diff options
Diffstat (limited to '36402-8.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 36402-8.txt | 2228 |
1 files changed, 2228 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/36402-8.txt b/36402-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..772af3b --- /dev/null +++ b/36402-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2228 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of On Union with God, by Albertus Magnus + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: On Union with God + +Author: Albertus Magnus + +Annotator: P. J. Berthier + +Release Date: June 12, 2011 [EBook #36402] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ON UNION WITH GOD *** + + + + +Produced by David E. Brown, Bryan Ness and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) + + + + + + + + + +ON UNION WITH GOD + + + + + Nihil Obstat. + F. THOS. BERGH, O.S.B., + CENSOR DEPUTATUS. + + Imprimatur. + EDM. CAN. SURMONT, + VICARIUS GENERALIS. + + WESTMONASTERII, + _Die 7 Decembris, 1911_. + + + [_All rights reserved_] + + + + + _The Angelus Series_ + + ON UNION WITH + GOD + + BY BLESSED + ALBERT THE GREAT, O.P. + + WITH NOTES BY + REV. P. J. BERTHIER, O.P. + + TRANSLATED BY + A BENEDICTINE OF PRINCETHORPE + PRIORY + + + _R. & T. WASHBOURNE, LTD._ + PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON + AND AT MANCHESTER, BIRMINGHAM, AND GLASGOW + + + + +PREFACE + + +Surely the most deeply-rooted need of the human soul, its purest +aspiration, is for the closest possible union with God. As one turns +over the pages of this little work, written by Blessed Albert the +Great[1] towards the end of his life, when that great soul had ripened +and matured, one feels that here indeed is the ideal of one's hopes. + +Simply and clearly the great principles are laid down, the way is made +plain which leads to the highest spiritual life. It seems as though, +while one reads, the mists of earth vanish and the snowy summits appear +of the mountains of God. We breathe only the pure atmosphere of prayer, +peace, and love, and the one great fact of the universe, the Divine +Presence, is felt and realized without effort. + +But is such a life possible amid the whirl of the twentieth century? To +faith and love all things are possible, and our author shows us the +loving Father, ever ready to give as much and more than we can ask. The +spirit of such a work is ever true; the application may vary with +circumstances, but the guidance of the Holy Spirit will never be wanting +to those souls who crave for closer union with their Divine Master. + +This little treatise has been very aptly called the "Metaphysics of the +Imitation," and it is in the hope that it may be of use to souls that +it has been translated into English. + +Blessed Albert the Great is too well known for it to be necessary for us +to give more than the briefest outline of his life. + +The eldest son of the Count of Bollstädt, he was born at Lauingen in +Swabia in 1205 or 1206, though some historians give it as 1193. As a +youth he was sent to the University of Padua, where he had special +facilities for the study of the liberal arts. + +Drawn by the persuasive teaching of Blessed Jordan of Saxony, he joined +the Order of St. Dominic in 1223, and after completing his studies, +received the Doctor's degree at the University of Paris. + +His brilliant genius quickly brought him into the most prominent +positions. Far-famed for his learning, he attracted scholars from all +parts of Europe to Paris, Cologne, Ratisbon, etc., where he successively +taught. It was during his years of teaching at Paris and Cologne that he +counted among his disciples St. Thomas Aquinas, the greatness of whose +future he foretold, and whose lifelong friendship with him then began. + +In 1254 Albert was elected Provincial of his Order in Germany. In 1260 +he was appointed Bishop of Ratisbon, but resigned his see in 1262. He +then continued unweariedly until a few years before his death, when his +great powers, especially his memory, failed him, but the fervour of his +soul remained ever the same. In 1280, at Cologne, he sank, at last worn +out by his manifold labours. + +"Whether we consider him as a theologian or as a philosopher, Albert +was undoubtedly one of the most extraordinary men of his age; I might +say, one of the most wonderful men of genius who appeared in past times" +(Jourdain). + +Very grateful thanks are due to Rev. P. J. Berthier, O.P., for his kind +permission to append to this edition a translation of his excellent +notes (from the French edition, entitled "De l'Union avec Dieu"). + + + + +CONTENTS + + + CHAPTER PAGE + + I. OF THE HIGHEST PERFECTION + WHICH MAN CAN ATTAIN UNTO + IN THIS LIFE 15 + + II. HOW A MAN MAY DESPISE ALL + THINGS AND CLEAVE TO + CHRIST ALONE 19 + + III. THE LAW OF MAN'S PERFECTION + IN THIS LIFE 23 + + IV. THAT OUR LABOUR MUST BE + WITH THE UNDERSTANDING + AND NOT WITH THE SENSES 27 + + V. OF PURITY OF HEART, WHICH + IS TO BE SOUGHT ABOVE ALL + ELSE 33 + + VI. THAT A MAN TRULY DEVOUT + MUST SEEK GOD IN PURITY + OF MIND AND HEART 40 + + VII. OF THE PRACTICE OF INTERIOR + RECOLLECTION 45 + + VIII. THAT A TRULY DEVOUT MAN + SHOULD COMMIT HIMSELF TO + GOD IN ALL THAT BEFALLS + HIM 52 + + IX. THE CONTEMPLATION OF GOD + IS TO BE PREFERRED ABOVE + ALL OTHER EXERCISES 57 + + X. THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE TOO + SOLICITOUS FOR ACTUAL AND + SENSIBLE DEVOTION, BUT DESIRE + RATHER THE UNION OF + OUR WILL WITH GOD 65 + + XI. IN WHAT MANNER WE SHOULD + RESIST TEMPTATION AND ENDURE + TRIALS 70 + + XII. THE POWER OF THE LOVE OF + GOD 76 + + XIII. OF THE NATURE AND ADVANTAGES + OF PRAYER,--OF INTERIOR + RECOLLECTION 82 + + XIV. THAT EVERYTHING SHOULD BE + JUDGED ACCORDING TO THE + TESTIMONY OF OUR CONSCIENCE 88 + + XV. ON THE CONTEMPT OF SELF: + HOW IT IS ACQUIRED: ITS + PROFIT TO THE SOUL 94 + + XVI. OF THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD, + WHICH WATCHES OVER ALL + THINGS 102 + + + + + "It is good for me to adhere to my God." + + "Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect." + + + + +ON UNION WITH GOD + + + + +CHAPTER I + +OF THE HIGHEST PERFECTION WHICH MAN CAN ATTAIN UNTO IN THIS LIFE + + +I have felt moved to write a few last thoughts describing, as far as one +may in this waiting-time of our exile and pilgrimage, the entire +separation of the soul from all earthly things and its close, unfettered +union with God. + +I have been the more urged to this, because Christian perfection has no +other end but charity, which unites us to God.[2] + +This union of charity is essential for salvation, since it consists in +the practice of the precepts and in conformity to the Divine will. Hence +it separates us from whatever would war against the essence and habit of +charity, such as mortal sin.[3] + +But religious, the more easily to attain to God, their last end, have +gone beyond this, and have bound themselves by vow to evangelical +perfection, to that which is voluntary and of counsel.[4] With the help +of these vows they cut off all that might impede the fervour of their +love or hinder them in their flight to God. They have, therefore, by +the vow of their religious profession, renounced all things, whether +pertaining to soul or body.