Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 14.djvu/682

 THEOLOGY

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THEOLOGY

various spiritual impressions, which mystical writers try to describe in the terminology used to describe sense impressions, as if the soul could see, hear, touch, or enjoy the savoiu- or odour of the Divinity. Ecstatic union with God is a further degree of prayer. This and the state of rapture require careful observa- tion to be sine that the Evil One has no share in them. Here again mystical writers treat at length the deceits, snares, and other arts practised by the Evil One to lead souls astray in the quest for the mystical union. Finally, contemplation leads to a union so intimate and so strong that it can be ex- pressed only by the terms "spiritual marriage" (see Marriage, Mystical). The article on con- templation (q. V.) describes the characteristics of the mystical union effected by contemplation. No treatise of mystical theology is complete without chapters on miracles, proijhecies, revelations, visions, all of which have been treated under their respective headings.

As for the history or development of mysticism, it is as difficult to record as a history of the expe- riences of the human soul. The most that can be done is to follow its literature, mindful that the most extraordinary mystical experiences defy expression in human speech, and that God, the Author of mystical states, acts upon souls when and as He wills, 60 that there can be no question of what we could consider a logical or chronological development of mysticism as a science. Still, it is possible to review what mystical wTiters have said at certain periods, and especially what St. Teresa did to treat for the first time mystical phenomena as a science. Before her, mystics were concerned principally withecstasies, visions, and revelations; she was the first to attempt a scientific analysis of the process of mystical union brought about by contemplation. As the contribu- tion to the science and history of mystical theology by each of the wTiters in the following list has been sufficiently noted in the articles on them, it will Buflfice here to mention the titles of some of their characteristic works.

Famous Mystics Prior to the Nineteenth Century. — St. Gregory I the Great (b. at Rome, c. 540; d. there, 604): "Commentaries on Job"; this book is called the Ethics of St. Gregory. The writ- ings of Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite did not reach the West until about 824, when they were sent to Louis the Pious by Michael the Stammerer, Em- peror of Constantinople: "Opera". Hugh of St. Victor, canon regular at Paris (b. in Saxony, 1096; d. at Paris, 1141): passim. St. Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux (b. near Dijon, 1090; d. at Clairvaux, 1153): "On the Canticle of Canticles". Richard of St. Victor, canon regular at Paris (d. at Paris, 1173): "De contemplatione". St. Bonaventure, Minister General of the Friars Minor (b. at Bagnorea, 1221; d. at Lyons, 1274): "Journey of the Soul towards God". The "Seven Roads of Eternity", which has sometimes been attributed to him, is the work of a Friar Minor, Rudolph of Bibrach, of the fourteenth century. St. Gertrude, a Benedictine (b. at Ei.sleben, 1256; d. at Helfta, Saxony, 1302): Revelations. Blessed Angela of Foligno (b. at Foligno, 1248; d. there, 1309): "Life and Revela- tions" in "Acta SS.", I, January, 186-234; this work is one of t he mast erpieces of myst icism. Tauler, a Dominican (b. at Strasburg, c. 1300; d. there, 1361): "Sermons" (Leipzig, 1498). Blessed Henry Suso, a Dominican (b. at Constance, c. 1295; d. at Ulm, 1366): "Exemplar" (Augsburg, 1482). "The Book of the Nine Rocks" is not by him but by a merchant of Strasburg, the somewhat unortho- dox Rulnian Merswin. St. Bridget of Sweden (b. c. 11503; (1. at Rome, 1373): "Revelations" (Nurem- berg, 1500). Blessed Ruysbroeck, surnamed the Admirable (b. at Ruysbroeck, 1293; d. at Groenen-

dacl, 1381): "Opera omnia", Latin fr. by the Car- thusian Surius (Cologne, 1692). Franpois-Louis Blo- sius (de Blois), Benedictine Abbot of Liessies (b. near Liege, 1506; d. at Liessies, 1566): "Opera" (Ingol- stadt, 1631).

