Volume II, Treatise I, Chapter VII

Of Two Sorts of Mortification and Penance. -

St. Austin, speaking of that passage of St. Mathew: “Since the coming of St. John Baptist, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.”—(Mat. xi. 12.) “There are,” says he, “two sorts of abstinences and crosses; the one corporal, the other spiritual.”—(Ser. xx. de sanc. and 1 de S. Joan. Bap.) The one afflicts the body, as, for example, to fast, to take a discipline, to wear a hair-cloth, to lie upon the ground, and such like practices that mortify the flesh, and deprive it of its ease and pleasure; and this is what we call exterior penance. The other is more meritorious and more sublime; which is to command our passions, daily to make war on our vices, to become rigorous censors of ourselves, and to be in continual strife against our inward man. That is, constantly to break our own will, to despoil ourselves of our own judgment, to overcome our choler, to repress and keep under our impatience, and, in a word, to command our mouth, our eyes, our tongue, and all our senses, and bad inclinations, “It is he,” says St. Gregory, ‘“‘ who, after this manner, having broken down this rampart of his passions, ascends with violence to the kingdom of heaven.” We must become brave and valiant after this manner, to be able to carry it by assault. This kind of mortifiation, therefore, is far more excellent than the former; because there is far greater merit in curbing our mind, in trampling under foot honour and the esteem of the world, than in afflicting our bodies by fasts, disciplines, and hair-cloths. But as this sort of mortification is better, and more meritorious than the other, so it is also more hard, and costs us a great deal more pain and labour; because what is more perfect always costs more than what is less perfect. This very doctrine is what St. Gregory, St. Dorotheus, and many other saints in several places teach us.

Our society embraces and puts in practice these two sorts of penance and mortification. As to the first, it is true that St. Ignatius has not yet subjected us to any ordinary determined penance of obligation, being desirous, for very good reasons, that the society might lead a life common to all in the exterior. But yet he has not omitted to take care we should mortify ourselves, as I shall shew in its due place. Many just considerations moved him to ordain that the manner of living in the society should have nothing extraordinary in the exterior; because the means ought always to bear some proportion to the end; and the end of the society being to labour not only for its own advancement, but also for the advancement and salvation of our neighbour, it was very fit that we might have a more easy access to all sorts of persons, that we should wear no other habit but what was then common to all priests; because, by this means, it was a religious habit with religious, a priest’s habit with priests, and amongst secular persons, it was & habit that rendered us in’some sort suitable also to them— it being very little different from the habit of secular priests. Add to this, that the society was instituted in Luther’s time, when heretics had so great an aversion to all religious that they even hated their habit; wherefore, to give a more free access to them, and to be the better able to dispute against them, thereby to convince them (which is a function peculiar to our institute,) it was convenient that we should have nothing extraordinary in our habit that might distinguish us from other ecclesiastics; lest heretics, having a horror and aversion to us, before they even began to confer with us, this might be an obstacle to one of the chief ends for which God instituted our society. Moreover, if we should wear an austere habit, it is to be feared that it might. frighten sinners too much from us, who commonly desire to be brought to their duty by sweetness, and would otherwise be afraid to come near us from an apprehension that the austerity of our habit might be a mark of that of our mind, and that we would treat them too severely. We have therefore taken such a kind of common habit as is welcome to all persons, whereby we may gain a more free entrance and access to all, in order that no one may have any repugnance to treat with us. Our holy founder, also, would even by our habit have us become all to all, to be the better able to gain all unto God. Imitating in this Jesus Christ, of whom St. Austin and St. Thomas say, that the better to accommodate himself to all persons, and for their greater profit, he rather chose such a kind of. life as was common in the exterior, than such an austere and penitential life as St. John Baptist led.

