promise that they would give their life for their Lord, whereas the while, they had not the strength to watch and pray during that little time. And when he went to visit them the second time, and perceived them to be overcome by sleep, through the great weakness, and frailty of imperfect men, he dissembled the seeing it, and having compassion of their infirmity, did not reprehend them, nor so much as speak a word, nor wake them, but still let them sleep. And the third time; returning to them, & seeing the difficulty they had to overcome their sleep, in regard of their much sorrow, he did not only pass it over, but expressly gave them leave to repose and rest, whilst he was watching, and praying, and sweeting blood for them. With this so admirable Benignity, and so full of the deernes, and sweetness of love, did Christ our Lord treat his disciples, and tolerate their defects, and endure the trouble they gave him; and he removed their ignorances and cured their faults.   

THE V CHAPTER. How we are to imitate this Benignity of Christ our Lord.  
THis Benignity must we use towards our neighbours, in imitation of Christ our Lord; and especially it must be done by Superiors towards their Subjects, by Teachers towards their Scholars, by Masters towards their Servants and slaves, and by Parents towards their children. First they must exercise this Benignity by enduring their imperfections, negligences and faults; not suffering themselves to be overcome by wrath, to wish them any evil, or to curse them, or give them injurious words, or any other word of revenge. And to this exterior patience, they must add the sweetness of Benignity, in such sort, as that it may be a benign kind of sufferance, which springeth from the interior sweetness of Charity. To this did Saint chrysostom admonish us, who upon those words of Saint Paul, Charity is patiented, & it is benign, discourseth thus; There are some who have patience, but they do not use it as they ought; for although in the exterior, they are silent, and dissemble the cause of their disgust, yet they do it with a kind of bitterness of heart yea and they show some exterior untowardness, and undervalue of their neighbour; and so they grow to offend, and provoke to further wrath, even those very people, whom they were resolved to tolerate. This kind of patience is not agreeable to charity which is benign, and useth to suffer with gentleness and sweetness both exterior & interior; and whilst it is suffering, doth not provoke a man's neighbour to increase of anger, but rather doth mitigate, and appease it. For we must not be content to tolerate the faults of our neighbours, after a superficial manner; but whilst we be suffering, we must also admonish and comfort them; and thus shall we cure that wound of wrath, which they may have in their hearts. Saint chrysostom declareth; that this is to suffer with Benignity.  
Superiors also who have charge of others, must exercise this Benignity; providing all things necessary both for their bodies and souls: for their bodies, giving them food, clothing, physic in their sickness, ease in their labours, and comfort in their troubles; to the end that they may bear them with contentment: and for their souls also by giving them doctrine, counsel: spiritual consolation, and good example, which may edify them. This do Prelates owe to their Subjects; Lords to their Servants and slaves; and fathers to their children. Benignity I say, doth require, that Superiors make provision of all things necessary, both for the body and soul, of all such as are under their charge, not sparingly & miserably, not with disgust and bitterness, and vexation of the inferiors; but sufficiently, and plentifully, according to the necessity of the inferior, & to the ability and means of the Superior; and that they do it with facility, and suavity, and with comfort to the inferior. For to this is the office and charge of a Superior ordained; not for the honour, & ease, and temporal comfort of the Superior; but for the remedy & benefit of the inferior, whom he hath in charge. So saith Saint Augustine; We who are Superiors, and Pastors of others, have two capacities; the one, in that we are Christians; the other, in that we are Superiors, and rulers. Our being Christians, makes for ourselves; and under that capacity, we are to look to our own profit, fit, and good: but our being Superiors, is for the use of others; and for the complying with this duty, we must procure their benefit whom we have in charge. This is delivered by Saint Augustine. And although it be true, that the Superior, as he is a Superior, is not to look so carefully to his own temporal profit, as to that of his subject, yet doing that which he ought in his office, and complying with them whom he hath under his charge, he doth also negotiate his own profit, & dispatcheth his own business best, since he purchaseth spiritual and eternal benedictions thereby.  
All Superiors must also exercise this Benignity, by imposing the burdens of their employments, and commandments, in such sort, as that the inferiors may be able to carry them on, with comfort. Let them measure out the labours, the business, and the offices wherewith they will charge their subjects, by the strength, and talents of every one of them; to the end that they may not carry them with deep sighs, nor be forced to faint under them; but that they may be able to discharge them with a cheerful and contented heart. And let them moderate their directions and commaundments, whereby they rule and govern, according to the capacity and talon of the inferiors; that so they disposing themselues to obey, and to do their duties, may perform them with facility, and profit of their souls. So faith Saint chrysostom; If thou wilt proceed like a man who indeed is holy, be austere and rigorous towards thyself, and benign and piteous towards others; and let men see, and hear it said of thee, that thou commandest others to do things which are light, and easy, to be performed; and that thyself undergoest heavy, and performest hard things.  
As for that which concerneth the chastisement and correction of inferiors, the virtue of Benignity doth not teach, that they should not be corrected: for this virtue is not contrary either to that of justice, or to that of Charity; both which oblige Princes that they should correct, & chastise their vassals; Lords and Masters their servants, & slaves; parents their children. For, the Apostle faith of that Superior, who governeth the commonwealth. It is not in vain that he hath power and authority to punish; as we see by the sword he carrieth; but it is given him upon great cause and reason, and for a great good use; for he is the Minister of God, for the punishment of such as do ill, and for the execution of justice upon their persons. That which Benignity doth teach and exact is this; that since correction, and punishment is necessary, and most important for the general good of the commonwealth, and for the particular members thereof; which is, to the end that they who are faulty, may amend; and the rest may fear punishment, and take warning by others, it must be executed with that moderation & sweetness, which may carry most proportion to this end, as Christ our Lord hath taught us by his example.  
This moderation & sweetness, consisteth in that; when the inferiors commit small faults, the Superiors do not exaggerate, and enforce them too much, nor correct them with too grievous punishments; but that they moderate their words and deeds, according to the fault. So faith Saint Dorotheus; Be not to great, nor too severe a punisher of faults, and defects, which are not great. And so also, when faults are committed through ignorance, or through great weakness, or upon some vehement temptation, and not with malice; observe that moderation, in making the reprehension and inflicting the punishment, as that you affront not the offender, with ill words; but that the pain he is to suffer, may lessen, according to the ignorance and weakness, wherewith the fault was made.  
And sometimes when the person, who sinned through ignorance or passion, is such as that of himself he grows to know his fault, and hath much compunction for it; and doth cordially put himself upon amendment, and that no hurt or ill example of others groweth by it; the virtue of Benignity doth require, that the punishment be remitted, or moderated at least, very much. So saith Saint Gregory; Some faults are to be punished very gently; for when men sinne not by malice, but by ignorance, or weakness, it is necessary that the correction and punishment, be tempered with great moderation. And in another place; as the fault of them, who sin by ignorance, may be tolerated in some sort, so they who commit it wittingly, and wilfully, must be severely punished. And that it is more convenient to pardon a fault sometimes, then to inflict punishment, the Venerable Bede doth affirm saying; Not always are they to be punished, who offend; for sometimes clemency doth more good, both to the Superior for the exercise of his patience, and to the inferior for his amendment. When faults are great, & unexcusable by any ignorance, and that it be necessary to inflict due punishment; that which Benignity requires, is, that the Superior who correcteth and punisheth, be not moved to it by anger and passion; but that in his heart, he have pity of the delinquent, and that he commit no excess in punishing; but that he temper, and moderate it in such sort, as that it may not seem cruelty, or too much rigour: for else he who correcteth, and punisheth, will receive more hurt, by his own passion, and the excess which he useth, than he who is punished will receive good. So doth Saint Gregory advice, speaking to a Superior. Let such as are good, find by experience that thou art sweet towards them; and let such as are evil, find by experience, that thou hast zeal in correcting, and punishing their faults. In which punishment, thou art to observe this order, that thou love the person, and that thou abhor and persecute the vice; procuring that the vice may be destroyed, & that the person may be amended, and preserved; and according to this, let the punishment be moderated in such sort, that it reach not so fare, as to prove cruelty; & so thou happen to hurt, and to lose him, whom thou desirest to amend, & keep.  
And to the end that the correction & punishment may be imposed with that moderation which Benignity requires, let the Superiout procure, that he do it not, whilst he finds himself angry, and altered, or inflamed with choler; but let him stay, till his heart be calm and quiet. And before he punish, or reprove, let him lift up his heart to God, and desire favour and grace from heaven; to the end that he may do it with such moderation as is fit; and to such end as he ought; which is, that the delinquent may amend, and so others may take warning by his example, & that the divine Majesty may be served and glorified by all. This doth S. Dorotheus declare to us, by these words. Our Predecessors & forefathers, the holy men, did teach us, that if any Superior being in anger, did reprehend his subject chollerickely; in such sort, as reprehending the other, he satisfied his own passion & anger, it did amount to be a kind of revenge; and he discovered the viciousness of his own heart, whereby he disedified them, whom he was to reform. And for this reason it is fit, that first he bridle his own choler, and be wholly in the hands of reason, before he punish other folks.  
All this moderation, which is necessary to the end that correction, and punishment be imposed with Benignity, the Apostle teacheth us, speaking thus to his disciple Saint Timothy; Argue, (that is to say convince such as err, with reasons and authorities) and entreat them also. Which is as much as to say, admonish the good by way of request, and in sweet manner, to the end that they may profit; & such others as are weak, and pusillanimous, to the end that they may get up into heart; and reprehend and correct the wicked, with fervour & zeal; but yet this you must do, with much patience. In a word, you must correct such as are faulty, without showing yourself angry, or in passion; but let them see, that you have a calm, and quiet heart.   

THE VI CHAPTER. Of the Benignity which Christ our Lord did use, in touching sick and leprous persons, with his own sacred hands.  
IT belongeth to Benignity, to show the sweetness of love, in life and conversation with men. And a great sweetness of love it is, that a man placed in dignity should draw near to a poor sick person full of sores, & should speak to him in most amiable manner; and should touch his sores, and cleanse them, and cure them, and comfort him with such a regalo as this would be. And so much more eminent as that Lord were, who should descend to this office; & so much more base as the sick person were, and so much the more horrible as his disease were, and so much the more often, and so many more as the sick persons were, to whom he should use this charity; so much the greater, and so much the more admirable would this sweetness of condition, and Benignity fall out to be.  
Well then, all this was done by Christ our Lord, who being the King both of heaven and earth, and the Lord of infinite Majesty, did touch with his own blessed hands, those poor base persons, who were sick of horrible diseases; and who came to him with desire of remedy; and he cured them, and left them full of comfort; and this he did many times, and to innumerable persons. S. Luke, and Saint Mark relate, how our Lord beginning to preach in Galilea, after his fast in the desert, came to the City of Caphernaum; and being gone forth to preach in a Synagogue, and the evening being already come on, all they who had sick persons in their power, brought them before him. And those sick people, being many. Mark 1. Luke 4. and their diseases of many kinds, (for they came from several parts of that Province, to hunt after their health by his means) he touched every one of them with his own sacred hands, and gave them perfect health; the whole City, the while, standing all amazed at that wonder, to see how he touched them one by one, and how instantly withal, they were cured.  
Having once preached a sermon in the Mount, he descended towards the plain, Matth. 8. Mark, 1. and there came many troops of people to him. Amongst the rest, there approached a man all loaden with leaprousy; and in the presence of all that multitude of people, he placed himself upon his knees, before our Lord, (but a little separated from him,) and besought him to cure him of that leaprousy, saying. O Lord if thou wilt, thou canst make me whole. Now our Lord could have cured him with the least word; yet, not contenting himself with that, but to the that he might show the more Benignity, he extended his hand so fare as to reach him, and touch his leprous body, saying, I will, be thou clean; and instantly he was cured.  
After the mystery of the Transfiguration, Matth. 17 Mark 9 there came troops of people who were expecting him, and they brought a lunatic before him, who was extremely tormented by a devil. Our Lord commanded the devil to departed, who yet at his going out, did treat the young man so ill, as that he fell to the ground like a dead body. And whereas our Lord could easily have commanded him to rise up, or else appoint one of his disciples to raise him, he did not so; but himself went towards the young man, and took him by the hand, and raised him up; and then the young man being touched, and assisted by our Lord, who sustained him in his hands, did rise.  
Whilst he was in Bethsaida, Marc. 8. they brought a blind man to him that he might cure him, which he would not do in the City before that people, but abroad in the field. And when he might have commanded them, who led him, to conduct him forth of the City, he was not pleased to serve himself of any other in that office; but himself would needs take the poor blind man by the hand, and drew him a side into a part of the field out of the company, and himself lead him, and became his guide, and to cure him laid his hand upon his eyes, and to discover his Benignity to us, he vouchsaffed himself in person, to be the leader of a poor blind man, which is a work of so much humility and meannes. Not only did he use this kind of Benignity with men, but also poor sick women. The mother in law of Saint Peter, Matth. 8. Marc. 1. was sick of a violent fever. He went into her house to visit her, he drew near her, he took her by the hand, and he raised her up, commanding the fever to forsake her: so might he have commanded her to rise alone, but he would not do so, but would needs raise her up himself, to discover his Benignity so much the more.  
Our Lord being preaching in a Synagogue one Saboth day, Luke 13. there came before him, a sick & miserable creature, bowed crookedly down even to the ground, and tormented by a devil; and our most piteous Lord called her gently to him, & made her come near him, and laid his hands upon her with great Benignity, and gave her perfect health.  
That which our Lord did with these sick and miserable persons, whereof we have spoken, he did at other times, with other innumerable sick people, who were subject to horrible and loath some diseases; for all the world came to him. And they who were so weak and wasted, that they could not come of themselues, were brought to him by others, & so they drew near him, and he touched them with his most blessed hands to cure them. Now that our Lord himself, should raise sick persons out of their beds, or from the ground, to which they were fallen, did proceed in him, from an un speakeable and most tender love, who not only was disposed to do men good, but also to comfort, honour, and regale such persons as he did good unto: which was a fruit of the supreme sweetness of his Benignity and love.   

THE VII. CHAPTER. How the Saints have imitated this Benignity of Christ our Lord towards sick persons.  
THis example of Christ our Lord, hath generally been imitated much by holy men who thereby have been moved, & animated to serve sick persons, and to cure them, and to raise them in their arms, and to cleanse them with their own hands. And this hath been done, not only by mean persons, but by principal and great Lord; who not being content with giving alms to poor sick people, and to maintain them by their bounty, have themselves, been glad to serve them, and strive to cure them, sometimes being sick of leprosies, and other most loathsome & corrupt sores; and have with extreme Benignity, done all imaginable offices of charity and tenderness, yea even so fare as to kiss their leprosies, and soars. And to the end that God might declare how much this tender, and benign kind of charity was pleasing to him, he did oftentimes concur, by miraculously curing those sick persons, who had been touched by his servants. Let us relate some examples of this truth.  
Saint L●wis King of France, used to visit the hospitals, where there was a great number of persons sick of diseases, both grievous, and dangerous, and extremely loathsome withal; and yet the King, without loathing that uncleanness, & the horror of their diseases, and without any fear also of contagion, would go to the sick, and would be serving them upon his knees, and regaling them with extreme Benignity. And this he performed with so great cheerfulness, and estimation of this office, as if visibly he had beheld the person of Christ our Lord, in every one of those poor people. And finding on day a leper, whose nose, & whose very eyes were eaten out, with the leprousy, & who was become even abominable to all that saw him; to this man he used extraordinary tenderness, and gave particular regaloes, and served him upon his knees, putting the meat into his mouth, with his own hands, and giving him the wine & water which he was to drink.  
The Count Elzearus of Ariano had every day in his house twelve Lepers, & he washed their feet, and gave them meat; and not content with what he did in his own house, he went to the hospitals, where they lived; and there putting himself upon his knees before them, he would wash their feet, and kiss and cleanse and tie up their sores. One day in the hospital he found six lepers, and some of them had their lips, and mouths so eaten, that they could not be looked upon, without horror; and the holy Count went to them, and comforted them by word of mouth; and afterward kissed the sores of every one of them; and this charity was so acceptable to God, that instantly they were all cured, and the house was filled with a most fragrant odour. Not only did Christ our Lord approve this work, by curing those lepers, who had been touched by his ●eruant, but himself also was pleased to appear to him in form of a leper, that so he might receive the same service, and regalo, which was afforded to the rest.  
Surius relateth in the life of Saint Ethbinus, the Abbot, whose feast is celebrated upon the 19 of October, that another holy Priest going with him by the fields to his Monastery, they encountered in the way, a poor leper all full of sores, and deeply groaning upon the ground, where he was laid. They came to him, & comforted him, and having much compassion of his misery, they asked him what he would have? and offered him all the service they could perform, although it were to give him of their very flesh. The leper said, the thing which I desire of you, is that because my nose is so full of corruption and filth, you would assuage my grief, by making it clean. They do so; and Ethbinus takes him in his arms, and raiseth him up from the ground, and the Priest comes, & cleanseth the corruption of his sore with his to ung. In that very instant, wherein they began this work of so great Charity, and Benignity, there appeared Angels from heaven close by the leper, and there appeared also a Cross, which was placed over his head; and the leper rose up whole, all full of splendour, and beauty; and they saw clearly that it was Christ our Lord. And when he was a little mounted up, he said. Yea were not ashamed of me, in my afflictions; neither will I be ashamed to confess you, and to admit you as my servants, in my kingdom; and when this was spoken he vanished, and ascended up to heaven. The two Saints were amazed, and full of mighty joy, and could not satisfy themselves with praising God, for the great favour he had showed them, by appearing in the form of an poor sick man; and for vouchsafing to receive that poor service at their hand, and to reward that with so great bounty as to give them an assured hope, that they should enjoy him in his kingdom.  
There have also been many Queens, and great Ladies, in the Church of Christ our Lord, who have imitated his Benignity, towards sick persons. Fortunatus the Bishop, relates of Radegundis the holy Queen of France (whose feast is celebrated in August) that she made an infirmary, into which she gathered, and wherein she cured a great multitude of sick persons, and she herself would serve them; and lick the corruption of their sores & even the worms which grew therein, and she would cleanse their heads, & cut their hair. And especially she did this to leprous women, whom she would embrace, and kiss, and anoint, and cure, and serve at table, with great sweetness of love.  
The Queen Donna Isabel, daughter to Don Petro King of Arragon, and niece of S. Isabella, daughter of the King of Hungary, who was married to Don Dionysio King of Portugal, and who for her sanctity, is publicly reputed and served in Portugal as a Saint by leave of Pope Leo, did not content herself to give all the goods she had to poor people, who were sick; but she herself would be serving and curing them, in her own person. And for this purpose, she would cause both men and women who were sick of loathsome infirmities, as sores, and leprosies and cankers, to be sought forth, & secretly brought into her Palace, and there she cleansed, and cured and served, and regaled them with all the expressions of piety, that she could make; & she would kiss the feet, & the sores of the leprous women. One day washing the feet of a woman who was leprous, the woman hide one of them, because it had been much eaten with the canker and there distilled forth corrupt matter, which gave a most loathsome savour. The Queme made one of her women draw forth the leprous foot, & put it in a basin, that she might wash it. When this was done, there came such a pestiferous savour from that foot, that the Queen's women, not being able to endure it, went all out of the room. The Queen remaining alone with the leper, did gently touch the foot with her hand, for fear of hurting it, and she cleansed it; and stooping kissed it with that horrible sore which it had. And Christ our Lord being pleased to discover how much gust be taketh in such works of piety, did entirely cure the leper at the instant, when the Queen kissed her foot.  
Now we also are to imitate Christ our Lord, and his Saints, in this sweet and benign kind of charity, towards poor sick persons; and we must visit them in their houses, and hospitals, and infirmaries, and we must serve and cleanse, and cure and comfort them, and provide them, the best we may, of all things necessary. And howsoever we may be placed in great height of nobility, and dignity, yet must we not disdain to afford such services & regaloes to poor sick people; since this was done by Christ our Lord, who is the King of glory; and many Christian Kings and Queens, have done the same for love of him. And it is a great honour and glory for us to be able to do a work so acceptable, and pleasing to Christ our Lord, and so profitable to our own souls; and of so great edification and good example to our neighbours and which hath the assurance of so immense a reward in the kingdom of heaven.   

