Book II, Part 1, Chapter 11. Of some other shorter Remedies against all sorts of Sins, but particularly those Seven called Capital

1. The several considerations we have here set down will serve to keep the soul in good order, and well armed against all kinds of sins ; yet during the engagement itself, that is, when you are tempted to any of these sins, you make use of these short sentences, found amongst the writings of a certain holy man, who used to arm himself thus, upon all occasions, against every one of these vices.

2. When pride assaulted him, he said, " When I consider with what an excess of humility the most high and glorious Son of God has humbled himself, for the love of me, no creature in the world can despise me so much, as to make me think I do not deserve to be much more contemned and despised."

3. If covetousness set upon him, his saying was, " Having once understood, that nothing can satisfy my soul but God alone, I cannot but persuade myself that it must be a great folly to seek any thing besides him."

4. As often as impurity attacked him, he said, " Being sensible of the great dignity my body is raised to, when I receive my Saviour's most sacred body, I should account myself guilty of a horrible sacrilege, should I defile the temple he has consecrated to his service, with the filth of carnal sins."

5. If he was tempted to anger, he said, " No man could ever injure him so far as to disturb and trouble him, when he reflected upon the injuries he had offered God."

6. His defence against hatred and envy was, " I cannot wish any hurt to my neighbor, or -refuse to pardon any man, knowing with what mercy my God has vouchsafed to receive such a sinner as I am."

7. Against gluttony, he said, " That if any man would but call to mind the potion of vinegar and gall which they gave the Son of God for his last refreshment, in the midst of all the torments he suffered for us, he would be ashamed to endeavor to please his palate with dainty meats, being obliged to undergo something for his own sins."

8. His saying against sloth was, " Since I have been taught, that, for a little toil and trouble here, I may purchase for myself everlasting glory, all the pains I can possibly take, for the obtaining of this happiness, seem very inconsiderable." I § I. — 9. St. Augustine gives us another sort of short remedies jagainst all vices, though some persons attribute them to St. Leo the pope : he shows us, in the same, how, on the one side, each 'particular vice tempts us, and what proposals it makes us ; and, on the other side, he supplies us with such considerations and reasons, as we are to make use of against it, which I will here set down, looking upon them as very useful and beneficial.

9. Pride, therefore, begins first to speak to us, after this manner : Certainly you excel others in knowledge, in eloquence, in wealth, and in several other good qualities ; it is, therefore, reasonable you should have but little esteem for others, as being so far above them. But humility answers, that you are but dust and ashes, mere rottenness and corruption at present, and designed to be the companion and food of worms in a very little time. And supposing you are as great as you imagine, yet the greater you are, if you do not humble yourself the more, you will soon cease to be what you were. Are you greater than the angel that fell? Do you shine brighter upon earth than Lucifer did in heaven ? Now, if his pride was the occasion of his falling from so high a state of glory, into such an abyss of misery, how can you think of rising from such an excess of misery to such a height of glory, when you are in all respects as proud as he was ?

10. Vain-glory comes next, and says, Do all the good you can, and let every body know it, that they may take you for a good man, that the whole world may reverence and honor you, and that no one may show you the least disrespect. The fear of God answers: It is a most notorious folly to fling away the purchase of eternal glory, for a little temporal honor. Endeavor, therefore, to hide all the good actions you do, at least in desire, because, if you have a real desire to conceal them, it will be no vanity in you if they should come to be known; for that cannot be called public which in your wishes is secret.

11. Hypocrisy says, Since you have nothing in you that is good, endeavor at least to make a man believe you have what you have not, that you may not be hated by all the world. Sincerity answers, It is the proper duty of a true Christian not to endeavor to pass for a good man, but to labor to make himself so ; for all that you can get by imposing on others is your own condemnation and ruin.

12. Contempt and disobedience say, Who are you, that should be subject to others inferior to you ? It is but just you should command and they obey, since they do not come up to you, either in wit, judgment or virtue. It is enough for you to keep the commandments of God ; you need not trouble your head with those of men. Subjection and obedience answer, The same reason that obliges you to an observance of God's commandments obliges you to submit to what men decree ; because God himself has said, " Whosoever hears you hears me, and he that despises you despises me ;" Luke x. 16. But if you say that this stands with reason and justice when he that commands is a good man, and not otherwise, hear what the apostle says against this opinion: " There is no power but what comes from God, and all things that come from God are ordained ;" Rom. xiii. 11. So that it is none of your business to know what kind of men your superiors are ; all you are to do is to know what they command, and to put their orders in execution.