As to exterior mortifications, though our rules do not appoint any, yet there is a living rule, which is our superior, who prescribes to every one what he ought to do. And these sorts of mortification may, as St. Ignatius says, be taken two ways; either when, by permission of the superior, we make choice of them ourselves, thereby to make a greater progress in virtue, or when the superior, for the same reason, shall impose them upon us, This great saint thought it more to the purpose to practise them after this manner than to determine them by any rule or constitution. Because a dead rule could not be made just and equal for all, all having not the strength to support the same austerities; and therefore if he had established in this, a general rule for all persons, those who could not observe it would have been troubled, because they could not do what others did. Moreover, as the same regimen or treatment, and the same physic, is not fit for all sorts of sick persons, so the same penances are not it for all. Some are more proper for young persons, others for old. These are good for the weak and sickly; those for such as enjoy a perfect health. One sort of penance is proper for those who entered into religion, without having lost their baptismal innocence; and another sort is fit for those who entered into religion, all covered with the wounds of sin, and pierced, as I may say, all over, like a sieve. It is for this reason that St. Austin and St. Basil say, we must not. wonder if, in religion, they treat not every one after the same manner, and that some use greater austerities than others; because there would be a very great inequality in an equal treatment. But it is not only in regard of different persons that such a difference and distinction is necessary; it is also necessary for the same person, according to different times, and according to the want he has of it. Such a penance is good in time of temptation, and interior aridity, and another is good in time of peace and fervour. This is proper to preserve the peace of God, in our hearts; and that to regain it, when upon any occasion we are deprived of it. It is for these reasons that our founder would not determine the exterior penances to be practised amongst us, which were generally practised by other orders; but has left it to the discre+ tion of our superior, who is our spiritual physician, to impose greater or lesser penances, according to each one’s strength and necessity. It was after this manner prescribed in the rule which the angel - brought to Pachomius from Almighty God, and which ordered that the superior should prescribe to each religious what penance he was obliged to perform. So that though there be no ordinary penances in the society that are prescribed by rule, as they usually are in other religious orders, yet it is not because there are no corporal penances in practice amongst us, or that we do not highly esteem those holy constitutions and observances in other religious orders (the variety of which contribute to the beauty of the church;) but it is because our founder judged it more suitable to the end of his constitutions, and more conformable to the ancient doctrine of saints, to leave the measure and manner to the prudence and charity of the superior. Yet this is far from causing fewer austerities to be practised amongst us; but, on the contrary, it causes far more to be in use, and to be embraced with greater fervour. At least, hitherto, by the mercy of God, we find that by this means more are performed amongst us than could have been appointed by the rule. God grant that this fervour and spirit of mortification, so praiseworthy,. so holy, and so conformable to the practice of the church of God, may still go on, increasing more and more amongst us, and that, as hitherto we have experienced, there may be more need of a bridle to keep us in, than of a spur to excite us to the practice of penance and mortification.

The second kind of penance, which consists in the mortifying of our passions and self-love, is what the society more strictly embraces; and it is for this reason that St. Ignatius would not establish amongst us any ordinary penances determined by the rule, having a particular desire that we should, above all things, apply ourselves to the interior mortification of our passions and sensual appetites, and that this kind of penance, which is without compari- 80D, More meritorious and more excellent than the other, might be our chief employment and occupation. Moreover, he prescribes to us such things in the constitutions, as are of very high perfection, and which require a very great interior mortification, and renouncing of ourselves to be our chief study; and that our whole application should be to make a daily progress in all solid virtues and true perfection. He fears, and perhaps not without reason, that if he prescribed ordinary and general penances, we might give ourselves only to fasting, hair-cloths and disciplines, to which’we saw ourselves obliged, and should think we had done all in satisfying this

obligation; whereby we might come to leave off the mortification.

of our passions, which is of greatest importance, as is the practice also of those virtues that are most essential to our institute. Wherefore he desires we should have no other prop or foundation than this interior mortification; he would have our manner of life to be common according to the exterior, in order that we may entirely apply ourselves to this interior perfection, which will render our lives pure, holy, and excellent, till the unction and odour of this interior sanctity comes to discover itselfin the exterior, and make us appear to be true religious. It is this in reality that we stand more in need of, than any other religious do. For as to other religious, their habit and manner of living makes and leaves a good impression upon the minds of secular persons; but for us, who have not this exterior distinction of habit, for the reasons before-mentioned, it behoves us to supply the want thereof, by the interior; and therefore to be full of humility, modesty, charity, zeal for the salvation of souls, and of the unction of the Holy Ghost; that all that see and treat with us, may take us to be truly religious of the society of Jesus Christ, and may say of us: “These are the seed which our Lord has blessed.”“—(Isa. lxi. 9.) We must therefore apply ourselves to the exercise of interior mortification, and make account that from the moment we cease to practise it, we leave off also to live like religious men of the society: and, as to exterior mortifications, we must make use of them to help us to the gaining of the interior. This is the lesson that the apostolical man, the great Xaverius, has left us; and what St. Bonaventure taught long before him.