THE VIII. CHAPTER. Of the Benignity which Christ our Lord did use to diverse blind men, harkening to them, expecting them, and illuminating them, and how we are to imitate him in this Benignity.  
IT doth also belong to this virtue of Benignity, to give that to ones neighbour, which he desireth, with facility and sweetness; yea and more than that which he desireth; and not to reflect upon the indignity of him who asketh, nor upon the authority & greatness of that Lord, who may need the like; but to consider what is agreeable to charity, which whensoever it is great, it communicateth itself to all, and doth good to all, and taketh order that in many things, the high and low, the great and little men of the world, be made equal to one another.  
Christ our Lord left us many examples of this truth. Saint Luke chap. 18. relateth how once coming to the City of jericho, a blind man near the way was ask alms; and when he heard the noise of the people in company of our Lord, and understood that it was jesus of Nazareth, who passed by, he began to cry out and say, jesus thou son of David, have mercy on me. And although the people bade him hold his peace, yet still he continued in crying out, and beseeching our Lord that he would free him from the misery wherein he was. Our Lord heard his cry, and detained himself in the high way, and made all that people which was in his company stay with him, and commanded that they should bring the blind beggar to him, and he stayed expecting till he came; & being come, he asked him this question; What wouldst thou have me do for thee? What dost thou desire at my hands? The blind man answered; the thing which I desire and beg of thee, is that thou wilt give me my sight: and instantly our Lord, without the least delay, gave him that which he desired, and said; Receive thy sight. And he received the sight of his corporal eyes, & the sight also of his soul; for being full of faith, and devotion he followed Christ our Lord, both with body and soul; and did not cease from glorifying Almighty God. This passed at the entry which Christ our Lord made into jericho, for Saint Luke relates that he entered into jericho, after he had wrought this miracle.  
Saint Matthew also chap. 20. shows, that Christ our Lord going forth of the same City of jericho, and being accompanied with much people, there stood two blind men, close upon the way, demanding alms; & when they knew that jesus passed by, they began to cry out and say, jesus the son of David, take pity on us. Christ our Lord did instantly make a stand in the way, and caused them to be called to him; and being arrived he asked them thus, what do you ask at my hands? They answered, Lord that thou open these eyes of ours, and take this blindness from us; and at the instant our Lord extended his hand to their eyes, and they obtained sight both of body and soul; and they followed our Lord, being full of gratitude for so great a benefit, and of faith, and desire to do him service.  
Much is here to be considered in the admirable Benignity, which Christ our Lord did use towards these blind men; in that he would hearken to their cries; and they, being so base persons, and our Lord so soveraignely high, that he would yet pause in the way, & stay for them, and make all them also stay, who went with him; and condescend thereby to the necessity of those blind men, and accommodate himself to their weakness. For if our Lord had gone walking on, they not seeing the way could not have followed him, or at least, not fast enough to overtake him; & he must have given them much trouble in putting them to it. That way of jericho, was also full of impediments and dangerous precipices, as Saint Hierome notes; and so if they had been put to go a pace in such a way, they had been in danger to receive much hurt. For these reasons did our Lord make a stand; as also because he would vouchsafe to do them honour, making so much account of them, as for their respect to stay in that high way; and to make so much people stay with him. And beside, it was a great testimony of his Benignity towards them, to grant them at the instant of their ask it; and that with so much comfort to them, so great a benefit, as it was to receive their sight, both in body and soul, and such devotion, as carried them on to glorify Almighty God.  
A great wonder it was, that joshua should cause the Sun to stand still, and make a pause in the heaven, to illuminate the earth, till such time as he had obtained victory over his enemies; and that the Sun and all the Orbs, which moved with it, should stand still, obeying the voice of joshua, the servant of God. But a much greater wonder it is, that our Lord who created both the Sun, and the whole machine of the world should make a stand in the way, obeying the voice of a blind beggar, that he might illuminate him both in body and soul, as the true Sun of justice.  
A great Benignity it is, that a King of any earthly kingdom passing on his way through a street, should stay and make all the Grandes of his Court stay with him, upon the cry of a beggar, who asketh alms; and that he should expect that beggar till he could arrive; and should give audience to his petition; and then instantly, open a purse with his own hands, and give the beggar whatsoever alms he had desired. But a fare greater Benignity it is, that the King of heaven and earth should detain himself in a high way, and stand expecting a poor beggar, till he could arrive to him, and then should ask him what he would desi●… to the end that his own mouth might be the measure of that which our Lord would give him; and that instantly he should open the treasures both of his mercy & power, and bestow all that alms upon him which he could ask or desire, yea and much more than he knew how to ask.  
Now our Lord by showing this mercy to those blind men, hath showed also a very great mercy to all faithful Christians, instructing us and persuading us by his example, to use Benignity towards our neighbours, giving ear to the cry of the poor, and bestowing with liberality, what they ask according to the ability we have: and that when they are not able to come to us, to ask remedy as being hindered, either by infirmity or ignorance, or any other weakness, we go to seek them out, or make them be sought; to the end that we may help them, accommodating ourselves to their impotency, and necessity. And teaching us also by this example, that we must expect, and stay for our neighbours, when there is occasion to do them good, and to give them comfort; and that although we may be placed in high estate, and they in low, we must not yet disdain to use this charity, and sweetness towards them. And that when our neighbours make us expect ●… while, and come not so soon as we desire; we must not yet be angry with them, nor lose the peace of our heart; but we must endure with patience, and expect and speak to them with Benignity, i● imitation of this example of Christ our Lord.   

THE IX. CHAPTER. Of the Benignity which Christ our Lord shown to little children; and what he taught us thereby.  
THe parents of little children, Matth. 19 Marc. 10. Luc. 18. seeing the power which Christ our Lord had to cure all diseases by touching sick persons, brought those little children to him; and not only them who were able to go upon their own feet, but also their sucking babes, who could not speak nor go, but in the arms of others; and they offered them to him, that he might touch them, and give them his benediction; and they had confidence that by this means, such of them as were sick, would recover their health, and they who were not not sick, would continue whole. Their parents used this very often, and with much importunity: for they who had children were many, and did so much esteem this good of their children, that no man would want it by his will; and every one desired to prevent his neighbour, and be the first to get a blessing for his son. The Apostles seeing this, and conceiving that it was a thing unworthy of the authority and gravity of our Lord, to employ himself upon such a light and mean thing as this, and thereby to hinder greater matters; & thinking also, that because the exercise was so frequent, and used with so great importunity, and ill manners by those parents, who brought their children, that our Lord would be troubled and vexed thereby; did use severely to reprehend such as brought the children; and would shake them off, as threatening them; that so they might not come to our Lord. So saith Saint chrysostom, giving a reason thereof. The disciples driven away the little children, and forbade them to come to our Lord, in respect of his dignity, and the authority of his person. And S. Hierome, declaring another reason saith; The disciples thought, that as other men are wont to be disquieted, and displeased, by such importunities; so also would our Lord be, by the frequency and importunity, whereby they offered their children. And Saint Ambrose addeth another cause to this, and faith; The disciples also did thus, lest otherwise our Lord might have beme oppressed, that is; much straigthened and tired, by the multitude of people, which came to him; some thrustling and justling others, by occasion of the children whom they brought. Now our Lord perceiving how the Apostles hindered little children from approaching to him, though he knew their zeal, and the intention wherewith they did it, which was not ill; yet he liked it not, because it was not so agreeable to the divine spirit of the same Lord, but to the humane spirit of the disciples. And showing both by his countenance and his words, that he liked it not, he called & reprehended them saying; Suffer little children to come to me, and do not hinder them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven. I mean that heaven doth belong, not only to those little children, for the purity, innocency and grace they have; but that the same kidgdom of heaven shall be also given to men, who in their practice of humility, simplicity, and purity of life, will become like little children. And so for that, which little children are in their own persons, by divine grace, which is, to be acceptable to God, & worthy of heaven; and for that also, which they represent in others, namely to be men, who are humble, innocent, and pure, whom I love and esteem much, and embrace with my very bowels, and bless with my gifts; therefore will I suffer them to approach to me, and I will admit them to my embracements, and blessings; and therefore see you give them no impediment in coming.  
Our Lord having thus reprehended his disciples, he called them who brought the children; and making those children come near him, he put his hands upon their heads; and embraced them, and gave them his holy blessing with his hands; & with his words he recommended them to his heavenly Father; and he made them partakers of his divine grace, by the efficacy of his benediction.  
By this act, Christ our Lord discovered to us his Benignity, and most sweet condition; in that a Lord of so great Majesty, and who was ever employed in so great and high works, should descend to a thing, which in all appearance was so poor and mean, and belonging wholly to men, who had no weighty business in hand; and that he should do it, with so cheerful a countenance, and with so much gust, and sweetness, that their parents, & others of kin who brought the children, should presume to bring them so often, and so importunately, and to interrupt the continuance of his discourses, and the working of his miracles; and to employ so large spaces of time, in this so mean exercise.  
And not only did Christ our Lord discover his Benignity to us, by this proceeding; but he manifested it to be so great, and so admirable, that it doth incomparably exceed all that, which men can conceive, and believe thereof. For although it were much, which the Apostles knew of the Benignity, and piety, and meekness of our Lord; yet they could not believe or understand, how it could possibly arrive so fare as this; but did rather think; that our Lord was to disdain such a poor employment; and that he would be troubled, and offended by the disquiet, and importunity which they gave him in this kind. But indeed it was fare otherwise with him; for the meannes of the action pleased him much; and the time it cost, was held by him to be well employed; and the labour & trouble which they put him to, was sweetly, and gladly endured by him.  
Let us imitate this Benignity of our Lord, in descending to do such things as are poor, and mean in the account of men, when charity requires it at our hands; and to treat and converse with poor, and mean people, though we may seem perhaps to lose somewhat of our right, and dignity thereby; if yet it do import for the assisting, and comforting them, in their necessities, & for gaining them to Christ our Lord, doing that which the Apostle did, in imitation of Christ, when he said, I have made myself all things, to all men, I have accommodated myself to the inclination and gusts of all men, in all lawful things; thereby losing somewhat of mine own right & liberty, that I might save as many as I could.   

THE X. CHAPTER. Of the Benignity which Christ our Lord shown towards wicked persons, who came to him with a corrupt intention.  
Our Lord shown great Benignity in yielding so liberally and sweetly to all that, which the people, who came to him, desired of him with good intention, and true desire of finding remedy by his means; but he discovered it much more, in yielding liberally to that which was desired of him, with a corrupt mind, and with a meaning to calumniate him, and to draw some word out of his mouth, or to note some action, whereby they might defame him, and condemn him to death.  
There came to him a man of the Law Luc. 10. after a counterfeit manner, to tempt him; and he asked him, what he was to do for the obtaining of eternal life? but our Lord did not discover his treachery, nor reprehended his wickedness, but granted that which he desired, instructing him with words full of sweetness, concerning the truth of what he was to know and do, for the obtaining of eternal life.  
There came a Pharisee to him, Matth. 22. who was learned in the Law, to ask him which was the greatest commandment of the Law; and he came, with a malicious mind and not with a desire to understand the truth, but to find matter, whereof to accuse him. And yet he without showing any feeling or disgust, either in his countenance, or words, did answer to the question with much facility & suavity, and he taught him the truth.  
The Pharisees did often invite him to eat with them, Luc. 7. & 11. Matth. 22. not with charity, but with a perverse and malicious intention; which was to see if he did or said any thing, which might be taxed; and finding nothing whereof they could take hold wherewith to hurt him, they procured to serve themselves of his piety and religiousness towards the making good their ill purpose; and therefore they invited him upon their Sabbath days, and would place sick persons before him; to the end that curing them upon the Sabbath, they might accuse him for not observing it. And our Lord knowing the malice, and wicked intention wherewith they invited him, did not yet excuse himself from going; but with great facility granted the suit they made, & accepted their invitation; and he went to their houses, and did eat with them, and comfort them by his presence, & illuminate them by his doctrine, and edify them by his example. And though he used most exact temperance in eating and drinking; yet to accommodate himself to them, & to show himself affable, and benign towards them, he fed upon those ordinary meats, which they used. And even this was a proof of his very unspeakable Benignity, that coming into the world to suffer for man, and carrying such an intense love towards the Cross, and such a most ardent desire to abstain from all earthly comfort, and regalo; and to take all that to himself, which was most painful and grievous, that so he might suffer the more for man, and satisfy the divine justice more perfectly, and discover and exercise that love so much the more, which he carried both to the eternal Father, and to the whole race of mankind; yet nevertheless, he did in many things remit much of this rigour at some times, and did both in his feeding and clothing, serve himself of ordinary and usual things; so to show himself more appliable, and sweet towards them with whom he conversed and fed; & to make himself more invitable by all men, and to give them all, the greater hope of their salvation. So saith the venerable Abbot Euthymius. It was fit that our Lord who came to take away fin, should be benign and sweet, and that he should accommodate himself to the weakness of men to gain them for heaven, as he did; and for this cause he went to the table of sinners, and fed upon their meats; though he did it in a most temperate and religious manner, as it becometh holy men to do. And although at times, he condescended thus to the usual custom of men for the winning of them; he did not for all this, give over his manner of austere and painful life, which he also exercised at certain times; as namely during those forty days, which he fasted in the desert.  
This was said by Euthymius; whereby it is confirmed, that so to admit of the invitation of sinful people, and especially such as did invite him with a malicious mind, as if it had been but to eat with them, was a work of supreme Benignity, whereby he shown his most sweet love; in the strength whereof, he had a meaning to comfort and save all the world.  
Especially he shown this unspeakable Benignity, in the time of his Passion. For being in the house of Caiphas, Matth. 23. Luc. 22. before that Council of unjust judges, & they ask him whether he wore Christ and the Son of God or no; & our Lord seeing that they asked it not with a desire of knowing the truth, or for the doing of justice, but only from his answer to take occasion of blaspheming him, and condemning him to death, and accusing him to Pilate, to the end that he might execute that unjust sentence, which they had given against him. And observing, that by reason they were so wicked, & so vain, and proud, they were most unworthy of any answer; yet nevertheless that sovereign Majesty of Christ, the King of glory refused not to give them answer, and disdained not to speak to them; but in very modest words, was content to declare to them, who he was by saying thus; Hereafter when my Passion is at an end, the Son of man shall be sitting at the right hand of the power of God; which was as much as to say, that he was to reign, & discover his power, and authority as he was God, coequal to the eternal Father. And they inducing another question hereupon, saying; Therefore belike thou art the son of God; he answered also to that, saying; yourselves say that I am so, which was to answer truth: but with very modest, and humble words; whereby though he gave to understand, that in very truth he was the Son of God, yet he affirmed it not expressly, as it was fit not to do to such as would not profit by it, though the answer had been more express & clear. And by answering them after this manner, he also shown his inclination to answer them more plainly, and directly to what they asked, if they would have known the truth, to have believed it. And this he signified by saying. If I tell you what you ask, you will not believe me; and if I ask you any thing, to the end that I may teach you truth, you will not answer me.  
Our Lord by answering these questions, which were asked by judges so wicked, so cruel, and so undeserving of any respect at this hands, did show how free his heart was from all passion, and choler; since he answered with so great serenity, & peace of mind; and thereby he prevented that aspersion which they would have cast upon him, if he had been wholly silent; and he discovered the Benignity and sweetness of his immense charity towards his enemies, since he obeyed them, who had no right of commandment over him, and satisfied their demands who were so unworthy of all answer.  
Let us follow the example of Benignity, which here our most blessed Lord and Saviour gives us, and not only let us love our enemies, as we have already showed: but let us also be benign towards them; and let us grant them, what they desire when it may lawfully be done; condescending to their disposition and inclination in lawful things; and speaking to them humbly, and modesty, and showing them the love of our hearts, and the desire we have to give them gust, and contentment, in such things as are agreeable to the will of God.  
This doth our Lord himself expect, and advice us to, by Saint Luke saying; Love your enemies, and do good to them: and if they desire to borrow money of you, or any other thing, afford it without hoping after any interest. And when there is need, give with a free hand, without expecting any other reward, then of Almighty God; and so the reward which God will give you for such works, will be very abundant and great. For you shall be the sons of the most high God, who is benign, even to men who are ungrateful and wicked; and though they be unworthy of his benefits, and breakers of his commaundments, & worthy of eternal torments, yet he ceaseth not to do them good.   

