Volume II, Treatise II, Chapter IX

Of Detraction

“BreTHREN, do not traduce one another,” (James 4:11), says St. James the Apostle. ‘ Detractors are odious to God,” (Romans 1:80), according to St. Paul; and Solomon says, that “they are abominable to men.”— (Proverbs 24:9) For though there are some that outwardly seem to take. pleasure in hearing a detractor, yet they detest him in their hearts, and are very reserved and cautious in his company, justly fearing to be treated one day by him in the same unchristian manner he treats others. This alone is sufficient to create in us a horror of this vice. ‘For what can we imagine worse, than what is abominable in the sight both of God and man? But waving this consideration at present, I will endeavour to make you sensible of the enormity and danger of this sin, in order to preserve you from ever falling into it. It discovers its enormity by the ruin of our neighbour’s reputation, which is of greater value than all the goods of fortune, as Solomon assures us in these words: “A good man is better than the greatest riches.” (Proverbs 22:1) “Be industrious in purchasing to yourself a good reputation, which will last longer than all the treasures of the world.” (Ecclesiasticus 41:15) This makes divines say, that the sin of detraction is so far greater than the sin of theft, as a good name is better than riches. And when they come to consider, whether it be a mortal or venial sin in some particular cases, they speak of this as of other sins, which of their own nature are mortal. They say, that as though theft is in itself a mortal sin, yet the thing stolen being of inconsiderable value, for example, an apple, this extenuates it, and makes it only venial; so detraction, though it be of its own nature a mortal sin, may prove only venial, when its subject is trivial, and of little or no moment.

Here we are to take notice, that divines, reflecting upon the great danger of falling into this sin, advises us to abstain from the least shadow of it, and not to think any thing little, that has any tendency to it, lest, a3 too often happens, we be deceived in our judgment. For instance, suppose one should say, that a secular person told a lie, which amounts to no more than a venial sin; and should say the same thing, or only relate one single imperfection of a

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~ religious; this last may prove a mortal sin, for the religious man’s reputation is much more wounded than the secular person’s is, although you should have fixed a greater crime upon him. For it is certain, that the credit of a religious would suffer more in the opinion of the world, by being held up as a liar, than a secular’s would, though you should charge him with not keeping Lent: and with being a night-walker. Therefore to form a true judgment of detraction, we must not look upon it barely in itself, but with relation to the ill consequences it produces. An example will make this doctrine evident; it is no crime to be of the race of a Moor or Jew, yet divines look upon it as a mortal sin to fix that infamy upon oné who is already a Christian. In like manner, to say that such a religious is silly, that he is not a man of judgment (it is the example which doctors bring upon this matter,) is a far greater injury to his reputation, than to charge a secular with a mortal sin, and consequently brings a greater inconvenience along with it than is generally imagined. Again, I have a very good opinion of a certain religious, and look upon him as a prudent, discreet man; you, on the other hand, tell me, that he is not the man J took him for, and that he did this and that imprudent action. By this you do him a very great prejudice, since by what you have told me, he has lost the credit he had with me before. Likewise, when a religious changes his convent, and is sent to live in another, ordinarily, the first news he tells, is how much he was disedified in the place he left; where, says he, such a one is vain, another fantastic in his opinion; another troublesome; which things, though they are of no very great moment, yet they lessen the reputation of the religious house he came from, and of the persons in it. Every one may best judge of this by himself, and see if he would not take it extremely ill, to have these things said of him, or to pass for such a one, as detraction has described him to be? The charity therefore we have for our own, should show us what we ought to have for our neighbour’s reputation. And since we pretend to perfection, we should never run the risk, even of doubting, whether we have injured our neighbour in the opinion of another, by what we said, or whether the injury be a mortal sin or not. Why should we deliberately plunge ourselves into such inconveniences, from which very often we cannot emerge without great tr ouble, disquiet, and difficulty? If the doubt remains in a religious man’s breast, it must needs disturb him so far aa to make him resolve, not for the gaining the whole world, to expose himself hereafter to so cruel an uncertainty. Therefore, to free ourselves from scruples, anxiety, and remorse of conscience, we must be extraordinarily cautious of speaking even of the smallest faults of others, and take most particular care to avoid detraction, to which our tongue is but too much inclined, and to which we ourselves are naturally prone. There is this difference between those who aspire to perfection, and those who never seek after it, that the former think that to be a great sin, which the latter look upon as a light and trivial imperfection, and by this it is easily known, whether or not a man applies himself seriously to his advancement in virtue.