That great sweetness of manner, so much spoken of, and by the assistance of God’s grace every day experienced, which the society manifests in treating with the neighbour, is the effect of this interior mortification. For this sweetness does not consist in the facility of our obligations, nor in the compliance of our superiors with us in all things we could wish; (for then there would be no form of religion, and moreover there are amongst us things very hard to practise;) but it consists in this, that all of us are obliged to practise mortification, and to renounce ourselves; and in this, that each one ought to be entirely resigned to whatsoever his superiors think fit to ordain concerning him. This pious disposition of mind, and this holy indifference, is the cause of that sweetness which is found in the society, either in the government of superiors, or in the submission of inferiors. For by this means all religious are in the hands of their superior, as the clay is in the potter’s: for when subjects of themselves desire nothing, the superior very easily effects whatsoever he thinks proper. We may also say, that. the care our holy founder had, to oblige us chiefly to this interior mortification and renouncing of ourselves, was the effect, not only of an admirable penetration, but also of a particular inspiration of God. He saw that there were very hard and difficult things amongst us; but he foresaw at the same time, that to render them easy to all, and to prevent superiors from being too backward in commanding, he needed only to establish and lay a good foundation of mortification and resignation of ourselves. And it is for this reason that he would have us entirely resign ourselves into the hands of our ‘superiors, and so to cast off our own will, thatthey might do with us whatsoever they pleased—as the potter does with his clay,or asthe tailor does with his stuff. Thetailorcuts his stuff where and how he pleases— and for what use he pleases—one piece for the sleeves, another for the back, another for the collar, and another for the skirts; yet one part of the stuff is as good as another, because it is all of the same piece. The clay also, of which vessels and pots are made for the kitchen, is as good as that of which they make vessels for the table; “because it is all of the same mass.”—-(Romans 9:21) Now let us come to the application—-many religious entered at the same time into the society and studied all together; yet perhaps he who is designed to teach grammar, is as good a scholar as he who is taken to teach philosophy or divinity; but howsoever it happens, he ought not to complain any more than the clay or the stuff, or to say, why do you apply me to this use? So that the cause of this sweetness of conduct in the society, depends purely upon ourselves, that is to say, on our having our minds mortified, resigned and indifferent to all things, without contradiction or any exterior or interior repugnance, for any thing that our superiors shall require of us. Wherefore cast not the fault upon them, if sometimes you find not all the facility and sweetness imaginable, in those things they shall command you; but cast the fault upon yourself, that you are not so well disposed, nor so mortified as you should be. For as to your superior, he does his duty; he supposes you to be a true and good religious man, and that you are indifferent to all things; that there is no need of consulting you, or asking your consent, because you ought always to approve of whatsoever he would have you do, and be always ready to perform whatsoever he shall order. The. superior, on the contrary, does you an honour, to have so good an opinion of you, and so to treat and command you as if you were such a one as you ought to be. When a stone is well cut, there is nothing more easy than to adjust and put it in its proper place; it is only to let it fall into its berth; but when it is not well cut or fitted, what blows of hammers and chisels are required; what pains are there not taken to make it lie even and well?

A thing most worthy of consideration follows also from hence, which is taken notice of by St. Bonaventure; it is, that though interior mortification should be far harder than exterior penances, yet we may more justly and easily dispense with one than the other. It may be a true and lawful excuse for any one, that he has not sufficient strength to fast, to wear hair-cloths, to take disciplines, to suffer the inconvenience of going barefoot, or of rising at midnight; but no one can say that he has not strength or health. enough to be humble, patient, or to have tractableness, submission, and resignation, so necessary in the society. No! you cannot excuse yourself by saying, that you have not health or strength enough for this; for here there is no dispute about the disposition of the body, but only of that of the mind. The healthful and the sickly, the strong and the weak, are, by the mercy of God, alike capable of undergoing this mortification if they choose themselves.