THE XI. CHAPTER. Of the Benignity, which we are to use towards our neighbours, doing them honour by good words; and of the examples which Christ our Lord gave us herein.  
THe virtue of Benignity, requires that a man should be courteous, and well mannered in the words, he speaketh of his neighbour; and that both in presence, and absence, he do him honour by his manner of speech. For Benignity maketh a man sweet and civil in his discourse and conversation, sticking close to the end of charity, which is a spiritual, and eternal good. And a principal part of this sweet conversation doth consist, in that the words be civil and courteous; whereby we may honour our neighbour, according to the quality of his person and state: and for this reason, a man who useth courtesy, is called benign, and gentle, and he adorneth his neighbour with good words. There are men, who being governed by a spirit of this world, or else by their natural condition (not corrected by reason,) use to speak of their neighbours, with little estimation of them, & when there is a latitude of giving them a title more honourable, they give him the least they can, so it be without offence to the quality of his person. And whereas they might treat them in better terms, they proceed in such sort, as to show little estimation of them, and so they trouble and grieve them. And especially they speak of their neighbours, when they are absent, in words which show they make little account of them; and thereby they think to exalt themselves, & to make themselues more esteemed by others; but they are deceived. For in that they do not the thing, which is required by charity, which is benign and sweet, they obtain not that which they pretend, which is to be esteemed and honoured; but they are despised, and dispraised for it. For estimation springeth from love; and if you love a man, you esteem him: and so on the other side, contempt springeth from hate; and to abhor a man, is to despise him. And so when a man is well conditioned, and courteous in his words, towards his neighbours, he is generally beloved; and for the same reason all men respect, esteem, and honour him: for they love a man, who loveth them; and they esteem & honour, such as esteem, and honour them. But when a man is discourteous in his words, and appeareth to make small account of his neighbours, he is abhorred by all men; or if they do not abhor his person, yet they abhor his condition, & discourteous language; and for the same reason, he is little accounted of, and despised by all.  
This is taught us by holy scripture saying; A sweet and gentle word, doth reconcile, and win the hearts of men, and makes them their friends, and multiplieth others, and doth sweeten & appease enemies; and a benign and gracious tongue doth abound in a good man. The meaning is; it produceth an abundant fruit in the heart of others, moving them also to be benign, and to speak gently & sweetly, to such as speak gently & sweetly to them. The holy Ghost saith of the servant of God, that he is well mannered, and courteous in his words; and this is that divine fruit, which he produceth in his neighbours, to make them meek, and Benign, as himself is. And of him, on the other side, who is rude, & discourteous in his words, the Holy Ghost also saith; The stroke of a whip, maketh the flesh black, and blue; but the blow of an ill tongue, breaks the bones; that is to say; it doth many times hurt, and wound the soul, in such sort, as to cause is to fall into sorrow, and impatience, & hatred, whereby the strength, and vigour of that grace and virtue, which it had, is lost. This hurt, doth a discourteous & unmannerly word, which wanteth Benignity, produce in the soul of man.  
Of this kind of Benignity in speech Christ our Lord did leave us most excellent examples, in his holy Gospel: They brought him one day, a man in his bed who was a paralitike, & breaking through the roof of the house, they placed him before him; Mat. 9 and our Lord, beholding the faith of them, who brought him, did him so particular a favour, that he efficaciously moved him to a great sorrow for his sins, and to have faith in our Lord, & confidence that he should be forgiven. And being then in so good a disposition, he pardoned them, and so he declared himself to do, by saying, Son, thy sins are forgiven thee. This man being so miserable in his corporal state, and being so base of condition, as that he might without shame, carry his couch upon his back, and being a sinful man beside, (for as Saint Hierome, notes he had contracted his disease by his sins) and coming to the presence of our Lord with the uncleanness of those sins, by the weight whereof he was oppressed (for there they appeared to have been taken from him by our Lord;) the same Lord being the creator of all things did yet call him Son; which is a title of great sweetness of love, and showeth such equality in condition, as runs between fathers, & sons. So high a Lord, doth honour and exalt so base a man, so fare; that in some sort he maketh him equal to his Angels, and Saints by giving him the name, and title of his Son. For this is the great dignity & honour, which Saints and Angels have, to be the sons of the most high God. So doth S. Hierome, note saying; O admirable humility of Christ our Lord, that to a contemptible and defeated man, without strength or health in any part of his body, whom the Priests of the law would have despised, and disdained even so much as to touch, our most Benign Lord was content to give the name of Son▪  
There came to Christ our Lord, Marc. 5. Luc. 8. a woman who had a flux of blood; she touched the skirt of his garment, and remained whole; and our Lord having brought her forth to light; and she having confessed the benefit which she had received, our Lord said publicly to her; daughter thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace. He honoured her by calling her daughter, and by attributing her cure to her own faith; & making her rich with Peace, and joy of heart; which was an effect of the pardon of her sins, and of the grace he gave her. And thus, by honouring the paraliticke, with the name of Son, and this woman by the name of daughter; we see it was no particular privilege, which he gave to this, or that person only; but that it was the common style which our most benign Lord used; honouring with this name such mean and poor men and women, as came to him for any help.  
His disciples being poor, and mean, and very full of defects, at such time as he conversed with them in mortal flesh, sometimes he called Sons; yea and at some other times, he would call them, by that diminutive whereby fathers call their sons, little children; to unfold so much the more, that sweetness of love wherewith he called them Sons. At other times, he would call them Friends; and after the Resurrection, when the glory of his sacred Humanity, and the Majesty of his Divinity was more discovered, he called them his Brothers, when he spoke of them to others in their absence. For once he said to S. Mary Magdalene; Go tell my brethren, I ascend to my Father and to your Father. And again he said to the Maries; Go tell my brethren, that they are to go into Galilea, and that they shall see me there. All these are titles of great honour, and glory; and that our Lord should use them towards men, who were so mean, and poor, and at a time, when still they were so imperfect; and especially that he did it after they had quite forsaken him, in his Passion, was an effect of extreme Benignity in him.   

THE XII. CHAPTER. Of other examples, which Christ out Lord gave us, of his Benignity in the same kind.  
CHrist our Lord, preaching in a Synagogue Luc. 13. they placed a woman, who was deformedly bend down to the ground, by that devil wherewith she was possessed. Now he having cured her, they calumniated him, in respect that he had done it upon the Sabbath; and he defending his miracle, from that slander said; Which of you will not, upon a Sabbath day, let your ox, or ass be untied, and carried to the waters? If this may well be done; how much more is it convenient, to untie the bond of sickness, whereby Satan had bound up this daughter of Abraham, although it were upon the Sabbath day?  
That title of the whole world, which was most honourable amongst the jews, and whereby they prised themselves, and wherein they gloried most, was to be called the sons of Abraham; and so upon a certain occasion when they were disposed to magnify this honour, they said to Christ; We are the sons of Abraham. And whereas it had been courtesy enough towards that woman, if Christ our Lord had said; It had been convenient to free this afflicted Woman, from that misery; or to deliver this miserable creature from that infirmity: he could not content himself therewith; but was resolved to honour her with the most glorious name, which could be used, amongst the jews, by saying; This daughter of Abraham; this woman, who according to the extraction of flesh and blood, is descended of Abraham; yea and in the way of spirit also; for she is an imitator of his faith.  
When Christ our Lord received that message joh. 11. concerning the sickness of Lazarus, and being resolved upon his death (which succeeded within few days after) to raise him up again to life, he said to his disciples; Our friend Lazarus sleeps, and I will go waken him. It had been enough, and more then enough, for a Lord of so great Majesty, to have said, Lazarus sleepeth, or (since he would needs do him honour to say) Lazarus my servant, or Lazarus, whose guest I have been, sleepeth; and with this, he had done him much honour. Yet his enamoured heart, could not content itself with this; but he would needs pass on, and say, our friend Lazarus, which is a word of the greatest courtesy and honour. For if it go for a point of high honour, to be accounted the friend of an earthly King; and for a great favour, and regalo to any vassal, that a King should call him by that name; what honour must it be, for a mortal man to be accounted a friend by Christ our Lord, the King of heaven? and what kind of felicity, and comfort must it be, to be called so, by Christ our Lord himself; and that not in compliment, but from the very roots of his heart? And so Christ our Lord honouring Lazarus with this word of friend, did also honour his disciples; equalling them with himself, and making them his companions in the friendship of Lazarus, and declaring that they were all his friends.  
This Benignity, which Christ our Lord did use both in word and deed, whilst yet he lived in mortal flesh, hath been also used by him, since he ascended up to heaven, towards many servants of his, to whom he hath severally appeared. And leaving many examples of Saints, to whom he hath done it, sometimes in the form of a child, and sometimes of a most beautiful young man, & sometimes of a most glorious person; and hath honoured and comforted them, both with words and deeds, of must sweet love: We will speak here, of one admirable apparition, and that of great authority, whereof we have made some mention elsewhere, to another purpose; and in respect it was vouchsaffed to a person of very mean quality it doth so much the more disclose the Benignity of Christ our Lord, and makes us the more confident of his goodness. Saint Paulinus Bishop of Nola, relateth how certain ships going from Sardinia towards Italy, grew into a great tempest, close by the Island; and the rest of them breaking, and sinking there, one of them which was fraught with corn, did not split, but yet was extremely ill treated by the storm. The mariners, did all leave her, and left also in her, an old poor man of Sardinia, who was yet no Christian, but had begun to be catechised in that faith; and it was his office to cleanse, and pump the ship. When the man observed himself to be alone, and in a ship which had neither anchor nor stern, (for she had lost all, in the tempest:) he began with tears to recommend himself to Christ our Lord, and to beg remedy at his hands. He passed in this anguish, six whole days, without eating any thing, and still continuing in this affliction, Christ our Lord appeared to him in great brightness and beauty, and comforted him and fed him, and commanded him to cut the mast, which was the ordinary remedy, whereof the ship seemed capable, in that extremity. For though our Lord was resolved to deliver the poor man, yet he was pleased withal, that he should also do his part. He put himself therefore, to cut the mast; and because he alone was not able to do it, the Angels of heaven helped him in it. When this visit was at an end, and the man had disposed himself to sleep, our Lord came again and appeared to him, and gently touching his ear with his hand, and gently pulling it, he waked him, and required him to go about the doing of those things, which were necessary for his navigation; and in that which himself could not do, he had the assistance of the Angels. Another time, he appeared to him, sitting in the pupp of the ship, where the stern is wont to be; letting him see that it was he, who governed her. The good man came to the feet of our Lord; and perceiving, that he vouchsaffed to be so familiar and Benign towards him; & that he did so cherish, and invite him to himself, he took great courage and confidence, and bend his head down, sometime towards his sacred feet, and sometimes reposed it in his bosom. Our Lord departed then, having both by word and deed, afforded those great favours and regaloes of so great Benignity, to this old Catechumenus. And the ship, being directed, and conducted by the favour of heaven, sailed three and twenty days by sea; and and passing by Africa, and Sicily, and by the Faro of that Island, he came at last to the coast of Lucana, which is the lower part of Calabria. There the inhabitants did receive him, and were all eye witnesses of the miracle; seeing him come safe in a ship, which was all defeated, without stern, or men to govern her. From thence they conducted the old man to Saint Paulinus, who received him with great love, and baptised him; and whereas first his name was Valgius, he called him now by the name of Victor. And the Saint affirms, that this was a very well conditioned, and a sincere innocent kind of man, and that he would recount this benefit, and apparition of Christ our Lord, with so great tenderness, and devotion, that whosoever heard him, could not choose but weep from the heart.  
By this example, and many others, over which I pass for brevity's sake; Christ our Lord hath discovered, that the Benignity, and and sweetness of his condition, which he used towards miserable men, whilst he lived in this world in mortal flesh, is still conserved by him, and still he useth it towards such as will profit by it.   