St. Ignatius was most particularly careful in hiding the faults of his subjects, as we read in the fifth book of his life. For when any disorder happened, he never discovered it to any, but to the person whose office it was to see it remedied. And in discovering it, he was so tender of the reputation of the party concerned, that he never imparted it to two, if he judged one person’s knowing of it were sufficient to correct it. Let us learn hence to treat our brethren after the like manner. ‘You see how private and secret St. Ignatius was concerning the least fault of his subjects, although it was in his power to order them a public penance—with how much greater reason ought we abstain from publishing the faults of our brethren?

St. Bonaventure prescribes us an excellent rule for speaking of the absent:—‘ Be ashamed,” says he, “to say that of a man in his absence, which you would not say in his presence,” and hereby let every body know, their reputation is at all times secure in your hands. This rule is, no doubt, a very good one to guide us, as well in important matters, as in those which appear to us to be trivial, For, we are often mistaken in the latter, they being more important than they appear to us. Hence we must not allege that these things are of no consequence, that they are not noticed by others, and that they are public. For the perfection we pretend to, admits not of _ such excuses as these. This our holy founder taught us by his own example; he never spoke of the vices and imperfections of others, though they were public, and recommended the same to be done by us. Let us adopt this practice then, since it is full of wisdom and piety. Let all men be virtuous, honest, and of good reputation in our mouths, and let the world know that our words shall never lessen the honour or reputation of any man.

If by chance you have heard of any one’s misdemeanour, do as Solomon bids you: “Have you heard one speak against your neighbour? Let it die within you, and find its grave in your breast, and be assured that it will do you’no harm, nor stifle you.” (Ecclesiasticus 19:10) The scripture alludes here to one that has drunk poison, who finding great suffocations in his stomach, and most cruel torments in his bowels, is incapable of ease or relief, till he has vomited up all the poison. And the same wise man, for farther evidence in this matter, brings these two following comparisons:— When a fool has anything to say, he is seized, as it were, with the pangs of child-bed, and he can no more abstain from speaking, than a woman in labour from bringing forth, A word in a fool’s heart is like an arrow that sticks in the body of a wild beast.” (Ecclesiasticus 19:11,12) Whilst the arrow is in the wound, the wild beast tosses and flings about with all its force to get it out. In the like brutish manner a detractor, when once he knows any ill of his neighbour, can never be at rest, nor enjoy any quiet till he has discovered it, and made it public. Let us by no means rank ourselves amongst fools; but let us imitate the wise, who bury in silence in their hearts whatever they hear to the prejudice of their neighbour.

Father Aquaviva, general of the society, in the treatise he composed to cure the maladies of the soul, has a particular chapter on detraction, where, amongst many other excellent things, he gives us this counsel; that if any one has forgot himself so far as to fall into this sin, he must not sleep before he has confessed it. And he subjoins these two following reasons for it; first, because the thing may be very considerable, and consequently dangerous to sleep upon, since a Christian ought never to go to rest, without having prepared himself to go from his bed to his grave. Secondly, though the thing should not be so considerable, yet confession is not only a remedy for the present evil, whatever it be, but also an antidote against it for the future. This counsel is not only profitable for us in the case here proposed, but the practice of it is likewise highly beneficial in all doubts and troubles of conscience; and the authority of so great a man ought to be no small encouragement to us of the society to make use of it.

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