Volume III, Treatise VIII, Chapter V

What Has Been Said in the Foregoing Chapter Confirmed by Examples

St. CurysosTom, willing to move us to receive correction in good part, and to profit by the admonitions that are given us, cites the example of Moses, who being himself very wise and very much enlightened, and being moreover chosen by God to be the leader of his people and the instrument whereby he wrought many wonders, failed not to receive in good part the advice of Jethro, his father-in-law, who counselled him to make choice of ‘some persons to assist him in the government of the people and in the administration of justice. “You do not well”, says Jethro to him, seeing him do all things himself, “to consume yourself with imprudent labour; what you undertake is above your strength, and you can never be able alone to sustain it”— (Exodus 18:17,18) And the same father hereupon takes notice, that Moses took a great deal of care not to act like those who, even when the counsel that is given them appears good, are angry with, those that give it, as being displeased that any one less able than themselves should take upon them to counsel them, but he received this counsel with great submission, and put it presently into practice.

St. Cyprian and St. Austin propose also the example of St. Peter, when St. Paul reprehended him for having wished to subject to the law of circumcision those amongst the gentiles who were converted to the faith. Take notice, say they, that St. Peter presumed not upon himself, nor would he take upon him to decide the question, though he was head of the Church, and though his opinion should prevail over that of the rest. Take notice also, that he contemned not St. Paul, as having been a little before a persecutor of the Church of God, and was not angry or troubled at being reprehended by him, but took his counsel very well, and presently yielded to truth and reason.

It is also an example worthy to be remembered and taken notice of, which the great Theodosius gave, in receiving with submission and humility the corrections and checks of St. Ambrose. For whether or not this holy bishop did then excommunicate him, and forbid him to enter into the Church, by reason of the massacre which he had made of all the people of Thessalonica, or whether it was that being then placed within the rails or precincts of the choir, after he had made his offering at the altar, the same saint sent to him to bid him retire into the nave or body of the Church, because it belonged only to priests to be in the place where he was, and that the purple did not raise emperors to the dignity of the priesthood. Ecclesiastical history relates these two examples at length, and says, that it is hard to decide whether the constancy and courage of the bishop, or the obedience and humility of so powerful an emperor, ought to be more admired and praised.

We read in the life of the same St. Ambrose, that he thanked those that admonished him of his faults, and received their advice as a signal favour. The history of the order of the Cistercian monks makes mentiun of a religious of Clarevallis,. that received any correction given him with so much gratitude, that as often as he was reprehended for any fault, he said a later Noster for him that reprehended him. And in the same place it is observed, that from that time, this custom has always been practised in this monastery, and observed as an inviolable law.

~ St..Arsenius was in very great reputation for sanctity amongst the hermits of his time, and had been before highly esteemed in the court of the Emperor Theodosius, who made him governor of his children Arcadius and Honorius, who were also emperors after the death of their father. As his sanctity had not entirely destroyed all the bad habits he had contracted whilst he lived at court, there still remained some slight defects in him, which were remains of the court life he had led for many years; and among other habits, he was wont to sit with his legs across, whilst he was at conference with the other hermits. This posture seemed to all very indecent and immodest, and they wished to admonish him of it; but no one being willing to undertake it, because they had a repugnance to reprehend a person of his consideration for what seemed so simple and trivial a fault, they consulted on the best means of making him correct this bad habit; and the abbot pastor, who was a very holy and ingenious man, proposed to them a very easy and proper expedient. The first time that we meet together, says he, I will put myself in the same posture with Arsenius, and you shall publicly reprehend me for it; whereupon I will presently put myself in a more modest posture, and so he will be sufficiently advertised hereof. All the fathers approved of this expedient, and the first time they met at a spiritual conference, the abbot pastor failed not to put himself in the same posture with St. Arsenius. The fathers presently admonished him thereof, as of a thing that was against modesty and good manners; he instantly put himself in a more becoming posture; and St. Arsenius presently understanding and taking this as an admonition given to himself, without taking notice of anything, by little and little set down his legs, and never after fell into the like fault. This example shows us two things; first, how troublesome and hard a task it is to reprehend others; and secondly, that every one ought to take to himself such reprehensions as are publicly given to his brethren.

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