THE XIII. CHAPTER. Of the Benignity and courtesy of speech, which the holy Apostles used in imitation of Christ our Lord.  
THis Benignity of speaking in sweet & civil words, which was used by Christ our Lord towards men, he commanded his disciples in the Gospel that they should also use, towards their neighbours. And so when he sent them to preach to the people of Israel, he commanded that as soon as they were entering into any house, they should instantly salute them, who were in it, saying, peace be to this house, desiring and begging of God, the most holy gift of peace for them all. And this was to teach them, that they were to be courteous and affable, and benign to all them, with whom they conversed. The Apostles observed this order, very exactly. S. Peter the Prince of the Church, called the wicked jews his Brethren, who had crucified our Lord, saying. Act. 23. Brethren I confess that you did it by ignorance; do penance, and you shall be forgiven. And such as were converted, he called his fellows, and equals, 2. Pet. 1. in the faith, and grace of Christ our Lord. And the great Evangelist Saint john, called the faithful, his much beloved children. And writing to a Christian woman called Electa; he saith in the letter, to the Lady Electa and her children, whom I truly love. And writing to another Christian called Caius, he saith, to my much beloved Caius, whom I do very truly love.  
But what then shall we say of Saint Paul? With what Benignity, with what courtesy, and good manners, and with what regalo, did he speak to all men? For speaking to the jews who still continued in their infidelity, he saith Act. 13. Men and Brethren, and the sons of Abraham, to you was that word sent from heaven, which giveth salvation. And speaking to the Christians, who had been converted from gentility he saith, Philip. 4. My brethren much beloved and much desired, who are my joy, and my crown. And in another place he saith, 1. Tim. 2. You are my hope, my joy, and my glory. And speaking to King Agrippa, who was a wicked Prince, by nation a Gentile, and by sect a jew; he made him an exordium, full of estimation, courtesy, and good fashion, saying, I bold myself happy, o King Agrippa, in that I am to defend myself before thee, concerning those things, whereof I am accused by the jews; especially since thou knowest the customs and questions, which are amongst them; and therefore I beg thy patience in hearing me. By these few words, so full of divine sweetness and eloquence, he made him so propitious, and gained so fare upon his good will, as to make him gladly, and with great attention, give ear to a discourse, and sermon full of divine mysteries. And speaking to Festus the judge, a Gentile and an Idolater; & having heard this word of injury, from his mouth, Paul thou speakest like a mad man; too much learning hath put thee out of thy wits (for himself being blind, understood nothing but earthly things, and so the mysteries of heaven which S. Paul expressed, seemed madness to him) he answered thus; Most excellent Festus, I am not mad; the words which I have spoken to thee, are full of sobriety, and truth. What admirable Benignity was this, not to be offended or disgusted, nor a whit altered, by such a great affront, as it was to be called, mad man; and to answer with so great serenity of mind, and so great sweetness of words, so full of courtesy, and good manners, as to call him good or Excellent who was an impious Idolater? and he might say so too with truth: for although he were not Good or excellent in his Religion, nor in that kind of virtue which maketh a man just in the sight of almighty God; yet he was very virtuous in conversation, and morally virtuous, and so using a word of a double signification in a true sense, he honoured him as much as he could, yet still speaking truth. The Apostle did much declare his Benignity, & suavity by these examples, whereby he honoured his neighbours, both in speaking to them, and speaking of them: but much more he discovered it, in this instance which followeth.  
Onesimus an Infidel, & a slave, fled from Ph●…emon his Master, and came to S. Paul being at Rome. The Apostle received him with much love, and instructed him in the faith, and converted him by the grace of Christ our Lord, and baptised him, and returned him to his Master, and recommended him by his own letter, wherein he wrote to this effect. I beseech thee for my some Onesimus, whom I have engendered, for as much as concerns the spiritual life of grace, whilst I was in prison at Rome, and I embraced him as I would do mine own bowels. Which signifieth to this sense, I received him with much tenderness of affection, as a son whom I love with my whole heart, & with all the affections thereof. If thou houldest me for thy friend, and if thou lovest and respectest me, as such an one; receive him even as thou wouldst do me, with the same affection of love, and with the same estimation, and good usage wherewith thou wouldst receive me. And if he own thee any thing, either for having run away, or for taking any thing from thee, put it upon my account, demand satisfaction and payment thereof at my hands; for I offer to pay and satisfy it all, for him. Grant my suit, as I desire it, and I will rejoice with thee in our Lord, for this good work of thine. Make my heart glad, by doing as much as I have asked; which is to say, give me this comfort and this regalo, that thou receive and treat Onesimus, as I have begged at thy hands.  
Who would not be amazed to read, and hear these words of Saint Paul? That an Apostle of Christ our Lord, a Prince and Instructor of the world, having been personally visited before by Christ our Lord himself, and raised by him up even to the third heaven; and chosen out to judge all the Nations of the Gentiles, yea and the very Angels with them, in company of Christ our Lord; and being so employed, both day and night in preaching the Gospel, and government of the Church, as that in his breast he carried the solicitude, and care of all the particular Churches thereof; that such a man I say as this, so venerable to the Inhabitants of heaven, and so reverenced here on earth; should take so much to heart, and negotiate at so great leisure, the business of a fugitive slave, but newly converted to the faith; as that he should write a letter from Rome to Phrygia, which was in Asia minor, where his Master was dwelling in Colossus, and recommend him to be received, to be pardoned, and to be treated well. And not being contented to perform this office of charity in ordinary words (which yet had been sufficient,) that he should honour Onesimus with terms of so great estimation, love and sweetness; and should recommend him to his Master in terms, and with reasons, of so great exaggeration, as a Father would do, recommending his only son, whom he did extremely love, to some great friend of his.  
This was the Benignity and courtesy and suavity of speech, which the Apostles learned of Christ our Lord, and this must all faithful Christians imitate, treating our neighbours with terms of courtesy, and good manners; and giving them the most honourable titles, and names we can, according to the estate of every one, and according to the custom of that people amongst whom we live, in speaking honourably of them, both in presence and absence.  
In this sort we shall prevent many sins, which we use to commit, for want of observing the rule of charity. We shall free ourselves from detraction and murmuring, which is a vice through which a man contemns, and affronts his neighbour, speaking ill of him, and recording his defects and faults, whether it be with truth, or with falsehood. But howsoever this is a vice much abhorred by Almighty God, and very abominable to them who fear him; which made Saint Paul say, detractors, who are abhorred by Almighty God. And the wise man in the Proverbes, saith. The murmurer who speaketh ill of his neighbour, and maketh a scorn of him, is abominable to men. And because when God hath abomination towards a sinner, it is to wish him the evil of eternal pain; from hence it is that the murmurer is subject to eternal malediction, and condemnation, as Ecclesiasticus chap. 28. signifieth, saying. The murmurer, who secretly speaketh ill of his neighbour, and who hath two tongues, (because in the presence of his neighbour he speaketh well of him, and in his absence he infameth him by ill report) is accursed both of God and man; because he hath given trouble to many, depriving priving them of the peace, and quiet of their hearts; and filling them with grief and anger, and destroying that agreement and good correspondence, which they had with their neighbours.  
We shall also deliver our selves by this means, from the sin of contumely and reproach; into which they fall, who face to face give ill words to their neighbours; whereby they undervalue, and affront them; and this is the vice of them who want judgement, as the wise man affirmeth, saying; He who speaketh contumelious words to his neighbours, is a fool. And in another place, all fools are apt to thrust themselves into suits, and strifes, and such other businesses, as tend towards the affronting of others; or else to the being affronted by others, with iniutious words. And this is so grievous a sin, and so worthy of punishment, as that Christ our Lord said; He who shall call his neighbour fool, with a mind to affront him, is worthy of eternal fire.  
We shall also thus excuse ourselves from cursing others, whereby men offer their neighbours to the devil, that they may be damned, or else, whereby they desire them any other evil. Which sin is so grievous, as that it excludes men from that glory, to which they were created, as the Apostle signified 1. Cor. 6. when he said; They who curse men (desiring the accomplishment of that with their heart, which they say with their tongue) shall not possess the kingdom of God.  
We shall defend ourselves from these sins so pernicious to the soul, which are committed by the tongue, if we be well conditioned, and benign in our words; whereby we honour our neighbours in their presence, & speak not ill of them in their absence. And together with this we shall, by the good use of our benign speech, give great gust to Almighty God, and shall deserve much in his sight; and we shall win the love of our neighbour, making them friendly, and kind to us; to the end that they may willingly receive any good advice, and counsel from us, which we shall think fit to give. And we shall conserve the peace, and strength of our own souls, yea and of our estates also for the sustaining of our lives; which many times is lost, by the ill government of our tongues; and finally we shall edify our neighbours, by the example of our good words. All this was signified by the wise man, when he said; The peaceable and quiet tongue, is a sweet tree of life. Which signifieth that it recreateth, and comforteth the hearts of men, and gives them spiritual life, and strength; and frees them from the mortal distempers of anger, and hatred, and other passions. And this is wrought by that man, who giveth good language, thronugh the much gain and merit, which they get in the sight of Almighty God. And in them also, who hear the good speech which is used by any man of his neighbours, worketh the like effect; for thereby they are edified, and induced towards a love of virtue.   

THE XIV. CHAPTER. How we are to exercise this Benignity, and to use this good manners, towards them who use us ill.  
SOme Christians there be, who are very courteous, and well conditioned towards their neighbours, as long as those neighbours treat them with the same courtesy and civility; but if their neighbours fail towards them, they also fail; and then they treat them with the same discourtesy and disgrace, wherewith they are treated, and they use the same ill terms which are used to them. This is no good, but an ill spirit. For, that I should be well conditioned towards my neighbour, because he also is so to me, is no love of charity, but a love of interest, and concupiscence; and that I should fail in courtesy, and good condition towards another, because he falls short therein towards me, is not the virtue of Benignity, but it is the vice of revenge. That which charity and Benignity requires, and which God exacteth at our hands, is that although another man do not what he ought, yet I do; and that although another man should fail of using me with due courtesy, yet that I fail not thereof towards him. For by this means, it will appear that in the civility, which I use towards my neighbours, I am not moved by humane respects; but for the love of Almighty God: and that I pretend not proper honour or interest, but the glory of Almighty God, and the profit of my soul, and the edification of my neighbour. And in this sort I being of good condition, and showing courtesy towards him, who doth not so to me, I shall please almighty God much the more: for I shall move more purely for the love of him, and shall exercise more virtue, and increase merit, and gain more reward in the sight of God. For, together with the Benignity, which I shall exercise, by carrying myself sweetly towards my neighbour, I shall also exercise patience, and humility, in bearing with his ill condition: and I shall exercise more charity, by pardoning the injury which he doth me, in treating me ill. This was taught us by the Apostle Saint Paul with a kind of heavenly invention; associating Benignity and Patience in suffering injuries, with Charity in pardoning them; for thus he saith; Colos. 3. Clothe yourselves spiritually, as it becometh just men, and the elect of God, with the bowels of mercy, and Benignity; that so you may be affable, and sweetly conditioned towards your neighbours; and with humility, modesty, and patience also; enduring, for the love of God, the ill treating and perverse condition of one another, and pardoning also the injuries of one another. And so also, if it happen that any one be offended, and affronted by any other, and that he have reason to complain, yet let him pardon it in imitation of jesus Christ our Lord, who when we were wicked, and as enemies of his had done him wrong; did forgive our sins and the offences, which we committed against him; and did free us from them by means of Baptism, and Penance; without taking that vengeance of us, which we deserved. This is the substance of S. Paul's discourse, & these are those rules of Charity and Benignity, which we are to keep, that so we may comply entirely with the will of Almighty God in this behalf.   

THE XV. CHAPTER. That it is not contrary to Benignity, to reprehend wicked, and obstinate persons in their wickedness, severely as Christ our Lord did.  
IT is much to be noted concerning this virtue of Benignity, which Christ our Lord taught us, both by his word, and by his example; that there are some, both sayings and deeds of Christ our Lord in the Gospel, which to ignorant persons might seem contrary to this Benignity; but which yet are not contrary, but very agreeable thereunto. For Charity, which teacheth us, that for the glory of God, and good of souls, we must use this Benignity towards our neighbours, of speaking to them in kind & gentle words; the same teacheth us also, that when we have authority in our hands, we may use words so severe, and pricking in some cases, towards public and obstinate sinners, and who by their ill example are pernicious to others, as may discover the grievousness of their sins, and may disgrace, and condemn them as they deserve: that so if it be possible, they may be reform, or at least that others may fear to follow their ill example. And now we will go declaring some instances, which Christ our Lord left us of this truth, in the holy Gospel.  
Saint Luke chap. 13. relateth, that our Lord being then, as it seemed, in Galilee, which was the jurisdiction of Herod, some of the Pharisees came and said to him; Avoid this country for Herod hath a mind to kill thee. Our Lord made them this answer; Go tell that fox, that he may see I cast devils both out of bodies and souls, to day and to morrow, and that the third day I shall die, and by ending my life give end and perfection to these works of mine. By these three days, our Lord understood the time of his whole life; and sometimes he called that, one day, and some other times three days; to signify the shortness of this life; and to signify also, as we said before, that as no humane invention or means was able to make the natural day one minute shorter than it is; so neither was there any means to shorten his life, by one minute. And therefore the substance of what he said was this. During all that time of my life, which is given me by the determination of my eternal Father, I shall converse in this world, and do those works, for which he sent me; which is to teach truth, & to cast devils both out of bodies and souls, and to bestow both corporal and spiritual health upon men: and as long as this time shall last, neither Herod, nor any other power under heaven, shall be able to take my life from me. But when the hour shall be come, which is determined by my Father, I will offer myself to death, to give perfect life and health to the world. Yet this I will not do in Galilee, but in jerusalem. For as it is not fit, that any Prophet die out of jerusalem; so especially is it decreed of this Prophet (who for his eminency and excellency is called The Prophet which is the Messiah) that he shall die in jerusalem. And as for the rest of the Prophets, it hath ordinarily been true, and so also it will be, that they have been put to death and are to die in jerusalem; because in that City, the wickedness of them who govern the people doth abound.  
Now Herod, who was called Antipas, was a very wicked King, and very scandalous. He was an adulterer, and an in cestuous person; for he took his own brother's wife from him. He was a murderer, & a sacrilegious man; for he had taken away the life of the great Saint john Baptist; and as it should seem he also went about to murder Christ our Lord secretly; lest the people, being instructed by his holy doctrine, might grow to abhor Herod's wicked life. He was also a most vain, giddy creature; for to reward the dance of a girl, he promised the one half of his kingdom, if need had been; and he paid the life of Saint john for it. He was moreover a false and dissembling person, for he pretended that he murdered Saint john for the complying with his oath; whereas indeed that was not the cause, but for the contenting of a wicked woman, and for the settling and securing of his own wicked life.  
Now Christ our Lord, resolving to discover the authority of the King of heaven and earth, and of the Lord of all creatures, which himself had in his hand, for the reproof, and punishment of all the powerful men of this world; and to show how free he was from all humane fear; and to give an example to the Prelates of his Church, of that holy liberty, which in such case they were to use, towards the Kings of the earth; and to discover also, how vile, and contemptible, sinful men are, in the sight of God, how rich, and noble, and great Lords soever they might chance to be, and particularly meaning to declare to them, who bade him take heed of Herod, that he knew well enough all the fetches and designs of that crafty man, & that he had no need to be told thereof by any other: I say to declare and discover all these things, he spoke this word; Tell that fox etc. Which was to say under a metaphor; Tell that crafty, and dissembling man, who by the wickedness of his life, gives a pestilent odour of ill example, that whatsoever endeavour he may use, he can take no part of my life from me, till myself shall voluntarily part with it; as I will do, when the time ordained by my eternal Father, shall arrive.  
Being therefore most convenient, for these ends which we have touched, that Christ our Lord should speak with this authority of a Lord, he did yet observe great modesty and Benignity therein. For he might well have said; Tell that wicked man, that adulterer, that murderer, and sacrilegious person; yea or tell it to that devil (for all this had fitted him, & he deserved it well:) but Christ our Lord would not use any of these terms, but fell upon a more moderate word, as this was; Tell that crafty and dissembling man, that he hath no power to stop the course of my life. And so showing the authority, and holy liberty which the Prelates of the Church are to use towards the great men of this world; and discovering also, his own divine wisdom; he did jointly teach us that moderation, wherewith we are to exeroise that authority and liberty.  
Other examples; which may breed the like difficulty in the minds of ignorant men, are the reprehensions which Christ out Lord gave to the Scribes and Pharisees of the people of Israel, in very severe words, which did greatly confound, and grievously wound them; for he would say sometimes, as Matt. 12. You generation of vipers, you can not speak well being so wicked. This wicked & adulterous generation asketh signs: At other times he would say, as Matt. 23. Woe be to you Scribes and Pharisees you hipoctites. Woe be to you, who are blind, and guides of the blind. And joh. 8. You are of the devil, and him you have for your Father, and you cooperate to his wicked ends.  
Now let us see the mystery of these words of Christ our Lord, & how they were not contrary to that Charity and Benignity, which he taught us, but full of conformity to the same. And let us also see, who they be, who may use such words; and to what kind of persons; & for what ends they may be used.  
The Scribes and Pharises, who were the Doctors, and should have been the true Religious men of Israel, were at that time, not only wicked, but wicked they were in all extremity, and their sins were very public, & very contrary to all Religion. And with being so wicked, they yet would needs sell themselves for good, and holy; and they accompanied their wicked life, with ill precepts, which were most pernicious to the people. For by their wicked life, and perverse directions, and with their pretences and deceits, they corrupted the manners of ignorant people; and they were blind & obstinate. And besides these sins, which were ordinary in them, they harboured that supreme wickedness, of hindering the salvation, which Christ our Lord came to work, in the souls of men; calumniating his most holy life, and attributing to Belzebub, those most evident and express miracles, which he wrought by divine power; and persecuting him to whom they should have carried all veneration, and exhibited all obedience, as to the true Messiah; and yet desiring and procuring by all the ways they could, to put him to death, who came to give them life.  
These men being such as I have said, it was necessary that Christ our Lord, (who was sent by his Father to give testimony to the truth, and to take scandals out of the world, and to give remedy to souls) using the authority, which he had, of Saviour of the world, & King of heaven, should reprehend vice; and that concerning public sins, he should reprehend them publicly; and that concerning grievous & very hurtful sins, he should reprehend them grievously, according to the quality and perniciousnes of the same: that so they, who were faulty, might well feel the great hurt they did; and all the rest of the people, might be disabused, and not have cause to follow either the ill example, or ill precepts of their wicked Teachers and governors. And now that Christ our Lord might execute this so important office for the salvation of souls, which was ordained to the ends of true Charity, such reprehensions of his were necessary, as might declare the grievousness of the hypocrisy, and other sins of those Teachers, and the hurt they did to the people; and the damnation which they provided for themselves, by committing such sins: and he told them, who was the principal Author thereof, namely the devil, whom they obeyed; and the necessity which they had, of making recourse to strong remedies; for they were sins which were inherited from their predecessors, who had been wicked, and they were deeply rooted in their hearts.  
Christ our Lord, did especially make such severe and sharp reprehensions, when they did falsely sooth, and flatter him. For many times, when they darted out injurious words against him, he reprehended them not; but answered them with all sweetness, showing his humility, and meekness, and teaching us to suffer wrongs, with patience. But when they flattered him, he reprehended them indeed: as when with counterfeit hearts, they said, Master, we desire a sign of thee from heaven; for than he answered them thus. Matth. 12. You wicked and adulterous generation. And when they said, Master we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God according to truth. For than he said, why do you tempt me, you hypocrites? discouring thereby, that he understood their hearts, and that he would not pay himself with their flatteries, & counterfeit praises; and teaching all the world, that we were not to take gust in being soothed, nor to desire to be praised by men. So did S. chrysostom observe upon these words, Master we desire that thou give us a sign from heaven. Where he saith, that first they injured him, saying, he had a devil; and that then they flattered him, calling him, Master. And therefore it is, that he reprehendeth them with vehemency, saying, that they were a wicked generation. So that, when they affront him with ill words, he answereth them with meekness; and when they flatter him with a false heart, he gives them sharp words. Our most blessed Lord discovering to us thereby, that he was free from all passion; and that neither he was put to impatience by affronts; nor that he was inveigled by flatteries.   

