What Has Been Said in the Foregoing Chapter Confirmed by Examples

ST. CHRYSOSTOM, to exhort us to take correction and admonition well, brings the example related in Holy Writ of Moses. Moses was a man so eminent for wisdom that God at last chose him for leader of His people, and worked many miracles for him as well in Egypt as in the desert. Nevertheless he took very well the advice and counsel a man in private station, Jethro, his father-in-law, gave him, as regards his office as governor and judge of his people, not to seek to do everything himself, but to choose some to help him in the work: That is not a good plan of thine, foolishly fatiguing and wearing thyself out with so much labor (Exod. xviii. 17-18). St. Chrysostom there observes that he did not answer: “See who is coming now to give us advice!” as many do who, though the advice be good, disdain to take it from such a person giving it them; but he took the advice with humility, and put it into execution. St. Cyprian and St. Augustine observe to this same effect the example of the Apostle St. Peter, when St. Paul reproved him concerning circumcision, which he wished at the time them to receive who were converted from heathendom [not so Gal. ii. 11-12]. See, he says, how the Apostle St. Peter did not presume on himself, nor take an attitude of superiority, saying: “I am primate of the Church, and to me the greater credit should be given, and all should follow and obey.” See how he did not despise St. Paul for having been a persecutor of the Church, and did not disdain to be corrected and advised by him, but took the admonition very well, and gave in at once to reason and truth. That example also is worthy of memory which the Emperor Theodosius gave, taking with such great humility the correction and admonition which St. Ambrose gave him, when he excommunicated him and forbade him to enter the church on account of the cruel and unjust punishment which he had inflicted on the city of Thessalonica; and again when Theodosius had offered his gift at the altar, and wanted to stay within the sanctuary rails. St. Ambrose sent to tell him to go out into the body of the church, since that place was reserved for the priests, and the purple robe makes emperors, but not priests, as is recounted at length in the Ecclesiastical History, where with reason the question is raised which is most worthy of praise, the constancy and fortitude of the holy bishop, or the marvelous obedience and humility of that most religious prince.

Of the same St. Ambrose it is told in his Life that, when people admonished him of some fault, he rendered thanks for it and reckoned it a singular benefit. In the chronicles of the Cistercian Order it is told of a monk of the Monastery of Clairvaux, that every time he was reproved or admonished of any fault, he recited at least one Our Father for his admonitor. And it is said there that this custom continued in that monastery, and was observed as an inviolable rule.

Simon Metaphrustes tells of the holy Abbot Arsenius, a man famous for holiness all over the monastic world, and who in the world had held high rank as tutor to the Emperor Theodosius’ sons, Arcadius and Honorius, who afterwards succeeded their father and were emperors themselves, that for all his sanctity he had some little faults from which his holiness did not deliver him. As he had been of such high rank and had lived in such comfort in the world, there remained with him some remnants of the easy ways and liberty of the palace where he had been brought up; thus, when he sat with the rest of the community, he had a way of crossing his legs. This looked bad to all the fathers as being contrary to modesty. They wanted to tell him of it, but no one dared, feeling much difficulty in bringing such a trifle to the notice of so grave and venerable a father.

They consulted about it, and the Abbot Pastor, a prudent and holy man, suggested an excellent means. He made it up with all the other fathers: “Let us do this: the first time we are all together, I will put myself in that posture, and do you rebuke me for it, and I will correct myself, and so he will take the hint.” They all thought it an excellent expedient, and did so the next time they were together for spiritual conference. The Abbot Pastor took the same posture as Arsenius, and the old men rated him soundly for the want of modesty and the bad example which he showed; and he at once put himself in a proper attitude. Abbot Arsenius, seeing what passed in his neighbor, without seeming to do so, lowered his leg little by little; and history says that he took the admonition so well as never again to fall into that fault. So each one should take any public admonition and rebuke that they give to another. Hence also will be seen the difficulty that we said there was in correcting and admonishing another.