LET not your habit be in any way remarkable, and do not affect to please by your dress but by your religious behaviour.
That holy man, St Augustine, practised what he here lays down. For it is written of him that his clothes and shoes were neither too neat nor too poor, but far from either excess and befitting his state. We also read that he said of himself: ” I confess that I should be ashamed to wear a rich garment : it is not in keeping with my profession or with my teaching ; it does not become these members, and these grey hairs.” Hence our Lord says in the Gospel : ” Behold they that are in costly apparel and live delicately are in the houses of kings” (Luke vii. 25). In the same place He speaks of such apparel as soft because it softens the soul. In the king’s palace delight is taken in soft garments, but the Church of Christ glories in rough and lowly vesture. And such must be the clothing of clergy and religious that neither novelty nor pride nor vainglory may be seen in them. It is not delicate clothing but
innocence of soul that forms the adornment of the priest and the religious. Let us then adorn ourselves with spiritual ornaments, that is to say, with chastity, humility, meekness, obedience, patience, and charity. These form the clothing in which the soul will be pleasing in the sight of the Heavenly King. For this Spouse, whom we see not, expects to find in us not external but inward beauty, as it is written: “All the glory of the king’s daughter is within” (Ps. xliv. 14).
Our wealth, then, and our adornment, are our virtues. And blessed is the soul to which the words of the Canticle of Canticles can be addressed : ” Thou art all fair, O my love, and there is not a spot in thee ” (Cant. iv. 7). Let us study, then, to give pleasure to our unseen Master, not by our dress, but by our deeds, so as to fulfil in ourselves that which the Apostle enjoins : ” Be not conformed to this world : but be reformed in the newness of your mind” (Rom. xii. 2). ” For though our outward man is corrupted, yet the inward man is renewed day by day” (2 Cor. iv. 16). Next the rule gives instruction concerning walking, standing, and other gestures, saying : —
When you go abroad, walk together : and when you come to the place you are going to, remain together. In walking, standing, and in all your movements let there be nothing to offend the eyes of any one, but let all be done in a manner that befits your holy profession.
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Holy Church, in her more perfect members, not only shines out before the world by the innate dignity of religion, but she gains beauty also by the outward splendour of virtue. And in this sense the words of Ecclesiasticus may be applied : ” My flowers are the fruit of honour and riches ” (Eccles. xxiv. 23). It is in accordance with the spirit of holy religion and of virtue that they who dwell together, when going abroad, should remain together. It is the advice of the Apostle, too, that “all things be done decently, and according to order” (1 Cor. xiv. 40). We can also give a spiritual meaning to this outward union. For the company of the saints is described as terrible against enemies like an army in battle array. The army, when preparing for battle, unites and ranges itself in compact order so that it be not divided or broken through by the enemy. Just so our spiritual battle line, under the command to stand or move together in perfect order, daily offers a strong front against the Evil One. And thus our unity strikes terror into our old enemy, who fears nothing more in the servants of God than this unity of concord.
But we must also take serious note of what the rule next says : —
In all your movements let there be nothing to offend the eyes of any one, but let all be done in a manner that befits your holy profession.
Our religious must live in such a manner that
they may not deservedly incur the blame of any one. It would be deplorable indeed if they, whose order requires that they exhibit to others a true pattern of holiness, should instead deserve to be reprehended by them. These words of God have application in our case: “Be ye holy because I, the Lord, your God, am holy” (Lev. xix. 2). We are bound to be holy because we have taken on ourselves the name and the garb of religion and of sanctity ; because we are dedicated to the service of God, and consecrated to live before the altar of Christ, and to assist at the divine mysteries.
“Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ and the dispensers of the mysteries of God” (1 Cor. iv. 1). We may note that the Apostle does not merely tell us what we should be, but bids us live so that men may account us for what we profess to be. For it is not enough for our lives to be sinless, but our reputation must also be in accordance with our profession. Our good life is needed to satisfy our own conscience ; our good name must serve for the edification of our neighbour. Hence the Apostle says again : ” We must have a good testimony from those who are without” (1 Tim. iii. 7). We must so live, then, that our life may answer to our name that our profession may be carried out in deed, that whilst our congregation bears the reputation of sanctity, the tenor of our individual lives shall be holy, and as good is spoken of us we shall bear
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out the truth of what is said by the witness of our good works.
