Chapter II. How he knew that one who was thought holy was counterfeit

28. There was a brother, so far as could be seen outwardly, of uncommon holiness; exemplary in life, but very singular. He applied himself continually to prayer, and kept silence with such strictness that his custom was to confess not by words but by signs. The words of Scripture filled him with great ardour, and after hearing them he relished them with wondrous sweetness. In short, he was deemed by all thrice holy. It happened that the blessed father came to the "place," saw the brother and heard [him called a] saint. When all were commending and magnifying him the father replied: "Give it up, brethren, and don't praise the Devil's counterfeits in him to me! Know in truth that this is a devilish temptation and a fraudulent deception. I am sure of it, and his refusing to confess is the strongest proof that it is so." The brethren took this ill, and especially the Saint's vicar. "And how," said they, "can it be true that amid so many tokens of perfection we are being cheated by fraudulent counterfeits? "The father answered, "Let him be admonished to confess twice, or [at least 2] once in a week: and if he will not do it, you will know that what I have said is true." The vicar took him aside, and after first rallying him in a friendly way, finally enjoined him to confess. He refused, intimating by putting his finger to his mouth and shaking his head that he would by no means confess. The brethren were silent, fearing to scandalize the false saint. Not many days after, he left the Religion of his own accord, turned again to the world, and went back to his vomit. At length, redoubling his misdeeds, he was deprived at once of penitence and of life.

We should ever be on our guard against singularity, which is nothing else but a fair-seeming precipice: and with regard to it, several singular ones have found by experience that they ascend to the heavens and then go down to the abyss. But give heed to the virtue of devout confession, for it not only makes a man holy but shows that he is so.¹