Page:PracticeOfChristianAndReligiousPerfectionV1.djvu/74

 the whole  order  should  lose  its  reputation. For people  in  the world form  a  judgment  of  all  the  religious  from  the  actions  of the  individual,  and  as  if  his  fault  Were  an  original  sin,  or  a  kind of community-property,  they  readily  impute  to  the  whole  order, the irregularity  of  the  particular  member. It is  therefore  the bounden duty  of  each  individual  religious  to  be  extremely  careful to  edify  his  neighbour,  that  by  this  means  the  reputation  of the  whole  order  may  be  preserved  and  enhanced. For this purpose we  must  imagine  that  the  eyes  of  the  whole  world  are upon us;  "  That  we  are  made  a  spectacle  to  angels  and  to  men" (1 Cor.  iv.  9),  and  that  although  it  is  unreasonable  to  censure a whole  order  for  the  faults  of  one  man,  yet  it  is  certain,  that  the whole body  consists  of  members,  and  consequently  that  the growth or  decay  of  that  body  depends  upon  the  good  or  bad conduct of  each  particular  member. Let every  one  therefore  remain firm  at  his  post,  like  a  good  soldier;  let  him  take  care  that through his  fault  a  battalion  so  strong  and  so  well  formed  be not  broken. Let him  take  heed  that  religious  discipline  be  not relaxed through  his  irregularity. In fine,  let  him  imagine  that in religion  his  mother  addresses  him  in  the  language,  wherein  the mother of  the  Machabees  addressed  her  youngest  son,  encouraging him  to  suffer  and  to  die  courageously  for  the observance of  the  law. " My  son,"  said  she,  "  have  pity  upon me  that  bore  thee  nine  months  in  my  womb,  and  gave  thee  suck three  years,  and  nourished  thee  and  brought  thee  up  unto  this age." (2 Mach.  vii.  27.)  The  only  return  I  ask  is  that  you  do  not ruin yourself  and  me,  and  that  you  do  not  employ  against  yourself and  me  those  arms  which  I  put  in  your  hands  for  your  own defence and  for  that  of  your  neighbour. In fine,  I  request  that what should  render  you  more  grateful,  more  humble,  and  more virtuous, may  not  render  you  more  ungrateful,  more  proud,  and more irregular.

An ancient  religious  asking  the  Abbot  Agatho,  how  he  should behave himself  in  religion,  the  good  abbot  answered  him,  "  That he  should  remember  how  he  had  behaved  himself  the  first  day he  had  left  the  world,  and  was  received  into  the  convent;  and