Now we live up to the spirit of holy religion when by discipline we master all unlawful tendencies, when we make it our study to curb our senses and our members from inclining to concupiscence or levity, so that our whole deportment be always simple and humble. According to this spirit, the eye must not fix its gaze on aught that the soul may not desire without sin. The hearing must be pure and governed by discretion, deaf to all things vain and useless, ready to take in with delight the knowledge that is of God. Our speech must be seasoned with the salt of wisdom — to condemn all that is unprofitable or evil, to give utterance only to what is good and useful. There must be purity in our heart and chastity in our looks. Gravity must appear as we walk about, and recollection whilst we are standing. Our movements must all be accompanied with an air of seriousness, and even our habit must bespeak the spirit of holy religion. And all this to the end that ” in all your movements there be nothing to offend the eyes of any one, but that all be done in a manner that befits your holy profession.”
If your eyes light upon men, let them not be fixed upon them. For you are not forbidden to see men : but to take particular notice of, and to desire to be noticed by them, is sinful.
Our Lord says in the Gospel : ” Whosoever shall
look on a woman to lust after her hath already committed adultery with her in his heart ” (Matt. v. 28). As concupiscence is excited by unlawful looks, and purity of mind is thus offended, it is needful for the servant of God to keep a guard over the sight lest she displease God through concupiscence and uncleanness of heart. Holy David succumbed to evil desire and committed a grave sin because he allowed his eyes to gaze upon a woman. If so great a man fell through want of custody of the eyes, we, that are a long way off from his holiness, have reason to tremble at the danger of so serious a downfall. We should then take for ourselves a resolution like that of Blessed Job : ” I made a covenant with my eyes that I would not so much as look upon a virgin ” (Job xxxi. 1). The holy man understood clearly that the soul can be tainted through bodily sight, and therefore he made a covenant with his eyes never to gaze upon anything that could excite wrong desires. Indeed no vice can be withstood except we persistently guard ourselves against the causes and occasions of it. On this account Lot was bidden, as he fled from Sodom, not to look back nor to tarry anywhere in the neighbouring country, but to hasten to place himself in safety on the mountain. For if we would effectively escape the incentives to vice we must alienate ourselves from the very sight and suggestion of them. We must mount to the heights of virtue without ever stopping if we would always
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be as secure from danger as we now feel ourselves to be in our present state of virtue and separation from the occasion of sin.
The rule goes on to point out how the sight may be the cause of exciting concupiscence, in these words : —
For criminal desire may arise and increase, not from a hidden internal affection alone, but also from affections and unguarded looks together.
That is to say, the hidden act of the will within is not the only source of concupiscence, but it may also be caused by the external glance. For if Holy David had not looked unchastely he would not have fallen into so serious a carnal offence. Hence by the prophet it is said : ” Death is come up through our windows” (Jer. ix. 21). The death of the soul is concupiscence : the interior house is the mind : the windows of this house are the five senses of the body. Death, therefore, comes up through the window and enters the house where the evil of concupiscence effects a way through our senses into the inner part of the mind. Wherefore, lest the inner life should perish through the workings of the sensual appetite, we must guard the windows of our house with much diligence. Thus we shall the more easily be able to calm that outward desire, as we are the more cautious not to allow any entrance to stand open to evil.
The next passage of the rule must fill us with salutary fear : —
Do not say that your souls are chaste if the eyes are unchaste, for a wanton eye is the messenger of a wanton heart.
The exterior members often indicate what is lurking deep within the soul, and the disposition of the mind may frequently be known from that of the body. A fault is not so grievous whilst it is hidden, but it takes on a greater degree of guilt when it begins to appear openly. It must be understood that impurity may be either in the flesh or in the spirit. It exists in the spirit when it consists only of illicit pleasure in thoughts. It is carnal when there is some corresponding bodily action. And this may occur in various ways. Sight, hearing, touch, imagination, speech, and action, may be the fuel whereby the ardour of sinful pleasure is fed and increased, and thereupon the soul is separated from God, chastity departs from its actions, and sensuality gets possession of the mind. Wherefore the rule continues : —
And when impure hearts discover their inclinations by the eye to each other, and concupiscence moves them to take pleasure in sinful desires, though the tongue be silent and the body remain chaste, yet the virtue of chastity departs from them.
Chastity departs when gross, sensual pleasure is kindled by mutual glances. Though the body be not touched by impurity, the uncleanness is
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committed by sight, passion, imagination, and delectation, and by each of these as by so many grades the guilt increases. A slight thought may beget pleasure ; pleasure leads on to consent ; consent is followed by deed ; deeds form a habit, and habit becomes necessity. The Apostle, St Paul, tells us that there is a law of sin in our members. This law is the habit that is formed by sinning, from which we cannot liberate ourselves when we would, because we are held in the bonds of necessity. The best way, then, is to correct a fault as soon as it shows itself. For if there be any dallying with it, it soon passes to grievous sin, and then might be applied the words of the Psalmist: “They have lengthened their iniquity. The Lord who is just will cut the necks of sinners ” (Ps. cxxviii. 3, 4).
