historia calamitatum-第8部分

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OF　HIS　TEACHING　IN　THE　WILDERNESS
NO　SOONER　had　scholars　learned　of　my　retreat　than　they　began　to　flock　thither　from　all　sides；　leaving　their　towns　and　castles　to　dwell　in　the　wilderness。　In　place　of　their　spacious　houses　they　built　themselves　huts；　instead　of　dainty　fare　they　lived　on　the　herbs　of　the　field　and　coarse　bread；　their　soft　beds　they　exchanged　for　heaps　of　straw　and　rushes；　and　their　tables　were　piles　of　turf。　in　very　truth　you　may　well　believe　that　they　were　like　those　philosophers　of　old　of　whom　Jerome　tells　us　in　his　second　book　against　Jovinianus。

〃Through　the　senses；〃　says　Jerome；　〃as　through　so　many　windows；　do　vices　win　entrance　to　the　soul。　The　metropolis　and　citadel　of　the　mind　cannot　be　taken　unless　the　army　of　the　foe　has　first　rushed　in　through　the　gates。　If　any　one　delights　in　the　games　of　the　circus；　in　the　contests　of　athletes；　in　the　versatility　of　actors；　in　the　beauty　of　women；　in　the　glitter　of　gems　and　raiment；　or　in　aught　else　like　to　these；　then　the　freedom　of　his　soul　is　made　captive　through　the　windows　of　his　eyes；　and　thus　is　fulfilled　the　prophecy：　'For　death　is　come　up　into　our　windows'　（Jer。　ix。　21）。　And　then；　when　the　wedges　of　doubt　have；　as　it　were；　been　driven　into　the　citadels　of　our　minds　through　these　gateways；　where　will　be　its　liberty？　where　its　fortitude？　where　its　thought　of　God？　Most　of　all　does　the　sense　of　touch　paint　for　itself　the　pictures　of　past　raptures；　compelling　the　soul　to　dwell　fondly　upon　remembered　iniquities；　and　so　to　practice　in　imagination　those　things　which　reality　denies　to　it。

〃Heeding　such　counsel；　therefore；　many　among　the　philosophers　forsook　the　thronging　ways　of　the　cities　and　the　pleasant　gardens　of　the　countryside；　with　their　well　watered　fields；　their　shady　trees；　the　song　of　birds；　the　mirror　of　the　fountain；　the　murmur　of　the　stream；　the　many　charms　for　eye　and　ear；　fearing　lest　their　souls　should　grow　soft　amid　luxury　and　abundance　of　riches；　and　lest　their　virtue　should　thereby　be　defiled。　For　it　is　perilous　to　turn　your　eyes　often　to　those　things　whereby　you　may　some　day　be　made　captive；　or　to　attempt　the　possession　of　that　which　it　would　go　hard　with　you　to　do　without。　Thus　the　Pythagoreans　shunned　all　companionship　of　this　kind；　and　were　wont　to　dwell　in　solitary　and　desert　places。　Nay；　Plato　himself；　although　he　was　a　rich　man　let　Diogenes　trample　on　his　couch　with　muddy　feet；　and　in　order　that　he　might　devote　himself　to　philosophy　established　his　academy　in　a　place　remote　from　the　city；　and　not　only　uninhabited　but　unhealthy　as　well。　This　he　did　in　order　that　the　onslaughts　of　lust　might　be　broken　by　the　fear　and　constant　presence　of　disease；　and　that　his　followers　might　find　no　pleasure　save　in　the　things　they　learned。〃

…　Such　a　life；　likewise；　the　sons　of　the　prophets　who　were　the　followers　of　Eliseus　are　reported　to　have　led。　Of　these　Jerome　also　tells　us；　writing　thus　to　the　monk　Rusticus　as　if　describing　the　monks　of　those　ancient　days：　〃The　sons　of　the　prophets；　the　monks　of　whom　we　read　in　the　Old　Testament　built　for　themselves　huts　by　the　waters　of　the　Jordan；　and　forsaking　the　throngs　and　the　cities；　lived　on　pottage　and　the　herbs　of　the　field〃　（Epist。　iv）。

