Volume II, Treatise II, Chapter VI

That Silence Ts One of the Chief Means to Obtain Perfection. ~

A CERTAIN religious, no less versed in spiritual than in human learning, said, what is so very much to the praise of silence, that it may perhaps seem an exaggeration, though it is a truth experimentally certain. These are his words: Silence well observed is sufficient to reform, not only one religious house, but even a

a whole order. Keep silence well, and I pledge myself for the reformation of all irregularities. The reason is this, when silence is strictly kept in a community, all are employed in their spiritual advancement, which is the only object they had in view in embracing religion. But if silence is not kept, there is nothing heard but complaints, idle stories, murmurings, detraction, and particular disgusts; which are not only introduced, but fomented by too great liberty of conversation. It is hereby that one man makes many lose their time, and one inconvenience draws on another, till at length all regular observance decays, and the whole house in a very short time loses the name of being religions, and. becomes both secular and profane. On the contrary, where silence is observed, it consecrates the house to God, causes all to breathe an air of sanctity, and fills it with an odour of virtue and recollection; which excites all strangers to piety, and makes them cry out—“God is truly here, this is the house of God, and gate of heaven.” (Genesis 28:16) What we say here of a house in general, may be applied: to every person in particular. Let auy one religious observe his rule of silence exactly, and I pledge myself he shall soon amend his imperfections. For, let us upon those days we have spoken much examine ourselves at night, and we shall find that we have fallen into a great many faults. ‘Much misery,’’ says Solomon, “attends much talk,” (Proverbs 14:23) Whereas, if we had strictly observed silence, we should scarce find matter for our examen. For, as the same

wise man says, “he that guards his mouth, defends his soul;” (Proverbs 13:3), of which truth the heathens themselves were not ignorant; wherefore, a Lacedemonian philosopher being asked why Lycurgus had enacted so few laws for that commonwealth, answered, “those that speak little, need not many laws to keep them in due subjection.’“—(Pluta.) This is the reason why silence is sufficient to work an entire reformation, not only in one particular person or house, but in the whole body of a religious order, and even in kingdoms and commonwealths also. Hence, “we can easily infer why the ancient fathers of the desert had so high an esteem of the practice of silence, and why it is made so important a rule in all religious orders. Denis, the Carthusian, assures us that this was the reason why the apostle taught us this great moral above cited. ‘ He that offends not in his tongue is perfect. He that thinks himself religious, and does not bridle his tongue, his religion is vain and unprofitable.” (James 5:2)

Let every man, then, consider attentively at how little expense he may be perfect, and how easy are the means prescribed. Do you desire to be a virtuous and perfect man?. St. James the apostle assures you that silence will accomplish your desires. Do you wish to be a spiritual contemplative? The saints engage that silence will make you so. On the contrary, if you are careless in the observance of this virtue, you will never arrive to perfection; and as for contemplation, you will always be a stranger to it. Pray tell me if ever you saw a great talker much given to prayer, or to any other spiritual duty? No certainly, such a one will scarce ever advance in virtue; since the scripture, not without reason, doubts of it, when it says, “shall the man that talks much be justified?” (Job 11:2) Wherefore, St. Gregory, writing upon this passage says, that a man much given to talk will never. make any great progress in virtue; in proof of which assertion he quotes many texts from scripture, and this among the rest, “a talkative man shall miss his way upon earth;”’ (Psalms 39:13), that is to say, he shall not advance in virtue, but Jacob’s malediction to Ruben shall fall upon his head; you are poured out like water, you shall not increase.” (Genesis 49:4) Your heart is always taken up with vain and unprofitable entertainments, it is always wandering abroad and absent from you; wherefore you shall never make any great advancement in perfection, nor shall you increase in virtue.

The saints justly compare a talkative man to a vessel without cover, which God, in the book of Numbers, commanded to be looked upon as unclean. ‘ A vessel”’ says he, “that is open, and has no cover, shall be unclean;” (Numbers 19:15), it being always exposed to receive all kind of dirt and filth, In the same manner, the heart of a man, by keeping his mouth always open, is defiled with sins and imperfections. The Holy Ghost confirms this in several other places of scripture: ‘ He that uses many words, wounds his own soul.” (Ecclesiasticus 20) “Where there is much talk, sin will not be wanting.” (Proverbs 10:19) And lastly, “to speak much is a very great folly.” (Ecclesiastes 5:2)

I wish to God that we had not daily experience of this truth. St. Gregory, taking notice of this inconvenience, says thus: your discourse is good at the beginning, but presently it degenerates into idle talk, then raillery succeeds, which is sometimes too sharp and reflecting; at last the company grows warm, and you become too hot also in proving what you said; and to make it appear the more probable, rather than fail you will not stick at a lie, nor perhaps at something still worse. Thus what is little in the beginning, grows great in the end, and jest is turned into earnest.

Albertus Magnus goes farther yet, and says, that “the devil easily overcomes where silence is not kept;” (Lib de yirt. cap. 31), and proves it from the Proverbs: ‘“aman that is profuse, and cannot contain himself in speaking, is like an open and unwalled town.” (Proverbs 25:28) St. Jerom says upon this passage, that as a city without wall is continually exposed to the enemies’ incursions, and in great danger of being plundered, so a Christian who is not sheltered and defended by silence lies open to all the temptations of the devil, and is in very great danger of surrendering. We may add to all this the following comparison, which comes more home to my design, and confirms what I have said:—It is easy to surprise a careless and negligent man, but very hard to do so to a person that is valiant and always upon his guard. Thus the devil finds no great difficulty in deceiving a man that talks much, and whose thoughts are quite taken up with vain and impertinent objects. Whereas, he that is recollected, and lives in silence, is never unprovided, but is always in readiness to resist his attempts, so that his enemy has a great deal to do before he can surprise him.

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