[5] God is in truth a Spirit, and "they that +adore Him must adore Him in spirit and in truth,"[6] that is, with a +knowledge and love, an intelligence and will purified from every phantom +of earth. + +Hence it is written: "When thou shalt pray, enter into thy +chamber"--_i.e._, into the inmost abode of thy heart--and, "having shut +the door" of thy senses, with a pure heart, a free conscience and an +unfeigned faith, "pray to thy Father" in spirit and in truth, in the +"secret" of thy soul.[7] + +Then only will a man attain to this ideal, when he has despoiled and +stripped himself of all else; when, wholly recollected within himself, +he has hidden from and forgotten the whole world, that he may abide in +silence in the presence of Jesus Christ. There, in solitude of soul, +with loving confidence he makes known his desires to God. With all the +intensity of his love he pours forth his heart before Him, in sincerity +and truth, until he loses himself in God. Then is his heart enlarged, +inflamed, and melted in him, yea, even in its inmost depths. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +HOW A MAN MAY DESPISE ALL THINGS AND CLEAVE TO CHRIST ALONE + + +Whosoever thou art who longest to enter upon this happy state or seekest +to direct thither thy steps, thus it behoveth thee to act. + +First, close, as it were, thine eyes, and bar the doors of thy senses. +Suffer not anything to entangle thy soul, nor permit any care or trouble +to penetrate within it. + +Shake off all earthly things, counting them useless, noxious, and +hurtful to thee.[8] + +When thou hast done this, enter wholly within thyself, and fix thy gaze +upon thy wounded Jesus, and upon Him alone. Strive with all thy powers, +unwearyingly, to reach God through Himself, that is, through God made +Man, that thou mayest attain to the knowledge of His Divinity through +the wounds of His Sacred Humanity. + +In all simplicity and confidence abandon thyself and whatever concerns +thee without reserve to God's unfailing Providence, according to the +teaching of St. Peter: "Casting all your care upon Him,"[9] Who can do +all things. And again it is written: "Be nothing solicitous";[10] "Cast +thy care upon the Lord and He shall sustain thee";[11] "It is good for +me to adhere to my God";[12] "I set the Lord always in my sight";[13] "I +found Him Whom my soul loveth";[14] and "Now all good things came to +me"[15] together with Him. This is the hidden and heavenly treasure, the +precious pearl, which is to be preferred before all. This it is that we +must seek with humble confidence and untiring effort, yet in silence and +peace. + +It must be sought with a brave heart, even though its price be the loss +of bodily comfort, of esteem, and of honour. + +Lacking this, what doth it profit a religious if he "gain the whole +world, and suffer the loss of his own soul?"[16]. Of what value are the +religious state, the holiness of our profession, the shaven head, the +outward signs of a life of abnegation, if we lack the spirit of humility +and truth, in which Christ dwells by faith and love? St. Luke says: "The +kingdom of God," that is, Christ, "is within you."[17] + + + + +CHAPTER III + +THE LAW OF MAN'S PERFECTION IN THIS LIFE + + +In proportion as the mind is absorbed in the thought and care of the +things of this world do we lose the fervour of our devotion, and drift +away from the things of Heaven. + +The greater, on the other hand, our diligence in withdrawing our powers +from the memory, love and thought of that which is inferior in order to +fix them upon that which is above, the more perfect will be our prayer, +the purer our contemplation. The soul cannot give itself perfectly at +the same time to two objects as contrary one to another as light to +darkness;[18] for he who lives united to God dwells in the light, he who +clings to this world lives in darkness. + +The highest perfection, therefore, of man in this life lies in this: +that he is so united to God that his soul with all its powers and +faculties becomes recollected in Him and is one spirit with Him.[19] +Then it remembers naught save God, nor does it relish or understand +anything but Him. Then all its affections, united in the delights of +love, repose sweetly in the enjoyment of their Creator. + +The image of God which is imprinted upon the soul is found in the three +powers of the reason, memory, and will. But since these do not +perfectly bear the Divine likeness, they have not the same resemblance +to God as in the first days of man's creation.[20] + +God is the "form" of the soul upon which He must impress His own image, +as the seal on the wax or the stamp on the object it marks.[21] + +This can only be fully accomplished when the reason is wholly +illuminated according to its capacity, by the knowledge of God, the +Sovereign Truth; the will entirely devoted to the love of the Supreme +Good; the memory absorbed in the contemplation and enjoyment of eternal +felicity, and in the sweet repose of so great a happiness. + +As the perfect possession of this state constitutes the glory of the +Blessed in Heaven, it is clear that in its commencement consists the +perfection of this life. + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +THAT OUR LABOUR MUST BE WITH THE UNDERSTANDING AND NOT WITH THE SENSES + + +Blessed is he who by continually cleansing his soul from the images and +phantoms of earth draws its powers inward, and thence lifts them up to +God. + +At length he in a manner forgets all images, and by a simple and direct +act of pure intellect and will contemplates God, Who is absolutely +simple. + +Cast from thee, therefore, all phantoms, images, and forms, and +whatsoever is not God,[22] that all thy intercourse with Him may +proceed from an understanding, affection, and will, alike purified. This +is, in truth, the end of all thy labours, that thou mayest draw nigh +unto God and repose in Him within thy soul, solely by thy understanding +and by a fervent love, free from entanglement or earthly image. + +Not by his bodily organs or outward senses does a man attain to this, +but by the intelligence and will, which constitute him man.[23] So long +as he lingers, trifling with the objects of the imagination and senses, +he has not yet passed beyond the limits and instincts of his animal +nature, which he possesses in common with the brute beasts. They know +and feel through images and by their senses, nor can it be otherwise, +for they have no higher powers. Not so is it with man, who, by his +intelligence, affections, and will, is created in the image and likeness +of God. Hence it is by these powers that he ought, without intermediary, +purely and directly to commune with God, be united to Him, and cleave to +Him.