lectures14+15-第6部分

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＇208＇　On　this　subject　I　refer　to　the　work　of　M。　Murisier　（Les



Maladies　du　sentiment　Religieux；　Paris；　1901）；　who　makes　inner



unification　the　mainspring　of　the　whole　religious　life。　　But　ALL



strongly　ideal　interests；　religious　or　irreligious；　unify　the



mind　and　tend　to　subordinate　everything　to　themselves。　　One　would



infer　from　M。　Murisier's　pages　that　this　formal　condition　was



peculiarly　characteristic　of　religion；　and　that　one　might　in



comparison　almost　neglect　material　content；　in　studying　the



latter。　　I　trust　that　the　present　work　will　convince　the　reader



that　religion　has　plenty　of　material　content　which　is



characteristic　and　which　is　more　important　by　far　than　any



general　psychological　form。　　In　spite　of　this　criticism；　I　find



M。　Murisier's　book　highly　instructive。







＇209＇　Example：　　〃At　the　first　beginning　of　the　Servitor's



＇Suso's＇　interior　life；　after　he　had　purified　his　soul　properly



by　confession；　he　marked　out　for　himself；　in　thought；　three



circles；　within　which　he　shut　himself　up；　as　in　a　spiritual



intrenchment。　　The　first　circle　was　his　cell；　his　chapel；　and　the



choir。　　When　he　was　within　this　circle；　he　seemed　to　himself　in



complete　security。　　The　second　circle　was　the　whole　monastery　as



far　as　the　outer　gate。　　The　third　and　outermost　circle　was　the



gate　itself；　and　here　it　was　necessary　for　him　to　stand　well　upon



his　guard。　　When　he　went　outside　these　circles；　it　seemed　to　him



that　he　was　in　the　plight　of　some　wild　animal　which　is　outside



its　hole；　and　surrounded　by　the　hunt；　and　therefore　in　need　of



all　its　cunning　and　watchfulness。〃　　The　Life　of　the　Blessed　Henry



Suso；　by　Himself；　translated　by　Knox；　London；　1865；　p。　168。







＇210＇　Vie　des　premieres　Religieuses　Dominicaines　de　la



Congregation　de　St。　Dominique；　a　Nancy；　Nancy；　1896；　p。　129。















We　have　no　time　to　multiply　examples；　so　I　will　let　the　case　of



Saint　Louis　of　Gonzaga　serve　as　a　type　of　excess　in　purification。







I　think　you　will　agree　that　this　youth　carried　the　elimination　of



the　external　and　discordant　to　a　point　which　we　cannot



unreservedly　admire。　　At　the　age　of　ten；　his　biographer　says：







〃The　inspiration　came　to　him　to　consecrate　to　the　Mother　of　God



his　own　virginitythat　being　to　her　the　most　agreeable　of



possible　presents。　　Without　delay；　then；　and　with　all　the　fervor



there　was　in　him；　joyous　of　heart；　and　burning　with　love；　he　made



his　vow　of　perpetual　chastity。　　Mary　accepted　the　offering　of　his



innocent　heart；　and　obtained　for　him　from　God；　as　a　recompense；



the　extraordinary　grace　of　never　feeling　during　his　entire　life



the　slightest　touch　of　temptation　against　the　virtue　of　purity。　



This　was　an　altogether　exceptional　favor；　rarely　accorded　even　to



Saints　themselves；　and　all　the　more　marvelous　in　that　Louis　dwelt



always　in　courts　and　among　great　folks；　where　danger　and



opportunity　are　so　unusually　frequent。　　It　is　true　that　Louis



from　his　earliest　childhood　had　shown　a　natural　repugnance　for



whatever　might　be　impure　or　unvirginal；　and　even　for　relations　of



any　sort　whatever　between　persons　of　opposite　sex。　　But　this　made



it　all　the　more　surprising　that　he　should；　especially　since　this



vow；　feel　it　necessary　to　have　recourse　to　such　a　number　of



expedients　for　protecting　against　even　the　shadow　of　danger　the



virginity　which　he　had　thus　consecrated。　　One　might　suppose　that



if　any　one　could　have　contented　himself　with　the　ordinary



precautions；　prescribed　for　all　Christians；　it　would　assuredly



have　been　he。　　But　no！　In　the　use　of　preservatives　and　means　of



defense；　in　flight　from　the　most　insignificant　occasions；　from



every　possibility　of　peril；　just　as　in　the　mortification　of　his



flesh；　he　went　farther　than　the　majority　of　saints。　　He；　who　by



an　extraordinary　protection　of　God's　grace　was　never　tempted；



measured　all　his　steps　as　if　he　were　threatened　on　every　side　by



particular　dangers。　　Thenceforward　he　never　raised　his　eyes；



either　when　walking　in　the　streets；　or　when　in　society。　　Not　only



did　he　avoid　all　business　with　females　even　more　scrupulously



than　before；　but　he　renounced　all　conversation　and　every　kind　of



social　recreation　with　them；　although　his　father　tried　to　make



him　take　part；　and　he　commenced　only　too　early　to　deliver　his



innocent　body　to　austerities　of　every　kind。〃＇211＇







＇211＇　Meschler's　Life　of　Saint　Louis　of　Gonzaga；　French



translation　by　Lebrequier；　1891；　p。　40。















At　the　age　of　twelve；　we　read　of　this　young　man　that　〃if　by



chance　his　mother　sent　one　of　her　maids　of　honor　to　him　with　a



message；　he　never　allowed　her　to　come　in；　but　listened　to　her