13. Envy says, In what are you less than this or that man ? Why, then, should not you have as much respect showed you as they have, or more ? How many things can you do which they cannot? It is, therefore, unjust that they should be made equal to you, or set over you. Brotherly love answers, If you are more virtuous than others, you will be much securer in a low place than in a high one ; because, the higher the place a man falls from, the more dangerous will be his fall. Put the case that there are many men as rich or richer than you ; what are you the worse for it ? You ought to consider that, whilst you envy another that is in a better station, you make yourself like him of whom it is said, " By the envy of the devil death came into the world, and all those who are of his side imitate him ;" Wisd. ii. 24, 25.

14. Hatred says, God Almighty can never expect you should love him that is always contradicting and opposing you in all things ; that is always detracting and backbiting you ; that is always upbraiding you, to your face, with all your failings ; that is, in fine, perpetually thwarting you in all your words and actions; for it is certain he would never thus trample on you if he did not hate you. True love answers, Supposing these things are detestable in a man, must you, therefore, hate the image of God that is stamped on him ? Did not Jesus Christ, even when lie hung on the cross, love his enemies? Did he not advise us to the same, a little before his departure out of this world ? Banish, therefore, all the bitterness of hatred from your breast, and instead of it take in the sweetness of love ; for, besides the eternal considerations and reasons that oblige us to it, there is nothing in this life more pleasant, nothing more sweet, than love ; and nothing, on the contrary, more bitter, nothing more distasteful, than hatred, which, like a canker, is always preying on the bowels that first gave it being.

15. Detraction is always crying, Who can endure this? who can conceal the crimes such or such persons have committed, without being accessory to them ? Brotherly correction answers,

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We are neither to publish nor consent to our neighbor's sins (Matt. xvii. 15) ; but he that has done amiss is to be corrected with charity, and to be borne with patience. Besides, it is sometimes convenient to take no notice of a man when he has committed a fault, that you may afterwards have a more favorable opportunity of reproving him.

17. Anger says, How can you have patience to endure the injuries that are offered you? Nay, it is a sin to bear any longer; and, if you do not resent them, you will have greater affronts put on you every day. Patience answers, If you would but reflect on our Saviour's passion, there is no wrong which you would not be willing to put up with. For, as St. Peter says, " Christ has suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow his steps ; who, when he suffered, never was angry with, nor threatened them that used him ill;" 1 Pet. ii. 21. We are, therefore, more particularly obliged to imitate our Saviour in this point, considering that what we suffer is so little in comparison of what he underwent for us ; for he was affronted, despised, buffeted, scourged, crowned with thorns and crucified ; and yet we sinful and miserable wretches fly into a passion at every little word, and the least incivility that is, touches us to the quick.

1 8. Hardness of heart says, How can you speak kindly to men that are as stupid, ignorant and senseless as mere beasts, and who very often grow proud and saucy, the kinder you are to them ? Meekness answers, Your advice is not to be taken in this point, but the apostle's, who says, " It does not become the servant of God to quarrel, but to carry himself meekly to all persons ;" 2 Tim. ii. 24. This fault of replying and wrangling, it is true, is much more dangerous in inferiors than it is in superiors ; because it often happens that they lose the respect they should have for those that are put over them, when they are too kindly dealt with, and laugh at and ridicule the humility and sweetness their superiors show them.

19. Presumption and rashness say, God in heaven is witness of all your actions, and, therefore, you need not trouble your head about the opinion men have of you. Our duty to our neighbor answers, You are not to give other persons occasion of murmuring, or of revealing all they think and suspect of you ; but if, what they find fault with you for is true, tell them sincerely you have done amiss ; if false, you are with humility to deny it.

