HAVING receaued commandment from a dying Freind to publish this Translation of the life of the Venerable , and holy Suor Maria Maddalena de Patsi , togeather with the Preface that goes before it , vnder such an auow , as I should thinke most fit for such a subiect ; I found my self cast vpon the same resolution by duty , which of my selfe I should haue imbraced , out of voluntary election , & affection : in as much as the thing admitted of no debate , or dispute , but that it must be presented to your Ladiship . For your Ladiship taketh not vp the life of this Great and Admirable Woman vpon trust , since you haue read it in the originall tongue , and by meanes thereof you haue planted , not only in your owne Religious hart , but in the harts also of your own excellent Religious , a most tender , & deere remembrance of her rare vertue . And besides I am in my selfe so much bound to your Ladiship , as that ( hauing nothing of myne owne to present as a token of my true desires to serue you , I account this trust to haue come into my hands very luckily since it helpes me to paye my debts , without any charge to my conscience , out of another mans goods .

It appeares already , that I need not bring this Holy Woman and your Ladiship acquainted togeather . That which I haue to say of her goeth in the Preface to the Reader . Of your Ladiship I only aske , that you will continue to make her as much your patterne as you may ; & I wish that as you were the first of our countrey , since the lamentable fall thereof , who made so high Nobility of bloud ( as high perhaps as any Subiect in Christendome doth beare ) stoope so low to the lure of Euangelicall Pouerty , and other perfections : so the eminency of your Heroicall Example , may againe be able to bring forlorne vertue into request . Only I aduise the world , that , vnles it will amend , it come not neere your Ladiship , & the blessed company of Religious , which you haue the honour & happines to gouerne . For I know not what receipt you haue gotten , but I am sure you haue it ther among you , to make Beauty chast , Pouerty commodious , Obedience easy , Vnderstanding humble , and the bitternes of Austerity , not only sauory , but euen sweet . And I beseech Iesus you may euer haue it ; and that by the intercession of this great Seruant of his , & your deuotion to her , both your Lad ' . selfe , & your whole happy Congregation , may obtaine as full a measure of benediction from his diuine Maiesty , as is cordially desired by

This vertuous Priest , was the Ghostly Father of that holy Woman , and he gouerned her soule ( togeather with the whole Monastery where she liued ) for the space of some immediate years before she dyed . And for the greater credit of that which is heere deliuered and to the end that not only no pious Catholike may doubt thereof , but that euen no prudent Protestant may haue colour to quarrell or so much as question the truth of that which shall be in this booke declared , I will deliue● some circumstances , which I assure my selfe , i● the iudgment of indifferent , and morall men will serue the turne .

In the Monastery of Florence called Santa Maria de gli Angioli , there be three score Religious women , who are though worthy ( as worthy as flesh , and bloud may be to receaue euery day the Body of our Blesse● Sauiour , in the B. Sacrament , though indeed this cannot be worthily done by any , and i● must suffice that it be not done vnworthily To the so often feeding vpon this bread o● Angells , they are admitted not by any importunity , or fancy , or particuler iudgment o● their owne , but by the hand of this Priest whome I haue already described . In whose gouernement of them , if there be a●y imperfection , it is in that he may be thought a little scrupulous , through the great light he hath of the purity & Maiesty of almighty God , on the one side , and the great indecency or rather deformity , which he discouereth in the least sinne on the other . Now the passages of this Saints life , after she entred into the Monastery were verifyed , and that vpon Oath , by these other Religious women that liued with her , in presence of their spirituall Magistrats , who had authority to take full information thereof .

Let me further present to your consideration , discreet Reader , that at the tyme of taking those Oaths , the Religious were particulerly put in mind ( though they were far from being ignorant therof before ) of the nature of an oath , and with how much truth & reuerence they were bound to sweare ; & that they must not , for the conuerting , or sauing of the whole world , tell the least officious lye , & especially in matters of this nature ; wherin as it was to be an act of Iustice , and Religion , to expresse a truth when they were lawfully called thereunto : so to publish , and authorize an vntruth , truth , was to commit a grieuous sinne . And indeed the Catholique , Apostolique , Roman Church doth so much abhorre all collusion , & fraud in this high kind , as that it denounceth a solemne sentence of most rigorous Excommunication , ipso facto , to be incurred , by any that shall publish , or any way cooperate willingly towards a false Miracle .

