|
SECTION I
The Necessity of Exterior as well as Interior Virtues
From the preceding principles we can deduce four
consequences of great importance in the spiritual
life. The first is that a true servant of God must
not be content to seek interior virtues only, though
they are the noblest, but must also add the practice
of exterior virtues, both to preserve the first, and
perfectly to fulfill the obligations of justice.
Neither the soul without the body nor the body
without the soul constitutes man. In like manner,
true Christianity is neither wholly interior nor
wholly exterior. The union of both classes of virtues
is as necessary to the perfection of the spiritual
life as the union of soul and body is to the
perfection of the natural life. For as the body
receives its life and dignity from the soul, so the
exterior virtues receive their life and merit from
our interior dispositions, particularly from charity.
Therefore, he who would become a perfect Christian
must remember that the interior and exterior virtues
are as inseparable as soul and body, the treasure and
the chest, the vine and its support � that is, the
spiritual virtues and their defenses, the exterior
works of piety. Otherwise he will lose the first,
without which he can reap no profit from the second.
Let him ever bear in mind these words of Holy
Scripture: "He that feareth God neglecteth nothing,
and he that contemneth small things shall fall little
by little." (Eccles. 7:19 and Ecclus. 19:1). The
plague of gnats in Egypt was succeeded by that of
flies. Beware, then, lest in despising the sting of
gnats � that is, of small faults you may fall a
victim to flies � that is, to mortal sin. (Cf. Ex.
8).
SECTION II
Discernment in the Pursuit of Virtue
As men will sacrifice more for the purchase of gold
than silver, and will do more to preserve an eye than
a finger, so we, guided by the spirit of discernment,
should make more effort to acquire the greater
virtues than those that are of less importance. If we
invert this order, we introduce confusion into the
kingdom of our soul. Therefore, while recommending
the exterior virtues of recollection, modesty,
silence, and fasting, we would exhort you with no
less zeal to the practice of the interior virtues of
humility, charity, prayer, devotion, and love of your
neighbor. Exterior faults being evident to others,
we consider them of greater moment than interior
defects, and pay more attention to their amendment.
Moreover, the exterior virtues, besides attracting
more attention, excite more esteem than the practice
of hope, charity, humility, fear of God or contempt
for the world, though these interior virtues are more
pleasing in the sight of God. "For man seeth those
things that appear, but the Lord beholdeth the
heart." (1Kg. 16:7). Therefore, as love of praise is
one of the strongest and most subtle passions, beware
lest it cause you to seek the virtues which are most
esteemed by men, to the neglect of the interior
virtues, which are more acceptable to God.
SECTION III
Virtues that are Less must sometimes yield to those
that are Greater
When we are obliged to choose between two
commandments, we should follow the more important.
Observe the same rule with regard to the virtues.
Whenever you are in doubt as to which you should
adopt, the lesser must give place to the greater, if
you would avoid confusion. The holy Fathers, says St.
Bernard, have established many practices proper to
preserve and increase charity. While these practices
attain this end they should be rigidly observed, but
if at any time they conflict with charity, it is only
just that they should be modified, or omitted by
proper authority, for others which will more
efficaciously promote this virtue. It would certainly
be most unreasonable to observe, through a motive of
charity, practices which charity itself condemned.
Let such practices, therefore, be faithfully observed
as long as they promote charity, but no longer. (De
Proecepto et Dispen., c.4). In support of this
doctrine the great Doctor cites two pontifical
decrees, one of Pope Gelasius and the other of Pope
Leo.
SECTION IV
True and False Justice
A fourth consequence worthy of note is that there are
two kinds of justice, one false and the other true.
True justice is that which embraces both the interior
and the exterior virtues. False justice is that which
is satisfied with a few exterior practices, while
neglecting the interior virtues, such as love of God,
humility, and devotion. This was the justice of the
Pharisees, to whom Our Saviour addressed these
terrible words of reproach and condemnation: "Woe to
you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you
tithe mint, and anise, and cummin, and have left the
weightier things of the law; judgment, and mercy, and
faith. � Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites; because you make clean the outside of the
cup and of the dish, but within you are full of
rapine and uncleanness. � Woe to you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites; because you are like to whited
sepulchres, which outwardly appear to men beautiful,
but within are full of dead men's bones, and of all
filthiness." (Matt. 23:23,25,27). Such is the justice
so frequently condemned in the Scriptures. Speaking
in God's name, Isaias says: "This people glorify me
with their lips, but their heart is far from me, and
they have feared me with the commandment and
doctrines of men." (Cf. Is. 29:13). And again: "Offer
sacrifice no more in vain: incense is an abomination
to me. � My soul hateth your new moons, and your
solemnities � I am weary of bearing them." (Is.
