lectures14+15- 第7部分

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　little　room　on　the　top　story　of　a　cheap　boarding…house　quite



out　of　touch　with　all　human　relations；　but　apparently　happy　in



the　enjoyment　of　her　own　spiritual　blessings。　　Her　time　was



occupied　in　writing　booklets　on　sanctificationpage　after　page



of　dreamy　rhapsody。　　She　proved　to　be　one　of　a　small　group　of



persons　who　claim　that　entire　salvation　involves　three　steps



instead　of　two；　not　only　must　there　be　conversion　and



sanctification；　but　a　third；　which　they　call　'crucifixion'　or



'perfect　redemption；'　and　which　seems　to　bear　the　same　relation



to　sanctification　that　this　bears　to　conversion。　　She　related　how



the　Spirit　had　said　to　her；　'Stop　going　to　church。　　Stop　going　to



holiness　meetings。　　Go　to　your　own　room　and　I　will　teach　you。'



She　professes　to　care　nothing　for　colleges；　or　preachers；　or



churches；　but　only　cares　to　listen　to　what　God　says　to　her。　　Her



description　of　her　experience　seemed　entirely　consistent；　she　is



happy　and　contented；　and　her　life　is　entirely　satisfactory　to



herself。　　While　listening　to　her　own　story；　one　was　tempted　to



forget　that　it　was　from　the　life　of　a　person　who　could　not　live



by　it　in　conjunction　with　her　fellows。〃







Our　final　judgment　of　the　worth　of　such　a　life　as　this　will



depend　largely　on　our　conception　of　God；　and　of　the　sort　of



conduct　he　is　best　pleased　with　in　his　creatures。　　The



Catholicism　of　the　sixteenth　century　paid　little　heed　to　social



righteousness；　and　to　leave　the　world　to　the　devil　whilst　saving



one's　own　soul　was　then　accounted　no　discreditable　scheme。　



To…day；　rightly　or　wrongly；　helpfulness　in　general　human　affairs



is；　in　consequence　of　one　of　those　secular　mutations　in　moral



sentiment　of　which　I　spoke；　deemed　an　essential　element　of　worth



in　character；　and　to　be　of　some　public　or　private　use　is　also



reckoned　as　a　species　of　divine　service。　　Other　early　Jesuits；



especially　the　missionaries　among　them；　the　Xaviers；　Brebeufs；



Jogues；　were　objective　minds；　and　fought　in　their　way　for　the



world's　welfare；　so　their　lives　to…day　inspire　us。　　But　when　the



intellect；　as　in　this　Louis；　is　originally　no　larger　than　a　pin's



head；　and　cherishes　ideas　of　God　of　corresponding　smallness；　the



result；　notwithstanding　the　heroism　put　forth；　is　on　the　whole



repulsive。　　Purity；　we　see　in　the　object…lesson；　is　NOT　the　one



thing　needful；　and　it　is　better　that　a　life　should　contract　many



a　dirt…mark；　than　forfeit　usefulness　in　its　efforts　to　remain



unspotted。







Proceeding　onwards　in　our　search　of　religious　extravagance；　we



next　come　upon　excesses　of　Tenderness　and　Charity。　　Here



saintliness　has　to　face　the　charge　of　preserving　the　unfit；　and



breeding　parasites　and　beggars。　　〃Resist　not　evil；〃　〃Love　your



enemies；〃　these　are　saintly　maxims　of　which　men　of　this　world