Now therfore that such a company of holy women , as I haue heere described , who do otherwise lead a life of so great perfection , and pennance , as is notorious to the world in those parts , being directed in their conscience by such a Ghostly Father , & being put in mind of their duty towards God , and the world , in so expresse manner , by their other spirituall Gouernours , should in despite of all Religion , and reason , combine , and band themselues to deceaue the world , and damne their owne soules , by auowing solemne vntruths ; and to do all this betweene foure walls , and in the middest of perpetuall fastings , praying , haire cloath , disciplines , and the like , is not only improbable , but impossible . And I shall wonder with what sense , by the Ciuill , or Municipall Law of any Countrey , the oaths of any two honest men , or women , may be admitted to rule the case of mens lands , and liues , and that the oaths of so many persons , and such persons , should be reiected , in verifying of that which passed vpon their knowledge , and vnder their eyes . So that when this truth is tould you , that the seuerall Chapters of this following history , were ratifyed by the subscription , and oaths of these Religious , I assure my selfe that all danger of doubt will be remoued ; and to the end that there be no question made , but that they did so subscribe , & sweare , I will heer set down that part of the Authors Preface to the Reader which concerneth the act in law , wherby it is expresly declared .

To the end , that the truth of what is deliuered in this history , might appear more clearely , the most Reuerend Monsigr. Pietro Nicolini , Vicar-Generall of Florence , at the instance of the Gouernour of the Monastery , came in person to the same place , togeather with the Chancellour of the Archbishoprike , vpon the 14. day of April , in the yeare of our Lord 1609. where , calling all the Religious of that House into their presence , who had seen with their owne eyes the actions of their Mother Suor Maria Maddalena , which are set down in this present work , he examined them most particulerly , concerning the truth therof . Which Religious women , amounting to the number of threescore , who are accustomed euery morning to receaue the Body of our Lord , did affirme , vnder their oaths , that those thinges which are recounted in this life of this seruant of God , are meere , and reall Truth ; and many of them , did moreouer say by word of mouth , that they had seene many more particulers , then are written there . Now therefore at the end of euery Chapter of this booke those Religious women who were present , and saw the wonderfull things which therein are seuerally related , did subscribe the same with their owne hand writing ; and so by the subscription of all these Chapters , there is a great booke filled ; and in the presence of Monsigr. the Vicar Generall , and of the Gouernour of the Monastery , and of foure witnesses , there was an authentical Instrument , or Writing , made by Sigr. Frosino , a Milanese , Chancellour of the Archbishoprike , which publique Instrument , or writing , togeather with the aforesayd booke , full of subscriptions is kept for eternall memory in the Monastery ; and a coppy of them both ( being authenticated by the sayd Chancellour ) was entred , & is conserued in the Roles of the Archbishopricke of Florence . And all this diligence was vsed , to take from any man ( that shall read the great and wonderfull thinges that God did worke by this Mother Suor Maria Maddalena , his beloued Spouse ) the least suspition , or doubt , of the truth therof .

This is contayned in the Authours Preface to the Reader , touching those thinges that passed from the tyme of her entring into the Monastery , which was in the seauententh yeare of her age , vntill the tyme of her death , which happened in the one and fortith yeare : and for those other that are recounted from her first vse of reason , till she entred into Religion , her Mother , and Seruants , & next kindred , and Ghostly Fathers did certainly , & ionytly , and seuerally auow , that which is heer related , besides that her selfe did confesse them to be true . So that for as much as concernes the matter in fact , the credit of the history being now settled , as I conceaue it is ; I will only in a few words giue an aduice , or two , concerning the reading of this life , whether it fal● into the hands of Catholikes , or Protestants .

