The Diseases of the Time, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. A cure of that Monasticall Melancholy, that cuts off a Christians hands, and turnes him all into eyes.
CHrysostome speaking comparatiuely of an actiue & contemplatiue life, *De Sacer. lib. 6.preferreth …he vertue of the actiue before the contēplatiue, of the Priest, before the Monke; as of a King before a priuate Man. For hee saith, the contemplatiue Man sayleth in the Harbour and passeth a good life, but it is in safety and quietnesse: But the actiue Man goes through the World, and yet is none of the World, he meetes with tentations, fights with them, and ouercomes them, he steereth his course aright, through stormie and tempestuous Oppositions. Againe, he sayth, that the Minister labours with his minde, the Monke with his bodie. On the other side, Gregory *Moral. in Iob l. 6. c. 18. & Ezek. l. 2. Hom. 3.preferreth the Contemplatiue before the Actiue, and to prooue it, saith, that the Contemplatiue Man enioyeth his Creator, is already in Heauen, the World is trodden vnderunder him, and he feasteth on Blessednes, so that he is as farre aboue the Actiue, as Heauen is aboue Earth, as blisse is aboue this miserable and sinfull World.
Now there beeing but one Truth, how shall wee find this one Truth in this seeming diuersitie of Opinions? For Truth is only to bee found in Vnity, and not in contrarietie. Yet by the Candle of Gods Spirit and Word, let vsus seeke this Groat of Truth, that otherwise may bee lost in the darke.
First, true it is which Gregorie sayth, That Contemplation is heerein more excellent then Action, That Contemplation seemes to gather the fruit and Action but to sow it. So as gathering is more excellent then sowing, so Contemplation seemes to exceed Action. And as attayning the Hauen, is more comfortable then tossing in the Sea, so Contemplation is farre sweeter then Action. But yet on the behalfe of Action, must we consider two assured Truthes; First, that this World is made for another World, and it is not the place of Rest, but the way to Rest, and our busines in this World is to prouide for a happinesse to be enioyed in another World. Then though enioying in it selfe bee better then working, yet vponupon this consideration of circumstances, it may bee better to worke then to enioy; For if working here increase our enioying hereafter, and enioying heere diminish our enioying hereafter, doubtlesse, it is better to worke in this place of working, that wee may enioy in the place of enioying, then by imperfect enioying here in a place of working, hereafter to diminish our ioyes in the place of perfect enioying. To gather fruit in an vndue time, abateth of the bignesse and sweetnesse. We must not think to hauehave our Heauen here, but wee must labour in the sixe dayes of this life to enioy an eternall Sabbath hereafter. We must heere bee turners of our Talent, that being faithfull in little, we may rule ouer much, and not thinke that binding vp our Talent we may be idle heere and glorious hereafter: we may not imagine that man had a body giuen him to liue only in his soule, but the Maker of the body will also hauehave the seruice of the body, and that not in workes of Pietie alone, but of Charity also; euen of mutuall helpe and benefit, as being part not of a Separation, but of a Communion of Saints.
Therefore though Peter thought it good to bee still in the contemplation of Glorie, and would faine hauehave built Tabernacles therein. Yet Christ carries him downe againe from the Mountaine of Vision, into the World of Action, into the company of persecuting Iewes, seducing and hypocriticall Pharisies, yea, into the winnowing of Satan himselfe. And indeed, generally the Apostles liues were liues of Action, and liues of Passion. And if these Apostles bee the foundation, and Christ the Corner stone, then are Actiue men the chiefest in Heauen, as beeing next vntounto Christ, and no Contemplatiue men may euer sit aboue them: for the foundation will still be neerest to the corner stone, and nothing may goe betweene them.
Contemplation indeed is absolutely necessary, and in her owne turne and time more necessary then Action, as Maries hearing in the time of Christs preaching, was more necessary then Marthaes seruing; but the same Maries action of anoynting Christ in a due season, is as famous as her hearing of Christ. Contemplation must not end in it selfe, but it must proceed, and the due proceeding of it, is to end in Action. When Contemplation ends in it selfe, we may reape some pleasure to our selues, but nothing is reaped to God. But so it may not bee, for the end of our life is the seruice of God, and the seruice of God is Faith, working by LoueLove, and the fruits of LoueLove are good Workes; therefore we must proceed as farre as these good Workes, or else wee are short of the end and scope of our life appointed by God.
