Book V, Chapter XI

A man’s worthiness is not to be estimated by the number of visions and comforts which he may have, or by his skill in the Scriptures, or by his being placed in a higher station than others ; but the proof is, if he be grounded in true humility. B. iii. c. 7 207 OF THE PERFECT USE OF FAITH

(On these words) — “ A man’s worthiness is not to be esti-; mated by the number of visions and comforts which he may i have, or by his skill in the Scriptures, or by his being placed in a higher station than others; but the proof is, if he be grounded in true humility.” B. iii. c. 7*

Question. — What is the foundation of the whole spiritual life?

a Numb. xi. 6. 8. b Ex. xvi. 29. Wisdom xvi. 20,21.

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LOVE OF ABASEMENT

Answer. — That on which rest all the exercises necessary to become solidly virtuous. But as the spiritual life may be considered differently with regard to different states, it may be said, in general, to be established on two foundations, the one further, the other nearer, to that which we call perfection.

The remote foundation, as we have said elsewhere, is the first step to be taken in the way of holiness, which consists in a firm resolution to refuse nothing to God, and to spare nothing in order to please Him. Whatever we do before this, though good, cannot properly speaking be classed as belonging to the spiritual life. Thus those who repeat long prayers, who perform some penances, and even do many good works, without being entirely resolved to do all that is required to satisfy God fully, have not yet made the first preparations towards acquiring perfection for if they lived till the end of the world, continuing in the same state, and acting in the same manner, without any addition to their ordinary exercises, they would ever be imperfect; and although they might acquire some merits, they would still remain very far below what we call perfection.

But when once a man is resolved to omit nothing which he thinks will please God, from that time he enters the way which leads to perfect holiness. Yet is he only at the beginning, though often he imagines that he has already reached the end. This is the foundation of the spiritual life but it is only the remote foundation.

Question. — What then is the immediate foundation?

Answer. — The state of a man who, having learned by Divine illumination the great advantage of self- knowledge, is so led to annihilate himself before God and man, as to be completely indifferent to all j

THE FOUNDATION OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE. 209 I that is said or thought of him; to desire no privilege, nor any token of distinction; instantly to forget all injuries done to him, without seeking to do himself justice; in short, to become, as it were, insensible to all that concerns his own interest. One who has been enabled to arrive at this state, whatever his merit, r however great his age, joyfully suffers himself to be treated like a child; he does not complain; he does not even think that too little consideration is shown him and if he is under obedience in the religious life, he is well satisfied that his Superior shall see all his letters, and send or retain them as he pleases and though he may have preached in the most celebrated pulpits with the general applause, not only of the people, but even of princes, he is not reluctant to be humbled far from that, he makes abasement his de- light, and reposes on it as in his centre, ever as pas- sionately desirous of contempt, as worldly men are of honour and of the highest dignities. When a soul is thoroughly established in this disposition, not by a!

mere yielding, but by a generous and efficacious love of humiliation, she may be said to know what is meant by true humility: and if she has not yet learned to practise it in full perfection, to have at least the thought and desire of doing so*

On this is founded the whole of the spiritual life and this foundation may be called immediate, because, when it is once laid, we are able to build solidly, and to raise to its highest pitch the edifice of Christian perfection. With this a man is capable of filling all offices, of acquitting himself well of all sorts of employments; and God can entrust His gifts to him without risk. Without it, if God raises him to a high degree of contemplation, or men judge him worthy of the greatest honours, he may become the sport of fiends, and be carried away by the winds i; of pride and ambition. This is the cause why many, 1 T 3!

LOVE OF ABASEMENT whom our Lord has been pleased to favour with extraordinary graces, overcome by temptation, fall into the abyss. Satan, accustomed to counterfeit an angel of light, blinds others to such a degree, that they are unable to discern him, and will listen to no one; so high is their opinion of themselves, and so full are they of their own sufficiency.