[24] + +The Devil does his very utmost to hinder us from this exercise, for he +beholds in it a beginning and a foretaste of eternal life, and he is +envious of man. Therefore he strives, now by one temptation or passion, +now by another, to turn away our thoughts from God. + +At one time he assails us by arousing in us unnecessary anxiety, +foolish cares or troubles, or by drawing us to irregular conversations +and vain curiosity. At another he ensnares us by subtle books, by the +words of others, by rumours and novelties. Then, again, he has recourse +to trials, contradictions, etc. + +Although these things may sometimes seem but very trifling faults, if +faults at all, yet do they greatly hinder our progress in this holy +exercise. Therefore, whether great or small, they must be resisted and +driven from us as evil and harmful, though they may seem useful and even +necessary. It is of great importance that what we have heard, or seen, +or done, or said, should not leave their traces or fill our imagination. + +Neither before nor after, nor at the time, should we foster these +memories or allow their images to be formed. For when the mind is free +from these thoughts, we are not hindered in our prayer, in meditation, +or the psalmody, or in any other of our spiritual exercises, nor do +these distractions return to trouble us. + +Then shouldst thou readily and trustfully commit thyself and all that +concerns thee to the unfailing and most sure Providence of God, in +silence and peace. He Himself will fight for thee, and will grant thee a +liberty and consolation better, nobler, and sweeter than would be +possible if thou gavest thyself up day and night to thy fancies, to vain +and wandering thoughts, which hold captive the mind, as they toss it +hither and thither, wearying soul and body, and wasting uselessly alike +thy time and strength.[25] + +Accept all things, whatsoever their cause, silently and with a tranquil +mind, as coming to thee from the fatherly hand of Divine Providence. + +Free thyself, therefore, from all the impressions of earthly things, in +so far as thy state and profession require, so that with a purified mind +and sincere affection thou mayest cleave to Him to Whom thou hast so +often and so entirely vowed thyself. + +Let nothing remain which could come between thy soul and God, that so +thou mayest be able to pass surely and directly from the wounds of the +Sacred Humanity to the brightness of the Divinity. + + + + +CHAPTER V + +OF PURITY OF HEART, WHICH IS TO BE SOUGHT ABOVE ALL ELSE + + +Wouldst thou journey by the shortest road, the straight and safe way +unto eternal bliss, unto thy true country, to grace and glory? Strive +with all thy might to obtain habitual cleanness of heart, purity of +mind, quiet of the senses. Gather up thy affections, and with thy whole +heart cleave unto God. + +Withdraw as much as thou canst from thy acquaintance and from all men, +and abstain from such affairs as would hinder thy purpose. + +Seek out with jealous care the place, time, and means most suited to +quiet and contemplation, and lovingly embrace silence and solitude. + +Beware the dangers of which the times are full; fly the agitation of a +world never at rest, never still.[26] + +Let thy chief study be to gain purity, freedom, and peace of heart. +Close the doors of thy senses and dwell within, shutting thy heart as +diligently as thou canst against the shapes and images of earthly +things. + +Of all the practices of the spiritual life purity of heart stands +highest, and rightly, for it is the end and reward of all our labours, +and is found only with those who live truly according to the spirit and +as good religious. + +Wherefore thou shouldst employ all thy diligence and skill in order to +free thy heart, senses, and affections from whatever could trammel their +liberty, or could fetter or ensnare thy soul. Strive earnestly to gather +in the wandering affections of thy heart and fix them on the love of the +sole and pure Truth, the Sovereign Good; then keep them, as it were, +enchained within thee. + +Fix thy gaze unwaveringly upon God and Divine things; spurn the follies +of earth and seek to be wholly transformed in Jesus Christ, yea, even to +the heart's core. + +When thou hast begun to cleanse and purify thy soul of earthly images, +and to unify and tranquillize thy heart and mind in God with loving +confidence, to the end that thou mayest taste and enjoy in all thy +powers the torrents of His good pleasure, and mayest fix thy will and +intelligence in Him, then thou wilt no longer need to study and read the +Holy Scriptures to learn the love of God and of thy neighbour, for the +Holy Spirit Himself will teach thee.[27] + +Spare no pains, no labour, to purify thy heart and to establish it in +unbroken peace. + +Abide in God in the secret place of thy soul as tranquilly as though +there had already risen upon thee the dawn of Eternity, the unending Day +of God. + +Strong in the love of Jesus, go forth from thyself, with a heart pure, a +conscience at peace, a faith unfeigned; and in every trial, every event, +commit thyself unreservedly to God, having nothing so much at heart as +perfect obedience to His will and good pleasure. + +If thou wouldst arrive thus far, it is needful for thee often to enter +within thy soul and to abide therein, disengaging thyself as much as +thou canst from all things. + +Keep the eye of thy soul ever in purity and peace; suffer not the form +and images of this world to defile thy mind; preserve thy will from +every earthly care, and let every fibre of thy heart be rooted in the +love of the Sovereign Good. Thus will thy whole soul, with all its +powers, be recollected in God and form but one spirit with Him. + +It is in this that the highest perfection possible to man here below +consists. + +This union of the spirit and of love, by which a man conforms himself +in everything to the supreme and eternal will, enables us to become by +grace what God is by His nature.[28] + +Let us not forget this truth: the moment a man, by the help of God, +succeeds in overcoming his own will, that is, in freeing himself from +every inordinate affection and care, to cast himself and all his +miseries unreservedly into the bosom of God, that moment he becomes so +pleasing to God that he receives the gift of grace. Grace brings +charity, and charity drives out all fear and hesitation, and fills the +soul with confidence and hope. What is more blessed than to cast all our +care on Him Who cannot fail? As long as thou leanest upon thyself thou +wilt totter. Cast thyself fearlessly into the arms of God. He will +embrace thee, He will heal and save thee.[29] + +If thou wouldst ponder often upon these truths they would bring to thee +more happiness than all the riches, delights, honours, of this false +world, and would make thee more blessed than all the wisdom and +knowledge of this corruptible life, even though thou shouldst surpass +all the wise men who have gone before thee. + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +THAT A MAN TRULY DEVOUT MUST SEEK GOD IN PURITY OF MIND AND HEART + + +As thou goest forward in this work of ridding thee of every earthly +thought and entanglement thou wilt behold thy soul regain her strength +and the mastery of her inward senses, and thou wilt begin to taste the +sweetness of heavenly things. + +Learn, therefore, to keep thyself free from the images of outward and +material objects, for God loves with a special love the soul that is +thus purified. His "delights" are "to be with the children of men,"[30] +that is, with those who, set free from earthly affairs and distractions, +and at peace from their passions, offer Him simple and pure hearts +intent on Him alone. + +If the memory, imagination, and thoughts still dwell below, it follows +of necessity that fresh events, memories of the past, and other things +will ensnare and drag thee down. But the Holy Spirit abides not amid +such empty thoughts. + +The true friend of Jesus Christ must be so united by his intelligence +and will to the Divine will and goodness that his imagination and +passions have no hold over him, and that he troubles not whether men +give him love or ridicule, nor heeds what may be done to him. Know well +that a truly good will does all and is of more value than all. + +If the will is good, wholly conformed and united to God, and guided by +reason, it matters little that the flesh, the senses, the exterior man +are inclined to evil and sluggish in good, or even that a man find +himself interiorly lacking in devotion.