Even　so　did　my　followers　build　their　huts　above　the　waters　of　the　Arduzon；　so　that　they　seemed　hermits　rather　than　scholars。　And　as　their　number　grew　ever　greater；　the　hardships　which　they　gladly　endured　for　the　sake　of　my　teaching　seemed　to　my　rivals　to　reflect　new　glory　on　me；　and　to　cast　new　shame　on　themselves。　Nor　was　it　strange　that　they；　who　had　done　their　utmost　to　hurt　me；　should　grieve　to　see　how　all　things　worked　together　for　my　good；　even　though　I　was　now；　in　the　words　of　Jerome；　afar　from　cities　and　the　market　place；　from　controversies　and　the　crowded　ways　of　men。　And　so；　as　Quintilian　says；　did　envy　seek　me　out　even　in　my　hiding　place。　Secretly　my　rivals　complained　and　lamented　one　to　another；　saying：　〃Behold　now；　the　whole　world　runs　after　him；　and　our　persecution　of　him　has　done　nought　save　to　increase　his　glory。　We　strove　to　extinguish　his　fame；　and　we　have　but　given　it　new　brightness。　Lo；　in　the　cities　scholars　have　at　hand　everything　they　may　need；　and　yet；　spurning　the　pleasures　of　the　town；　they　seek　out　the　barrenness　of　the　desert；　and　of　their　own　free　will　they　accept　wretchedness。〃

The　thing　which　at　that　time　chiefly　led　me　to　undertake　the　direction　of　a　school　was　my　intolerable　poverty；　for　I　had　not　strength　enough　to　dig；　and　shame　kept　me　from　begging。　And　so；　resorting　once　more　to　the　art　with　which　I　was　so　familiar；　I　was　compelled　to　substitute　the　service　of　the　tongue　for　the　labour　of　my　hands。　The　students　willingly　provided　me　with　whatsoever　I　needed　in　the　way　of　food　and　clothing；　and　likewise　took　charge　of　the　cultivation　of　the　fields　and　paid　for　the　erection　of　buildings；　in　order　that　material　cares　might　not　keep　me　from　my　studies。　Since　my　oratory　was　no　longer　large　enough　to　hold　even　a　small　part　of　their　number；　they　found　it　necessary　to　increase　its　size；　and　in　so　doing　they　greatly　improved　it；　building　it　of　stone　and　wood。　Although　this　oratory　had　been　founded　in　honour　of　the　Holy　Trinity；　and　afterwards　dedicated　thereto；　I　now　named　it　the　Paraclete；　mindful　of　how　I　had　come　there　a　fugitive　and　in　despair；　and　had　breathed　into　my　soul　something　of　the　miracle　of　divine　consolation。

Many　of　those　who　heard　of　this　were　greatly　astonished；　and　some　violently　assailed　my　action；　declaring　that　it　was　not　permissible　to　dedicate　a　church　exclusively　to　the　Holy　Spirit　rather　than　to　God　the　Father。　They　held；　according　to　an　ancient　tradition；　that　'it　must　be　dedicated　either　to　the　Son　alone　or　else　to　the　entire　Trinity。　The　error　which　led　them　into　this　false　accusation　resulted　from　their　failure　to　perceive　the　identity　of　the　Paraclete　with　the　Spirit　Paraclete。　Even　as　the　whole　Trinity；　or　any　Person　in　the　Trinity；　may　rightly　be　called　God　or　Helper；　so　likewise　may　It　be　termed　the　Paraclete；　that　is　to　say　the　Consoler。　These　are　the　words　of　the　Apostle：　〃Blessed　be　God；　even　the　Father　of　our　Lord　Jesus　Christ；　the　Father　of　mercies；　and　the　God　of　all　comfort；　who　comforteth　us　in　all　our　tribulation〃　（II　Cor。　i。　3）　And　likewise　the　word　of　truth　says：　〃And　he　shall　give　you　another　comforter〃　（Greek　〃another　Paraclete；〃　John；　xiv。　16）。