20. Sloth and idleness say, You will soon lose your sight if you give yourself thus continually to study, prayers and tears ; if you spend a good part of the night in performing of these exercises, you will soon be distracted ; if you tire yourself out with too much labor, you will become unfit for any spiritual exercise. Diligence and labor answer, Why do you promise yourself many years to undergo these hardships and labors? Who has given you security that you shall live till to-morrow, nay, till this very hour be over? Have you forgot what our Saviour said, " Watch, because you neither know the day nor the hour ;" "Matt. xxv. 23. It is your business, therefore, to shake off all idleness and sloth ; because the kingdom of heaven is not for the slothful and tepid, but for such only as are diligent and resolute.

21. Covetousness says, If you give away what you have to strangers, what will be left to maintain your own family ? Mercy answers, Remember what happened to the rich man in the gospel, that was clothed in purple and the finest linen : he was not condemned for taking away another man's goods, but for not giving away his own ; Luke xvi. For this he was condemned to hell-fire, and reduced to such extremity there as not to be able to obtain one drop of water, though he begged it with so much earnestness, for not giving the crumbs that fell from his table to a poor man that was begging at his door.

22. Gluttony says, God created all things for our nourishment; if, therefore, you refuse to eat, you slight God Almighty's favors. Temperance answers, What you say is true in one respect, for God created all things that men might not die for hunger. But to prevent his committing any excess, he commanded him to be abstemious ; and not being so is reckoned one of the chief sins that drew down God's judgments upon the unhappy city of Sodom, and was the occasion of its utter ruin ; Ezech. xvi. For that reason, a man, though he be in good health, is to take his meat as a sick man does his physic, that is, only to supply the present necessity. So that, if he would quite break himself off that vice, he must, besides prescribing himself a certain quantity, and no more, despise all dainties, unless either want of health or charity oblige him to the contrary.

23. Empty joy says, Why do you conceal and smother the joy of your heart ? Let every body be sensible of your joy, and talk pleasantly and merrily with your companions, to divert them, and to make them laugh moderately. Gravity answers, What is the meaning of all this mirth and pleasantry ? Have you overcome the devil ? Is the time of your banishment expired, and are you called home to your own country ? You have forgot, perhaps, what our Saviour said, " You shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice ; nevertheless, your sorrow shall be turned into joy ;" John xvi. 20. Put a stop, therefore, I advise you, to this vain delight ; for you have not yet weathered all the storms that are so frequent on this dangerous sea.

24. Talkativeness says, There is no hurt in talking much, if a man talks well; as, on the contrary, he is not tree from sin, though he speaks but little, if what he says be ill. Discreet silence answers, What you say is true ; yet it often happens that, when a man would say many good things, he makes a bad end of what he began well. And, therefore, the wise man says, " Where there is much talk there will be sin ;" Prov. x. 19. And if you should be so fortunate, in talking much, not to speak any thing that is hurtful, it will be very hard to avoid all idle words, which you must give an account of at the day of judgment. You must, therefore, be moderate in your talk, be it ever so good, lest excess should make it quite otherwise.

25. Impurity says, Why do you not enjoy pleasures and delights, since you do not know what may happen to you ? It is unreasonable to lose such a favorable opportunity, when you cannot tell how soon it may pass away. For, if God had not designed that men should enjoy these pleasures, he would never have created men and women at the beginning. Chastity answers, I would not have you be ignorant of what is prepared for you after this life. For, if you will but live purely and chastely here, you will enjoy such pleasures and delights as shall never have an end ; but if, on the contrary, you live lewdly here, you shall be condemned to torments for all eternity hereafter ; and the more sensible you are of the short duration of these false pleasures, the more reason you have to live chastely ; for how wretched an hour's pleasure is that which is purchased at the expense of a life that is to last for ever !

26. All that has been hitherto said may serve to furnish us with such spiritual weapons as are necessary for this combat ; by the help of which we shall obtain the first part of virtue, which is to abstain from sin, and to maintain the post which God puts us in, and in which he himself lives, that it be not surprised by the enemy. If we defend it with resolution, we shall have the honor of entertaining this heavenly guest; because, as St. John says, " God is charity, and he that remains in charity remains in God, and God in him ;" 1 John iv. 16. And that man is in charity who never does any thing contrary to it, and nothing is contrary to it but mortal sin; against which, all that we have said in this book is to be applied as a remedy and preservative.