Читать книгу A Golden Treatise of Mental Prayer - St. Peter de Alcántara - Страница 40

BLESSED ALCANTARA.

with rents and yearly revenues, to which diverse persons of quality had advised her. He answered, that it was an injury to God the author of Evangelical counsels, to ask the advice of men touching the observance of them, or to doubt whether or no they were observable. And with all encouraged her to be constant in that fervent desire, she had begun in embracing holy poverty. To whose counsel she wil- lingly obeyed. And after, our Lord appeared to her in prayer, and declared, that it was his will that her monasteries should be founded in holy poverty. His letter to her, I think it not amiss, to set down at large, which followeth.

THE LIFE OF

A LETTER

OF THE BLESSED FATHER FR. PETER DE ALCANTARA, TO THE HOLY MOTHER THERESA OF JESUS, WHO DEMANDED HIS COUNSEL, WHETHER SHE SHOULD FOUND MONASTERIES WITH RENTS OR NOT.

The Holy Ghost give you his grace and love, &c. I received yours, delivered me by Don Gonzales d'Aranda, and am amazed considering your zeal and piety: in committing to the direction of learned lawyers, that, which is noways their profession, or belonging unto them: you should do well to take their advice concerning the deciding of a process, or of suits in law, and temporal affairs, but in that which concerns perfection of life, we ought to treat only with those who practise the same. For such as the conscience of every one is, such are his exercises and works. Concerning the Evangelical counsels, may I demand whether they be observable or no? For that the counsels of God cannot be but good, neither can the observance thereof seem difficult, unless to those who govern themselves according to human prudence, having less confidence in God than they ought. For he who hath given the counsel, will consequently give force