THE XVI. CHAPTER. That is was convenient, that Christ our Lord should use these severe reprehensions to teach the Prelates of his Church, how they should proceed against sinners: and how the Saints have been ever wont to proceed.  
BEsides these reasons, why Christ our Lord did so sharply reprehend the sins of the Scribes and Pharises, there is yet another; and it is for the instructing of the Prelates of the Church, after what manner they are to reprove the sins of publicken, obstinate and rebellious sinners, which are of the more grievous sort, and more prejudicial to others; and that they are to do it publicly, with great weight, and force of words, to the end that obstinate sinners may find how wicked they are; and that they may reform themselves, and that others may fear, and take warning by their ill example; and that all sins, and sinners are not to be reproved after the same manner, but some gently and sweetly; and others with severity and rigour, according to the quality of the sin, and the obstinacy of the sinner, & the hurt which he doth thereby to others. And that these severe reprehensions, which are made in punishment of delinquents, must not be used by all, but by Superiors, who have authority for the same; and that the end which such men have, must not be the affront, nor the trouble of the sinner, but the reformation both of him, & others. And therefore Charity, which teacheth us to be sweet, and benign, towards some kind of sinners, (because that course is fit for the good of their souls) the self same Charity teacheth us, to be severe and strict towards others; because that also is convenient, to the and that others may be warned, and they reform. Saint Gregory noteth this, in these words. Some offences are to be reprehended with vehemency, to the end that the delinquent, who of himself perhaps, understands not the grievousness of his sin, may come to find it by the words of him who reprehends; and that he may grow to fear the committing of that sin, which he thought to be but light, by the very severity wherewith it is corrected. And it is the duty of the Superior to correct with great severity those offences of their subjects, which are not gently to be endured; but he must not do it out of anger, but out of a holy zeal; for fear, lest if he correct not faults as he ought, himself grow to be faulty; and that the punishment which was due to the offences of his subjects, do fall upon himself through his negligence. And the same Saint saith in another place; that their sins who have not lost shame, are to be reprehended after another sort, then theirs who have lost all shame. For severe reprehension is necessary for the reformation of them, who are grown impudent; but such as are still ashamed of their sins, are usually better reform, by some mild exhortation.  
This style, of severely reprehending the more griovous; and pernicious sort of sins, which have been committed by the powerful men of this world, and by the false guide of souls, hath been observed by the ancient Saints, who were moved to it by the Holy Ghost; and the Saints also of the Evangelicall Law, have used the like, being instructed by the example of Christ our Lord; though it be true that these later, have observed it with greater moderation, and more mixture of suavity than the former; for so the Law of grace requires.  
The Prophet Nathan, 2. Kings. 12. chap. reproved King David; and having first propounded him a parable, he concluded saying; Thou art that man, who hath committed so great wickedness, as to take the wife of another: and for this sin, the sword shall never fail to hang over thy house, as a punishment both of thee, and thy descendants.  
The Prophet Elias, 2. Kings. 18. chap. having heard that imputation which King Achab laid upon him, in these words; Art thou that man who troublest Israel? did reprove him for that wickedness, which he had committed against God, and his Prophets; and made answer to him, after this manner. I am not the man who trouble Israel; but thou and the house of thy Father, are they who trouble it: because thou hast forsaken the law of our Lord.  
The Prophet Elizeus, 4. Kings. 3. chap. reprehending the sins of King joram, who was in company with King josaphat, when he desired the Prophet to obtain of God that he would send down water to the army, for that it was ready to die of thirst, made him this answer; What hast thou to do with me? go to the Prophet● of thy Father, and of the mother; and if it were not for the respect of King josaphat, who is present, for my part I would not so much as look upon thee.  
The man of God, who was sent by him to Samaria, 4. Kings. 13. chap. and found King jeroboam, who was in Bethelle, offering sacrifice upon an Altar like a Priest, did address his speech as to the Altar, and thereby reprehended him, after this manner. A son shall be borne of the house of David called josias, and he shall kill those Priests upon thee, who are now offering incense on thee.  
The great Baptist of our Lord, Matth. 3. reprehending the Scribes and Pharises & Saducees, who came to his Baptism, said thus to them. O you generation of vipers. You men full of the venom of sin, and that so inveterate, as that you have inherited it from your Fathers; who hath forewarned you to fly from the wrath & just vengeance of God? What wonder, what strange thing is this, that men so hard to be converted, by reason of your error and the false opinion you have of your own sanctity, should come to receive my Baptism, and do penance, and so fly from eternal damnation? And Saint Peter, Act. 8. reproving Simon Magus said. Thy money perish with thee; in that thou thoughtest, that the gift of God, which is imparted by the Holy Ghost, was to be bought with money. I see that thou art full of the bitterness, and gall of sin, & that thou art bound fast thereby to everlasting torments. And Saint Paul, Act. 13. said to Elimas' the sorcerer. O man full of falsehood, and deceit, thou son of the devil, and enemy of all justice, who forbearest not to do thy uttermost, to pervert the strait ways of the law of God. And Saint Steven said, to the Scribes, and Pharises. Act. 7. O you stiff necked men, and who have not cut away the wickedness of your hearts, and of your cares, with the sword of the word of God: You have ever resisted the holy Ghost, as your forefathers did before you.  
After this manner have the Saints (with that authority, which they had from God for this purpose, and to comply with the duty of that office which God had given them) reprehended those men with sharp and severe words, who by their wicked life, and the deceit and falsehood of their perverse doctrine, had corrupted souls. And they were moved to reprehend them thus, by their great charity, in their love to God, and their neighbours; and by a most ardent zeal to the glory of God, & the good of souls. And it is a thing very worthy the being considered, that whereas the Saints do sometimes use such words in their reprehensions, as have been expressed, they are not indeed affronting or injurious words, when we consider the heart, and end wherewith, and for which they are spoken; though yet they may seem so be to, because they are the very same, which passionate men are wont to use, when they affront others, and revenge themselves of their neighbours. Whereby we may be sure, that these holy men did not speak those words with passion, and desire to give disgrace, as these others do; but with zeal of charity, and desire to do good. And by this rule which followeth we shall discern it plainly.  
If they, who reprehend their neighbours, over whom they have authority, with sharp words, in cases when there is necessity to do it; if they, I say, (abstracting from those cases of necessity, and in all things else, which they do and say) show themselves humble, meek and full of pity both loving, and doing good to their neighbours, and despising themselves, and suffering the injuries and ill treaty, which they receive from others, with patience; we may clearly see, that when they speak sharply to sinners, they do it not out of pride, or passion, or to put disgrace upon them; but only out of a charitable desire to recover, and cure their souls. For the men, who when they reprove sinners, speak words with inward passion, and out of revenge, do the like when that is not the case, & they show themselves revengeful, angry, and proud: but holy men proceed not so; but when that necessary occasion ceaseth, they use all men with much humility, and charity; and especially those very persons, whom they reprehended. We see this by the examples which we produced before.  
Though Nathan reprehended David with so great liberty; yet when he saw him reform, he went in to him, and cast himself upon his knees, & spoke to him, and treated him with great reverence. Though Elias reprehended Achab so sharply, yet after, when the King was in his chariot, Elias himself went running before him, in his company, with much humility, as if he had been a mere servant of his. And though Elizeus confounded the pride of joram with so great a reprehension; yet instantly with great charity, he did miraculously obtain water of God, both for him, and all his army.  
Though the man of God did so severely reprove, and threaten jeroboam; yet seeing that the King had one of his hands dried up, he besought God with great devotion, and obtained health for him. Though the great Saint john Baptist, did with so vehement words, declare the malice of the Pharises, and Saducees; yet he did it but by way of admiration, and praise of the power, and goodness of God, who had moved such obstinate, and blind sinners to make some change of their lives; and instantly with great charity, and zeal, for the salvation of their souls, he exhorted and animated them, to do works, worthy of penance, to the end that their conversion might prove solid and with perseverance. And though Saint Steven did sharply reprove the Scribes, and Pharises; yet instantly he prayed to Almighty God for them, with a most ardent affection of love, even whilst they were stoning him. And though S. Peter, did with words full of weight, detest the Simony of Simon Magus, yet instantly being full of pity, he admonished him to do penance, to the end that God might pardon that great wickedness of his. And though S. Paul did check those great deceits, and the perverse life of Elimas', the sorcerer, yet instantly he used much charity towards him. For obtaining first, that God would strike him blind, he would not have that blindness to be perpetual, as the wicked man deserved; but only that it might last for a while: that so, being induced by that punishment he might come to understand his own sin, and so do penance for the same.  
In this sort have the Saints discovered clearly, that those sharp reprehensions, whereby they corrected grievous fins, were used by them with great tenderness, & sweetness of love; and that, whilst in the exterior, they shown themselues so strict, and free in their reprehensions, they did even then, in the most interior of their own hearts, humble and despise themselves, as Saint Gregory noteth in these words. Holy men do not show themselves so resolute, and free, when they reprove the powerful men of this world, as presuming upon themselves, nor to the end that men should render and submit themselves to them through the fear of man; but the great rectitude of heart, which they have, makes them use that holy liberty; & even whilst they use it, they conserve themselves in humility; and reprehending the crimes of sinners, with great strength of mind, they judge themselues, examining their own faults with great curiosity and care, and they place themselves in their own account below all others. This is said by Saint Gregory. And by this true explication which we have made, it remaineth very clear, that the serious and severe reprehensions, wherewith Christ our Lord & his Saints have corrected the great crimes of sinners, are not contrary to that Benignity which he taught us, but are full of the dearnes & sweetness of true Charity.   

THE XVII. CHAPTER. Of the Benignity, wherewith a Christian is to be glad of the good of his neighbour, and to approve and praise the same: and of the example, which Christ our Lord gave us thereof.  
ONe of the principal things (besides those whereof we have spoken) which belong to the virtue of Benignity, and the sweet manner of conversing with our neighbours is, to be glad of their good, and to praise them; yet with that moderation, which prudence requireth, and to that end which Charity seeketh. For this maketh a servant of God to be amiable and sweet, and thus he augmenteth Charity, towards his neighbours, & he groweth more able to be of use to souls. For by this means, his instruction and admonition, will be the better received, and the example of his good life better allowed: and he will have more efficacy to move others. So saith the worthy Doctor, and Bishop Guiltelmus Parisiensis. Benignity is the love of another's good; and we call those men Benign, who as soon as they discover a good thing in their neighbours, do instantly love it, and love him for it; and from hence it grows, that they praise, and set him forth in words.  
For the exercise of this virtue, there is need of great consideration, and much discretion, and light from heaven. For as by the use thereof with moderation, being directed to the right end, it is of great profit, and edification towards the increase of virtue; so using it without moderation, and without rectitude of intention; it is both very hurtful to his soul, who praiseth, and to his also who is praised. For this reason, Saint Bonaventure approveth this saying of Seneca, praise that with moderation, which is praise worthy; & dispraise that, which is blamable, with more moderation. For superfluity of praise is liable to reproof, as well as temperate dispraise.  
Well then, let us go on declaring the error, which is committed, and the hurt which groweth, by inordinate praise and the manner & intention which praise must have, to the end that it may be truly given according to virtue.  
For a man to praise his neighbour, for that which is naught, is a great sin; and not only do they fall into it, who praise a man for some revenge, which he may have taken of an enemy; or for having affronted that person, who did him injury by some word, or for having uttered some carnal speech, performing some action of that kind: but they also who praise sumptuous buildings, superfluous humours & gifts, curious & rich , delicious & costly diet; and all that which hath any tincture of vanity and pride, and the regalo of this flesh & blood, and the love of the world. For all these things, are ill, and hurtful to the soul of a Christian; who, to the end that he may get to heaven, must deny himself, and embrace the Cross of Christ our Lord. To all these flatterers who praise that which they should reprehend, Esay chap. 5. saith, Woe be to them, who praise wicked things, as if they were good; and who hold the darkness of error for the light of truth; and true light for darkness; and who esteem the bitter life of sinners, to be sweet; and the sweet life of virtue, to be bitter.  
In like manner, it is vicious for a man to praise temporal, & natural things, as if they were the greatest, & principal gifts of God; as riches, nobility, strength, and beauty of the body. For these are blessings of little value, and they make not a man to be better in himself, or more estimable in the sight of God: & such praise breeds much hurt to the soul, for it makes a man greatly love and praise those things which he should despise, & from which he should estrange his heart. The holy scripture condemneth this vice saying, do not praise men for the corporal beauty which they have; nor despise them for their poor, & mean appearance. Consider that the Bee, being but a very little creature, giveth so excellent a fruit, as that it is the most sweet of all sweet things; for there is nothing more sweet, than honey. The meaning is, that as the little Bee, hath efficacy to produce such a fruit; so may a little body, & a mean presence, have much virtue. And that which the Holy Ghost saith of the beauty of the body, he will have us understand of all other natural, and temporal gifts, which are of so little value, that a man is no further worthy of estimation or praise for them, then if he had them not; but only so fare forth, as there may result some profit to the soul thereby. This was taught us, both by the example, and divine words of Christ our Lord: For a certain devout woman, having seen his miracles, and having heard his doctrine, was not able to contain herself, but that she must needs praise that Mother aloud, who had brought forth such a Son, saying; Blessed is the womb, which have thee, and the breasts which gave thee suck. But Christ our Lord gave her this answer; Nay, rather blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it. By which words he discovered to us, how that free & gratuite blessing, whereby the most sacred Virgin was made Mother of the natural Son of God, did not alone, and of itself make her happy or blessed, nor worthy of the reward of heaven: nor more great in the sight of God; but the unspeakable virtue, and suavity, and grace, whereby Almighty God did exalt, and dignify her, for such an office: & that which afterward he gave her, in regard of so high a dignity, was the thing which made her so truly happy.  
If then so admirable a gift, as that was, did not deserve great praise for itself alone, but for that virtue and sanctity which went in company thereof: how much more, must all temporal blessings, and gifts of nature, which in themselves are so poor and perishing, be unworthy of praise; but only so fare forth, as they may be found to assist, and concur towards the good of the soul?  
So saith Saint chrysostom, declaring these words of Christ our Lord. By this sentence, Christ our Lord did make us know, that it would not have profited the Virgin, to have brought forth the Son of God, if she had not withal, been endowed with that faith, and incomparable sanctity which she had. And therefore, as I said, if so great a dignity, would not have profited the blessed Virgin, without the virtue, and sanctity of her soul; how much more clear is it, that it will serve us to little purpose, before Almighty God, to have Saints to our Fathers, or sons, or kindred, or such other external gifts; if withal, we have not goodness and virtue, and do not lead a spiritual life? For this is that which maketh men to be of value, & worthy of praise, in the sight of God.  
It is also an error, and fault of flattery, to praise our neighbour for any virtue, which he may have, and thereby to delight and comfort him principally, for the temporal gain and profit, which he hopeth to receive of him. For the praise of true virtue, which principally is to be ordained to some spiritual good, and to the service of God, is ordained by him to his own private interest, which is a sinful thing; & so much the more grievous it will be, as there is more inordinateness in the thing. And when it is very great, that will be fulfilled in their persons, which is spoken of by the Psalmist, Psal. 2. God will defeare and destroy, the strength and authority of them, who desire and procure to please, and give gust to men: and have that for their end, not looking up towards God, but down upon their own private interest and humour. Especially they who procure to please worldly men, forbearing to do those things which they own to God, in respect of them: these indeed, shall be confounded, and put to shame, by Almighty God. For both in this life, even all their temporal hopes shall prove vain; and beside, in the other life, they shall be fulfilled with shame, and delivered over to eternal torments.  
Besides it is a defect, and the fault of soothing, to praise a man either for his wit, or learning, or for the talents, and parts which he hath: yea or even for his true virtue; when it is likely, that through his weakness, or unmortified ill inclination he may fall into pride, and vain complacence in himself, or into any other prejudice of his soul. Saint Augustine observed this, in these words. A hard thing it is, that some little impurity of error, do not stick to the hart of a man, (even though it be clean) upon the praises of another; unless indeed he should have it so very clean, as that be should take no gust in them, nor be touched by any vapour of them; and unless the praise which they give him, should more content him for the good of them, who praise him, then for the comfort, or honour, or estimation, which may grow thereby to himself. And then he may know, that their praise of him, is profitable to them, if in their life they honour not him, but God; not fastening their minds upon him, by the praise, & honour, which they give him, but rising up by him, towards Almighty God, whose most sacred temple every man is, who liveth well. So that it may be fulfilled in him, which is spoken of, by the Psalmist; My soul shall be praised by such, as are good; not in itself but in our Lord; that is to say, for the gifts which it hath of our Lord, and for the glory of the same Lord.  
This is the danger to which they are ordinarily subject, who are much praised by men; unless they be possessors of true and solid virtue, whereby they may resist vain complacence, and refer the praise to the Author of all good things, which is God. For so saith the holy Scripture; Better is it, to be corrected by a discreet and wise man, then to be praised by an imprudent man, who with his smooth kind of praising leaves us in error. And declaring the danger wherein man is, when he who praiseth, doth not observe the moderation, and end which ought to be kept. Saint Hierome said; There is nothing which doth so easily infect, and corrupt the hearts of men as flattery; and the tongue of a flatterer doth more hurt, than the sword of a persecutor.  
Another fault is also committed in praising some, when it is for the dispraise of others. A man will not dare expressly to speak ill of his neighbour, especially to one who hath aversion from hearing it; and therefore to do it the more covertly, he doth it by means of praising another man for the same virtues and gifts of his, and then the detractor would have it thought, that the man whom he meaneth to dispraise, doth want those virtues, or else is subject to the contrary defects. Saint chrysostom noteth this vice, in these words: We do many good things; but not always with a good mind. We praise many; but not to the end, that we may speak well of them, but to detract and speak ill of others. Now that which we say is good, because we praise virtue in another; but the mind, wherewith with we say it, is infected with sin, and set on work by Satan: for we pretend not to do him good, whom we praise, but hurt to him whom we dispraise.  
These are the defects, and vices, which grow by praising others, when it is done without discretion and moderation; and without that end to which it ought to be addressed; and so it leaveth to be virtue, as is turned into the vice of flattery. And now we will declare, how praise is to be used, to the end that it may be a fruit of the virtue of Charity & Benignity. And we will produce some examples, which Christ our Lord shown us, concerning the manner and intention, which we were to hold in praising our neighbours,   