And Gregory himselfe confesseth, that the Contemplatiue Life is barren like Rahel, and the Actiue fruitfull like Leah, euen fruitfull in sauing of soules. Now Rahel pleased not herselfe in her barrennesse, nor should the Church of God, but it should cry as heartily, though not so impatiently, GiueGive me Children or else I dye. Neyther doth Christ the Husband of the Church, louelove or reward barrennesse, but hee desires that wee beare much fruit, and the especiall fruit, especially crowned with the glory of Starres, is sauing of soules. Accordingly, Christ when thrise he had questioned Peter of his louing him, & Peter had thrise affirmed it, Christ doth not say to Peter, If thou louest mee, be thou still looking on mee, sit still and enioy mee, and reade and thinke only of me, But Peter, If thou louest me, feed my Sheepe, Feed my Lambes; which shewes that a life of Action and Edification is the most noble Fruit, & notable Effect which Christ expects from his Louers. And accordingly shall the last Sentence be pronounced: Come ye blessed of my Father, not who hauehave continually carryed me in your thoughts, and beheld mee with your Contemplations, but yee who hauehave spiritually and corporally fed me, clothed me, visited me in my members.
Therefore let vsus take heed that wee take not heauen too soone, neyther spend so much ou… time, in enioying the earnest that we abate the inheritance assured vsus by that earnest. And indeed (which is the second thing) God deales so with vsus in this life, that contemplation cannot be a whole imployment to Man. Therefore as before it appeared to be vnlawfull, now it also appeares to be impossible: For well doth eueryevery Saint of God know, that the glory and comfort of contemplation lasts but some turnes, and then comes an ebbe of grace, a night of vision, and perchance a long storme of Satans buffettings. Eyther the Spirit withdrawes his glorious beames from the soule, or the soule it selfe is forsaken of the body, as not able to endure a long bent of high Meditations; or else the flesh hath leaue to take vsus downe by temptation, that the height of Contemplation may not hurt vsus by an equall height of Pride. For the height of Contemplation, is made most safe and profitable to vsus by the lownesse of Humilitie, and Infirmity is a chiefe preseruer of Humilitie. And euen in these times though we hauehave not the ioy & ability of Contemplation, yet are wee outwardly able for Action, and we can profit others when we seeme wholly vnprofitable to our selues. Therefore to fall into a true moderation and indifferency betweene Contemplation and Action, let this be our Rule, that Contemplation nourish and feed Action but not deuoure it; that we contemplate to know God and to louelove God, that we know and louelove him to please him, and serue him in the Actions of some profitable vocation. We may not quench Contemplation, for it warmes the soule, cheereth and heateth her to action; Againe, wee must not exclude Action, for that is to water the roote and to pull away the buds, and so to preuent the fruit.
The excellency of Contemplation and Action is the Concord of them, therefore let vsus bee contemplatiue that wee may bee actiue, and in our actiuenesse striue verily to expresse our Contemplation. For Contemplation is then most commendable when it is expressed in deeds, and not when it is meerly borne and buried in thoughts. And it shall be more true glory to a true Christian, amid the world to despise the world, to resist it, to ouercome it, then wholly to runne away from it. Yet briefly for caution, let no man take any more to his taske, then he is duely called to, and his strength can beare: let not the horse take on him the burden of an Elephant, neither let men indanger themselues farther in secular imployments, then grace giues them good hope to returne with safety.
I will conclude in the saying of cGregor. in Ezek. ho…il▪ …. & in Iob. lib. 10. c. 11.Gregorie. The holy beasts did goe and returne, and did goe and not returne: So the Saints they goe from their sinnes, and returne no more to them, but in another kind of going, they goe from Contemplation; to Action, and returne again from Action to Cōtemplation; for these continuall returnes nourish and refresh each other, and it is vnprofitable or vnpossible for a Christian to continue still in one without returning to the other. Thus doing, we shall be those labouring Contemplators, who onelyonly are the blessed ones that dye in the Lord, wee shall rest from our labours of Action, and our workes shall follow vsus; and then our good Actions shall bee turned into the ioyes of an eternall Contemplation.