For this cause the Saints have so highly praised humility, and St. Ignatius, among others, calls the love of contempt a most valuable step in the spiritual life. He often recommended it to his first companions, and some of them, touched by his lessons, became eminent in that virtue. It is related in the History of the Company of Jesus, that Father James Laynez, the most learned Jesuit of his time, and a famous preacher, having been made Provincial of Italy, complained to his General, St. Ignatius, that he called all the best labourers of his province to Rome, and that for want of their assistance the colleges were ill provided. The holy man replied wisely, that it was right to prefer the common to private good, and that it was more important to religion that Rome should be provided with fit persons than the other towns. But Laynez, seeing that the General still persisted in taking away many of his evangelic labourers, thought it right to represent to him once more the inconvenience that this caused him. Then St. Ignatius could not refrain from testifying to him by letter his displeasure, that though he had sufficiently explained to him why he did so, he still continued his complaints, and thereby showed less obedience than he ought. Send me word, added he, if, on examination, you do not think that you have done amiss; and in case you find yourself guilty, let me know to what penance you condemn yourself. The reply of Laynez was a manifest proof of his profoimd humility, and his letter is preserved word j

THE FOUNDATION OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE. 211 for word in the history. He begins by thanking St. Ignatius for his goodness in warning him of his fault; then humbly acknowledging himself guilty, he asks his pardon for the trouble which he has caused him by his importunity; him, whom he honours as the father of his soul, and to whom he owes the utmost respect and to the Saint’s desire that he would inform him of what punishment he thought himself worthy for his want of obedience, he replies, that whatever he is pleased to order him, will be that which he will most willingly accept; but that since he must impose one on himself, the least of which he thinks himself worthy, is to be deposed from his office, forbidden to study, and deprived of all books except bis Breviary, reduced for his whole life to teach grammar to little children; in a word, to be regarded as filth. He adds to all this many other penances, as fasts and scourgings; and to this he voluntarily condemns himself for a fault which others would have judged so slight, as hardly to believe it a real fault. But because he has been blamed for it by his Superior, he returns unto himself, and accuses himself with a humility which cannot be too much admired in a man of extraordinary merit, a man whom the Supreme Pontiff had chosen to be his preacher, whom he had sent to Trent to assist at the Council as his theologian, and who at length succeeded St. Ignatius in the office of General.

This is the Divine virtue, which should be regarded as the immediate foundation of all graces and all spiritual gifts. Therefore St. Ignatius, in his instructions for the examination of those who feel themselves called to enter the Company, directs that it shall be particularly enquired of them, whether they have humility enough to love and desire insults, calumnies, and outrages, as much as worldly people love and desire honours and dignities. On this must

HOW TO ATTAIN HUMILITY.

the spiritual edifice be founded, according to the words of St. Augustine, “ Do you desire to raise your building very high? Be careful to found it well in humility.” Serm. x. De verbis Domini. The Institutor of the Company, then, desiring above all things that those who should be received into it should aspire to a high degree of virtue, required this perfect contempt of self to be proposed to them, as the basis of all; and himself, as long as he lived, ceased not to exercise in it those whom he ruled.

Question. — What must be done to arrive at this degree of humility?

Answer. — Three things in particular. The first is, to consider wherein consists the virtue of humility, and to comprehend of what importance it is to de- spise ourselves, to practise thoroughly all we have said thereon, to bind ourselves to it by firm resolutions, to beware, above all, in whatever vexation, that we never feel anger or resentment. The second is, whenever we think ourselves offended, to be careful instantly to arrest the angry movement which rises in the heart; and, in order to repress it, to arm ourselves with a lively faith, and to recall to our mind all the holy thoughts we have had in prayer. The third is, every time that we examine our conscience, to reflect particularly on this, as on a point of great importance, and if we find that we have failed therein, have spoken any harsh or disobliging word, to conceive sincere grief, to be ashamed before God, to chastise the body severely; and, in order to humble the spirit through the flesh, to study ever to speak with great reserve on those occasions on which we ought to show humility, modesty, and gentleness.

HOW TO LOVE THINGS UNSEEN ONLY. 213