[31] It suffices that he remains +with his whole soul inwardly united to God by faith and a good will. + +This he will accomplish if, knowing his own imperfection and utter +nothingness, he understands that all his happiness is in his Creator. +Then does he forsake himself, his own strength and powers, and every +creature, and hides himself in complete abandonment in the bosom of +God. + +To God are all his actions simply and purely directed. He seeks nothing +outside of God, but knows that of a truth he has found in Him all the +good and all the happiness of perfection. Then will he be in some +measure transformed in God. He will no longer be able to think, love, +understand, remember aught save God and the things of God. He will no +longer behold himself or creatures save in God; no love will possess him +but the love of God, nor will he remember creatures or even his own +being, save in God. + +Such a knowledge of the truth renders the soul humble, makes her a hard +judge towards herself, but merciful to others, while earthly wisdom +puffs up the soul with pride and vanity. Behold, this is wise and +spiritual doctrine, grounded upon the truth, and leading unto the +knowledge and service of God, and to familiarity with Him. + +If thou desirest to possess Him indeed, thou must of necessity despoil +thy heart of earthly affections, not alone for persons, but for every +creature, that thou mayest tend to the Lord thy God with thy whole heart +and with all thy strength, freely, simply, without fear or solicitude, +trusting everything in entire confidence to His all-watchful +Providence.[32] + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +ON THE PRACTICE OF INTERIOR RECOLLECTION + + +The author of the book entitled "De Spiritu et Anima" tells us (chap. +xxi.)[33] that to ascend to God means nothing else than to enter into +oneself. And, indeed, he who enters into the secret place of his own +soul passes beyond himself, and does in very truth ascend to God. + +Banish, therefore, from thy heart the distractions of earth and turn +thine eyes to spiritual joys, that thou mayest learn at last to repose +in the light of the contemplation of God. + +Verily the soul's true life and her repose are to abide in God, held +fast by love, and sweetly refreshed by the Divine consolations. + +But many are the obstacles which hinder us from tasting this rest, and +of our own strength we could never attain to it. The reason is +evident--the mind is distracted and preoccupied; it cannot enter into +itself by the aid of the memory, for it is blinded by phantoms; nor can +it enter by the intellect, for it is vitiated by the passions. Even the +desire of interior joys and spiritual delights fails to draw it inward. +It lies so deeply buried in things sensible and transitory that it +cannot return to itself as to the image of God. + +How needful is it, then, that the soul, lifted upon the wings of +reverence and humble confidence, should rise above itself and every +creature by entire detachment, and should be able to say within itself: +He Whom I seek, love, desire, among all, more than all, and above all, +cannot be perceived by the senses or the imagination, for He is above +both the senses and the understanding. He cannot be perceived by the +senses, yet He is the object of all our desires; He is without shape, +but He is supremely worthy of our heart's deepest love. He is beyond +compare, and to the pure in heart greatly to be desired. Above all else +is He sweet and love-worthy; His goodness and perfection are infinite. + +When thou shalt understand this, thy soul will enter into the darkness +of the spirit, and will advance further and penetrate more deeply into +itself.[34] Thou wilt by this means attain more speedily unto the +beholding in a dark manner of the Trinity in Unity, and Unity in +Trinity, in Christ Jesus, in proportion as thy effort is more inward; +and the greater is thy charity, the more precious the fruit thou wilt +reap. For the highest, in spiritual things, is ever that which is most +interior. Grow not weary, therefore, and rest not from thy efforts until +thou hast received some earnest or foretaste of the fulness of joy that +awaits thee, and has obtained some first-fruits of the Divine sweetness +and delights. + +Cease not in thy pursuit till thou shalt behold "the God of gods in +Sion."[35] + +In thy spiritual ascent and in thy search after a closer union with God +thou must allow thyself no repose, no slipping back, but must go forward +till thou hast obtained the object of thy desires. Follow the example of +mountain-climbers. If thy desires turn aside after the objects which +pass below thou wilt lose thyself in byways and countless distractions. +Thy mind will become dissipated and drawn in all directions by its +desires. Thy progress will be uncertain, thou wilt not reach thy goal, +nor find rest after thy labours. + +If, on the other hand, the heart and mind, led on by love and desire, +withdraw from the distractions of this world, and little by little +abandon baser things to become recollected in the one true and +unchangeable Good, to dwell there, held fast by the bonds of love, then +wilt thou grow strong, and thy recollection will deepen the higher thou +risest on the wings of knowledge and desire. + +They who have attained to this dwell as by habit in the Sovereign Good, +and become at last inseparable from it. + +True life, which is God Himself, becomes their inalienable +possession;[36] for ever, free from all fear of the vicissitudes of time +and change,[37] they repose in the peaceful enjoyment of this inward +happiness, and in sweet communication with God. Their abode is for ever +fixed within their own souls, in Christ Jesus, Who is to all who come to +Him "the Way, the Truth, and the Life."