An Ample Declaration of the Christian DoctrineChapter 14. Of the eight beatitudes

Scholar. What are the eight beatitudes, which our Lord taught vs in the Gospel?

Master. They are an other ladder to clime vnto perfection, like vnto that of the gifts of the Holie Ghost. For that in seauen sentences, are conteyned seauen degrees, to arriue vnto beatititude. And lastly, the eight doth geue vs a signe to know whether a man haue ascended vp these degrees or no.

Scholar. Declare vnto mee this ladder briefly?

Master. Christ our Lord, in the three first degrees, teacheth vs to take away the impediments of perfection, whereby we ascend vnto felicitie. The generall and ordinarie impediments are three; the desire of goods, of honors, and pleasures. So Christ saith in the first degree, that the poore in spirit are blessed, that is, those who willingly dispise goods. In the second he saith, that the meeke are blessed, that is, those that geue place to all, not resisting those, that put themselues before, and thrust them behinde. In the third he saith, that those are blessed that weepe, that is, those that seeke not the delights, and pleasures of the world, but attend to do penance, and to be waile their sinnes. In other two degrees he teacheth vs the perfection of the actiue life, which consisteth in fulfilling all that wee are bound vnto by iustice, and by charitie. Therefore he saith in the fourth degree, that those are blessed, that hunger and thirst iustice. And in the fift he saith, that the mercifull are blessed. In the last two, he draweth vs to perfection of the contemplatiue life: and therfore he saith in the sixt, that they are blessed, that haue a cleane hart, for they shall see God, that is, they shall see him in the life to come, in glorie; and in this they shall know him by grace of contemplation: & in the seuenth he saith, that the peaceable are blessed because they shal be called the children of God; that is, blessed are they who hauing added perfect charitie, to contemplation, haue made al their repose in God, and pacified all the Kingdome of the soule, and so they shalbe children of God, like vnto their Father, holie and perfect. In the eight sentence no new degree of perfection is contained, as S. Augustine doth well say, but there is declared a manifest signe, to know if one be arriued to perfection: & this signe is to suffer willingly vniust persecutiō, for the like as that gold is tried in the fornace, so is a iust and perfect man in tribulations.