THE XVIII. CHAPTER. Of the intention, and moderation, wherewith we are to praise virtue in our neighbours: and of the examples which Christ our Lord gave us thereof.  
IT is a thing both lawful and very pleasing to Almighty God, for a man to praise his neighbours, for the good he hath done; to the end that being praised, they may love virtue so much the more, and be animated to the exercise thereof; and not be dismayed by the troubles, and difficulties, to which a virtuous life is subject. And this is principally to be done, towards men, who are but beginners in the way of virtue; and who are weak, and of little heart; for such persons have the greater need of help. Yet even this praise must be given with the moderation aforesaid; in such sort, as that it may profit, and not hurt the party praised; but may edify, and induce him to a love and estimation of virtue, and not to a presumption in himself, and a love of vanity. For the obtaining of this end, the praise must be given in words, which may not greatly exaggerate, or amplify the virtue; but plainly declare the truth, and his approbation thereof. Let us see some examples, which Christ our Lord gave of this. Nathaniel came to Christ our Lord, john 1. being brought to him by Saint Philip. This Nathaniel, was a man full of virtue, & very observant of the law; and came in doubt, whether or no Christ our Lord were the true Mestias, as S. Philip had said he was. And drawing, near, our Lord looked upon his disciples, and said in the hearing of Nathaniel: Behold here a true Israelite, in whom there is no guile. As if he had said; Behold here a man truly good, not dissembling or counterfeit; but that virtue which he showeth in his exterior fashion, and public conversation, which is subject to the sight of men, is possessed by him in the secret, & most interior part of his heart, which is seen by Almighty God.  
This was a true, and moderate praise, and much good grew to Nathaniel by it; for thereby he unstood, that Christ our Lord knew the secrets of his heart, and he was certified of it so much the more, by the further answer of Christ our Lord. For saying to him, where knew you me? he answered, I saw thee, when thou wert under the sigtree. It should seem that Nathaniel, had retired himself under that tree to pray, or to do some other good work; and so he inferring thereby, (as a wise man might well do,) that Christ our Lord knew all things, he believed perfectly in him, and took him for his Master. Let us deliver another example of the same truth.  
Christ our Lord, Luke 19 came into the house of Zaccheus the Publican; and he moved him by his words, and by his presence, to so great penance, and change of life: that not only he resolved to give over all those sins into which he had fallen, & to restore all that, to the restitution whereof he was obliged; but to render it four fouled; thereby giving satisfaction for the fault he had mitted, by voluntarily undergoing the pain, which the law imposed upon such persons, as took away the goods of others; and besides all this, he gave half his substance to the poor. Christ our Lord perceiving so good beginnings of a holy life in Zaccheus, did praise him: by saying of him, to the standers by; This day, is true salvation wrought in this house; For the Master and owner of it, is already a true son of Abraham: not only now by the extraction of flesh and blood; but by the imitation of his faith, and virtue. In this sort therefore, did Christ our Lord praise Nathaniel, who was a new beginner in his school of virtue and good life, and so also did he praise Zaccheus. And the praise was true, and moderate; & it did no more than declare in plain words, that the one of them, was a man truly good, and the other truly penitent & by means of these words, he strengthened and encouraged them, both to persever and grow in the good course which they had begun.  
But not only did Christ our Lord praise them, who had good intentions, & who were truly good; and upright and well meaning souls, as Nathaniel already was before, and Zacchaus was grown to be; but he approved, and praised also that good which was said, or done, by such as came to him, even with an ill mind. There came a man, Luc. 10. who was learned in the Law, to tempt him, ask what he was to do, for the obtaining of eternal life? Christ our Lord demanded of him, how it was written in the Law? He answered, It is written that thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbour as thyself. Our Lord them said to him, (by way of allowing & praising what he had formerly said;) Thou hast answered well: do as thou hast said, and as the Law commandeth, and thou shalt obtain everlasting life.  
There came, another time, a Pharisy to our Lord, Mat. 22. Marc. 12. in name of all the rest, to see if he could draw some such answer from him, as whereby he might calumniate him; and he asked him, which was the greatest commandment of the law? And Christ our Lord, having answered him, that it was to love God with all the heart; the Pharisy approved the answer of our Lord, and added thereunto these words: that to love God with all the heart; and the neighbour as one's self, was a better work and more acceptable to God, than all the Holocausts and other Sacrifices of the Law. Then our Lord liking the speech of this man, did praise him saying; Thou art not fare from the kingdom of God. Which is as much as to say; Thou art not fare from believing, and obeying the Gospel, and obtaining true salvation. For the knowing of a divine truth so important, and the approving it by the supernatural gift of God, was a disposition for the being converted to him: and to acknowledge Christ himself, who was sent into the world to save it.  
Christ our Lord, if he would have increased his justice, upon these two learned men in the Law, might have severely reproved the ill mind, wherewith they were come to him; and he might have discovered the craft, and malice, which they carried in their hearts; for so also they would have understood, that he knew all things, and thereby he might have put them to confusion and shame. Yet this he would not do; but he heard them with admirable meekness, and answered their questions with supreme Charity. And he approved that which they had said well, though it were very little, and very imperfect; and he praised it with strange Benignity: that so he might remove that perverseness of mind from them, which they brought to him; and encourage them to increase in the knowledge and love of truth, till at length, they might grow subject to it. And so by this true Benignity, he changed their hearts, and sent them bettered from him; and he taught us withal, that not only we are to praise good men, for the true virtue which they have, but that we may also praise with moderation, even in imperfect and wicked men, the good they do or say; to the end that they may grow to take affection to virtue, and may so detest and drive out of their hearts, the wickedness which they have, and go increasing in the good way begun; as also to gain their good will; & to make them benevolous and kind; which is a very good disposition, towards the inducing them to receive in good part the doctrine, which we shall deliver, and the reprehensions, which we may have cause to use. And therefore Saint Gregory adviseth, that when they who are endowed with authority, and wisdom for this purpose, reprove sinners, who are pusillanimous & weak, they shall do well to mingle some sweetness of praise, the sharpness of correction; that so they may the better admit of the doctrine and reproof, which is given them. The Saint expresseth it in these words. We shall better draw such sinners, as are not perverse & proud, but weak and poor of heart, to the way of heaven, if whilst we reprehend the evil things, which they have done, we jointly praise those good things, which we know to be in them; to the end that by this means, such praise may confirm and strengthen them in their weakness, who were humbled by that reproof. Thus did S. Paul proceed with those Christians of Thessalonica. For they, having fallen into the fault of giving credit to certain false Prophets who taught them that the day of judgement was then to come very suddenly, (whereby they were put into much disorder and trouble) before he reprehended this lightness of theirs, he praised them saying, 2. Thess. 1. We must give many thanks to God, for the great increase of yours faith, which is growing every day; and for the increase also of your fraternal charity, which aboundeth its every one of you; and increaseth daily, both by your loving, and doing good to one another. But when he had praised them in these & other words, he benignly reprehendeth them saying, chap. 2. We beseech you brethren, by the coming of Christ our Lord to judgement, and by the glorious and blessed union which we are all to have together at that day, that you depart not so easily from giving credit to us; and from having the true sense of those things which you have learned of us; and that you be not troubled, or frighted by what others tell you; and in a word that none may have power to deceive you; By this divine artifice, the sacred Doctor of the nations, did reprehend them; when first he had comforted and encouraged them by recording that virtue, which he knew to be in them, and the good opinion which he had of them; to the end that, having compunction to, see that they had failed of the good which they had begun, they might the better accept of the reproof he gave them; and so might reform themselves thereby.   

THE XIX. CHAPTER. How we must praise virtue, for the making it be more esteemed: and of the examples which Christ our Lord gave us to this purpose.  
We must also praise the virtue of good men, to declare how great a good that is; and how that which seemeth little and of mean value in the sight of men, is indeed very great, and hath a most high reward in the sight of God; to the end that other men may esteem greatly of it, and carry much affection to it, & labour hard to acquire it. Let us deliver some examples hereof.  
Saint Peter Matt. 16. confessed to Christ our Lord that he was the true Son of God saying; Thou art Christ the Son of the living God. It seemed a small matter, and of no merit, that Saint Peter, having conversed so long with Christ our Lord, & seen with his own eyes, so great and so evident miracles, and heard such doctrine, & contemplated such an example of life; that he should piously incline his heart to believe, that he was the true Messiah, & the natural Son of God. For this did not cost him the shedding of his blood, nor the tormenting of his body with affliction, and penance; but only to produce a pious affect of the will, and to perform an act of obedience in the understanding. But Christ our Lord praised him, and gave testimony that this inward act of his was of supreme value and estimation, in the sight of Almighty God; and that on earth he should receive admirable favowrs from God for the same; & that in heaven, he should enjoy an immense reward of glory. And that from that instant, he might begin to be happy by that certain hope, and pawn, which was given him of that infinite good, which he was afterward to possess, and enjoy during all eternity. All this he declared by saying; Blessed art thou Simon the son of jonas. for men who are made of flesh and blood, were not able, with all the humane wisdom they have, to teach thee this truth. My celestial Father it is, who hath reveiled it to thee, & upon thee, will I build my Church, and to thee will I give the keys of the kingdom of heaven.  
By these words, Christ our Lord praised by faith and devotion of Saint Peter; and declared to the world, of how sovereign value before Almighty God, and how richly to be rewarded with celestial and eternal blessings, one single act of virtue may be, which is performed by a just man, though it be easily produced, and in a short time, and how little soever it may cost; and especially an interior act of lively faith, which a just man hath no difficulty at all to perform.  
Christ our Lord, being in the Atrium of the Temple Marc. 12. Luc. 21. beholding them who were easting alms into the chest, which was to serve for the reparation of the Temple, for the maintenance of the Priests, and for the relief of the poor; amongst the rest of them who cast in their alms, which without doubt was then done both by many and in plentiful manner (for it was near Easter, at which time there came much people to jerusalem, from all parts;) there cometh a very poor widow, and casteth into the chest, two of the least little pieces of money or mites. Our Lord seeing her and being pleased to praise her much, for the act which she had done, and the alms which she had given, called his disciples, and pointing out the woman said thus to them. This widow hath cast a greater alms into the chest, and made a greater present to the Temple, than all the rest, who have given alms this day. And our Lord shown diverse reasons, why she had given more than any of them. First, because in proportion of her poor condition, it was more for her to give a mite, then for others to give store of crowns. And because the rest gave the alms out of that which did advance beyond their necessary maintenance; and that they gave not all, but a part thereof; but this widow gave that which was necessary to herself, and she gave it all. But the principal reason which he was pleased to signify under this was, for that she gave her alms, with a greater affection and desire to give, and with more ardour of charity than all they; which he declared by her having given all that she had, being in precise necessity thereof, for her own relief.  
In this sort did Christ our Lord praise the alms of this poor widow, and by praising her, he manifested to all the children of his Church, how highly the good work of a just person is valued, in the sight of Almighty God; & the great account he makes thereof, and how he will reward it in heaven; and how he means not to give the reward according to the quantity of the work, but according to the good will and love of God and our neighbour, wherewith it is performed. He will also have us learn from hence, first to esteem greatly of the good works, which our neighbours do, how little soever they may be; and and approve them and praise them, before men, for their edification; and much to value those good men, who do them, though they be poor, & of mean condition and estate; since God, who sees their hearts, doth prise them much. And secondly, he will have us learn by this, to be animated towards the doing of good works, and to exercise the acts of Religion and charity, with much affection, and desire to please God; and to do more than we do; although by reason of our weakness, and our little talon, either of virtue, or goods, or power any other way, our works be very small; since God hath regard to the good will, wherewith they are done, & to the pious heart, from whence they proceed.  
The Apostle Saint Paul followed this example of Christ our Lord. Who (to animate the Corinthians, to give alms to the Christians, who were in want at jerusalem; and that none of them should omit to give according to his power, how little soever that might be) did praise the virtue and charity, which they of Macedonia had showed to the same Christians, assisting them liberally with alms, according to the power of every one. And he praiseth them in these words, 2. Cor. 8. We give you brethren to understand, the gracious, and liberal gift which God communicated by his goodness, to the Churches of Macedonia, who receiving many grieovous persecurions from the Gentiles, (who afflicted, and affronted, and rob them of the goods they had) did yet abound with joy in their very tribulations, and they did not only accept of them with patience, but with interior joy, yea and that a very great joy, for the love of Christ our Lord, for whom they suffered; and through the hope of celestial blessings, which God promiseth to them who suffer for the love of him. And being poor they were all, according to their weak power and strength, so liberal in giving, that they did very abundantly discover the pure intention which they had therein, and their great promptitude, and even hunger and thirst to give, & to please God by doing all the good, that possibly they could, to their neighbours. And I give testimony to this truth, that not only they gave willingly all they could, but more than they could; for not only gave they of the superfluity, and that which they could conveniently spare, but they gave part of those very things, which were even necessary for the very support of their lives.  
The Apostle, having praised in these words, the Charity and mercy of the Macedonians, inviteth the Corinthians by the inducement of this example, to do the like; and he saith, that considering what the Christians of Macedonia have done, I have persuaded myself to sand Titus to you, that this grace which he begun in you, may be finished and perfected by his exhorting, & moving you to give alms to the Christians who suffer in jerusalem; and by procuring, that all men may give what they can; & that it may be put all together, and sent to jerusalem, as was done by them of Macedonia. And he wisheth them moreover, that even they, who have but little to give, should yet give some what even of that little, with a ready mind, and a desirous good will, to give more if they could. And he affirmeth, and testifieth, on the part of God, that the little, which they should give with such affection & good will, would greatly please God, and be much esteemed by him; and be also rewarded according to the good will where with they gave. For he saith, if the will be ready and efficaciously prepared to do good, it is very acceptable and pleasing to God, if they work & give according to what they have, or can perform; and God doth not require, for the making men acceptable to him, that they should give or do, what they cannot give or do.   

