Chapter I. The selection of superiors

1. " These things I write to thee, . . . that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God." 1 The Apostle wrote two Epistles to his disciple Timothy, whom he had assigned as Bishop to the Church at Ephesus, teaching him how he ought to conduct himself in the office committed to his care, in order that, having learned from him how to lead a holy life, he might also learn through him how to govern others in a useful and meritorious manner. For there is a vast difference between knowing how to be submissive and humble, how to live in peace with others, and how to rule others in a useful manner. " You may notice," says St. Bernard, " many living peacefully under a director, but if you *l Tim. 3, 14 sq. free them from the yoke, you shall see them unable to be peaceful and helpless against evil. Again you may find some who, as far as they are concerned, live in peace with all and really need no master, yet are by no means fit to direct others. For they are content with a certain good mediocrity, as God ' has divided the measure of grace ' 2 to them. They know how to live sociably and peacefully among brethren, but when placed over them as superiors, they are not only useless, but imprudent and detrimental. There are others who know how to be superiors." 3 Hence Moses was instructed not to appoint anyone to govern the people, but " to provide out of all the people " experienced and " able men " to " judge the people at all times." 4 For one who is entrusted with an office, in order to be of benefit to others, must first learn the discipline of goodness by studiously exercising it himself and by frequent practice to form the habit of it. Hence we read that Our Lord first practised what He later taught by word. " Jesus began to do and to teach." 5

2. Those who enter upon the duties of a superior need an instructor, in order that they may learn the things of which they are ignorant, namely, what is necessary and useful for their own salvation and spiritual advance ment. In other words, what they ought to avoid and what they ought to know, to do, to hope, to fear, and to realise as the greater or less good or evil. " You have need to be taught again what are the first elements of the words of God." 6 They should also be trained in the practise of virtue, because it is not sufficient to know what is good, but the good must be actually practised, even as one who has finished a course in medicine, later on applies his science practically. For practice gives to the mind greater skill than mere knowledge of principles. And as those that are still deficient are usually slow in exercising themselves in virtue, it is necessary that they be urged to it occasionally by others. Masters, therefore, are wont to exercise the disciples whom they desire to advance in perfection in diverse virtues, — now in humility, now in fraternal charity, now in self-control, now in devotion, now in patience, chastity, silence, obedience, etc., so that, practiced in this way, these virtues become habits, and the vices opposed to them are eradicated. For the more a virtue in creases, the more the vice opposed to it de creases. " Bring them up," says St. Paul, " in the discipline and correction of the Lord." 7 Those who enter upon the duties of a superior must furthermore be watched, lest they fall into sin or practice virtue with little discretion. For souls that are inexperienced, and not entirely free from inclination to sin, are more frequently restrained from sin through the fear of men than through the fear of God. Hence it is expedient for them to be subject to the direction of superiors, by whom they are withdrawn from danger, as little children f Eph. 6, 4. in danger of falling into the water, or threat ened by wolves, are safeguarded by their mothers. " Counsel shall keep thee and prudence shall preserve thee, that thou mayest be delivered from the evil way and from the man that speaketh perverse things." 8 They finally need a director to correct them, because evil ways always lead to something worse, just as a fever often is the cause of a more serious ailment, and a wound often pro duces an ulcer, unless the doctor's care prevents it. Thus also a person that commits a fault is not easily corrected unless he is sustained by the help of one who is stronger than himself. On this account God desires older persons to be superiors of the young, in order that if these fall into sin, or become negligent and imprudent, they may be corrected by admonition, correction, and punishment. For if they were left to themselves, they would either fail to realise their fault or wallow in the mire and sink deeper into it. Of such St. Jude says: "And some indeed reprove, being judged." 9 Therefore it is necessary for them to be humbly subject to a master, because a patient cannot be cured of an ailment unless he obeys the directions of his physician. Evil passions are ailments in man. " He gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases." 10

3. Those, however, who need no master for themselves, ought to be so enlightened in knowledge that they cannot err in those mat ters which they need to know, and cannot be deceived by men, nor by the evil spirit, nor by their own reason under the appearance of good, but are endowed with the gift of the discern-* ment of spirits. Of them must be true what St. Paul says : " Everywhere and in all things I am instructed." 11 They must also be filled -with the fervor of devotion, so as to know, without the urging of another, how to apply themselves faithfully to the exercise of every virtue in the best manner possible. They should also be able to say: " Forgetting the things that are behind and stretching forth myself to those that are before." 12 They should, besides, be so filled with the love of goodness that they naturally detest every evil, as it were, diligently avoid scandal, and live peacefully and without offence to anyone, as the Apostle says : " Be without offence to the Jews and to the Gentiles." 13 They should therefore be so humble in all things that they are neither elated over any good thing that they may possess, nor presume to be entirely free from evil, but accurately discern in themselves all disorders of thought, word, and omission, and correct them by strict self-discipline. In all these things they are to be so firmly grounded that neither levity, nor distraction, nor difficulty, nor fear shall be able to change their attitude. " Who shall separate us from the charity of Christ." 14 But as it is difficult to find such persons, few are fit to live without the yoke of obedience, 18 i Cor. 10, 32. io Virtues of a Religious Superior and those who are placed as superiors over others, to act better and more intelligently, must in turn necessarily be subject to others, up to the Supreme Pontiff, who in turn rules the entire Church Militant as Vicar of Christ.

4. Therefore, those who are obliged to govern others must be endowed with various vir tues. Some of these, which involve an irreproachable life, refer to themselves; others, to their superiors, by means of which they humbly obey those whom they are obliged to obey ; others, to subjects, by means of which they govern them meritoriously and advance them in virtue. But though he who has the duty of teaching every virtue by authority of his office, ought to possess all virtues in an eminent degree, still, as six is the first perfect numeral of its kind consisting of several parts,15 a good director of souls, especially a religious, must be distinguished among the rest by special vir tues, as Isaias says: "The Seraphim [who are the most eminent choir of heavenly spirits] had 16 Cfr. St. Bon., Comm. in SeM.f 1. I, dist. 2, qu. 4. Selection of Superiors 1 1 six wings." 16 It was probably for this reason that the Lord appeared to our holy Father, St. Francis, under the likeness of a Seraph, when He marked him with the stigmata of His Passion, to show that those who -would be su periors in his Order must be endowed with spiritual wings. So also, according to St. John in the Apocalypse, " the four living creatures had each of them six wings." 17