St. Teresa (b. at Avila, 1515; d. at Aba de Tormes, 1582): "Opera" (Salamanca, 1588). St. John of the Cross, founder of the Discalced Carmelites (b. at Hontiveros, 1542; d. at LTbeda, 1591) : "Opera" (Seville, 1702). Venerable Luis de Lapucnte (b. at Valladolid, 1554; d. there, 1624): "Life of Father Baltasdr Alvarez", confessor of St. Teresa (Madrid, 1615); "Spiritual Guide" (Valladolid, 1609); "Life of Marina de Escobar" (2 vols., Madrid, 166.5-73). St. Francis de Sales, Bishop of Geneva (b. at Thorens, near Annecy, 1567; d. at Lyons, 1622): "Treatise on the Love of God" (Lvons, 1616). Alvarez de Paz, S. J. (b. at Toledo, 1560; d. at Potosi, 1620): "De inquisitione pacis" in "Opera", III (Lyons, 1647). Philip of the Blessed Trinity, General of the Discalced Carmehtes (b. at Malancene, near Avignon, 1603; d. at Naples, 1671) : "Summa theolo- giae mystica;" (Lyons, 1656). Jean-Joseph Surin (q. v.). Venerable Marie de I'lncarnation (b. at Tours, 1599; d. at Quebec, 1672) : "Life and Letters", published by her son Dom Claude Martin, O. S. B. (Paris, 1677). Bossuet called her the "Teresa of the New World". Bossuet, Bishop of Meaux (b. at Dijon, 1627; d. at Paris, 1704): "Instruction sur les etats d'oraison" (Paris, 1697). Joseph of the Holy Ghost, Definitor General of the Discalced Carmehtes (d. 1639): "Cursus theologiae mystico- scholasticae " (6 vols., Seville, 1710-40). Emmanuel de la Reguera, S. J. (b. at Aguilar del Campo, 1668; d. at Rome, 1747) : "Praxis theologiae mjstica;" (2 vols., Rome, 1740-45), a development of the mystical theology of Wading (Father Godinez). Scaramelli, S. J. (b. at Rome, 1687; d. at Macerata, 1752): "Direttorio mistico" (Venice, 17.54). As a descrip- tion, this is the best treatise of the eighteenth century despite its too complicated classification; Voss has published a compendium of it, entitled "Directorium Mysticum" (Louvain, 1857). Schram, O. S. B. (W. at Bamberg, 1722; d. at Bainz, 1797): "Institu- tiones theologiae mysticae" (Augsburg, 1777), chiefly an abridgment of la Reguera. More complete fists (176 names) will be found in Poulain, "Graces d'Ora- ison" (7th ed., Paris, 1911); tr., "The Graces of Interior Prayer" (London, 1910); and in LTnderhill, "Mysticism" (New Ynvl;, ^<^^■2y

MAiii.cBAUX, Le meneilli'i ' ■• in,ri-eiUnii d^moniaQue

(P.aris. 1901); MiGNE, Dirt. . /icn-if (Paris, 1858);

I.EjEtiNE. Manuel de thColiMii. /.,.,'-- I'.iris, 1897); Vallgob- NF.R.(., Mystica Theotogia Din 77...m.r I Turin, 1S91); Baker, Holy Wisdom (London, 190S); Chandler, .ira Cali Studies in Mystical Religion (London, IflOS) ; Dalgairns, The German Mystics of the Fourteenth Century (London. 1S5S); Delacroix, E-^sai sur le mysticism,- speculnlif en Allenuigne an XIX siicle (Paris, 1900); Idem, EIu:I,'s .rinsl.nrr rl de ji.iyctii:logie du mysti- cisme. Les graixiis nnisluptrs rtirrlicns (Paris. UIOS) ; Denifue, Ims geistliehe Leben: Blumenhse aus ,ler deulschcn Mystikem der li. Jahrhunderts (Graj, 189.5); Devise, A Manual of Mystical Theology (London, 1903) ; Gardner, The Cell of Self-Knowledgc (London, 1910); Gorres. Die Christliche Myslik (Ratisbon. 1836-42); PoiRET, Theotogia: Mysticee idea generalis (Paris, 1702); RiBET, La Mystique Divine (Paris, 1879); Idem. L'AscHigtte Chrftienne (Paris, 1888) ; Saudreau. La vie d'union d Dieu (Paris, 1900); Idem. L'ftal mystique (Paris, 1903); Idem, Les fails eitra- ordinaires dc la ii> spirituclle (Paris, 1908); Idem, tr. Camm, The Degrees f ," . S,-ilunl Life (London, 1907); Idem, tr. S.MiTH, Tl n ,' '. to God (London, 1910); Thoboi-D,

An Essay IX i '."' r .Appreciation of Catholic Mysticism

(London, I'.mn, \ ,■. I|i,;kl, The Mystical Element of Religion (London, i9u.>).

Aug. Poulain.

Theonas, Bishop of Alexandria from about 283 to 301 (Eusebius, "Chronicle", Ann. Abr. 2299, St. Je- rome's vei-sion). In his time .\chillas, who had been appointed presbyter .nt .\lexandria, at the same time with Pierius, bec:iiiiecelebr;ited (Euseb., "Hist, eccl.", Ill, xxxii). The celebrated letter of Theonas to Lu- ciaous, chamberlain to Diocletian, which has often