And first let it be layd for a ground , that mirabilis est Deus in Sanctis suis , Almighty God is wonderfull in his Saints . God i● wonderfull in all his workes , and wayes , bu● he is sayd to be wonderfull , per excellentiam , in his Saints , as if in comparison of that wonderfullnes , the rest of his works were not wonderfull . Heerupon I would have it follow , that in the reading of Saints Liues , men ought t● carry themselues with great sobriety . Catholikes must be sober , and not venture to freely vpon the imitation of euery thing , wherof they find an example in the life of Saints , but content themselues with the knowledg of how litl● themselues are worth , and with admiration o● that which is aboue their calling , or the proportion of Gods grace giuen to them . And for as much as concerneth practise , they must imploy themselues in the purchase of those seue●ll solid vertues , which shine so brightly in ●hose Liues , according to the circumstances of ●me and place ; and in such cases as are que●ionable , it is not safe to do any thing of mo●ent without the aduice of their spirituall ●uides , and Ghostly Fathers . And aboue all we ●ust be sure , not to despise , or censure rashly , ●hat which is represented by great authority , ●nd with great Charity ; but praysing Almigh●y God ( according to the aduise of Sales the ●ood Bishop of Geneua , in that excellent book ●f his , which is intituled , An Introduction ●o a deuout life ) for the superabundance of ●is graces powred vpon others , we must stay ●ur selues humbly in the ordinary , & ( for vs ) ●ore assured way ; lesse excellent in it selfe , ●ut more sutable to our infirmity , and pouerty wherin yet if we conuerse with humility and ●delity , God will afterward raise vs vp to ●reatnes which is truly great . And as for Pro●estants , if any such may read this booke , I will only desire them to be that which they ●ould fayne be thought to be , that is discreet ●nd not to oppose , vpon this only reason , be●ause we affirme ; nor to scorne thinges as vanityes , and inuentions , only because themselu● vnderstand them or see them not ; and finally not to be so discourteous , euen to the Omnipocency of Almighty God , as not to let him dispose of his creatures , as is most pleasing t● himselfe .

We see that he gouerneth his seruants o● ordinary condition with great variety , according to the seuerall temper of their mindes ; some are drawn by health , plenty , estimation , and all kind of prosperity which without sinne may be enioyed ; some others againe would be as it were putrifyed by such warmth as that , and are best kept in temper by the contraryes . So also are his Saints ( in whom nature is not destroyed , but perfected ) conducted by the hand of his admirable prouidence in seueral wayes : some by Comforts , and Rapts & Extasies of loue and they also are in themselues of very seuerall kinds ; for some of them bind all the senses at once , and some leaue them free to some particuler purposes ; euen as we see , that naturally it happeneth sometyms in dreames . And in like manner we also find by experience , that some men are mad outright , and others againe are so in some one particuler occasion , and some againe are mad in all , vnles it be only in some one wherein ●hey are of as sound discourse as any other man .

But it pleaseth God to lead on other Saints by great aridityes , and desolations of spirit : and so he maketh them appeare in the eyes of men to be no more then ordinary persons ; & others againe he placeth as Lanternes and Beakons , for all the world to behould ▪ and take example by , through the supernaturall concourse which it pleaseth his diuine Maiesty to yield of working many , and most vndoubted miracles in confirmation of their sanctity , or otherwise for the manifestation of his owne greater glory , as it hath been abundantly seene in the case of Suor Maria Maddalena . The euidence of whose holynes , and the testimony which it both pleased God to giue vnto it , hath so appeared in the eyes of the world , as that order is come from Rome to the Religious where she liued , that they may publiquely expose her Picture in their Church , with the Voto's round about it , which are testimonyes of the graces that God hath granted by means of her intercession . Now these things are yielded to so very rarely , and neuer , but after a most rigorous examination of particulers ( which is taken by a Congregation of Cardinalls , and other learned and prudent , pious men deputed euer for these purposes ) as that euen this circumstance alone , doth much aduance our certainty of her sanctity , and this so much the more because it hath beene done within a dozen yeares after her death . A rare example : for the Church walkes on with a foot of lead in such occasions as these , and maks not such hast , but vpon extraordinary inducements .

