Volume I, Treatise IV, Chapter XVII

A Confirmation of the Foresaid Doctrine by Examples

WE read in the lives of the holy fathers, that Abbot Isaac, going’ one day to an assembly of religious in the desert, had a bad opinion of a certain person amongst them, and upon something he had seen amiss in him, judged him worthy of correction; and having returned again to his cell, he there found an angel standing at the door who opposed his entrance. The holy abbot asking the cause, the angel answered, that our Lord had sent him to know what he would have done with that religious he had already condemned within himself. The abbot presently acknowledged his fault, and prostrated himself to ask pardon of God; the angel told him, that God pardoned him; but for the future he should be more cautious in making himself judge of his brethren, and condemning those whom God, the universal Judge, had not condemned.

St. Gregory relates that Cassius, who was Bishop of Narni, and a very great servant of God, had naturally a red and fiery face, and that Totila, King of the Goths, having seen him, judged this to proceed from a great excess of drinking. But God took upon him the defence of his servant, by permitting the devil to seize upon an officer who bore Totila’s sword, and to torment him on the spot in a most dreadful manner, in sight of all present, till at last being carried to the saint, he delivered him, by making the sign of the cross upon him; whereupon Totila changed his opinion, and had ever after a very great esteem for the holy bishop.

In the lives of the holy fathers, mention is made of two holy religious, who lived together in very great union, and to whom God had granted this favour, that by a certain exterior mark, each one of them knew the interior state of his companion’s soul. Ithappened that one of them going abroad upon a Friday Morning, saw a religious eat something, and presently condemning him in his heart, without examining at all the necessity he might have of eating so soon, said to him in a chiding tone,— “What makes you eat thus early on a Friday morning?” When he returned to his cell, his companion not perceiving the mark of the grace of God he was wont to have upon him, was extremely troubled thereat, and sighing, asked him what he had done since he went abroad? I know not, answered the other, that I have done anything amiss. Whereupon the other desired him to think well, whether he had not spoken some idle word; whereupon he remembered what he had said to the religious he met, and the rash judgment he had made; but the mark of grace he was wont to have appeared not again, till after he and bis companion had both fasted a fortnight together to expiate this

ult.

In the Chronicles of St. Francis a wonderful vision is related, with which our Lord favoured one of the companions of this saint, called brother Leo. He saw one day a great company of the religious of his order, glittering with light and splendour, amongst whom there was one more bright than all the rest, out of whose eyes there came forth such resplendent rays that the good brother was not able to behold their lustre. He asked who that person was, and it was answered him, that he was blessed Bernard of Quintaval, the first companion of St. Francis; and that the light which darted from his eyes proceeded from the good interpretation he gave to whatsoever he saw in his neighbour, and also, because he believed all the world better than himself. When he met the poor, all covered with rags and patches, “These,” says he to himself, “observe poverty far better than I;” and judged thus advantageously of them, as if in effect their poverty had been as voluntary ashisown. When he saw persons of quality richly clad, he said in his heart—“Perhaps these perform greater austerities than I do; perhaps they wear a hair cloth underneath their rich clothes, and secretly chastise their flesh, and that it is to avoid being surprised with vainglory that they clothe themselves after this manner.” In fine, of every object, he always looked at the most pleasing side, and the innocency of his eyes deserved to have such a recompense of glory bestowed upon them by God himself. Behold here after what manner we must judge of our neighbour; and this is that spirit which St. Dorotheus requires of us, when he says, if entering into your brother’s cell, you find it all in disorder, think that he is so absorbed in God, that he minds not exterior things; but if, on the other hand, you perceive he takes care to keep it very neat and handsome, believe his interior is like the exterior.

The same Chronicles make mention also that St. Francis, going to preach in some parts of Italy, met in his way a poor man, who lay very sick; and being touched with commiseration, he spoke to his companion with great signs of tenderness and compassion. Whereupon the good religious making this answer, that in truth be appeared very poor, but perhaps he was rich in desires, as even the rich men of the world were, St. Francis presently gave him a severe reprehension for this rash judgment he made, and told him that if he desired to remain with him, he must perform the penance he should impose upon him, for the fault committed against his neighbour. The good brother submitting with great humility to what he should please to order, St. Francis commanded him to cast himself naked at the beggar’s feet, to ask his pardon for the rash judgment he had made of him, and to beg that he would intercede by his prayers to God for him; and the good religious presently obeyed the saint.

