Volume I, Treatise VII, Chapter II

Upon What the Particular Examen Ought to be Made

THE examen practised in the society is twofold—one particular the other general. The particular is made upon one subject only, and hence it is called particular, The general is made upon all the faults and imperfections we have that day committed, in thoughts, words, or deeds, and it is called the general examen, because it embraces all things in general. I shall speak first of the particular examen, and afterwards briefly touch on what shall be necessary to add concerning the general; because almost the same method we are to practise in the particular must also be practised in the general examen; so that what I say of the one will, in like manner, serve for the other. There are two things to be considered in the particular examen; the one, upon what subject it is to be made; the other, how it ought to be made. As to the first, that we may the better know upon what we ought chiefly to make this examen, we must very well imprint in our minds an ~ advertisement that St. Ignatius gives us in his Spiritual Exercises, and which he himself extracted from the works of St. Bonaventure. He says that the devil deals with us as a general of an army deals with a town he designs to take. The general first endeavours to know the weakest part thereof, to raise his batteries against it, and bring all his troops to bear on it; because he knows that as soon as he has gained that post, he will presently become master of the town. The devil, in like manner, takes all care imaginable to know the most feeble part of our souls, to make his attack afterwards in that part, that thereby he may more easily reduce us to his subjection. Let us make use of this admonition to keep ourselves upon our guard, and to take precaution against our enemies. Let us attentively seek and find out which is the weakest part of our soul and the most naked of virtue; let us see where our natural inclination renders an attack more’ easy, and what part is most of all decayed and ruined by ill habits; and let us labour everywhere to repair and fortify the weakest places by strong ramparts. See here what the masters of a spiritual life would chiefly have us do, that we should endeavour to tame our irregular inclinations and root out our bad habits; and since this is what is most of all necessary, it is also this to which we must chiefly apply our particular examen.-

Cassian gives two reasons of the necessity we have thus to begin to combat with our bad babits. The first, because it is from them our chief and greatest dangers arise, they being the occasion of our greatest and most grievous falls, and, therefore, it is very just to take care of them before all other things. ‘Fhe second, because having once overcome the most formidable enemies, and those that make fierce war against us, the rest becoming more weak by the defeat of these, will afterwards be more easily overcome by us, since our soul becomes more strong and more courageous by this first victory. On this subject he relates what was heretofore practised at Rome in the combats with wild beasts, where those who desired to signalize themselves in an extraordinary manner, and to give the emperor a greater pleasure and amusement, presently set upon that beast that seemed most fierce, because, having killed that, they easily despatched all the rest. He says we must act in the same manner. We see by experience that, ordinarily speaking, each one has a particular vice or predominant passion which masters him, and causes him to commit those things which otherwise he would not. Hence it is a common saying amongst people, if I had not this or that bad inclination, I think there is nothing could hinder, trouble, or give me any pain. Behold here the very thing we must first of all set upon and fight against; see here what we must make choice of for our particular examen.

In the war which the King of Assyria waged against the King of Israel, he commanded all his captains “not to fight against any one, little or great, but only against the King of Israel” (Para. xviii. 30); promising himself that the death of the king would-give him an easy victory over the whole army; as happened in effect. For King Achab being killed by an arrow, which was shot at random, they all retreated, and the war was presently ended.. Let us follow this example, let us overcome that vice which in us is king of the rest, and we shall easily tame and vanquish all the others. Let us cut off the head of Goliath, and all the other Philistines will soon be defeated and entirely routed. We cannot prescribe a better general rule or direction, upon what every one ought chiefly to make his examen, than this. But what may still be added to this subject is, that it is very good that every one confer with his spiritual director, after having first given him an exact account of the present state of his conscience, of his inclinations, passions, propensities, and bad habits; acquainting him with everything without exception; for the necessity of each one being hereby perfectly known, it will be very easy for the director afterwards to determine upon what matter or subject the penitent ought to make his particular examen. One of the things we ought chiefly to observe, when we render an account of conscience, is, to declare upon what subject we make our particular examen, and in what manner we profit by it. For it is of serious consequence that this examen be effectually made upon that subject which each one finds of greatest importance. For as a physician has made no small advance in his cure, when he has found out the true cause of the disease, because he then applies proper remedies, which fail not of their effect; so we may look upon ourselves to have gained a very considerable point, if we succeed in finding out the true source of all our spiritual infirmities; because then we shall have discovered the true means of curing them; 2. e., applying the salutary remedy of the particular examen. The reason in some degree why many persons derive but little advantage from what they do, is, because they apply not to what they ought. If you cut away the root, the tree withers, grows dry, and dies presently; but if you only lop the branches, it will soon shoot out new ones, and will become larger than ever.

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