Volume III, Treatise IV, Chapter III

That We Ought to be Very Nice and Careful, Even Tn the Least Thing Which Relates to Chastity

Tue more excellent chastity is in itself, the more it ought to be our care to preserve it. For, generally speaking, in all virtues we ought to be very cautious, even of the most minute things, that relate to them, since he “that contemns small ones falls by little and little’ (Ecclesiasticus 19) i..—even into the greatest inconveniencies. But this rule holds chiefly in chastity, wherein the least thing may be of very great prejudice. The better a thing is in the esteem of the world, the more the least defect is taken notice of. This observation is in a particular manner applicable to chastity; for, being the most delicate of virtues, it is, of course, the most easily wounded. A holy man very justly compared chastity to a looking-glass, which is tarnished by the least breath. It is thus the least thing tarnishes chastity and makes it lose all its lustre. Hence it is that: we ought to be very careful in preserving its beauty by mortifying our senses, rejecting every evil thought as soon as it offers itself, and by carefully avoiding everything from which we may apprehend any danger. A flame leaves always more or less some mark behind it where it has been, and though it does not burn yet it blackens. In the same manner some things, though they do not burn us, yet blacken us, inasmuch as they create in our souls black and cloudy thoughts, repugnant to chastity, and inciting the body to impurity.

It is an admirable saying of St. Ignatius, that whatever regards chastity admits of no interpretation. No one must trust himself in this case, nor presume that he can go so far and no farther, without danger; for how can any man be secure of this? Yet, suppose he were, I would fain know whether he can promise himself not to transgress those bounds he has prescribed, since the least thought may carry him farther than he is aware of. When we walk upon slippery ground, we go step by step, and propose to ourselves to go only so far; however, the weight of our body and the nature of the ground often carries us farther than we designed. So fares it with us in the business of chastity: every step we make is upon slippery ground, and the corruption of nature hangs so heavy upon us, that it easily carries us beyond our mark. In fine, chastity is so delicate that the least thing wounds it, and therefore we ought to be extremely cautious of exposing it to the least danger. ‘This is the rich treasure which we carry in earthen vessels’—II. Cor., iv. 7,—which, if once broken, all is lost; therefore we ought to be more attentive and vigilant in blocking up every passage by which impurity may find a way to our hearts.

We read of a certain religious, who, though favoured by God with the gift of chastity, yet never omitted his former care and moderation both in his looks and words, and was extremely vigilant in avoiding the least occasion of unclean thoughts. The religious of the same monastery asked him once, why he was so much upon his guard, since God had favoured him with the gift of chastity. To whom he answered thus: If in the. smallest matters I endeavour to do what I ought, and as well as I can, God will give his grace to carry me through greater: whereas, should I neglect the former, it is more than I know whether God’s grace will assist me in the latter; or I should at least hereby deserve to be forsaken by him, and so fall into sin. This is the reason why I keep continual watch over myself; for though the things seem small and inconsiderable in themselves, yet I am resolved to do what lies in me, thereby the better to discharge my duty. Surius says, that St. Thomas of Aquin, though he had received the gift of chastity, and been assured by an angel that he would never lose it, and that he need not be uneasy at any unchaste temptation, yet made it his business to avoid even the sight of a woman, and banished far from him every object whence the least impression of impurity might arise.

If we desire to preserve chastity unspotted and im its vigour, we must adopt these holy practices, or else we may justly fear that sad disaster which Job, after he had said, ‘‘I have made a league with mine eyes never to think of a woman”, subjoins:. “For without this, what part will God have in me?” (Job 31:1,2); which is as much as if he had said: If I do not take care to guard my senses, to avoid all occasions of evil, to reject impure thoughts, and to make account of the smallest things in this matter, I shall presently give way to unlawful desires, and so forfeit the grace of God. The Devil acts in this business as a thief that is going to break into a house, who, finding the windows too narrow for himself to enter in, thrusts in a boy to open the door on the inside. Bad suggestions, want of recollection, too much liberty of our senses, and a thousand such like occasions, are the engines the Devil makes use of to force a passage into our soul. We must endeavour, therefore, to see beforehand all occasions, and to avoid them with all possible care; for we cannot take too many precautions in this matter.

Cassian applies these words of St. Paul to our purpose:

“And every one that striveth for the mastery refraineth from all things”—I. Cor., ix. 25,—and says, if those who are to run or wrestle at the Olympic games, abstain from anything which might in the least weaken their bodies; if they deny themselves all sorts of victuals which might do them the least harm, and continually give themselves to such exercises as improve their strength; if they even wear plates of lead upon their reins, as well to increase their agility as to prevent the illusions of the night, which might affect their strength, and all this “to gain a corruptible crown”—I. Cor., ix. 25,—what ought we then to do in defence of our chastity, which will procure us a crown that is everlasting?

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