Nay；　since　every　church　is　consecrated　equally　in　the　name　of　the　Father；　the　Son　and　the　Holy　Spirit；　without　any　difference　in　their　possession　thereof；　why　should　not　the　house　of　God　be　dedicated　to　the　Father　or　to　the　Holy　Spirit；　even　as　it　is　to　the　Son？　Who　would　presume　to　erase　from　above　the　door　the　name　of　him　who　is　the　master　of　the　house？　And　since　the　Son　offered　Himself　as　a　sacrifice　to　the　Father；　and　accordingly　in　the　ceremonies　of　the　mass　the　prayers　are　offered　particularly　to　the　Father；　and　the　immolation　of　the　Host　is　made　to　Him；　why　should　the　altar　not　be　held　to　be　chiefly　His　to　whom　above　all　the　supplication　and　sacrifice　are　made？　Is　it　not　called　more　rightly　the　altar　of　Him　who　receives　than　of　Him　who　makes　the　sacrifice？　Who　would　admit　that　an　altar　is　that　of　the　Holy　Cross；　or　of　the　Sepulchre；　or　of　St。　Michael；　or　John；　or　Peter；　or　of　any　other　saint；　unless　either　he　himself　was　sacrificed　there　or　else　special　sacrifices　and　prayers　are　made　there　to　him？　Methinks　the　altars　and　temples　of　certain　ones　among　these　saints　are　not　held　to　be　idolatrous　even　though　they　are　used　for　special　sacrifices　and　prayers　to　their　patrons。

Some；　however；　may　perchance　argue　that　churches　are　not　built　or　altars　dedicated　to　the　Father　because　there　is　no　feast　which　is　solemnized　especially　for　Him。　But　while　this　reasoning　holds　good　as　regards　the　Trinity　itself；　it　does　not　apply　in　the　case　of　the　Holy　Spirit。　For　this　Spirit；　from　the　day　of　Its　advent；　has　had　its　special　feast　of　the　Pentecost；　even　as　the　Son　has　had　since　His　coming　upon　earth　His　feast　of　the　Nativity。　Even　as　the　Son　was　sent　into　this　world；　so　did　the　Holy　Spirit　descend　upon　the　disciples；　and　thus　does　It　claim　Its　special　religious　rites。　Nay；　it　seems　more　fitting　to　dedicate　a　temple　to　It　than　to　either　of　the　other　Persons　of　the　Trinity；　if　we　but　carefully　study　the　apostolic　authority；　and　consider　the　workings　of　this　Spirit　Itself。　To　none　of　the　three　Persons　did　the　apostle　dedicate　a　special　temple　save　to　the　Holy　Spirit　alone。　He　does　not　speak　of　a　temple　of　the　Father；　or　a　temple　of　the　Son；　as　he　does　of　a　temple　of　the　Holy　Spirit；　writing　thus　in　his　first　epistle　to　the　Corinthians：　〃But　he　that　is　joined　unto　the　Lord　is　one　spirit。〃　（I　Cor。　vi。　17）。　And　again：　〃What？　know　ye　not　that　your　body　is　the　temple　of　the　Holy　Spirit　which　is　in　you；　which　ye　have　of　God；　and　ye　are　not　your　own？〃　（ib。　19）。

Who　is　there　who　does　not　know　that　the　sacraments　of　God's　blessings　pertaining　to　the　Church　are　particularly　ascribed　to　the　operation　of　divine　grace；　by　which　is　meant　the　Holy　Spirit？　Forsooth　we　are　born　again　of　water　and　of　the　Holy　Spirit　in　baptism；　and　thus　from　the　very　beginning　is　the　body　made；　as　it　were；　a　special　temple　of　God。　In　the　successive　sacraments；　moreover；　the　seven…fold　grace　of　the　Spirit　is　added；　whereby　this　same　temple　of　God　is　made　beautiful　and　is　consecrated。　What　wonder　is　it；　then；　if　to　that　Person　to　Whom　the　apostle　assigned　a　spiritual　temple　we　should　dedicate　a　material　one？　Or　to　what　Person　can　a　church　be　more　rightly　said　to　belong　than　to　Him　to　Whom　all　the　blessings　which　the　church　administers　are　particularly　ascribed？　It　was　not；　however；　with　the　thought　of　dedicating　my　oratory　to　one　Person　that　I　first　called　it　the　Paraclete；　but　for　the　reason　I　have　already　told；　that　in　this　spot　I　found　consolation。　None　the　less；　even　if　I　had　done　it　for　the　reason　attributed　to　me；　the　departure　from　the　usual　custom　would　have　been　in　no　way　illogical。

CHAPTER　XII
OF　THE　PERSECUTION　DIRECTED　AGAINST　HIM　BY　SUNDRY　NEW　ENEMIES　OR；　AS　IT　WERE　APOSTLES
AND　so　I　dwelt　in　this　place；　my　body　indeed　hidden　away；　but　my　fame　spreading　throughout　the　whole　world；　till　its　echo　reverberated　mightily　　echo；　that　fancy　of　the　poet's；　which　has　so　great　a　voice；　an