THE XX. CHAPTER. How it is fit to praise the virtue of some, thereby to correct the vice of others.  
ANother way, which makes our praising others to be very profitable for us, and pleasing to almighty God, is to praise the virtue, and good works of them, from whom no such thing had been expected; and thereby to convince and confound those others, who were not so virtuous, and did not work so well, notwithstanding that they had greater helps, and were in greater obligations than the former. Let us declare this by an example.  
There was a Centurion (that is to say a Captain of a hundred soldiers) in Capharnaum, Matt. 8. Luc. 7. placed there by the Romans; and a Gentile he was, who descended not from patriarchs, & Prophets, but from Gentiles & Idolaters, and from people who had no knowledge of the true God. This man, by means of conversation, which he had with the jews, came to know this truth, that there was one God; and he had taken an affection to his holy Law, and to his people of Israel; and he loved & cherished them, and built a Synagogue for them, upon the understanding which he had, that of all the men in the world, these were the professors of true Religion. This Centurion, had a servant whom he greatly loved, who fell sick of a pleurisy, & was grown to the very point of death. And the servant being in those terms, and the Master having heard of the miracles which had been wrought by Christ our Lord, he conceived a great confidence and faith, that if he desired remedy for that servant, he should obtain it; and he believed with great assuredness, that Christ was a Lord so powerful, that even in absence, he could give him the life, and health of his servant, by the only commandment of his word. Not presuming therefore to appear in the presence of Christ our Lord, (as holding himself unworthy thereof) he interposed the ancient, and prime men of the jews, for intercessors. These men therefore, in the name of the Centurion, desired that he would go to his house, and cure his servant: instantly our Lord put himself upon the way, to do as much as they desired. As soon as the Centurion knew that Christ our Lord was coming to his house, he told him, by means of the same intercessors, that in no case he was to do it; for that himself was unworthy of so great honour, but he only prayed, that from thence, he would command by some one word of his, that his servant might be cured; and that that would serve for his recovery. And this he confirmed by the example of his own person; for if he, being a weak man, and subject to the command of another, (who was the General of the Army) could yet command his soldiers, to dispose themselves here or there, and that accordingly, and instantly the thing was done; how much more could Christ our Lord, being so absolute, and of so great power, command from wheresoever he were, that sickness and death should be gone, and that health and life should come; and that they would not fail to obey him.  
This man, discovered great humility in not presuming once to to appear in the presence of Christ our Lord, but to negotiate by means of the jews, whom he held for better than himself; and by those words, he also shown a great faith. And so Christ our Lord, having heard this message, shown to be in admiration, to see so great faith in a Pagan soldier. And turning his countenance to the troop of jews, who followed him, he said; Verily I say to you, I have not found so great faith as this, in Israel. And many shall come from the East, and from the West, and from all the parts of the world, out of the nations of the Gentiles, and by means of faith; and obedience to my Gospel, shall sit in company of Abraham, Isaac, and jacob, and the rest of the patriarchs; and shall reign with God: and on the other side, they who be the children of the kingdom, which are the jews, who descend from the Patriarches, and to whom the promise of the Messiah and of his celestial kingdom was made, shall the most part of them be excluded from that Kingdom, and shut up into eternal torment.  
Christ our Lord praised the faith of the Centurion, for the reproof of the infidelity of those jews, who believed not in him at all; & of the weak faith of some others, who believed in him; and to confound them by this example; and to move them to penance for their fault, and to persuade with them, who believed not; and to increase their faith who believed. And so he was pleased to express himself to this effect; This Centurion being a Gentile, and not having read the Prophets, nor having been brought up in the Law of God, nor in any discipline, but of the war, and not having seen my works and miracles, but only heard relation of me; hath believed my truth, and my power, with so great and so firm a faith; and on the other side, the children of Israel, who are descended from the patriarchs, & who have read the Scriptures, and know the Prophecies, which speak of me; and who were looking for me, and have seen my miracles, and heard my doctrine, some of these, have not believed in me, nor will receive my truth, but persecute the same; & others have believed it so imperfectly, that none of them hath arrived to so great a Faith as this man hath, and as he confesseth in honour of me. They I say, notwithstanding the many causes & motives, which they have had, to believe my truth with a perfect faith, have not believed it, as they ought: and this man having had so few motives, as he had to believe in me, hath believed with so great perfection, that he hath fare outstripped all the rest. And therefore this man, though but a Gentile; and all the other Gentiles also, who throughout all the parts of the world, shall be converted to me, and shall be like this man in his faith, and obedience to my word, shall be admitted into the Kingdom of heaven, in company of the holy patriarchs, whom they have imitated; and on the other side the children of Israel, who according to the extraction of flesh & blood, descend from patriarchs; if they do not penance, and reform their infidelity and disobedience, by true and constant faith, and real subjection to my commaundments, shall be excluded from the Kingdom of heaven, and condemned to eternal torments.  
In this sort did Christ our Lord praise the faith of the Centurion; and thereby did he correct the infidelity, or at least the weak faith of the jews. And he did it with much reason; for the faith of this man was so great, that some of the Saints conceive, that he did truly know, and believe the divinity of Christ our Lord; and that it was covered with the veil of his sacred humanity. For thus saith Saint Hierome. The wisdom of the Centurion is discovered, in that with the eyes of faith, he saw the divinity which lay hid under that veil of humanity. And the same doth Saint Augustin confess, saying, in the person of the same Centurion; If I, being a man subject to others, have yet power to command; how much more hast thou it, o Lord, whom all the powers of the earth obey and serve?  
We are to profit by this example of Christ our Lord, in praising such servants of God, as live in a more eminent degree of virtue, than the state and condition of their life seemeth to exact at their hands; for the admonishing and correcting of others, who, by reason of their vocation, and of the parts and gifts which God hath bestowed upon them, were obliged to greater virtue. As when, for the correcting of some Prelate, who may be strait handed in giving alms, and negligent withal, in the government of his subjects, we may praise some Lord, who being a secular man, is yet most liberal in giving alms, and most vigilant in procuring that his servants and vassals may be virtuous. And as if, for the reproof and amendment of a Religious man, who were remiss in making Prayer, and doing Penance, and were full of tepidity in the exercise of virtue, and imperfect in the performance of his Obedience, we should praise a secular Cavallier, for being much given to prayer, and diligent in the mortification of himself, and full of fervour in the exercise of virtue, and very obedient to his Ghostly Father. For we frame the reason after this manner; If a Lord or a Cavalier, being a secular man, be of so great recollection, so great virtue, such purity of life, such diligence in the doing of good works, his vocation not seeming to bind him altogether to it; how much more reason is it, that a Prelate make himself a possessor of these virtues, whom his state obligeth to be a perfect man; and a Religious person, whom his Religion obligeth to procure to be perfectly virtuous?  
And so to reform some very wise and learned man, who wanteth spirit and devotion, we may praise a man who is wholly ignorant, but yet full of the spirit of God, and of true devotion saying: If this rude creature having so little knowledge of God, and of his works, and mysteries, and being able to use so little discourse of reason, have yet so great love of God, and so great feeling of his goodness, and of his mysteries, and works, & so great gust of divine things, and maketh so great estimation of virtue, and spiritual blessings; how much more is it reason, that a wise and learned man, to whom God hath given so great wit, & knowledge, for the comprehending of truth both divine and humane, and so great light of reason to discourse, and pass by means of visible things to the knowledge of such as are invisible, and by the creatures, to come to the knowledge and love of the Creator, have such devotion, as was said before, or at least procure to have it?  
In this sort did the Apostle S. Paul, following this example of Christ our Lord, commend the Gentiles who were converted, for the most excellent virtues which they had, and the admirable works they did, and for those most high gifts, which God had communicated to them, by means of their faith; to the end that so the jews, who were in their infidelity, might know their error, and be in confusion, for their wickedness; and might be awaked by the virtue of the Gentiles, and encouraged to the incitation thereof. This did he signify by saying, Rom. 11. For as much as I am an Apostle of the Gentiles, and during the whole time that I shall be so, I will honour this ministry, taking pains, and suffering for them, to bring them to the faith who are not yet come to it, and to confirm and perfect them with virtues, and the gifts of God who have already received it. And by this means, I will procure the conversion of the jews, who are of my kindred according to the flesh, to the end that they, beholding the most abundant fruit which is produced in the Gentiles, and the most precious gifts which God communicated to them by means of their faith, may be moved to a holy emulation, and imitation of them, and so some of them may be saved.   

THE XXI. CHAPTER. How we are to praise the virtue of our neighbours, to defend them so, from some unjust slander.  
ANother very just reason, for which we must praise our neighbours, and commend their virtues, and good works, is to defend them from some slander, or false testimony, or some detraction or affront, wherewith their reputation is unjustly spotted, & their good name and the opinion of their virtue obscured. Let us deliver an example, which Christ our Lord left us of this truth.  
Christ our Lord being in Bethania, at supper in the house of Simon the leper, joh. 12. Matth. 26. Marry Magdalen came with an Alabaster box, full of very odoriferous and precious ointment, & she anointed the feet of our Lord with it, & filled the whole house with the sweet odour. Now judas began to murmur at this work, and to speak ill of the holy woman, in that she had wasted the ointment, which was of so great value, that it might have beme sold for three hundred pieces of money, and been given to the poor. And the rest of the disciples, seeing the indignation and murmuring of judas, and not understanding the root of malice, from whence it grew, like good simple men conceived that he had reason, for what he said; and were induced by his example, to murmur too, and to reprove that good work, which Mary with so great devotion, had done.  
Now our Lord saw well how the disciples murmured against this holy woman, without all reason; esteeming that to be vicious, which was an act of virtue, and speaking ill of that, which was well done. For being a custom of the country, as it was, to anoint the feet of their guests, with precious ointments, if they were eminent men; it was no evil, but a good work to do that, which was in use for some good and honest end. For an indifferent action, such an one as this was, is made good by addressing it to a virtuous end. But then to this is to be added, the pure intention, and great devotion, wherewith Mary did this work: for she did it as being moved by piety and religion, to exhibit honour and veneration to our Lord, whom she knew to be worthy of all possible reverence and respect.  
Our Lord therefore on the one side seeing the goodness of the work & considering moreover, the mystery which himself meant to signify thereby, who had moved her to it; and on the other observing the rash judgement & murmuring of the disciples, and especially of judas, who was the spring of all that ill, he began to defend the woman, and to praise the good work which she had wrought, and to discharge the slander, whereby they thought to do her wrong; saying after this manner; Why are you troublesome to this woman? Why are you enraged against her? Why think and speak you ill of her work? leave her free from your reproach, and give her leave to keep this ointment, for my burial. His meaning was to say, the bodies of dead men, are according to our custom, to be anointed before they be interred; and this woman would be glad to anoint my body, when I shall be dead; & then will not be able, because that office will be first performed by others, before I be buried; and after that burial, she shall be prevented by my resurrection. But suffer her to do that now, which she would do them; and that she may signify by this unction that I am to die; and that my body will be soon laid in the grave, and she in the mean time, doth but perform that office of piety, which is performed to other dead bodies.  
Our Lord said further, she hath wrought a good work towards me; and it was convenient that she should do it although by doing it, the price of this ointment were thereby not given to the poor. For the poor you shall have always with you, and so shall you ever have opportunity, and occasion to do good to them: but as for me, you shall not always have me with you, in this visible form; for I am quickly to leave this world, and to go to my Father. And I tell you for certain, that in whatsoever part of the world, the good news of this Gospel shall be preached, the work of this woman shall be recounted, and celebrated in her memory, and for her glory in all the parts of the world. And by these words did Christ our Lord defend the Magdalena, and praise her good work.  
From this example we are first to fetch this fruit, to make great estimation of good works, how little, how light, and how easy so ever they may be. How easy a thing is it, for a rich woman to buy a pound of precious ointment, for three hundred pieces of silver, and to anoint the feet of a holy man therewith; especially of such a Saint as Christ our Lord was? For in that he, who was anointed, was so great a Lord, the work became more sweet, and easy to be performed. Well then, so light and easy a work as this, for having been performed by a person who was in the state of grace, and with a pure intention, to serve and please Almighty God, was esteemed so highly, as we see by Christ our Lord, and praised with such Majesty of words; and rewarded with such a high reward, both in heaven and earth. Such value and dignity and excellency have those good works, which are done for the love of God.  
If the Magdalena had spent, not three hundred pieces of silver, but three hundred thousand, in the service of the world, as in braveries, and vain dress, in curious and delicious banquets, and in making some feast, & triumph to give delight and gust, as lovers of the world are wont to do; all that expense, had been lost, and she had not pleased Almighty God thereby; nor had merited any thing is his sight; and there had been no honourable memory thereof continued amongst men. And not reaping any profit by them, she would have incurred many faults, as ordinarily there are, in these things, which would have condemned her, either to the temporary pains of Purgatory, or else to the eternal torments of hell. But now, for having spent a little money upon the service of Christ our Lord, and for undergoing that light & sweet labour, in performing that work of piety, with her own hands, she pleased Almighty God so much, and merited so greatly in his sight, & obtained so much honour throughout the world, that as long as it lasts, she shall be praised, & had in veneration for this work, by all faithful Christians; and for all eternity shall be made happy amongst the Angels in heaven, with a most high crown of glory. And so will that be fulfilled which was said by the wise man; The memory of just persons will remain amongst men, after their death, and they shall relate their heroical deeds, and exhibit praise, and veneration to them; whereas the memory and fame of wicked persons, shall be full of reproach, and it shall perish.  
Secondly, we are to draw from this example of Christ our Lord, that when we see virtuous people suffer hurt in their reputation, or good name, whereby their neighbours were to be edified, & whereof they are deprived, by the slanders, and lies of wicked people, we must defend them by giving testimony to the truth, and by praising their good life. And when men murmur against them in our presence, we must excuse their innocency, & declare their virtue. And if it so fall out, that we have any credit with the murmurers; we must procure to mend them, and stop the discourse; and if our advice by way of speech will not serve, we must show both by our silence, and by our countenance, that such murmuring is displeasing to us. This is that which the holy Ghost doth admonish saying, that as the sharp cold wind coming from the North, hindereth rain, and permits not, through the coldness thereof, that the clouds should easily dissolve themselues into water; so doth the reserved and sad countenance, of him who heareth, tie up the tongue of the murmurer. This saith the Wise man in the Proverbs, who was instructed by the Holy Ghost. And the reason is, because when the murmurer sees, that they who hear him look cheerfully upon the matter, he thinks he pleaseth them, & that they give him a glad ear; and he taketh so much the more heart, and liberty to murmur: but when he findeth, that they show him an ill countenance, he understands by that, that the discourse pleaseth not; but that they are unwilling to hear it, & this he marks, and so he begins to give over murmuring.   

THE XXII. CHAPTER. How we ought to praise wise men, when they are virtuous, to the end that others may profit by their example and doctrine.  
BEsides those reasons before expressed, there is yet an other of great force, why we ought to praise the servants of God; and it is, to the end that our neighbours having notice of their virtue and parts, may profit more, both by their doctrine, and by the example of their life. This praise belongeth chief, to persons who are much known, and have authority, or public office, as Prelates, judges, Preachers, Confessors, Religious men, Priests, and rich and noble persons; for upon the virtue, & prudence, and wisdom of such as these (who are as the heads, and hearts) dependeth the virtue of the people: and so the good life, and incorrupt doctrine of these servants of God, being generally known, and commended, the rest of men doth profit by it so much the more, and are more edified by their good speeches, and virtuous examples; and therefore to praise such persons, with that discretion which is fit, is a thing very acceptable to God, and very profitable for the gaining of souls. Let us relate an example, which Christ our Lord gave us hereof.  
The disciples of Saint john Baptist, came to Christ our Lord in their Master's name, Mat. 11. Luc. 7. to know if he were that Christ, who was to come; that is to say, if he were the Messiah, who had been promised by Almighty God, for the salvation of the world. And our Lord having answered this question, by the works he did, which was by working the miracles which were prophesied of the Messiah, and by preaching that doctrine which belonged to him to teach, and publish, he dispatched them away saying; Tell john what you have and heard. When the disciples of Saint john were gone, our Lord began to celebrate the divine praises of the same Saint john, and to proclaim his admirable virtues, saying; What went you out to see in the desert? Went you perhaps to see some reed, or cane, which is shaken with every wind? or some man set forth in soft, and delicate apparel? He meant as followeth; you went not out to see a light, or unconstant person, who is moved by every passion, or interest; but a most constant man, and who persevereth with admirable resolution, in the truth, which he preacheth; and in that holy life which he began to lead. And you shall evidently see, that inconstant and light persons, who are moved with passions, or by the interests of this world, be always in love with regaloes, and delicacies in their food, their clothing, and their habitation, and are desirous of wealth, and have recourse to the houses of great men, where these things are found in abundance. But in john, you shall see nothing of this, but a life of great penance and austerity, & very abstinent, & estranged from all manner of regalo, and wholly deprived & destitute of all earthly goods. For his habitation, is in the dry and horrid desert: his bed, is the hard ground: his garment is a sharp haircloth, made of camels hair: his food is dry locusts: his drink running water; and his continual exercise, is to pray, and contemplate in that desert, and to baptise and preach penance, in the river of jordan. He saith moreover of him; And what went you out to see in the desert? Was it perhaps some Prophet? Verily I say to you, that he is more than a Prophet. For this is he, of whom the eternal Father said, whilst he was speaking to his son, as is recorded in Malachias; Behold I send my Angel before thy presence, to prepare the way for thee. I tell you for a most certain truth, that there was not borne of women a greater, than john the Baptist; but yet he, who is the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Which signifieth, according to the best exposition; He who for his age, & the office of humility which he exerciseth, and in opinion of the people is the poorest member of the Church, (which was our Lord himself the true Messiah) is both in dignity, and sanctity, greater than he.  
Saint john had preached penance to the people, and exhorted men to the exercise of all virtue, and had given express testimony money of Christ our Lord, affirming that he was the Messiah. And now, to the end, that by sending this message, whereby they asked of Christ our Lord, if he were the Messiah, the people might not suspect that he made any doubt, as some inconstant might do, of that which formerly he had testified, and of that which now he questioned, but only in regard both of his own disciples, and of all that people (that so they might forsake the ignorance, wherein they were, & remain more confirmed in their faith; & not think that he demanded it in regard of the ignorance wherein himself was) for this reason, did Christ our Lord extol him afterward, with so illustrious praises, and testified with so great asseveration, the constancy and purity of his life, and the eminency of his person and dignity. And he proved this, both by the experience of what they saw, and by the testimony also of a Prophet: to the end that they might be settled in the great belief, which they ought to have of his truth, and sanctity; and that so, they might profit by the doctrine, which he had preached, and the example of life which he had showed.  
In this sort are we to praise men for their virtues, after the example of Christ our Lord: because their life and doctrine concern the good of the faithful, to the end that their words of counsel, may be more efficacious, and their example more profitable to all men. Thus did Saint Paul proceed; who, resolving to send Timothy, a most faithful instrument of the Gospel, to preach and administer holy things, at Philippos a City of Macedonia, doth praise him first in a letter, which he writeth to the Philippians, wherein he testifieth his virtues, saying, I hope in the mercy of Christ our Lord that I shall very shortly be able to send Timothy to you. And I have designed to send him in particular, because I have none other, who is so agreeable to me, and so of one heart with myself, and who with so pure love and true charity, hath so particular a care of your good.  
These and other praises, did S. Paul deliver of Timothy; to the end that the Philippians, might receive him with great estimation of his sanctity, and zeal, and might profit by him. And he did the like, when he resolved to send Titus a servant of Christ our Lord, and a preacher of the Gospel to them of Corinthus: for first he praised him, saying to this effect; I give great thankes to God, for inspiring the heart of Titus with the same desire, that I have, and for having kindled him with the same love and endued him with the same desire of your spiritual profit, which he gave to me. With these & other words, Saint Paul praised Titus, to the end that his labours might prove of greater spiritual profit to the Corinthians. And after this manner, are we also to praise Prelates, Preachers, Governors of Cities, Pastors of souls, Religious men, and Priests, and all such as have public office, and authority over the people, when they clearly express true virtue in their lives. For when they are known for-such, and that they are wise, and diligent in doing their duties, they shall profit the people more, and especially such families thereof, as converse with them Let us praise (saith Ecclesiasticus) such men as are excellently glorious, above the rest.   

