Page:PracticeOfChristianAndReligiousPerfectionV1.djvu/24

 beginning, imprint  on  the  minds  of  all  who  are  received  into religion, and  it  is  with  this  milk  they,  who  intend  to  lead  a holy  life,  must  be  first  fed. When they  perceive,  that,  of  all things, piety  is  most  valued,  that  it  is  the  practice  those  convinced of  the  vanity  of  the  world  are  engaged  in,  and  that  the pious are  chiefly  loved  and  esteemed,  then  they  will  presently apply their  thoughts,  and  use  their  endeavours,  not  to  acquire great learning,  or  to  become  famous  preachers,  but  to  excel each other  in  humility  and  mortification. By this,  however,  I do  not  mean,  that  gaining  general  esteem  or  good  will  should be our  motive  for  embracing  virtue. I only  assert,  that  when it shall  be  known  that  virtue  is  the  only  thing  esteemed  in  religion, we  shall  be  more  convinced,  that  it  is  the  only  thing truly deserving  of  esteem. For every  one  coming  thus  to  the knowledge of  the  true  way  in  which  he  should  walk,  will  devote himself  without  reserve  to  virtue — will  apply  himself solely to  his  spiritual  advancement,  and  will  believe  that  everything else  is  but  vanity  and  folly.

From all  this,  it  can  be  readily  inferred,  what  a  dangerous example is  set  religious  societies,  by  those  who  introduce  no other  topic  than  human  science,  and  who  are  constantly  bestowing praises  on  such  as  are  eminent  for  learning. This example is the  more  dangerous,  because  seeing  them  so  highly  valued by the  graver  sort  of  men,  new  beginners  will  conclude,  that  it is  by  the  acquisition  of  these  things  they will  be  entitled  to respect  and  preferment. Upon this  account,  learning  is  the only object  they  propose  to  themselves,  and  the  desire  of acquiring  it  increasing  daily,  the  love  of  humility  and  mortification insensibly  decays  in  their  hearts. At length  they  make  so little  account  of  the  one  in  comparison  of  the  other,  that  from intense application  to  study,  they  omit  what  is  of  strictest obligation. Hence it  comes  to  pass,  that  many  of  them  relax, are perverted,  and  forsake  religion. Now, instead  of  instilling into the  minds  of  these  beginners,  the  vain  desire  of  being reputed men  of  learning,  were  it  not  better  to  represent  to them,  how  important  and  necessary  a  thing  it  is  to  acquire virtue and  humility,  and  how  unprofitable,  or  rather  how dangerous it  is,  without  humility,  to  be  possessed  of  talents  and learning.

In his  Life  of  St.  Fulgentius,  abbot,  Surius  has  a  passage very applicable  to  the  present  subject. He tells  us,  that  among the religious  in  the  monastery  of  this  holy  abbot  there  were