And whensoeuer any particuler is recompted , if a man shall deride it , because only it is strang , or superiour to the course of nature , or because it is ridiculous in his opinion , and contrary to those foolish , and false grounds which mans discourse being naturally both lame and blind , hath framed for it selfe to walke vpon , he may also scoffe at those particulers which are related in the holy Scripture it selfe , That God condemned all mankind , for one only mans , and womans eating of an apple : That he brought armyes of frogs into Pharo's Court , in despite of al his guardes : That the wedge of the hatchet leaped instantly vp to the helme , when it was put into the water : That the sight of a man borne blind , was giuen by meanes of applying durt , and spittle to his eyes : That sicke persons were cured by walking only in another mans shaddow . These thinges , and many other like to these , are recorded in holy Scripture , and yet no Christian man must presume so much as once to doubt therof . So as the only strangnes or supernaturallnes of any euent , cannot authorize any modest , and wise person to deride it ; but may iustly & ought in prudence oblige him to doubt thereof , or rather to deny his assent therto till it be conueniently proued .

The authority therefore is that , wherupon the credit of any supernaturall thing doth depend , whether it be more , or lesse , and not only the meere strangnes of the thing it selfe . And from hence it is , that whatsoeuer is recorded in holy Scripture , how wide soeuer it falleth in respect of our experience , or how far soeuer it ouershooteth in respect of reason , must cheerefully , & vndoubtedly be assented to , because it resteth vpon an infallible authority , which is the Reuelation of God , and the proposition of his Catholike Church . And such an authority doth declare whatsoeuer thing to be as certainly true , as truth it selfe is true ; and that no man may doubt thereof , but vpon the price of being either an Infidell or an Heretike . There is another kind of inferiour authority , standing vpon humane , and morall proofe , exhibited vnder the Oaths of many persons , being eye witnesses , and free from all exception , both concerning the very actions themselues of Saints , and the miraculous works of God shewed in honour of them , & by the meanes of their intercession , whereof no man , that hath perfect information of the particulers , can so much as doubt without extreme imprudence , nor once deride without profanenesse .

But he that deserues to weare that Liuery , will not only laugh at me , translating heere the life of this moderne Saint ; but will make as little scruple to laugh at all our Saints Liues , though written by other Saints themselues , and other most excellent persons , as S. Bonauenture writing the life of S. Francis , S. Bernard of S. Malachias , Paulus Diaconus of S. Gregory , S. Gregory of S. Bennet , Possidius of S. Augustine the incomparable Doctour , S. Hierome of S. Paul the first Eremit , of S. Hilarion , Malchus , & a great number of most holy Virgins ; Cassianus of whole troops of ancient Eremits , S. Ambrose of S. Agnes , and S. Athanasius of S. Anthony , who all relate miraculous things of those seuerall Saints in great abundance . As little difficulty , I say , will he make to laugh at these , which I heere relate in the person of my Authour , whilest yet whosoeuer he be , he cannot bring the tenth part of that proofe , whereby he would be taken for his Mothers Sonne , or the heyre of his Fathers land , or that the very name he is knowne by , is his owne ; which I will offer to the eye of any indifferent man , for all that is affirmed heere concerning this great seruant of God . And that any person either absurdly incredulous , or prophanely blasphemous , may see how little reason he hath in rebelling thus from the laws of human society , and planting his owne either humorous imagination , or impious assertions in place thereof , I will addresse him to that excellent Treatise , De vtilitate credendi , written by that Top and Crowne of wits S. Augustine , who by a number of most pregnant reasons , and most palpable experiments , doth demonstrate it to be a point of sottish pride and impertinency , and not of wit or iudgment for men to be euer questioning or doubting , & to admit of nothing which hath passed vnder the testimony of their owne eyes .