THE XXIII. CHAPTER. Of the rule which we are to hold, when upon the aforesaid reason, we shall praise the servants of God.  
But in affoarding this praise, we must observe these directions, and rules of discretion. That when we praise another man, not to the end of encouraging him, or moving him to the practice and proceeding in virtue, or for the persuading him to the doing of some good work, but for the good, and profit of others, that so his virtue and wisdom being known, and much esteemed, his neighbours, who hear, and discourse thereof, may profit by his example, instruction, advice and government (which is the case whereof we are speaking;) we must not then praise the party in his own presence, nor yet before his familiar friends, who already know his parts, and who are likely to tell him what they have heard; but only before such others, whom it may concern to know his virtues and parts, to take profit by him. So did Christ our Lord, when he praised Saint john; for he did it in his absence; and he stayed for the doing of it, till the disciples of Saint john were gone.  
This rule must we also hold, that so we may take from the servant of God, whom we praise, all occasion of vain complacence, and estimation of himself, especially when the praises happen to be great, in respect that the parties virtues, and parts are greatly worthy to be praised. For although it be true, that many servants of God, who have laid the roots of humility very deeply in their hearts, and who, by long experience and much light from heaven, have well understood and penetrated the weakness of man, are free from this danger, & take no occasion of vanity by it, but contemn themselves so much the more; yet this is not every body's case. How soever we see indeed, that it happened in the case of Saint Ambrose, when once a devil (speaking by the mouth of a possessed person) had a mind to cry out thus aloud, Ambrose torments me; For then the Saint understood the devil's craft, & what he pretended by praising him. But he did not only not grow proud by occasion thereof, but he humiliated himself so much the more, and said; Hold thy peace, thou devil, for it is not Ambrose who torments thee, but the faith of the Saints in God, and thine own envy. Know that Ambrose will not grow proud, upon thy praises. This passed with Saint Ambrose, and the like happened to Saint Marcellus, the Abbot. For this man, had a gift from God, to cast out devils; and they brought diverse possessed persons to him; and the devils desiring, by their infernal craft, to hoist up the Saint, into pride with praise, they cried out thus aloud, Marcellus, do thou command us to departed out of these bodies, for thou hast power over us; and this they repeapeated often. The Saint understood the malice of the devils, & would not send them out upon their commandment; but taking occasion from that speech, to humble himself so much the more, and lifting up his eyes to heaven, he begged of Christ our Lord, that he would cast them out saying thus; O Lord, preserve this work of thy hands; & he continued praying so long, that the devils departed out of the bodies.  
Though this be so, and that many great servants of God, are settled so firmly, and solidly in the truth of humility, that humane praises move them not at all, but rather they humiliate themselves the more by occasion thereof; yet there are others, who though indeed they be the servant of God and have very excellent virtues, and gifts from heaven, and are worthy to be praised; yet notwithstanding they have some weakness this way, and are subject to the danger of growing proud upon humane praise, and especially when they are praised much. And this is the usual case, and which ordinarily happeneth, that even good men are subject to this weakness, and are exposed to this danger. And a man may clearly see, what force those praises have to make men giddy, & how much occasion they minister of making them fall into vain complacence and pride. First, in that the devils, who are so great and wise Masters in doing ill, did take the means of praising, and publishing the power which Saint Ambrose, and Saint Marcellus had over them from Almighty God, as the likeliest way to make them fall into pride. And this truth may be also seen, by the great diligence, which the Saints have ever used, in flying from the praises of men, for the danger which they knew to be therein, and the fear they had to fall thereby.  
Surius doth relate in the life of the blessed and most holy man john, who was a Prior of Canons Regular; that fearing the danger of praise, he fled from it after an extraordinary manner. He went to do a certain office of charity, to certain women the servants of God, who were retired from the world; and one of them, who was there shut up, received a Revelation of his going thither; and therein, our Lord had declared to them, the great sanctity and merit of that servant of his. Now there was here no necessity to recount that revelation in praise of his sanctity: for it was not made to her for the profit of the Saint, but to the end that they might profit by his coming thither, so much the more, by how much more they were certified of his sanctity. And therefore, as soon as the Saint heard her begin to speak thereof, he found that there was danger of conceiving some vain complacence, or estition of himself; and it troubled him much to hear such praises of his virtue; and he made her a quick answer, and concluding the business in few words, went immediately away. For the danger that he found, to hear humane praise, made him resolve not to stay, where there was so great estimation of the holy manner of his life.  
Saint William, who of Duke of Aquitania, came to be a most holy Monk, and a Father of many Monks, was much praised by men, for his many virtues, & the great miracles which he wrought. This put him to extreme pain, and he would fain have avoided the working of miracles, through the fear he had of being praised. And Theobaldus the Bishop, saith in his life; That in regard he was not able to endure humane praise, he went into a solitary place, & and betook himself there to a little cottage in company of a disciple of his, doing penance there, and leading a celestial life, till he made a most holy end.  
The Saints therefore have well understood; the danger which ordinarily there is in human praise; especially when they are given with great honour, and estimation of sanctity. And for this reason, when we praise the servants of God, for the benefit of others, we are to do it, if we can, in their absence.  
We are also to do so, for an other reason, which is, to secure ourselves from the note and suspicion of being flatterers. For when we praise our neighbour, for the profit of his soul, namely to deliver him from pusillanimity, and to animate him to virtue, the necessity which then there is of praising him in his presence, will free us from being suspected to do it out of flattery: but when we praise him for the good of others, if we do it without necessity in his presence, it draweth the suspicion of flattery with it; and therefore as much as we may, we must procure to give such praise in absence. And this also did Christ our Lord teach us, in this praise of Saint john. For upon this reason, he stayed till the disciples of the Saint were gone, to avoid all suspicion of flattery. So said Saint chrysostom; Therefore did Christ our Lord praise Saint john, when his disciples were gone, that so it might not seem to be flattery.   

THE XXIV. CHAPTER. Of other rules which we must observe when we praise men: that is, that we praise some, without offence to others: and that we do it in moderate words.  
ANother rule which we are to observe in these praises, is to praise some in such sort, as that we give no offence to others, by diminishing the virtues and parts of some, to increase those of other folks. And therefore we must procure as much as we may, not to make comparisons between some and others; telling the faults of this man, and the abilities of that other; abasing and vilifying some, and exalting and magnifying other men; and of this we must especially take heed, when they of whom we speak, are alive.  
Christ our Lord gave us an example of this rule, in the praise which he uttered of Saint john; for he said not of him that he was the greatest of all them who had been borne of women; but that no man had been borne before that time, greater than he; thereby leaving men in liberty, to think that others, might be equal to him. And out of this general sentence, he brought that exception which was fit, saying, that the least of the kingdom of heaven was greater than he. And although some understand thereby the least of the Angels, who are blessed in heaven; yet the more certain exposition is (as we have said before) that he understood him who was the least, by humility, which is, that Saint of Saints; and he who is the fountain of all sanctity, of whom Saint john Baptist himself said, that he was not worthy to untie the latchet of his .  
We also must follow this rule of prudence in praising men, who are praise worthy. For if we praise men for the love of God, & being moved by charity as we ought; the same charity will tell us, that we must do it without offending any body, and that so we must comfort, and honour some with our praise, as that we do not offend, or dispraise others by slighting their virtues.  
The last rule which we are to hold is that we praise men, even although they be Saints, with moderation, and temperance, & in modest words; in such sort that we exceed not the limits, either of truth, or of necessity, by our enforcing, or exaggeration thereof. For if we praise a man, either to make him friendly, or to animate him to the doing of good, or to persuade him to the belief of any truth, or to the practice of any virtue, or to gain credit for him with other folks; it will be fit to speak so well of him as is necessary, for the obtaining of that end, which is pretended, & to work that good effect which is desired; and this is sufficient, laying other praises and exaggerations aside, which neither are necessary, nor profitable to the edification of others.  
This moderation which we ought to use in praising men, is taught us by the holy Scripture saying, do not praise a man, till he be dead. He doth not here prohibit all praise of such as live; for it is clearly lawful, and necessary, and pleasing to God, to praise men, whilst they live, as we have declared already; and the Scripture itself saith; The faithful man, shall be much praised. But he meaneth, that we must not praise such as are still living, with a complete and perfect praise, as if they were secure, and confirmed in the state of grace, as they are to be, in heaven. And so that, do not praise, doth signify as the Greek letter showeth; do not beatify or proclaim any man for blessed before his death: which sentence grew into this Proverb; Let no man count himself happy before he die. And therefore we are admonished by this sentence, not to praise any man, as absolutely blessed, or entirely happy in this life: but when was say he is happy, we are to understand it with this condition or limitation; that he is happy according to the present justice, wherein he life's; or happy according to his present state and disposition: and, in fine, that he is happy in hope. For as long as a man liveth, it is ever fit for him to be afraid of falling, and to be in doubt of persevering. Yet this takes not from us, but that we may praise good men; but only that our praise of them must be moderate, as of men who may fail in the course of virtue, wherein they are; & may fall upon that sin in which they are not; till the good end of a happy death, do secure their virtue, & ratify their good life. This did S. Ambrose declare in these words; He is not instantly happy, who hath now no sin in his soul; for it is not said without cause, that we must praise no man before his death. And it is certain that whilst a man life's, he may fail; and therefore till he die, he must not be celebrated with any praise, as determinate and certain, and which cannot be revoked. He, who after the end of a good life, hath died well, may be justly termed happy: for already he enjoyeth the society of the blessed, with a security, which is perfect.   

THE XXV. CHAPTER. Of the rules, which they are to keep, who are praised; that so they may be at no prejudice, but receive profit thereby.  
THey who praise others, are to observe those rules, whereof I have spoken. Let us now say somewhat, of the rules which are to be kept by them, who are praised; remitting the rest to some other place.  
The first rule is, that a man (for as much as concerns himself, that is to say, his own honour, his estimation and his comfort) must not desire or seek the praise of men. For to desire praise upon these reasons, and for this end is a vain and vicious thing, which spotteth, and defileth the heart of man, and disquieteth and disturbeth it, and maketh it subject to every change. For as all human things are subject to alteration; and one man praiseth, and another man dispraiseth; one exalteth, and another abaseth; one honoureth, and another dishonoureth his neighbour: from hence it groweth, that the miserable heart, which loveth praise, is now cheerful, and then sad; now refreshed & them dismayed; and never doth enjoy strength or rest. On the other a man who cares not for the praises of men, but despiseth and avoides them; and, for his part, desireth only to be approved, and praised by Almighty God, whose judgement is right, and upon whose approbation and praise, our salvation dependeth, and who contents himself with this testimony, doth proceed like a just man, who loveth true justice, and not vanity; and so keeps his heart quiet, and firmly set upon goodness, because he resteth himself upon God, who is not subject to any change. So saith Saint chrysostom. The wicked man is delighted with the praises of men, and though he have not the virtue, for which he is praised, yet he holds his peace, and is glad of it. But the just man flies from praise, and though he have that virtue for which they praise him, & though he know thereby, that he who praised him, said true; yet still he hath no mind to be praised. And in another place, the same Saint saith; Nothing makes men so vain, and light, as the appetite of glory, & of the praise of men, and so nothing maketh them so firm and constant, and strong, as the contempt of all the honour, and praise of this world.  
But now since it is not lawful to like the praises of men for his own honour, and temporal comfort; let us see, whether it be lawful for him to like, and desire them for the animating, and encouraging himself thereby, to the exercise of virtue. We therefore say first, that this may be lawful in some case, and with some moderation; as namely for a man, who is in affliction, or desolation to desire that men may comfort him; putting him in mind of the good he hath done, or of the fruit which hath followed upon his actions, or by his example or instruction: that so he may not be dismayed with his affliction; and if he be dismayed, that he may take heart: not admitting of that praise with any meaning to dwell therein; but as a receipt of physic, wherewith to cure his infirmity, and weakness; and to induce himself the better to serve God, for what God is, and for the accomplishment of his holy will. As King Ezechias did, who being in the extremity of sickness, and much afflicted with the approach of death, did for the increase of his confidence in God, and for the comfort of his soul, and the redress of his desolation, commemorate to God himself, the good deeds he had done, saying thus; I beseech thee, o Lord remember how I have lived, and conversed before thee, with truth, and without all hypocrisy or dissimulation; & how in all things which concerned thy Religion, I have served thee with the entire affection of my heart; not honouring any other God, but thee, who art the true God; and how I have performed these good works which thou hast commanded. In this sort the good afflicted King, acknowledging that all the good things which he had done, were the gifts of God, and referring them all to him, reduced them to his memory, and presented them before almighty God; not resting and relying upon them; but upon the mercy and grace of God; by means whereof he had wrought them: & he did it to the end that he might erect himself to some good hope; and to comfort his sad heart. And so it may be lawful for an afflicted man, with the same intention, and to the same end, to like and accept of being assisted by this means of the pious, and comfortable speech of his neighbour.  
Secondly we say, that although this manner of praise may be lawfully accepted with this moderation: yet it is not convenient to desire, or procure it; because there are many better means than this, whereby to be animated, and induced to virtue; and by reason of danger which there is, in loving humane praise, and the honour which grows thereby; and of making value, and taking complacence in himself, and so grow to do well for the honour's sake. And because this inconvenience and hurt groweth ordinarily upon them who desire to be praised for this end; Saint Gregory condennes it, saying; It as a thing which belongeth to arrogant persons, and given to vanity, when they desire to be animated to do well, by the praises of others. And preachers and instructers of others, who for this reason desire praise, are dismayed, when they are not praised; and being ambitious lovers of humane honour and favour, they will defend and excuse themselves saying, that it is lawful for them to desire it, for the good which they receive by humane praise; and for this, they show their abilities, and will be praised for them, to the end that by means of this praise, they may grow more in virtue. Whereby certainly they deceive themselves, and so by means of this error, that distemper increaseth in them, by which they love and desire the praise of men. But the true servants of God, are free from this vanity; for although they labour by their virtues, to equal the praises, wherewith men celebrate the same, yet they desire not to be praised by men, but they despise praise, with their heart; and for as much as concerneth themselves they fly from it with great earnestness. Thus saith Saint Gregory. Whereupon it followeth clearly, that it is not convenient, for the end of profiting ourselves, to desire the praise of men, by reason of the deceit, and danger which lieth hid therein, that we may not perhaps do it for any true necessity, but for vanity; and not for the true profit of our souls, but to the prejudice thereof.  
The intention & end for which we may lawfully desire, or admit of praise, is for the good of our neighbours; to the end that by the conceit, and good opinion, which they have of our life and doctrine, they may grow the better by us; edifying themselves by our good example, and inducing themselves to the love of virtue, by means of our advice and counsel, or of our government, or doctrine. So saith the glorious Saint Augustine. He who worketh according to virtue desireth not praise: but yet praise aught to follow him, who worketh well; to the end that it may profit them, who praise, by encouraging themselues to the virtues, which they praise. But howsoever it be lawful to desire praise for this end, because in this case, it is not praise which is loved and desired, but the profit of their neighbours; yet the better and more secure way, and that which hath been used by the Saints, is; not to procure or desire, even for this very end, to be praised by men; nor that men should publish his virtues and celebrate him for the same, lest some vanity or othe●… give itself to his soule● but that he leave it to God's providence, that so he may do therein, as he shall think most fit, and desiring (for as much as concerns himself) that he be not praised.  
The thing which he is to do, is that he labour hard, and be watchful in doing good & holy works; & in giving good example in all things, and using holy discourse, & teaching sound doctrine, and giving wholesome advice, and desiring, that the men who shall happen to see his good works, and to hear his good words, may be stirred up to know, that God is the Author of them, and may praise him for them, and be induced to serve him, performing not only those works which he doth and teacheth, but others which may be much better. And when he shall find or understand, that men praise him, for what he doth, let him enter into his own heart, and despise himself through the knowledge he hath of his sins; for which he deserveth all contempt; and let him hold himself unworthy of such praise, for having offended God, who was the principal Author of those good works. And let him desire, that men, forgetting or despising him, as he deserveth, may give the praise and glory of those good works of God. To this are we advised by Saint Augustine, in these words. The praise which is given to a just man, for the good he doth, he must instantly refer to God; desiring that his divine Majesty, who is the Author of that good work, may be praised for it; for the men who are good, have not their being so, from themselues, but from God. And when men praise us, let us reform those praises, giving all to God, who gave us that goodness, which is praised by men. And in an other place, the same Saint saith, when thou shalt be praised, despise thyself, and desire that he may be praised in thee, who worketh in thee, the good thou dost; and so thou must not do good things for thine own praise, but for the praise of that Lord, of whom thou didst receive the good thou dost. And heerwith we will conclude the rules which are to be observed, both by such as praise, and such as are praised.  
And so also will we conclude our discourse, concerning those things which belong to the most sweet virtue of Benignity, and which in sum are these. To do good to our neighbours with liberality, & with a willing mind; To grant them with ease, what they ask; To condescend to them in things lawful; To converse affably and sweetly; and both in countenance and words, to be cheerful; To endure meekly the defects of others; To reprehend them with love; To pardon them with mercy; To impose commaundments upon such as are subject, which they may obey with gust; and to impose burdens on them which they may carry with ease; To be courteous and well mannered; And to praise the virtue of others for the comfort, & edification and spiritual profit of our neighbours.  
By the practice of this virtue, we shall grow most like to God, who is most Benign; and we shall become acceptable to his most piteous heart, and moreover we shall prove pleasing and agreeable to good men, for their edification; & more tolerable to wicked men, for the conversion and winning of their souls to God. And hereby we shall also mortify those inclinations in us, which are contrary to Benignity, and so obtain victory over ourselves; and we shall exercise many most excellent acts of other virtues, which carry relation, and respect to Benignity; and we shall obtain great peace & quietness of heart, whereby we may the better be disposed to communicate with Almighty God, by means of Prayer, and Contemplation.  
And finally, if we will exercise Benignity towards our neighbours, we shall have more 〈◊〉 experience of the Benignity of God, through the abundant gift of spiritual graces and comforts, which he will impart to us. And above all things, we shall be enabled hereby, to perform his holy will; thereby doing that which he commandeth us, by his Blessed Apostle saying, Ephes. 4. Be you Benign one towards another; Be merciful, having compassion of one another's misery; and pardoning all injuries to one another, in such sort as God hath pardoned us, by the virtue and merit of Christ our Lord.   
FINIS.