Chapter 54

Of some properties which they have, whom we said to be deceived in the last Chapter; and how necessary it is, to take the opinion of others; and of the mischief that men are brought to, by following their own.

THOU art to understand, that some of them of¹ whom I spoke in the last chapter, are people without learning; yea they are cordial enemies to men that are learned. And if perhaps they have a little Latin, to read and to carry a new Testament about them, they do believe themselves so much (conceiving the while, that they believe God) and they rest so much, upon certain light motives; and do answer themselves thereby, in such blind errors, that how manifest soever, in themselves they be, these men know not how to shake them off; and they are so presumptuous, and so impossibly to be persuaded, that, as the Scripture saith, A man were better, encounter with a bear from whom they had taken her whelps, then with a fool that presumeth in his fault. And yet they have much, in their memory, and no less in their tongue, that saying of S. Paul, Knowledge doth blow up, but Charity doth build up. And by this they think they have a patent to contemn wise men, as men that are puffed up; & they value themselves at a high rate, as a kind of people that is full of charity.

The² while they mark not, that themselves are the men that are puffed up with the pride of sanctity (which is more dangerous, than the pride of science) as a thing which riseth from that which is better, and for the same very reason it is worse, though indeed neither science, nor good works, do of themselves produce this moth; but it is the wickedness of the wicked, which taketh occasion to swell, by that which is good. Since the case standeth so, they ought not instantly to contemn such as are wise; because wisdom, of itself, is no impediment, but that withal a man may be humble and holy. Yea to many it hath been, and still is, a great occasion of their being so; & for others to esteem that they are not so, proceedeth from an erroneous judgement, and an excessive pride in themselves. But suppose they were not, yet were those others to remember, that it is written, Upon³ the chair of Moses, sit the Scribes, and Pharisees; do therefore that which they direct you to, but do not that which they do. Whereas these fellows do just the contrary; for they receive not the good instruction which wise men give; and they practise the evil, which they say the others do commit, in being proud. And they despise them, without esteeming that course and order which is both natural, and divine; and that is, that they who are less, should be governed by them who are more wise.

Nor is this doctrine against that which is delivered by⁴ S. John, That the⁵ Unction teacheth all things. For that which he intended, is but this, That⁶ the grace and light of God, doth sometimes teach a man interiorly by itself; and at other times, it directeth him to ask the opinion of others; & of whom he is to ask; and so it teacheth all, though not, all alone. To this purpose, S. Augustine saith, Let us fly from such tentations which incline men to the greatest pride, and are the most dangerous of all others. Or rather, let us consider, how the Apostle⁷ S. Paul (although he had been prostrated, and instructed by a voice from heaven) yet, nevertheless, was sent to a man, of whom he was to receive the Sacraments; and by whom, he was to be incorporated into the Church. And⁸ Cornelius the Centurion, was sent to S. Peter; not only to receive the Sacraments, but to understand from him, what he was to believe; and in whom he was to hope, and whom to love. For if God did not speak to men, by the mouth of men, the condition of men would be miserable. And how should it else be true which is written, The⁹ Temple of God is holy, which Temple you are, if God gave not answers out of this Temple, which is men; but should resolve that whatsoever men were to learn, should be derived from heaven, by the means of Angels. And so also charity would have no intercourse by the communication of some hearts with others, if men were not taught by the means of other men. S. Philip was sent to the Eunuch; and Moses took counsel of I●thro, his Father-in-law. All this doth S. Augustine say.

S John Climacus¹⁰ doth also affirm, that a man who believeth himself, saveth the Devil a labour, in tempting him; for he is Devil enough to himself. In like manner S Hierome saith, I will not follow mine own opinion, for that is wont to give me evil counsel. And S Vincentius doth much advice, that a man, who desireth to be spiritual, may have some master to govern him: and if he will not have one when he may, God will never communicate grace to that soul, for the pride thereof. S. Bernard and S Bonaventure do, at every turning of a hand, advice the same. Yea the Scripture of God, is full of it. Sometimes it saith, Woe¹¹ be to you, who are wise in your own eyes; and in your own sight are prudent. And else where, If thou see a man who esteemeth himself wise, believe that the fool shall go away better cheap than he. S Paul admonisheth us, not to be wise in our own opinion. And the Wiseman¹² saith. Whatsoever thou sayest, to a fool unless it be of things that his hart believes, he will not receive the words of prudence. And in another place, If thou incline thine ear, thou shalt receive instruction, and if thou love to hear, thou shalt be wise.