1:13-14). What is the meaning of these words? Does
God condemn acts which He Himself commanded under the
severest penalties? Does He condemn the practices of
that beautiful virtue, religion, the object of which
is to honor and worship Him? Assuredly not; but He
condemns the insincerity of His people who content
themselves with the exterior observance of the law to
the neglect of true justice. This He declares, for,
after reproaching them with the mockery of their
hollow ceremonies and practices, He tells them, "Wash
yourselves, be clean, take away the evil of your
devices from my eyes: cease to do perversely. Learn
to do well � relieve the oppressed, judge for the
fatherless, defend the widow � and if your sins be as
scarlet, they shall be made as white as snow; and if
they be red as crimson, they shall be white as wool."
(Is. 1:16-18). In still stronger language the
prophet again denounces exterior practices that are
not actuated by interior virtue: "He that sacrificeth
an ox, is as if he slew a man; he that killeth a
sheep in sacrifice, as if he should brain a dog; he
that offereth an oblation, as if he should offer
swine's blood; he that remembereth incense, as if he
should bless an idol." (Is. 66:3). Why, O Lord,
these terrible words? Why didst Thou repute as
abominable those sacrifices which Thou hadst formerly
commanded'? "All these things," I hear Thee say,
"have they chosen in their ways, and their soul is
delighted in their abominations." (Is. 66:3). Behold the nothingness of exterior practices which
are not animated by an interior spirit of virtue, but
which are done solely according to the ways of men.
"Take away from me the tumult of thy songs," God says
by the prophet Amos, '"and I will not hear the
canticles of thy harp." (Amos 5:23). Even more
strongly does He reject these works, speaking though
Malachias: "I will scatter upon your face the dung of
your solemnities." (Mal. 2:3). Do not these suffice
to show us how little value exterior virtues have
when not animated by the love and fear of God, and by
hatred of sin, which are the foundations of true
justice? Still another reason which causes God to repel these
external observances, comparing sacrifice to murder,
incense to idolatry, chanting to discordant noise,
solemn feasts to dung, is not only the want of merit
in these practices when devoid of an interior spirit,
but the fact that they frequently inflate us with
pride, excite in us contempt for others, and inspire
us with a false security, a fatal confidence, which
effectually hinders all amendment for one who is
satisfied with his condition and does not desire a
change. The prayer, or rather boasting, of the
Pharisee, is a proof of this: "'O God, I give thee
thanks that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners,
unjust, adulterers, as also is this publican. I fast
twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I
possess." (Lk. 18:11-12). Does not this so-called
prayer illustrate the three dangers against which we
warned you? His pride and presumption exclaim: "I am
not as the rest of men"; his contempt of others says:
"I am not as this publican"; and his false security
shows itself in the thanks which he gives to God for
the life he leads, and in which he believes himself
safe from all evil. Besides that gross hypocrisy which is the pretence of
virtue made by those who know they are wicked, but
who strive to conceal their vices, there is a more
refined and more dangerous hypocrisy, which affects
many who deceive themselves as well as others by a
false show of justice. Like the Pharisee, they
imagine they are virtuous, but they are far from true
holiness. Such hypocrisy is the result of that
miserable piety which consists of external practices
only. Solomon condemned it when he said, "There is a
way which seemeth just to a man, but the ends thereof
lead to death." (Prov. 14:12). Further on he includes
this vice among the four evils which he says exist in
the world: "There is a generation that curseth their
father, and doth not bless their mother. A generation
that are pure in their own eyes, and yet are not
washed from their f�lthiness. A generation whose eyes
are lofty, and their eyelids lifted up on high. A
generation that for teeth hath swords, and grindeth
with their jaw teeth, to devour the needy from off
the earth, and the poor from among men." (Prov.