[38] + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +THAT A TRULY DEVOUT MAN SHOULD COMMIT HIMSELF TO GOD IN ALL THAT BEFALLS +HIM + + +From all that has hitherto been said, thou hast understood, if I mistake +not, that the more thou separatest thyself from earthly images and +created objects, and the closer thy union with God, the nearer wilt thou +approach to the state of innocence and perfection. What could be +happier, better, sweeter than this? + +It is, therefore, of supreme importance that thou shouldst preserve thy +soul so free from every trace or entanglement of earth that neither the +world nor thy friends, neither prosperity nor adversity, things present, +past, or future, which concern thyself or others, not even thine own +sins above measure, should have power to trouble thee. + +Think only how thou mayest live, as it were, alone with God, removed +from the world, the simple and pure life of the spirit, as though thy +soul were already in eternity and separated from thy body. + +There thou wouldst not busy thyself with earthly things, nor be +disquieted by the state of the world, by peace or war, fair skies or +foul, or anything here below. But thou wouldst be absorbed and filled by +His love. + +Strive even now in this present life to come forth in a manner from thy +body and from every creature. + +As far as thou canst, fix the eye of thy soul steadfastly, with +unobscured gaze, upon the uncreated light. + +Then will thy soul, purified from the clouds of earth, be like an Angel +in a human body, no longer troubled by the flesh, or disturbed by vain +thoughts. + +Arm thyself against temptations, persecutions, injuries, so that in +adversity as in prosperity, thou mayest still cleave to God in unbroken +peace. + +When trouble, discouragement, confusion of mind assail thee, do not lose +patience or be cast down. Do not betake thee to vocal prayers or other +consolations, but endeavour by an act of the will and reason to lift up +thy soul and unite it to God, whether thy sensual nature will or no. + +The devout soul should be so united to God, should so form and preserve +her will in conformity to the Divine will, that she is no more occupied +or allured by any creature than before it was created, but lives as +though there existed but God and herself.[39] + +She will receive in unvarying peace all that comes to her from the hand +of Divine Providence. In all things she will hope in the Lord, without +losing patience, peace, or silence. + +Behold, therefore, of how great value it is in the spiritual life to be +detached from all things, that thou mayest be interiorly united to God +and conformed to Him. + +Moreover, there will then be no longer anything to intervene between thy +soul and God. Whence could it come? Not from without, for the vow of +voluntary poverty has despoiled thee of all earthly goods, that of +chastity has taken thy body. Nor could it come from within, for +obedience has taken from thee thy very will and soul. There is now +nothing left which could come between God and thyself. + +That thou art a religious, thy profession, thy state, thy habit and +tonsure, and the other marks of the religious life declare. See to it +whether thou art a religious in truth or only one in name. + +Consider how thou art fallen and how thou sinnest against the Lord thy +God and against His justice if thy deeds do not correspond with thy holy +state, if by will or desire thou clingest to the creature rather than to +the Creator, or preferrest the creature to the Creator. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +THE CONTEMPLATION OF GOD IS TO BE PREFERRED ABOVE ALL OTHER EXERCISES + + +Whatever exists outside of God is the work of His hands. Every creature +is, therefore, a blending together of the actual and the possible, and +as such is in its nature limited. Born of nothing, it is surrounded by +nothingness, and tends to nothingness.[40] + +Of necessity the creature depends each moment upon God, the supreme +Artist, for its existence, preservation, power of action, and all that +it possesses. + +It is utterly unable to accomplish its own work, either for itself or +for another, and is impotent as a thing which is not before that which +is, the finite before the infinite. It follows, therefore, that our +life, thoughts, and works should be in Him, of Him, for Him, and +directed to Him, Who by the least sign of His will could produce +creatures unspeakably more perfect than any which now exist. + +It is impossible that there should be in the mind or heart a thought or +a love more profitable, more perfect or more blessed than those which +rest upon God, the Almighty Creator, of Whom, in Whom, by Whom, towards +Whom all tend. + +He suffices infinitely for Himself and for others, since from all +eternity He contains within Himself the perfections of all things. There +is nothing within Him which is not Himself. In Him and by Him exist the +causes of all transitory things; in Him are the immutable origins of all +things that change, whether rational or irrational. + +All that happens in time has in Him its eternal principle. + +He fills all; He is in all things by His essence, by which He is more +present and more near to them than they are to themselves.[41] + +In Him all things are united and live eternally.[42] It is true that the +weakness of our understanding or our want of experience[43] may oblige +us to make use of creatures in our contemplation, yet there is a kind of +contemplation which is very fruitful, good, and real, which seems +possible to all. Whether he meditates on the creature or the Creator, +every man may reach the point at which he finds all his joy in His +Creator, God, One in Trinity, and kindles the fire of Divine love in +himself or in others, so as to merit eternal life. + +We should notice here the difference which exists between the +contemplation of Christians and that of pagan philosophers. The latter +sought only their own perfection, and hence their contemplation affected +their intellect only; they desired only to enrich their minds with +knowledge. But the contemplation of Saints, which is that of +Christians, seeks as its end the love of the God Whom they contemplate. +Hence it is not content to find fruit for the intelligence, but +penetrates beyond to the will that it may there enkindle love. + +The Saints desired above all in their contemplation the increase of +charity. + +It is better to know Jesus Christ and possess Him spiritually by grace, +than, without grace, to have Him in the body, or even in His essence. + +The more pure a soul becomes and the deeper her recollection, the +clearer will be her inward vision. She now prepares, as it were, a +ladder upon which she may ascend to the contemplation of God. This +contemplation will set her on fire with love for all that is heavenly, +Divine, eternal, and will cause her to despise as utter nothing all +that is of time. + +When we seek to arrive at the knowledge of God by the method of +negation, we first remove from our conception of Him all that pertains +to the body, the senses, the imagination. Then we reject even that which +belongs to the reason, and the idea of being as it is found in +creatures.[44] This, according to St. Denis, is the best means of +attaining to the knowledge of God,[45] as far as it is possible in this +world. + +This is the darkness in which God dwells and into which Moses entered +that he might reach the light inaccessible.[46] + +But we must begin, not with the mind, but with the body. We must observe +the accustomed order, and pass from the labour of action to the repose +of contemplation, from the moral virtues to those of sublime +contemplation.