Volume II, Treatise III, Chapter XXXV

That the Third Degree of Humility Ts a Means to Overcome All Kind of Temptations, and to Acquire All Virtues in Perfection

Cassian says, that it was aconstant tradition, and a sort of first principle among the fathers of the desert, that one could not acquire purity of heart, or the perfection of other virtues; if he were not first convinced, that all the care he could take of himself in order thereunto, was to no purpose, without God’s particular assistance, who is the author and giver of all good. And the knowledge of this, adds he, must not be a knowledge of speculation only, founded either on what we have heard, on what we6 have read, or on the revelations of faith; it must be a knowledge of practice and experience, that makes this truth so palpable, that we may touch it as it were with our very finger; so that this is, indeed, the third degree of humility, of which we speak. And of this sort of humility, are those many passages of. Scripture to be understood, which promise the humble so great rewards; wherefore with great reason it is, that holy writers fix the chief degree of humility, in this knowledge we apeak of, and hold, that it is the foundation of all virtues, and a necessary disposition to receive all other gifts of God. Cassian, afterwards, treats more particularly this subject, and coming to speak of chastity, says, that all the endeavours we can make to acquire it, signify nothing, till by experience we are sensible, that we cannot acquire it by our own strength, but that it must be a gift of the liberality and mercy of God. With this the doctrine of St. Austin agrees very well. He says, that the chief way to obtain and preserve chastity, is not to believe that of ourselves we can acquire it, or by our own care; because we deserve to lose it, when we lay any stress on our own strength; but by believing, that it must be a gift of God, that it must come from above, and that from thence all must be expected.

This it is which made an ancient hermit say, that one could never be delivered from temptations of impurity, till he were first thoroughly convinced, that chastity is a gift of God, and not an effect of our own care. This is confirmed by the example, which Palladius relates of an abbot called Moses, who being of a strong and vigorous constitution, and given to incontinence, suffered in the beginning of his conversion great temptations of impurity, which he endeavoured to overcome by all the means several holy fathers of the desert had counselled him to make use of. He was continually at his prayers, and gave himself so much thereunto for six years together, that he usually passed the greatest part of the night standing at them; he laboured very much with his hands, eat nothing but a little bread; carried water up and down to the cells of the ancient fathers, and exercised himself continually in the practice of several other austerities. With all this notwithstanding, he could not overcome the temptations which tormented him; the attacks whereof was s0

violent, that he was in danger of sinking under them, and of quitting the solitary life he led. Being thus troubled in mind, the holy abbot Isidore coming to him, assent from God, told him, “I assure you in the name of Jesus Christ, that your temptations shall forthwith cease;” as indeed they then did for good and all. ‘ But Moses, if thou wouldst know,” continues the saint, ““why God has not given thee a perfect victory over them till now, it is because he would not have thee attribute it to thyself, or become proud thereupon, as if thou hadst by thy own strength obtained it; so that it is for thy good, that he has permitted thee to be so long tempted.” Moses had not as yet an entire diffidence in himself; and Almighty God, that he might bring him to it, and hinder him from falling into proud and presumptuous thoughts, permitted him to be so long a time exposed, to such strong and violent assaults; and did not permit that the practice of so many holy exercises, should ensure him an entire victory over a passion, which others had conquered with a great deal less pains.

The same Palladius says, that the like happened to Abbot Pacomius, who was subject to temptations of impurity, even to the age of threescore and ten, and who once upon oath assured him, that after he was fifty years old, he had for twelve years together suffered such frequent and severe assaults, that not a day or night passed, wherein he was not to defend himself against some or other of that nature: for all that he could do, to preserve or free himself, availed nothing; so that complaining one day, that he thought God had forsaken him, he heard a voice within him say—“know, that thou hast been so long exposed to such severe assaults, that thou mightest be the better acquainted with thy own weakness; and how little thou art able to perform of thyself; and that being thus stripped of all the confidence thou hadst in thyself, thou mightest fall down before me, and in all things have recourse only tome.” After this, he found himself so comforted and strengthened, that he never after had the like temptation. So that God will have us put all our trust in him alone, and none at all in ourselves.

Now, this doctrine is not only St. Austin’s, Cassian’s, and that of the ancient fathers of the desert; but it is also the Holy Ghost’s; who speaks thereof in the book of wisdom, in terms, wherein the practice is joined to the speculation. ‘‘ When I found,” says Solomon, “that I could not be endowed with continency, otherwise than by the gift of God, and even that it was a point of great wisdom to know from whom the gift came, I prostrated myself before the Lord, and prayed to him with my whole heart.” (Wisdom 8:21) The word continency is here a general word, which signifies not only a resistance to motions contrary to chastity, but also the moderation of whatever is against reason; and in the same sense this other passage of Ecclesiasticus, is to be understood; that “a continent soul is worth all the riches in the world;” (Ecclesiasticus 26:20), that is, he who keeps all his passions within the bounds of reason and virtue. Solomon hereby signifies, that knowing, he could not contain his passions within the bounds of virtue, without God’s particular grace (and it was, as he said, great wisdom to know, that without God’s help one can do nothing), he had recourse to God, and prayed to him with all his heart to be assisted by his grace. So that this knowledge is a proper means to keep us continent, to repress and regulate our passions; to get the victory over all temptations, and to acquire all virtues in perfection. This the royal prophet confesses, when he says, “unless the Lord builds the house, they that build it, labour in vain; and unless the Lord keeps the city, the watchman watches but in vain.” (Psalms 126:1) It is God must bestow gifts upon us; and it is he that must preserve them in us, after having bestowed them; otherwise whatever we shall do, will be to no purpose.

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