1. HAVING thus largely set down the proper and only end of a religious profession, to wit, purity and simplicity of soul, to be obtained by recollected contemplative prayer alone, I will further add some more special duties belonging to religious persons, according to their several relations and qualities, as superiors or other subordinate officers, subjects, &c. For as for the proper virtues of a religious state, as obedience, poverty, humility, &c., the handling of them is referred to the following treatise.
2. Now with what mind a devout soul ought to embrace a religious profession is signified to us in that notable passage in our holy father's Rule, where he saith, In coenobio degena desiderat sibi abbatem praeesse, that is, Whosoever lives in a religious community is desirous that an abbot should be set over him. From whence we ought that infer that the intention of a religious person ought ever to be to live in subjection to the will of another, and in such a mind to continue all his life. And, therefore, those that readily accept, and much more those that ambitiously seek, government and prelature may reasonably be judged to be led by a spirit directly opposite to the spirit of religion. And surely he that shall seriously consider of what difficulty and of what extreme danger the office of a superior is, what terrible threatenings our holy Father so often denounces from God against a negligent, partial, and unfaithful discharge of such an office, will think it far fitter to be the object of his fear and, aversion than of his desire. Therefore that superior that does not find himself more willing to give up his place than to retain it, ought to suspect that he is scarce in a good state.
3. Now to the end that both subjects may be informed what
qualities they are to regard in the electing of superiors, and also
4. From which testimony and authority, yea, even from the light of natural reason, we may firmly conclude that the Spirit of prayer is so absolutely necessary to a religious superior, that without it he cannot exercise his charge profitably either to himself or to his subjects; and consequently that to a superior in an order whose spirit is contemplation, it is necessary that he have attained to a good established habit of contemplative prayer. For (as hath been said in the foregoing discourse concerning spiritual guides) how can such a superior, without knowledge gained by experience, inculcate the so necessary duties of recollection and prayer? Nay, rather will he not be more likely to discountenance those exercises in which he is not skilled, and from which perhaps he has an aversion?
5. Therefore that too ordinarily maintained position of some, that active spirits are more fit for superiorities and external employments than contemplative, which are to be left to the solitude and sequestration to which their spirits incline them, is indeed most unreasonable and groundless.
6. On the contrary, no doubt there is but that the decay
of religion hath principally proceeded from this preposterous
disorder, viz. that in most religious communities active spirits
have got the advantage to possess themselves of prelatures and
spiritual pastorships over the contemplative, though the state
of religion was instituted only for contemplation. And this
7. Indeed, it is not to be wondered at that active spirits should so prevail, considering that those who are truly of a contemplative disposition and design, knowing well the difficulty and danger of superiority, how full of extroversion, distraction, and solicitude it is, and what occasions and temptations there are in it to raise, nourish, and satisfy sensual affections, pride, &c., to the peril of extinguishing the spirit of prayer (except in souls far advanced in prayer and mortification), such, I say, are therefore justly afraid of, and do use all lawful means to avoid, the care and government of others. Whereas active spirits that live in religion, not being capable of such prayer as will raise them much out of nature, have not the like apprehensions of such employments; but, on the contrary, being led by natural desires of preeminence and love of liberty, and believing that those who are true internal livers will not submit themselves to all the ways and policies used for the increasing the temporal good of their communities, do not fear to offer themselves, yea, and ambitiously to seek dominion over others, falsely in the mean time persuading themselves that their only motive is charity and a desire to promote the glory of God and the advancement, both temporal and spiritual, of their convents or congregations. But what the effect is experience shows.
8. True it is that it cannot be avoided but that many unfit
spirits will oft be admitted into religious orders, very different
from the dispositions requisite (though it belongs to superiors
to provide as well as may be against such an abuse): but such
being admitted, of active dispositions, the best were to employ
them in active exercises and external matters, as in the offices
of procuration, dispense, building, and the like; but as for prelacies,
the charge of instructing novices, or other offices pertaining
to the directing of souls, it is to the destruction of the spirit
9. Besides, upon exact consideration it will be found that,
in the point of government, contemplative spirits that have
made a good progress in internal prayer have great advantages
above the active. For such being careful themselves to use all
due abstraction will less molest themselves and others with impertinent
businesses; not prying too narrowly into all passages,
as if they sought occasion of showing their authority and ability
in making unnecessary reprehensions, to the disquieting of communities;
but for peace sake they will sometimes even silere a
bonis, passing over many things which do seem a little amiss,
wherein they show great prudence and also cause much profit
to subjects. 2. Such being diligent about their own recollections,
do, out of a love for patience, silence, and peace, forbear
the doing or imposing of a multitude of unnecessary tasks upon
others. 3. By means of prayer they obtain light to order all
things to the benefit of their subjects' souls; and in case they
have erred or been defective in anything, they discover and
amend it in their next recollection. 4. In the manner and
fashion of their whole comportment a certain divine grace
shines forth, which is of great efficacy to win their subjects'
hearts to obedience and divine love. 5. Yea, if by corporal
infirmity they be disabled to attend to many external observances,
yet a view of the patience, quietness, and resignation shown by
them is more edifying to souls under their care than all the
most exact external regularities and severities of active spirits.
6. Yea, even in regard of temporal benefit to communities,
contemplative spirits are more advantageous than active. Because
they, not putting any confidence in their own industry, prudence,
and activity, but only in the divine providence (which is never
wanting to those that for temporal regards will not do anything
unseemly or misbecoming their abstracted state), do enjoy the
effects and blessings of God far more plentifully, whilst they
prefer His love and service before any human distracting solicitudes
10. A fearful example of the mischief following the neglect
of internal prayer in a superior, we find in Bernardine Ochinus,
a superior in a most strict order, who was a famous zealous
preacher, and, as might be judged by outward appearance, of
more than ordinary sanctity; yet withal, to comply with those
outward employments, a great neglecter of internal conventual
recollections. And when he was sometimes charitably admonished
of such his tepidity, his ordinary answer was: Do you not
know that he who is always in, a good action is always in
prayer? Which saying of his had been true, if such good actions
had been performed in virtue of prayer, and by grace obtained
thereby, for then they had been virtually prayers; whereas
actions, though in themselves never so good, if they want that purity
of intention which is only to be had by pure prayer, are in
God's esteem of little or no value,--the principal motives of
them being no other than such as corrupt nature is likely to
suggest. Ochinus, therefore, continuing in the same neglect,
was by one of his brethren prophetically warned that he must
expect some terrible issue thereof, in these words: Cave ne te
ordo evomat, that is, Take heed that our order be not hereafter
constrained to vomit thee out of it. The which unhappily fell
out; for notwithstanding all his other specious qualities and
endowments, he, first forsaking God, was afterwards forsaken
by Him, and became a wretched Antitrinitarian apostate.
And it is very probable that the greatest part of the apostates
of these times (such I mean as have formerly lived in religious
orders) do owe their apostasy and perdition to no other cause
so much as to such neglect and apostasy first from prayer; the