Whosoever therefore fixes her eyes upon a man and seeks to be beheld by him, must not imagine she is not seen by others; she is certainly seen, and even by those she least suspects.
This we often observe in regard to those who would keep their faults hidden. Whilst they think they give way to their passions only in secret, and use all care that these passions be not known, they often unwittingly betray themselves, and the faults which are imagined to be secret are made manifest to others.
But suppose she is not seen by any creature, what can she do to hide her fault from the sight
of Him from whom nothing can be concealed? Can she think that He sees it not because He considers it with as much patience as wisdom ?
We must always fear the presence of the heavenly Judge when we are being led to sin in thought, or word, or deed. For although our transgressions may not appear sometimes before men, they are nevertheless all open and bare to His eyes. This thought should restrain us from falling, seeing that nothing shall go unpunished in His judgment. Against the incentives of vice we should set the remembrance of the torments of hell, and against the transitory sweetness that allures us, the anguish of eternal fires. Foolish, indeed, is the soul that, to remain a slave to sensuality for a little while and to feed her low desires on the most paltry pleasures, both forfeits the bliss of heaven and incurs everlasting loss.
Let the religious then fear His displeasure and not harbour the least desire of pleasing man in evil. Let her recall that He sees all things, lest she desire any other to look wrongly upon her. For this fear of Him is recommended to us in this matter where it is written: “He who fixes his eye is an abomination to the Lord.”
From these words it is plain that if the eyes be fixed upon those of the other sex, we render ourselves hateful in the sight of God, whom alone it is our duty to please. He, from whom we should have received reward, will mete out to us chastise-
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merit instead. Wherefore, if divine love fails to release us from our sins, fear must restrain us. And if the joys of heaven do not attract us, then let the thought of unending torments deter us. So one begins to break away from evil when one fears to give displeasure to his Maker.
If any one asks, how shall I attain to this fear of God ? I answer : If you will fear God, call to mind that He sees all things. If an evil conscience seduces you, think that God looks down upon you. Whatever wrong there is in you, remember that God is a witness of it all. Whatever we have done or spoken or turned over in our minds, let us always realise that the eyes of God are upon us. Let us ever fear to give Him any displeasure. This is the way of justice, the beginning of wisdom, as it is written : ” The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Eccles. i. 16).
The rule continues: —
Whenever, therefore, you are together in the church or elsewhere in the presence of men be very careful to help one another to guard modesty and religious chastity.
Excellent, indeed, and most highly commended in the divinely inspired writings, is this virtue of chastity. Its value is spiritual and heavenly. It lifts us up from the earth, associates us with the angels, unites us to God, and from earthly beings it transforms us into citizens of heayen, spiritualising all our carnal nature. Chastity is a
virtue that quite transcends human nature : it is divine rather than human virtue that makes the creature chaste and pure.
The result of chastity is that our heavenly Spouse becomes enamoured of us through its beauty. No soul can please God, on the other hand, unless it be chaste and stainless, for whilst it is a slave to impurity and sensuality it is hateful and rejected of God. Chastity has a charm in the sight of both God and man. Hence the old enemy of our race envies us the possession of this virtue and never ceases his assaults against it. Many a one does this instigator of all uncleanness and impurity corrupt, for he spares none, even the cleric of the sanctuary or the monk in his solitude, and, sad to say, he sometimes gets the better of those who were well known for their religion and virtue.
We see, then, how needful it is to use all vigilance to assist one another to preserve this virtue. Losing this, we lose all that we have, and ourselves as well : we lose God, we lose our souls, and all that we are. But we live together in order that we may protect one another, correct one another, and advise one another, so that when one would prove to be weak by herself, another may come to her aid.
But since with all our efforts our real defence is from God, the rule adds: —
For God, who dwells within you, will thus, by each other’s help, guard and preserve you.
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Our own defence is of little avail if divine help be not at hand. So it is written : ” Unless the Lord keep the city, he watcheth in vain that keepeth it” (Ps. cxxvi. 1). It must be understood that none can preserve chastity for self or for others except through God. If He dwell within us we shall be able to accomplish through Him what we could never do alone. Let it therefore be our desire that He dwell in us, and we in Him, that we may ever be chaste and holy through Him who, being God, liveth and reigneth for ever and ever. Amen.
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