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| Chapter XI. Of the origin and character of each of these faults.
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Chapter XI.
Of the origin and character of each of these faults.
And now, to speak about each
kind of fault separately: of gluttony there are three sorts: (1) that
which drives a monk to eat before the proper and stated times; (2) that
which cares about filling the belly and gorging it with all kinds of
food, and (3) that which is on the lookout for dainties and delicacies.
And these three sorts give a monk no little trouble, unless he tries to
free himself from all of them with the same care and scrupulousness.
For just as one should never venture to break one’s fast before
the right time so we must utterly avoid all greediness in eating, and
the choice and dainty preparation of our food: for from these three
causes different but extremely dangerous conditions of the soul arise.
For from the first there springs up dislike of the monastery, and
thence there grows up disgust and intolerance of the life there, and
this is sure to be soon followed by withdrawal and speedy departure
from it. By the second there are kindled the fiery darts of luxury and
lasciviousness. The third also weaves the entangling meshes of
covetousness for the nets of its prisoners, and ever hinders monks from
following the perfect self-abnegation of Christ. And when there are
traces of this passion in us we can recognize them by this; viz., if we
are kept to dine by one of the brethren we are not content to eat our
food with the relish which he has prepared and offers to us, but take
the unpardonable liberty of
asking to have something else poured over it or added to it, a thing
which we should never do for three reasons: (1) because the monastic
mind ought always to be accustomed to practise endurance and
abstinence, and like the Apostle, to learn to be content in whatever
state he is.1329
For one who is
upset by taking an unsavoury morsel once and in a way, and who cannot
even for a short time overcome the delicacy of his appetite will never
succeed in curbing the secret and more important desires of the body;
(2) because it sometimes happens that at the time our host is out of
that particular thing which we ask for, and we make him feel ashamed of
the wants and bareness of his table, by exposing his poverty which he
would rather was only known to God; (3) because sometimes other people
do not care about the relish which we ask for, and so it turns out that
we are annoying most of them while intent on satisfying the desires of
our own palate. And on this account we must by all means avoid such a
liberty. Of fornication there are three sorts: (1) that which is
accomplished by sexual intercourse; (2) that which takes place without
touching a woman, for which we read that Onan the son of the patriarch
Judah was smitten by the Lord; and which is termed by Scripture
uncleanness: of which the Apostle says: “But I say to the
unmarried and to widows, that it is good for them if they abide even as
I. But if they do not contain let them marry: for it is better to marry
than to burn;”1330
(3) that which
is conceived in heart and mind, of which the Lord says in the gospel:
“Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath already
committed adultery with her in his heart.”1331
And these three kinds the blessed
Apostle tells us must be stamped out in one and the same way.
“Mortify,” says he, “your members which are upon the
earth, fornication, uncleanness, lust, etc.”1332
And again of two of them he says to the
Ephesians: “Let fornication and uncleanness be not so much as
named among you:” and once more: “But know this that no
fornicator or unclean person, or covetous person who is an idolater
hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”1333
And just as these three must be
avoided by us with equal care, so they one and all shut us out and
exclude us equally from the kingdom of Christ. Of covetousness there
are three kinds: (1) That which hinders renunciants from allowing
themselves of be stripped of their goods and property; (2) that which
draws us to resume with excessive eagerness the possession of those
things which we have given away and distributed to the poor; (3) that
which leads a man to covet and procure what he never previously
possessed. Of anger there are three kinds: one which rages within,
which is called in Greek θυμός; another which breaks out
in word and deed and action, which they term ὀργή: of which the Apostle speaks,
saying “But now do ye lay aside all anger and
indignation;”1334
the third,
which is not like those in boiling over and being done with in an hour,
but which lasts for days and long periods, which is called
μῆνις. And
all these three must be condemned by us with equal horror. Of dejection
there are two kinds: one, that which springs up when anger has died
down, or is the result of some loss we have incurred or of some purpose
which has been hindered and interfered with; the other, that which
comes from unreasonable anxiety of mind or from despair. Of accidie
there are two kinds: one of which sends those affected by it to sleep;
while the other makes them forsake their cell and flee away. Of
vainglory, although it takes various forms and shapes, and is divided
into different classes, yet there are two main kinds: (1) when we are
puffed up about carnal things and things visible, and (2) when we are
inflamed with the desire of vain praise for things spiritual and
unseen.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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