This is a great subject of comfort for those who have sometimes the temptation of dejection, imagining that they want those qualities that are necessary for so sublime an end as that of the society of Jesus. We read in the first book of Kings, that Saul having given notice to David, that he desired to give his daughter to him in marriage, David gave this answer to those that brought him the message: ‘Do you believe then that it is a small matter to be son-in-law to a king? For my part I am neither rich nor powerful enough to receive so great an honour.” —(1 Reg. xviii. 23, 25.) They brought back this answer to Saul, who commanded them to return to David, and to tell him, “the king stood not in need of riches, nor of any dowry for his daughter, but only of twenty prepuces of the Philistines, to be revenged of his enemies.” —(Ibid.) We may make the same answer to those who, by means of the diffidence they have in themselves, are too timid in the practises of religion. God wants not so great a capacity in you, nor so many talents as you think. Therefore the royal prophet said well, “‘ you are my God, because you stand not in need of my goods.” (Psalms 15:2) What he desires of you is, that you would circumcise the Philistine,; that is to say, overcome your passions, and mortify your appetites, The society desires nothing of you but this; wherefore you will render yourself a fit and profitable member thereof, if you do it. Be but humble, submissive, and resigned to all they desire of you, and this will suffice. God preserve you from having the least vanity or pride, fromloving your ease, from gaping after amusements; but endeavour to walk uprightly, and to act sincerely with your superiors. Ifyou do this, no religion in the world can be too hard or severe for you; for to hit who is humble, who is mortified, who is truly poor in spirit, who is resigned to all things, and has no will of his own, whatsoever is hard in the society will prove sweet and easy. We ought therefore gratefully to acknowledge the extraordinary grace God has bestowed upon us, by rendering those things easy and pleasant, which of themselves are so hard and painful: for it is very certain, that what our constitutions oblige us to in this point, is a very high perfection, and the exercise thereof so very hard, that all other penances and corporal austerities are nothing in comparison thereof. In proof of this, I ask is not the giving an account to our superior or spiritual father, of all the faults and imperfections we fall into, very hard? Yet this obligation the society imposes upon us, and is one of our most essential constitutions. Nay, is it not a thousand times harder than all the fasts, hair-cloths, and disciplines in the world? As to the rule which requires, that, to be the better able to make progress in spiritual things, and particularly to exercise ourselves in humility and abjection, we must be content that all our faults and negligences should be discovered to our superior by any one that knows them, out of confession—is there not a very great humility, and a great submission of mind required to make no complaint at all:—either because we were not admonished of them beforehand, or because they have made them greater than they were? Yet the severity of the rule stops not here, but also requires that we should be content to be reprehended in public, either with, or even without any cause given by us; and St. Ignatius requires of us, that we should always be disposed to receive all the false accusations that can be made against us, not only without murmuring, but also with joy, having given no occasion for them; and as those of the world are glad to be honoured and esteemed, so we should also be no less glad to be exposed fo all sorts of injuries, contempts, and affronts. But is there not a very extraordinary virtue required for all this? Yet it is moreover exacted of us to be entirely indifferent to all offices, occupations, or employments whatsoever, in which obedience shall place us, as also to any station the society may mark out for us; and since there are so many degrees and employments therein, the one above the other, is it not a mark of no small virtue, and does it not require a mind truly mortified, to be thus indifferent to the one or the other, and to be as well contented with the lowest as with the highest? We must, moreover, be always content and ready to go to any part of the world our superiors shall send us, in order to exercise these functions; either in another province or kingdom, in the East or West Indies, in Rome, Germany, England, Transylvania, or in any other place so far distant that we can never expect to see our friends or parents any more, all hopes of this satisfaction being entirely lost and given up. As to poverty, what the society practises is so strict and rigorous, that no one can so much as receive any present, nor keep any thing in his chamber, either to eat, or for any other use; no! not so much asa book, upon which also he must make no mark, to show it belongs to him, nor carry it away with him when he is sent to another college. Lastly, we must renounce altogether, and be quite detached from all things; for as I shall show in the treatise on poverty, it is not permitted us to put a lock upon any box or coffer, to keep any thing therein, but all things must be open in our chambers, whereby we in a manner signify to our superiors that they may take what they please, there being nothing in our chambers that belongs to us.

It is easy to conceive how these things, and many others like unto them, that are practised by the society, do either advance us to a very great perfection, or expose us to such difficulties as are above all penances and corporal austerities. So that he who, out of a spirit of mortification, desires to do great penance in the society, will find therein sufficient to satisfy his desires; for though there should be some less faithful and constant in their vocation, who would fain palliate their slothful cowardice by a specious pretence of going to a stricter order to practise greater penances, thereby to gain a higher perfection; yet, in reality, the cause or subject of this their change and inconstancy, comes from the difficulty they find in that perfect interior mortification we make profession of in the society. We have evident proofs of this, even from their own confessions; and which is still more, from a declaration of the Holy See Apostolic. Pius V. (who had been a religious of the order of St. Dominick) declares this in express terms, in a bull granted to the society against any such apostates, who should either leave it to return to the world or to enter into any other religious order whatsoever, except amongst the Carthusians. In this bull, after he had spoken of the perfection of our institute, and of those difficulties to which we are subject, he comes to that which was the cause or source of the temptation which some have had to leave us, to enter into other religious orders, speaking of them after this manner:—‘‘ Some,” says he, ‘let themselves be carried away with such a levity of mind, as moves them to avoid the pains and labours to which the society is continually exposed, for the good and increase of Christian religion; indiscreetly preferring their particular convenience to the public good and profit of the society, and even of Christianity itself; yet would notwithstanding make us believe, by false insinuations, that what they do is for nothing else but to embrace a more perfect life, and a more strict observance; and boast that without their superior’s consent they have leave given them to enter into other, even mendicant orders.” So that, in effect, it is not the desire of a greater perfection, or of a greater austerity of life, that makes them change, but only the fear of pain and difficulty; and lastly, because they feel not in themselves so great a fund or stock of virtue, as to seek after so high a perfection, so entire & mortification, such an indifference and absolute resignation, as is required in the society. See, therefore, the reason why St. Ignatius insists so much upon this interior mortification, and will have us apply ourselves seriously thereunto, making it our chief study.

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