In Which What Has Been Said Is Confirmed by Some Examples ULPICIUS SEVERUS relates, and Surius in the “Life of

St. Severinus Abbot,” the story of a holy man very distinguished for virtues and miracles, who healed the sick, cast out devils from bodies, and did many other wonderful things, on which account all the world flocked to him, and there came to visit him titled noblemen and bishops, who thought it a happiness to touch his clothes and receive his blessing. On account of these things the holy man felt that there was beginning to enter into his head a certain vanity. And seeing on the one hand that he could not hinder the concourse of people, and on the other that he could not free himself from those importunate thoughts of vanity, he was much afflicted; and, putting himself one day in prayer, he asked our Lord with much earnestness for a remedy to this temptation, and that, in order that he might keep himself in humility, His Majesty would permit and give leave to the devil to enter into his body for some time and torment him like other possessed persons. God heard his prayer, and the devil entered into him; and it was matter of horror and wonderment to see that man, to whom a little time before they used to bring possessed persons for him to cure them, bound with chains like a madman and demoniac and taken accordingly to have exorcisms read over him, and all the rest that is usually done with such people. He was in this state for five months; and at the end of them, the story says, he was cured and free, not only from the devil who entered into his body, but from the pride and vanity that was entering into his soul.

Surius relates another similar example. He says that the holy Abbot Severinus had in his monastery three arrogant monks, bitter with pride and vanity. He had warned them thereof, and they were obstinate in their fault. The saint, in his desire to see them amended and humble, begged the Lord with tears to correct them and chastise them with some chastisement that would humble and amend them. And before he had risen from his prayer, the Lord permitted three devils to get possession of them and torment them violently, confessing with loud cries their pride and arrogance of heart. It was a chastisement proportioned to their fault, that the spirit of pride should enter and dwell in subjects proud and full of vanity. And because the Lord saw that nothing else would humble them so much, they remained in that state for forty days, at the end of which the saint begged the Lord to deliver them from the power of the devil. He gained his petition, and they became sound in body and soul, and well humbled by this chastisement of the Lord.

Caesarius relates that they brought to a Cistercian convent a possessed person to be cured. The prior went out, and took with him a young religious of great reputation for virtue, whom he knew to be a virgin. The prior said to the devil: “If this monk bids you go out, will you dare to stay?” The devil answered: “I fear him not, because he is proud.”

St. John Climacus relates that one time the wicked devils began to sow certain seeds of praises in the heart of a most valiant soldier of Christ, who was zealous for this virtue of humility. But he, moved by the inspiration of God, found that a very short cut for overcoming the notice of these perverse spirits was this: He wrote on the walls of his cell the names of some of the highest virtues—Perfect Charity, Most Profound Humility, Angelic Chastity, Most Pure and High Prayer, and the like; and when those evil thoughts began to tempt him, he would answer the devil: “Let us put the matter to the proof.” Then he would read all those titles. “ ‘Most Profound Humility.’ I have not got it; we should be only too happy if it were profound; but I do not know that we have yet done with the first degree. ‘Perfect Charity.’ Charity, yes; but perfect? Mine is not very perfect, since I sometimes speak to my brothers in screaming and rough accents. ‘Angelic Chastity.’ No, I have many evil thoughts, and sometimes feel evil motions in my flesh. ‘Most High Prayer.’ No, I sleep and am much distracted over it.” Then he would say to himself: “After you have gained all those virtues, you must still say to yourself: ‘I am a useless and unprofitable servant,’ according to those words of Christ our Redeemer: When ye have done all things that were commanded you, say: We are unprofitable servants (Luke xvii. 10).”’ What, then, must you be, you who are so far short of that perfection?

enim TWERLETH TREATISE tus