30:11-14). You cannot fail to recognize among
these the unhappy victims of self-deception, who,
like the Pharisees, believe themselves pure when they
are filled with corruption. This false confidence
is so dangerous that there is much more hope for a
hardened sinner who recognizes his condition than for
one who thus deceives himself. Acknowledging our
failings is the first step towards amendment. But how
can a sick man be cured who maintains that he is
well, and therefore refuses all remedies? For this
reason Our Saviour declares to the Pharisees that
publicans and sinners shall go before them into the
kingdom of Heaven. (Cf. Matt. 21:31 ). And He utters
the same truth still more forcibly in the Apocalypse:
"I would thou wert cold or hot. But because thou art
lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will begin to
vomit thee out of my mouth." (Apoc. 3:15-16). You
marvel, doubtless, why a soul that is cold should be
less displeasing to God than one that is lukewarm.
The reason for this is that coldness, or the state of
the sinner devoid of all virtues, is more easily
cured than lukewarmness, which represents the man of
few virtues, and these only exterior practices
without the life of charity. The man who is loaded
with sins can be brought to realize his malady, and
so induced to take the proper remedies. But the man
who is lukewarm rests on that false security which,
as was the case with the Pharisee, leads him to
believe that he possesses all the treasures of
virtue. Though these soulless practices avail him
naught, he will not realize his sad state, and
consequently will take no measures for amendment.
To know that this is the true meaning of the text,
read what follows: "Thou sayest, I am rich and made
wealthy, and I have need of nothing; and thou knowest
not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor,
and blind, and naked." (Apoc. 3:17). Do not these
words again describe the Pharisee, who thanks God for
his spiritual riches when he is poor, destitute of
all virtue, inflated with pride, and blind to his own
failings? There is nothing in Holy Scripture more
frequently extolled than this true justice, nothing
more frequently condemned than this pharisaical
justice. Hence we have dwelt at some length on the
excellence of the first and the danger of the second.
For human nature is the same today as it was in the
time of the prophets and the Apostles, whose
teachings on this subject are contained in the
Scriptures. We have the same inclinations, the same
inheritance of original sin, and consequently our
vices and failings must be the same, for like causes
produce like effects. The carnal Jews believed
that they fulfilled their duty to God by a literal
observance of fasts and ceremonies. Many Christians
of the present day resemble them, for they hear Mass
on Sundays, assist at sermons and the divine offices,
daily recite a number of vocal prayers, and even fast
on Saturdays in honor of the Blessed Virgin; and yet
they are no less eager in the pursuit of worldly
honors and in gratifying their passions. They are no
less subject to anger than others who observe none of
these practices. They forget the obligations of their
state; they are careless of the salvation of their
children and servants; they readily yield to feelings
of hatred and revenge; they harbor resentment for
trifling offenses, and refuse to speak to their
neighbor; they withhold the wages of their servants
and defraud their creditors, If their honor or
interest be touched, the hollowness of their virtue
will soon be apparent. Many of them are profuse in
prayers, but very sparing in alms. Others could
never be persuaded to forego the observance of
abstinence on Wednesdays and days of devotion; but
yet they indulge with impunity in detraction and
calumny. They scruple to eat the flesh of animals
which God does not prohibit them, but they do not
hesitate to prey upon the honor and reputation of
their neighbor, which God wishes to be sacred to
every Christian. These and similar inconsistencies
are frequent in our day among persons of every class.
That you may profit by the preceding counsels, let
each one study his own spiritual condition, that he
may learn the remedies which will profit him most.
There are general directions which apply to all, such
as those pertaining to charity, humility, patience,
or obedience. Others, again, are special and apply
only to certain classes and certain conditions. For
example, it is necessary to recommend to a scrupulous
person greater freedom of conscience; to one who is
lax, greater restraint. With a timid soul, inclined
to discouragement, we must treat of the divine mercy,
while a presumptuous soul should be led to reflect on
the divine justice. Those who give themselves
wholly to exterior practices should be made to
cultivate interior virtues, while those who are
entirely devoted to the latter should be taught the
value of the former when animated by the proper
dispositions. They will thus learn to appreciate the
merit of both kinds of virtue, and therefore to avoid
the extremes into which many fall who devote
themselves so closely to one as to neglect the other.
The interior virtues, however, especially the fear of
God and a hatred of sin, must be particularly
cultivated. Happy is he in whose soul these virtues
are deeply engraved. He may build without fear upon
such a foundation, for these virtues are the
beginning of true justice. But without them he is a
blind and miserable soul, however numerous his
exterior practices of piety.
|