We therefore that are Catholikes shall make no difficulty , to imbrace with a most pious affection the beliefe of this history , and Protestants I hope will find no true cause to doubt thereof . And moreouer if it were but euen out of nouelty , these later , me thinkes , ought to flye vpon this kind of studdy , with great appetite , for as much as concernes the vnderstanding part ; because in their owne Communion , they haue in effect none at all of whome they write , and recommend the liues of Saints : nay I scarce know of any ancient Saints whom yet they will ( though extremely against the very appearance of common sense ) pretend to haue beene of their Religion , whose liues they haue written , or in whose honour they haue so much as published any Sermon , which yet they might do , at least for admiration , or imitation , though they will not do it for Inuocation . I cannot say what the reason heerof may be vnlesse they know not how to re●ompt the ancient Saints Liues vntruly , without being reproued , and confuted by vs ; and ●hey cannot do it truly , without casting shame , and confusion of face vpon themselus , through the extreme vnlikenes that would instantly appeare , both in the beliefe , and life of these ●ew men , who are but like so many prety fay●ings , being compared and ranged with those venerable , and sacred antiquityes of the Church ; which on the other side are as so many exquisite Statues , drawne by the life of that deere Originall , our B. Sauiour Iesus Christ himselfe , of whome it was sayd to vs , Inspice , & fac secundum exemplar &c. Behould , and do according to this example , or ●atterne .

I confesse it would be excellent sport if it were not extreme pitty to see how much these good men make of a little ; and how they do not only gape , but euen gaspe againe , after the findinge of somwhat which may seeme to carry some small shew of sanctity , in any of their owne brethren , whilest they despise ours . Wherin yet if yow come to particulers , whatsoeuer truth they will tell you , or euen whatsoeuer they will but aspire vnto , shall not e●tend it selfe beyond the latitude , and oblig●tion o● an hon●st morall man of any Religio● As , that such an one is no great Gamester that he is no Swearer ; that he owes no man ●ny thing , that he enioyes a good report , an● doth his neighbours no wrong , that he follow sermons close , and perhaps that he is stu●ious and frequents not Tauernes , or Playes . Th● much they will say , and they may say it truel● of many whome either the precepts of good education , or the custome of good conuersatio● or the piety of naturall inclination doth dispo● so well . And thus much may be also most trul● sayd of many men in Turky , or Barbary who haue not so much as a beliefe in Christ .

But if you will further aske what heroicall acts haue beene performed by them what great estats they haue wholy giuen aw● for Gods sake , what sacrifice they haue made o● themselues , in imitation , and vnion of th● high oblation which our B. Sauiour did ( 〈◊〉 much to his cost ) make for vs to his Eterna● Father ; what corporall punishment they ha● inflicted vpon themselues what fasting , an● prayer , and ground lodging they haue vsed in a word what painefull things they haue voluntarily vndertaken , & what contentments ( euen not vnlawfull in themselues ) haue been generously by them despised : if you aske them , I say , any such question , you must be also content to make your selfe the answere ; for they will hardly confesse the truth of hauing no such thing as this among them , and they cannot proue so great an vntruth , as that they haue any such . Yet ( blessed be the glorious name of God ) not only our Ecclesiasticall historyes , but euen our present eyes , and hands , are plenae gregibus bonorum exemplorum , full of admirable , and sublime examples , of most heroicall holy men , and women . And in this respect we are well content to be more subiect to their profane & false Criticismes , then they can well be to our true ones ; since they haue no Text for vs to comment vpon , whereas among vs there is no want in this kind . But the Poets request was b●t reasonable , when he desired the Reader , either not to carp at his writings , or els to vtter some of his owne which might be considered of — Carpere vel noli nostra , vel ede tua . For our parts , we find no one thing to be of more assistance , and vse in the way of spirit , then the reading of Saints Liues , which giue the bri●… to vi●e , and the spur to vertue , opening to vs a large and cleere prospect vpon the mercyes of God , and the miseryes of our selues , the best of whome being compared with them , are but as dwarfes in respect of G●…ts .