We read also in another part of the same Chronicles, that the same saint having for a time almost quite lost his sight by too much weeping, sought to divert himself with one of the religious, called brother Bernard, who had a very particular talent for discoursing of God, and with whom he sometimes spent whole nights in spiritual discourse. Having once sought him at his cell, which was in a remote part of the mountain; and having called out to him, that he would come to a poor blind man; brother Bernard was at the same time so wholly absorbed in God, that not hearing him call, he made no answer to the saint, who, having called him a second time, and finding he made no answer, returned very sad, murmuring within himself that brother Bernard would not admit him into his cell. In this anxiety of mind he went a little before his companion; and having put himself in prayer, he heard a voice that said: ‘Why art thou troubled? Is it reasonable that man should quit God for a creature? Brother Bernard was with me when thou calledst him, and could not go to meet thee, nor answer thee, because he did not hear thee.” The saint getting up at these words, returned presently to brother Bernard to accuse himself of his fault, and to beg penance of him for it; and finding him just risen from his prayer,’he cast himself at his feet, declaring the suspicion he had harboured of him, and the reprehension he had received from God for it; commanding him, in virtue of holy obedience, to punish him in the manner he should declare to him. But brother Bernard, fearing that the saint, according to his custom, should put himself upon some very extraordinary humiliation, and desirous to find out some means to excuse himself, answered; that he would do whatsoever he should ordain, upon condition he would. also perform what he should desire of him. The saint, who was always readier to obey than to command, easily accepted the condition; wherefore having laid himself all along on the ground upon his back, I command you, says he, in virtue of holy obedience, that you first put one of your feet upon my mouth, and then the other upon my neck, and that you pass three times over me in this manner, saying: ‘‘ Remain here upon the ground, you wretched son of Peter Bernardone; whence couldst thou conceive 60 much pride in thyself, who art worthy to be contemned by all+” Brother Bernard understanding what the saint required of him, doubted for some time whether he should comply with his orders; but in fine, both to observe obedience, and through fear of afflicting him, he resolved to do it, but executed his commands with all respect possible. After this the saint having bid him now to command him, in his turn, what he thought fit: I command you then, says the good religious, that, as often as we shall hereafter be together, you severely reprehend me for my faults. The saint, who had a very great veneration for brother Bernard, by reason of his extraordinary virtue, was so mortified by the command he had received, that to avoid the occasion of reprehending so holy a man, he durst not afterwards remain any long time in his company, but every time he went to visit and to speak with him of God, he took leave of him as soon as the conference ended.

Surius relates that St. Arsenius being sick, a priest of a neighbouring parish came to visit him, together with an ancient hermit, and finding him lying upon a carpet and his head resting upon a pillow, the hermit, who knew not what Arsenius had been in the world, was scandalized to see a man so famed for sanctity treat himself so tenderly, and with so much delicacy. The priest, who was a prudent man, perceived this very well, and taking him aside, I pray, father, tell me, says he, what kind of life you led before you embraced this of an hermit? The old man having answered him, that being always very poor, his life was much the same as that he lived at present. Know, then, replied the priest, that Arsenius, before he came to the desert, was a man of high rank, very rich, and a great favourite of the emperor, to whom he had also been tutor. Consider he has forsaken all these things to embrace poverty and humility, and judge, ifin a man, who had all his life been brought up in abundance and pleasures, and who, at present, is worn out with age and sickness, it is too great nicety and delicacy to havea pillow and carpet to lie upon. The hermit, who with astonishment had heard all that he said, presently coneeived a very high esteem of the sanctity of Arsenius, and a very great con- “fusion for the rash judgment he had made of him. - Cassian relates, that the abbot Macquetius, desirous all should know that they ought not to judge hardly of any one, said, that heretofore he had taken the liberty to judge his neighbour, and that particularly in’‘three things. The first was, that a certain religious man, having a swelling in his mouth, had recourse to surgeons, in order to get ease from his pain, he had ascribed this to impatience in him, and to a want of courage. The second was, that some others feeling themselves obliged to abate something of that austerity they lived in, and to make use of coverlets made of goats’ hair, either to lie upon, or to cover themselves with, he had believed there was a certain delicacy or softness herein, that was contrary to the spirit of their profession. The third was, that seeing religious bless the oil they gave to secular persons, who out of devotion had desired it, he thought there was a great deal of presumption in this, and a certain kind of ostentation of sanctity. But he confessed that God, in punishment of these rash judgments, let him afterwards be subject to the very same things, for which he had condemned others. For first—a swelling happening in his mouth, he was forced, by the command of his superiors, to cause himself to be dressed by surgeons; and this very incommodity forced him to make use of a coverlet; and in fine, yielding to the importunity of many secular persons, he had also given them oil which he had blessed. In conclusion, he advised all his religious to take example by him, and to judge none, lest they should be subjected, as he was, to the same things for which he had reprehended his brethren.

The abbot Anastasius, who flourished at the time of the sixth General Council, relates, that in the monastery of Mount Sinai, where he was abbot, there was a certain religious, who so easily dispensed with himself in the spiritual exercises of the community, that he passed amongst them for none of the most exemplary and religious persons. He fell sick, and the abbot perceiving that, instead of being troubled at the approach of death, he, on the contrary, expressed a very great joy, severely reprebended him, saying; he was astonished that he, who had lived after so loose a manner, should have so great a peace and tranquillity of mind, when, he was upon the point of rendering an account of all his defects to God. I pray, father, be not at all astonished, answered he. Our Lord has sent an angel to me, with an assurance of my salvation, and that he will keep his word, and the promise he has given, when he said: “Judge not and you shall not be judged; condemn not, and you shall not be condemned.” (Luke 6:37) For though it is very true, that either for want of health, or out of tepidity, I have not exactly complied with the duties of the community, yet I have never failed patiently to suffer the ill treatment I have received for it, and to pardon it with all my heart; and have been so far from judging ill of those that thus treated me, that I have always taken it in good part, and judged well of all their words and actions: and this is what at present gives me so much joy and comfort.

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