Therefore, to avoid prolixity, I say that the holy Scripture, and the admonition of Saints, and their lives, and the experimental knowledge that we have; do all, with one voice, recommend to us, that we do not lean, or rest upon our own prudence, but incline our ear, to the counsel of others. For otherwise what thing would there be in the world more disorderly, than the Church of God; and the same would happen to any other Congregation of men, if every one might follow his own opinion, conceiving that he is in the right. And how can it be, that the spirit of Christ, which is the spirit of humility, of peace, and of union, should move any one to be contrary to the rest of those men, in whom God himself doth dwell? And how can it grow from this spirit of God, that a man should have himself in so high esteem, as that there may not be found, in the whole congregation of men, another, who can teach him, or who can judge, whether his Spirit be good, or bad. For as, S. Augustine saith, He would not fail to take and follow the counsel of others, if it were not, that through pride, he thinketh himself better than the other, in giving counsel. And though his pride is so great, as to think that he is better than others, yet he might think, that as one may belesse good than another, and yet may have the gift of prophecy; and power to cure sick persons, and may have such gifts as these, (which another perhaps, may not have, (though he be better than the former) so it may also be, that he who is inferior in other gifts, may be yet more eminent, in the gift of affoarding counsel; or in the discretion of spirits, which another man, who is more eminent may chance to want.

And since God is so great a friend of humility, and peace, let no man fear, that if the thing which he hath, be of God, it will go from him, or that he shall lose it, only because he submitteth himself, for the love of the same God, to the opinion of another; but rather it will be more and more confirmed; and if it proceed from other means, it will fly away.

Consider also, that if this wisdom be infused by God, one of the conditions thereof, (according to¹³ S. james) is¹⁴ to have a power of persuasion; and consider yet again, that S. Augustine calleth these thoughts most proud, and most dangerous For¹⁵ although the pride and disobedience of the Will, be dangerous, which consisteth in being unwilling to obey another's will; yet much more dangerous is the pride of the understanding, which consisteth in not being subject to another, upon the belief which he giveth to himself. For a man that is only proud in will, sometimes may be content to obey, because he holdeth another man's opinion to be better; but he that is resolved to hold his own for best, who shall cure that man? And how shall he be able to obey in a thing, which he holdeth to belesse good? And if the eye, which is the understanding (wherewith it should be able to see, and cure this pride) be blind, itself (with being full of the same pride) who shall be able to cure it? And if the light grow to be darkness, and if the very rule of straightness become crooked, what kind of thing, will the rest be?

So great are the mischiefs which grow from pride, that it troubleth all them, with whom it hath to do; for if men will defend their own opinion in obstinate manner, and be inseparable from it, who shall be able to live in peace? And to the end, that thou mayst fly, & cutses this vice, know that it arriveth so farce, as to make of them that were good Christians, perverse Heretics. Nor have they been, nor are they such, for any other reason now, but because by giving more belief to their own judgement, then to that of the Church, and of their Prelates, they conceive themselves to hit the bird in the eye; and that whatsoever passeth in their hart, is the work of God; & that to believe the opinion of others, rather than that which they find in their own hart, were to forsake God, for man. But experience & truth demonstrates to us, that the thing which they thought to be the spirit of Truth, was the spirit of Error, which not being able to overcome them otherwise, did assault them (after having transformed itself, into an Angel of light) under the appearance of Good; & so deprived them of the life of their souls, for not being content to submit themselves to the advice of others.

Footnotes

1. He continueth to describe those aforesaid heretics. ↩

2. Let heretics examine themselues by this rule, and they will see their own extreme pride. ↩

3. Matt. 1● ↩

4. joan. 2. ↩

5. Of the holy Ghost. ↩

6. The true meaning of this place of Scripture. ↩

7. Act. 9 ↩

8. Act. 10. ↩

9. 1. Cor. 3.
   ↩

10. Note the authorities. ↩

11. Isa. 5. ↩

12. Eccl. 6. ↩

13. jacob. 3. ↩

14. A wise and true consideration. ↩

15. The Pride of the understanding, is much more dangerous, them the Pride of will, and why it is so. ↩