And who can behould in this holy Woman the heroicall exercise of all vertue but he will admire God and be ashamed of himselfe ? In her he shall find a most prompt Obedience , a most voluntary and exact Pouerty , a most entire Chastity , a most ardent Charity , a most profound humility , with a perfect contempt , and mortification of her selfe , and inflexible rectitude of intention and adoring resignation to the will of God , and ( which shineth in her both amonge , and aboue the rest ) an insatiable thirst of suffering for the meere loue of his diuine Maiesty , and such a suffering , as might be pure , and without the society of so much as any spirituall comfort . Wherein Almighty God did sometymes heare her prayer , and she stood vnder all burthens , with an inuincible , and euen incredible constancy , and strength of mind . And who is there now I say , that will not tremble to compare himselfe to such a patterne of perfection as this is ? At least who will not admire her , and more admire God in her , especially if he consider her life , from the 52. Chapter to the end of the booke , where , as there is lesse mention of her Rapts , and Miracles , so is there much more particuler relation of her vertuous , and heroicall operations , wherof I had an inclination to set down some particulers , respectiuely to all th●se vertues which I heere haue named , but I feared to become tedious , and I hope they will be drawn vp , and drunke downe more profitably ( because more naturally ) at the very springes themselues where they gr●w and where I desire they may be sought . Vpon the true tast & digestion whereof , this conclusion I hope will ●esult : that whatsoeuer so excellent and hero●call actions are performed , it cannot be but ●hiefly by the ins●irations and pious affections ●mparted by Almighty God ; & that his diuin Maiesty ( who is supreme wisdome and good●es , and who exerciseth both an vniuersall & ●et most particuler prouidence ouer all his ●reatures , & much more ouer his holy Church 〈◊〉 generall ) cannot in iustice concurre towards the producing of such acts in a false Religion , whereby the iudgment of men may be intangled and abused . But that wheresoeuer he doth so concurre , it may serue for a great argument to proue the truth of that Religion , which by the performers thereof is professed ; and the want thereof , in any other congregation of pretended Christians , may not lesse assure vs , that it is possessed by a spirit of errour .

O wretched , and thrice miserable creature that Suor Maria Maddalena was , if the way of pennance , mortification , and most voluntary suffering , both exteriour , and interiour , be not the true and only way to heauen ▪ How many painefull disciplines , rude haire-cloaths , hungry meales , sad nights , bitter sighs and salt teares , did she with a noble & faythfull hart endure , send forth , and shed ? And all in vaine , if it should be true which Protestants affirme , that fayth only iustifyeth , that Christ hath so suffered for vs all , as that we are not bound in our bodyes to suffer with him , that these voluntary afflictions are no better then superstitions , and that any satisfaction which we pretend to make to God ( though we protest we can make none but by vertue of his grace in Christ ) are no lesse then so many derogations to the infinite valew of his sacred Passion . But on the other side , O happy , and a thousand tymes happy , is that excellent soule of hers , if it be both true , and euident , that the way to heauen is narrow , and few there are that find it ; and if that of liberty be a wide , and open way , by which men runne with ease vpon perdition ; if heauen be such a thing as will not be gotten by one that seekes it , tamquam aliud agens , and much lesse , in contrarium tendens , but he must be carefull , and studious , & laborious , and earnest , and ardent , and euen violent in the attayning thereof : Et violenti rapiunt illud .

This was euer true since the fall of Adam , and hath much more byn euident , since the Redemption of Mankind was wrought by Christ our Sauiour , through the mystery of the Crosse , yea and through all the actions , and passions , of his most sacred life . For though he abrogated the Iudiciall , and Ceremoniall law of Moyses ( which being but images , and shaddowes , must needs yield to the Truth , & Life , which came into the world with him , or rather which was he himselfe ) yet not only was the Morall law not abrogated , or abridged ( Non ve●i soluere legem , sed implere ) but it was expresly ratifyed , and may rather be sayd in some sense to haue beene enlarged , by those Counsails of perfection , of continuing in perpetuall chastity ( Qui potest capere capiat ) of giuing all to the poore , & following Christ , & louing our enemyes ; which like codicills , after a sort were annexed to his last will , and Testament by himselfe .