[47] + +Why, O my soul, dost thou vainly wear thyself out in such multiplicity +of things? Thou findest in them but poverty. + +Seek and love only that perfect good which includes in itself all good, +and it will suffice thee. Unhappy art thou if thou knowest and +possessest all, and art ignorant of this. If thou knewest at the same +time both this good and all other things, this alone would render thee +the happier. Therefore St. John has written: "This is eternal life: that +they may know thee,"[48] and the Prophet: "I shall be satisfied when thy +glory shall appear."[49] + + + + +CHAPTER X + +THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE TOO SOLICITOUS FOR ACTUAL AND SENSIBLE DEVOTION, +BUT DESIRE RATHER THE UNION OF OUR WILL WITH GOD + + +Seek not too eagerly after the grace of devotion, sensible sweetness and +tears, but let thy chief care be to remain inwardly united to God by +good will in the intellectual part of the soul.[50] + +Of a truth nothing is so pleasing to God as a soul freed from all trace +and image of created things. A true religious should be at liberty from +every creature that he may be wholly free to devote himself to God alone +and cleave to Him. Deny thyself, therefore, that thou mayest follow +Christ, thy Lord and God, Who was truly poor, obedient, chaste, humble, +and suffering, and Whose life and death were a scandal to many, as the +Gospel clearly shows.[51] + +The soul, when separated from the body, troubles not as to what becomes +of the shell it has abandoned--it may be burnt, hanged, spoken evil of; +and the soul is not afflicted by these outrages,[52] but thinks only of +eternity and of the one thing necessary, of which the Lord speaks in +the Gospel.[53] + +So shouldst thou regard thy body, as though the soul were already freed +from it. Set ever before thine eyes the eternal life in God, which +awaits thee, and think on that only good of which the Lord said: "One +thing is necessary."[54] A great grace will then descend upon thy soul, +which will aid thee in acquiring purity of mind and simplicity of heart. + +And, indeed, this treasure is close at thy doors. Turn from the images +and distractions of earth, and quickly shalt thou find it with thee and +learn what it is to be united to God without hindrance or impediment. + +Then wilt thou gain an unshaken constancy, which will strengthen thee +to endure all that may befall thee. + +Thus was it with the martyrs, the Fathers, the elect, and all the +blessed. They despised all and thought only of possessing in God eternal +security for their souls. + +Thus armed within and united to God by a good will, they despised all +that is of this world, as though their soul had already departed from +the body. + +Learn from them how great is the power of a good will united to God. + +By that union of the soul with God it becomes, as it were, cut off from +the flesh by a spiritual separation, and regards the outward man from +afar as something alien to it. + +Then, whatever may happen inwardly or in the body will be as little +regarded as though it had befallen another person or a creature without +reason. + +He who is united to God is but one mind with Him. + +Out of regard, therefore, for His sovereign honour, never be so bold as +to think or imagine in His presence what thou wouldst blush to hear or +see before men. + +Thou oughtest, moreover, to raise all thy thoughts to God alone, and set +Him before thine inward gaze, as though He alone existed. So wilt thou +experience the sweetness of Divine union and even now make a true +beginning of the life to come. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +IN WHAT MANNER WE SHOULD RESIST TEMPTATION AND ENDURE TRIALS + + +He who with his whole heart draws nigh unto God must of necessity be +proved by temptation and trial. + +When the sting of temptation is felt, by no means give thy consent, but +bear all with patience, sweetness, humility, and courage. + +If thou art tempted to blasphemy or any shameful sin, be well assured +thou canst do nothing better than to utterly despise and contemn such +thoughts. Blasphemy is indeed sinful, scandalous, and abominable, yet +be not anxious about such temptations, but rather despise them, and do +not let thy conscience be troubled by them. The enemy will most +certainly be put to flight if thou wilt thus contemn both him and his +suggestions. He is too proud to endure scorn or contempt. The best +remedy is, therefore, to trouble no more about these thoughts than we do +about the flies which, against our will, dance before our eyes. Let not +the servant of Christ thus easily and needlessly lose sight of his +Master's presence, nor let him grow impatient, murmur, or complain of +these flies; I mean these light temptations, suspicions, sadness, +depression, pusillanimity--mere nothings which a good will can put to +flight by an elevation of the soul to God. + +By a good will man makes God his Master, and the holy Angels his +guardians and protectors. + +Good will drives away temptation as the hand brushes away a fly. + +"Peace," therefore, "to men of good will."[55] + +In truth no better gift than this can be offered to God. + +Good will in the soul is the source of all good, the mother of all +virtues. He who possesses it, possesses without fear of loss all he +needs to live a good life.[56] + +If thou desirest what is good and art not able to accomplish it, God +will reward thee for it as though thou hadst performed it.[57] + +He has established as an eternal and unchangeable law that merit should +lie in the will, and that upon the will should depend our future of +Heaven or hell, reward or punishment.[58] + +Charity itself consists in nothing else but a strong will to serve God, +a loving desire to please Him, and a fervent longing to enjoy Him. + +Forget not, therefore, temptation is not sin, but rather the means of +proving virtue. By it man may gain great profit,[59] and this the more +inasmuch as "the life of man upon earth is a warfare."[60] + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +THE POWER OF THE LOVE OF GOD + + +All that we have hitherto described, all that is necessary for +salvation, can find in love alone its highest, completest, most +beneficent perfection. + +Love supplies all that is wanting for our salvation; it contains +abundantly every good thing, and lacks not even the presence of the +supreme object of our desires. + +It is by love alone that we turn to God, are transformed into His +likeness, and are united to Him, so that we become one spirit with Him, +and receive by and from Him all our happiness: here in grace, +hereafter in glory. Love can find no rest till she reposes in the full +and perfect possession of the Beloved. + +It is by the path of love, which is charity, that God draws nigh to man, +and man to God, but where charity is not found God cannot dwell. If, +then, we possess charity we possess God, for "God is charity."