through　the　barely　opened　door；　and　dismissed　her　immediately。　



He　did　not　like　to　be　alone　with　his　own　mother；　whether　at　table



or　in　conversation；　and　when　the　rest　of　the　company　withdrew；　he



sought　also　a　pretext　for　retiring。　。　。　。　　Several　great　ladies；



relatives　of　his；　he　avoided　learning　to　know　even　by　sight；　and



he　made　a　sort　of　treaty　with　his　father；　engaging　promptly　and



readily　to　accede　to　all　his　wishes；　if　he　might　only　be　excused



from　all　visits　to　ladies。〃　＇212＇







＇212＇　Ibid。；　p。　71。















When　he　was　seventeen　years　old　Louis　joined　the　Jesuit



order；＇213＇　against　his　father's　passionate　entreaties；　for　he



was　heir　of　a　princely　house；　and　when　a　year　later　the　father



died；　he　took　the　loss　as　a　〃particular　attention〃　to　himself　on



God's　part；　and　wrote　letters　of　stilted　good　advice；　as　from　a



spiritual　superior；　to　his　grieving　mother。　　He　soon　became　so



good　a　monk　that　if　any　one　asked　him　the　number　of　his　brothers



and　sisters；　he　had　to　reflect　and　count　them　over　before



replying。　　A　Father　asked　him　one　day　if　he　were　never　troubled



by　the　thought　of　his　family；　to　which；　〃I　never　think　of　them



except　when　praying　for　them；〃　was　his　only　answer。　　Never　was　he



seen　to　hold　in　his　hand　a　flower　or　anything　perfumed；　that　he



might　take　pleasure　in　it。　　On　the　contrary；　in　the　hospital；　he



used　to　seek　for　whatever　was　most　disgusting；　and　eagerly　snatch



the　bandages　of　ulcers；　etc。；　from　the　hands　of　his　companions。　



He　avoided　worldly　talk；　and　immediately　tried　to　turn　every



conversation　on　to　pious　subjects；　or　else　he　remained　silent。　



He　systematically　refused　to　notice　his　surroundings。　　Being



ordered　one　day　to　bring　a　book　from　the　rector's　seat　in　the



refectory；　he　had　to　ask　where　the　rector　sat；　for　in　the　three



months　he　had　eaten　bread　there；　so　carefully　did　he　guard　his



eyes　that　he　had　not　noticed　the　place。　　One　day；　during　recess；



having　looked　by　chance　on　one　of　his　companions；　he　reproached



himself　as　for　a　grave　sin　against　modesty。　　He　cultivated



silence；　as　preserving　from　sins　of　the　tongue；　and　his　greatest



penance　was　the　limit　which　his　superiors　set　to　his　bodily



penances。　　He　sought　after　false　accusations　and　unjust



reprimands　as　opportunities　of　humility；　and　such　was　his



obedience　that；　when　a　room…mate；　having　no　more　paper；　asked　him



for　a　sheet；　he　did　not　feel　free　to　give　it　to　him　without　first



obtaining　the　permission　of　the　superior；　who；　as　such；　stood　in



the　place　of　God；　and　transmitted　his　orders。







＇213＇　In　his　boyish　note…book　he　praises　the　monastic　life　for



its　freedom　from　sin；　and　for　the　imperishable　treasures；　which



it　enables　us　to　store　up；　〃of　merit　in　God's　eyes　which　makes　of



Him　our　debtor　for　all　Eternity。〃　　Loc。　cit。；　p。　62。















I　can　find　no　other　sorts　of　fruit　than　these　of　Louis's



saintship。　　He　died　in　1591；　in　his　twenty…ninth　year；　and　is



known　in　the　Church　as　the　patron　of　all　young　people。　　On　his



festival；　the　altar　in　the　chapel　devoted　to　him　in　a　certain



church　in　Rome　〃is　embosomed　in　flowers；　arranged　with　exquisite



taste；　and　a　pile　of　letters　may　be　seen　at　its　foot；　written　to



the　Saint　by　young　men　and　women；　and　directed　to　'Paradiso。'



They　are　supposed　to　be　burnt　unread　except　by　San　Luigi；　who



must　find　singular　petitions　in　these　pretty　little　missives；



tied　up　now　with　a　green　ribbon；　expressive　of　hope；　now　with　a



red　one；　emblematic　of　love；〃　etc。＇214＇







＇214＇　Mademoiselle　Mori；　a　novel　quoted　in　Hare's　Walks　in　Rome；



1900；　i。　55。















I　cannot　resist　the　temptation　to　quote　from　Starbuck's　book；　p。



388；　another　case　of　purification　by　elimination。　　It　runs　as



follows：







〃The　signs　of　abnormality　which　sanctified　persons　show　are　of



frequent　occurrence。　　They　get　out　of　tune　with　other　people；



often　they　will　have　nothing　to　do　with　churches；　which　they



regard　as　worldly；　they　become　hypercritical　towards　others；　they



grow　careless　of　their　social；　political；　and　financial



obligations。　　As　an　instance　of　this　type　may　be　mentioned　a



woman　of　sixty…eight　of　whom　the　writer　made　a　special　study。　



She　had　been　a　member　of　one　of　the　most　active　and　progressive



churches　in　a　busy　part　of　a　large　city。　　Her　pastor　described



her　as　having　reached　the　censorious　stage。　　She　had　grown　more



and　more　out　of　sympathy　with　the　church；　her　connection　with　it



finally　consisted　simply　in　attendance　at　prayer…meeting；　at



which　her　only　message　was　that　of　reproof　and　condemnation　of



the　others　for　living　on　a　low　plane。　　At　last　she　withdrew　from



fellowship　with　any　church。　　The　writer　found　her　living　alone　in



a　l