Besides , that by the blessed example of his own admirable life , those temporall benefits which vnder the old law , were wont to hould so high a place , as Riches , Plenty , Posterity , and the like , were then degraded in a manner , and their contraryes , as Paine , Pouerty , Persecution , Chastity , and Humility , assumed into their place , when they were sanctified in the person , and by the practise of our B. Sauiour . And euer since ( out of the abundance of his grace , Et de plenitudine eius accepimus omnes ) the same hath beene done by the Saints of his holy Catholique Church , to the wonder of the whole world , euen in despi●ht of all sensuality , and impiety . Since so man , glorious Kings , & Queenes , delicate Virgins , valiant Captains , profound Doctours haue gi●en ouer , in seuerall ages , all the whole world at once , and cast the care of greatnes , of pleasure , of liberty of humane knowledge , behind their backes for euer that they might only attend to the all-sufficient contemplation of Ch●ist Iesus nayled vpon a Crosse .

Whome , how , and with what hart can the eye of any Christians consideration behould ●o shamefully naked , and so mercilesly scourged , so dolorously crowned , and so impiously blasphemed for him , and me , and all mankind , without a iust indignation against ourselues , and implacable hatred of sinne ▪ and a most ardent loue towardes so deere a Sauiour w●th a most tender compassion of his v●speakable torments ? At least Catholikes that find not such holy affections in themselus as th●se , wil neuer flatter themselues with a conceit of 〈◊〉 indeed true Christians : whereas the adu●●●a●yes of the doctrine of Pennance thinke themselues bound to no other painefull acts , but of the mind . But when I name compassion , I meane not a meere and only affection of the mind , whereby we vse to greeue for the misery of another man , but I meane by it a kind of joint-tenancy as it were , in suffering as he suffered , and as his Saints haue suffered , through hi● assistance , and by his example , by fasting , & praying , and retyring , and mortifying , and submitting our selues to affronts , and corporal paynes , for the satisfaction of Gods iustice due to former sinnes , and that afterwardes neither sensuality , nor ambition , nor any other passion may dishonour , and defloure our soules . Now if these things be as they haue beene heere deliuered , and as indeed they are , in what glory , I say , shall we beleeue this holy , and admirable Suor Maria Maddalena de Patsi to remain whose whole Pilgrimage in this world , may be accoumpted to haue beene but one continued act of doing Pennance , as by the readi●g of her life will appeare : wherof as she tooke the example from the best examples of antiquity , so she hath deliuered ouer her owne to all posterity . And in what obscurity , & true misery do they remayne , who being wholy blinded by their passions , and euen pressed almost to death by dangerous obiects , procure to make the very reasonable part of their soules beleeue , that the liberty of the Ghospell of Christ doth free Christians from the ●ye of keeping his commandements , and that because Christ hath suffered for vs all , therfore he hath suffered all for vs ; and that we haue no corporall pennance l●ft vs by obligation to vndergo , either with him , or for our selues .

When any speach is vsed to them by vs , concerning fasting , they tell vs out of the Scripture , that those things defile not the man that enter in , but those others that issue out of man : when we speake to them of other pennances , they aske vs still out of Scripture , Who commaunded these thinges at our hands ? And when we yet come further to such particulers , as carry with them any extraordinary maceration of the body by hayre-cloathes , or the drawing of a little bloud by disciplines , or the taming of a mans selfe by long watches , and the like , they stuffe our eares , & they would stop our mouthes , with speach concerning those false Prophets , who are sayd in holy Scripture , to haue launced , and wounded themselues with kniues : and others , that sacrificed their sonnes , & daughters to the Diuell .

It were well if once they would begin to thinke of what they sayd , and finding that it is not to the purpose , they might giue ouer suc● impertinencies as these . For concerning the firs● of these three places , our B. Sauiour himselfe who gaue vs the example , and who by telling vs how we were to carry our selues in fasting did imply a Precept of the thing it self : he himselfe I say it was , who tould the Iewes how man was not defiled by eating meate , with vnwashed hands ( for which they taxed him ) but by wicked cogitations , brought forth by the tongue , and so powred into the eares of other men , for which he reproued them . By this doctrine he discouered their Hypocrisy , and confounded their presumption , but he did nothing lesse then disallow , either of those fasts to which his Church should haue power to oblige our consciences , or of those others which euery man in his own priuate deuotion , should thinke fit to make , either in contemplation of his loue , or in vnion with his paynes , and pennance .