[61] + +There is nothing keener than love, nothing more subtle, nothing more +penetrating. Love cannot rest till it has sounded all the depths and +learnt the perfections of its Beloved. It desires to be one with Him, +and, if it could, would form but one being with the Beloved. It is for +this reason that it cannot suffer anything to intervene between it and +the object loved, which is God, but springs forward towards Him, and +finds no peace till it has overcome every obstacle, and reached even +unto the Beloved. + +Love has the power of uniting and transforming; it transforms the one +who loves into him who is loved, and him who is loved into him who +loves. Each passes into the other, as far as it is possible. + +And first consider the intelligence. How completely love transports the +loved one into him who loves! With what sweetness and delight the one +lives in the memory of the other, and how earnestly the lover tries to +know, not superficially but intimately, all that concerns the object of +his love, and strives to enter as far as possible into his inner life! + +Think next of the will, by which also the loved one lives in him who +loves. Does he not dwell in him by that tender affection, that sweet +and deeply-rooted joy which he feels? On the other hand, the lover lives +in the beloved by the sympathy of his desires, by sharing his likes and +dislikes, his joys and sorrows, until the two seem to form but one. +Since "love is strong as death,"[62] it carries the lover out of himself +into the heart of the beloved, and holds him prisoner there. + +The soul is more truly where it loves than where it gives life, since it +exists in the object loved by its own nature, by reason and will; whilst +it is in the body it animates only by bestowing on it an existence which +it shares with the animal creation.[63] + +There is, therefore, but one thing which has power to draw us from +outward objects into the depths of our own souls, there to form an +intimate friendship with Jesus. Nothing but the love of Christ and the +desire of His sweetness can lead us thus to feel, to comprehend and +experience the presence of His Divinity. + +The power of love alone is able to lift up the soul from earth to the +heights of Heaven, nor is it possible to ascend to eternal beatitude +except on the wings of love and desire. + +Love is the life of the soul, its nuptial garment, its perfection.[64] + +Upon charity are based the law, the prophets, and the precepts of the +Lord.[65] Hence the Apostle wrote to the Romans: "Love is therefore the +fulfilling of the law,"[66] and in the first Epistle to Timothy: "The +end of the commandment is charity."[67] + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +OF THE NATURE AND ADVANTAGES OF PRAYER--OF INTERIOR RECOLLECTION + + +Of ourselves we are utterly unable to attain to charity or any other +good thing. We have naught to offer to the Lord, the Author of all, +which was not His already. + +One thing alone remains to us: that in every occurrence we should turn +to Him in prayer, as He Himself taught us by word and example. Let us go +to Him as guilty, poor, and miserable, as beggars, weak and needy, as +subjects and slaves, yet as His children. + +Of ourselves we are utterly destitute. What can we do but cast ourselves +at His feet in deepest humility, holy fear mingling in our souls with +love, peace, and recollection? + +And while we are fain to draw nigh with all lowliness and modesty, with +minds sincere and simple, let our hearts burn with great desires, with +ardour and heartfelt longings. And so let us supplicate our God, and lay +before Him with entire confidence the perils which menace us on every +side. Let us freely, unhesitatingly, and in all simplicity, confide +ourselves to Him, and offer Him our whole being, even to the last fibre, +for are we not in truth absolutely His? + +Let us keep nothing for ourselves, and then will be fulfilled in us the +saying of Blessed Isaac, one of the Fathers of the Desert, who, +speaking of this kind of prayer, said: "We shall be one being with God, +and He will be all in all to us, when that perfect charity by which He +loved us first has entered into our inmost hearts."[68] + +This will be accomplished when God alone becomes the object of all our +love, our desires, our striving, of all our efforts and thoughts, of all +that we behold, speak of, hope for; when that union which exists between +the Father and the Son, and between the Son and the Father shall be +found also in our mind and soul. + +Since His love for us is so pure, sincere, and unchanging, ought not we +in return to give Him a love constant and uninterrupted? + +So intimate should be our union with Him that our hopes, thoughts, +prayers breathe only God.[69] The truly spiritual man should set before +him, as the goal of all his efforts and desires, the possession even in +a mortal body, of an image of the happiness to come, and the enjoyment +even here below of some foretaste of the delights, the life, and glory +of Heaven. + +This, I say, is the end of all perfection--that the soul may become so +purified from every earthly longing, and so raised to spiritual things, +that at last the whole life and the desires of the heart form one +unbroken prayer. + +When the soul has thus shaken off the dust of earth and aspires unto her +God, to Whom the true religious ever directs his intention, dreading +the least separation from Him as a most cruel death; when peace reigns +within and she is delivered from the bondage of her passions and cleaves +with firmest purpose to the one Sovereign Good, then will be fulfilled +in her the words of the Apostle: "Pray without ceasing,"[70] and "in +every place, lifting up pure hands, without anger and contention."[71] + +When once this purity of soul has gained the victory over man's natural +inclination for the things of sense, when all earthly longings are +quenched and the soul is, as it were, transformed into the likeness of +pure spirits or Angels, then all she receives, all she undertakes, all +she does, will be a pure and true prayer. + +Only persevere faithfully in thy efforts and, as I have shown from the +beginning, it will become as simple and easy for thee to contemplate God +and rejoice in Him in thy recollection as to live a purely natural +life. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +THAT EVERYTHING SHOULD BE JUDGED ACCORDING TO THE TESTIMONY OF OUR +CONSCIENCE + + +There is also another practice which will tend greatly to thy progress +in spiritual perfection, and will aid thee to gain purity of soul and +tranquil rest in God. Whatever men say or think of thee, bring it before +the tribunal of thine own conscience. Enter within thyself, and there, +turning a deaf ear to all else, set thyself to learn the truth. Then +wilt thou see clearly that the praise and honour of men bring thee no +profit, but rather loss, if thou knowest that thou art guilty and +worthy of condemnation in the sight of truth. And, just as it is useless +to be honoured outwardly by men if thy conscience accuse thee within, so +in like manner is it no loss to thee if men despise, blame, or persecute +thee without, if within thou art innocent and free from reproach or +blame. Nay, rather, thou hast then great reason to rejoice in the Lord +in patience, silence, and peace. + +Adversity is powerless to harm where sin has no dominion; and just as +there is no evil which goes unpunished, so is there no good without +recompense. + +Seek not with the hypocrites thy reward and crown from men, but rather +from the hand of God, not now, but hereafter; not for a passing moment, +but for eternity. + +Thou canst, therefore, do nothing higher nor better in every +tribulation or occurrence than enter into the sanctuary of thy soul, and +there call upon the Lord Jesus Christ, thy helper in temptation and +affliction. There shouldst thou humble thyself, confessing thy sins, and +praising thy God and Father, Who both chastises and consoles. + +There dispose thyself to accept with unruffled peace, readiness, and +confidence from the hands of God's unfailing Providence and marvellous +wisdom all that is sent thee of prosperity or adversity, whether +touching thyself or others. Then wilt thou obtain remission of thy +sins;[72] bitterness will be driven from thy soul, sweetness and +confidence will penetrate it, grace and mercy will descend upon it. +Then a sweet familiarity will draw thee on and strengthen thee, abundant +consolation will flow to thee from the bosom of God. Then thou wilt +adhere to Him and form an indissoluble union with Him. + +But beware of imitating hypocrites who, like the Pharisees, try to +appear outwardly before men more holy than they know themselves in truth +to be. Is it not utter folly to seek or desire human praise and glory +for oneself or others, while within we are filled with shameful and +grievous sins? Assuredly he who pursues such vanities can hope for no +share in the good things of which we spoke just now, but shame will +infallibly be his lot. + +Keep thy worthlessness and thy sins ever before thine eyes, and learn +to know thyself that thou mayest grow in humility. + +Shrink not from being regarded by all the world as filthy mud, vile and +abject, on account of thy grievous sins and defects. Esteem thyself +among others as dross in the midst of gold, as tares in the wheat, straw +among the grain, as a wolf among the sheep, as Satan among the children +of God. + +Neither shouldst thou desire to be respected by others, or preferred to +anyone whatsoever. Fly rather with all thy strength of heart and soul +from that pestilential poison, the venom of praise, from a reputation +founded on boasting and ostentation, lest, as the Prophet says, "The +sinner is praised in the desires of his soul."[73] + +Again, in Isaias, we read: "They that call thee blessed, the same +deceive thee, and destroy the way of thy steps."[74] Also the Lord says: +"Woe to you when men shall bless you!"[75] + + + + +CHAPTER XV + +ON THE CONTEMPT OF SELF: HOW IT IS ACQUIRED: ITS PROFIT TO THE SOUL + + +The more truly a man knows his own misery, the more fully and clearly +does he behold the majesty of God. The more vile he is in his own eyes +for the sake of God, of truth, and of justice, the more worthy of esteem +is he in the eyes of God. + +Strive earnestly, therefore, to look on thyself as utterly contemptible, +to think thyself unworthy of any benefit, to be displeasing in thine own +eyes, but pleasing to God. Desire that others should regard thee as +vile and mean. + +Learn not to be troubled in tribulations, afflictions, injuries; not to +be incensed against those that inflict them, nor to entertain thoughts +of resentment against them. Try, on the contrary, sincerely to believe +thyself worthy of all injuries, contempt, ill-treatment and scorn. + +In truth, he who for God's sake is filled with sorrow and compunction +dreads to be honoured and loved by another. He does not refuse to be an +object of hatred, or shrink from being trodden under foot and despised +as long as he lives, in order that he may practise real humility and +cleave in purity of heart to God alone. + +It does not require exterior labour or bodily health to love God only, +to hate oneself more than all, to desire to seem little in the eyes of +others: what is needed is rather repose of the senses, the effort of the +heart, silence of the mind. + +It is by labouring with the heart, by the inward aspiration of the soul, +that thou wilt learn to forsake the base things of earth and to rise to +what is heavenly and Divine. + +Thus wilt thou become transformed in God, and this the more speedily if, +in all sincerity, without condemning or despising thy neighbour, thou +desirest to be regarded by all as a reproach and scandal--nay, even to +be abhorred as filthy mire, rather than possess the delights of earth, +or be honoured and exalted by men, or enjoy any advantage or happiness +in this fleeting world. + +Have no other desire in this perishable life of the body, no other +consolation than unceasingly to weep over, regret and detest thy +offences and faults. + +Learn utterly to despise thyself, to annihilate thyself and to appear +daily more contemptible in the eyes of others. + +Strive to become even more unworthy in thine own eyes, in order to +please God alone, to love Him only and cling to Him. + +Concern not thyself with anything except thy Lord Jesus Christ, Who +ought to reign alone in thy affections. Have no solicitude or care save +for Him Whose power and Providence give movement and being to all +things.[76] + +It is not now the time to rejoice but rather to lament with all the +sincerity of thy heart. + +If thou canst not weep, sorrow at least that thou hast no tears to shed; +if thou canst, grieve the more because by the gravity of thy offences +and number of thy sins thou art thyself the cause of thy grief. A man +under sentence of death does not trouble himself as to the dispositions +of his executioners; so he who truly mourns and sheds the tears of +repentance, refrains from delight, anger, vainglory, indignation, and +every like passion. + +Citizens and criminals are not lodged in like abodes; so also the life +and conduct of those whose faults call for sighs and tears should not +resemble those of men who have remained innocent and have nothing to +expiate. + +Were it otherwise, how would the guilty, great though their crimes may +have been, differ in their punishment and expiation from the innocent? +Iniquity would then be more free than innocence. Renounce all, +therefore, contemn all, separate thyself from all, that thou mayest lay +deep the foundations of sincere penance. + +He who truly loves Jesus Christ, and sorrows for Him, who bears Him in +his heart and in his body, will have no thought, or care, or solicitude +for aught else. Such a one will sincerely mourn over his sins and +offences, will long after eternal happiness, will remember the Judgment +and will think diligently on his last end in lowly fear. He, then, who +wishes to arrive speedily at a blessed impassibility and to reach God, +counts that day lost on which he has not been ill-spoken of and +despised. + +What is this impassibility but freedom from the vices and passions, +purity of heart, the adornment of virtue? + +Count thyself as already dead, since thou must needs die some day. + +And now, but one word more. Let this be the test of thy thoughts, words, +and deeds. If they render thee more humble, more recollected in God, +more strong, then they are according to God. But if thou findest it +otherwise, then fear lest all is not according to God, acceptable to +Him, or profitable to thyself. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +OF THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD, WHICH WATCHES OVER ALL THINGS + + +Wouldst thou draw nigh unto God without let or hindrance, freely and in +peace, as we have described? Desirest thou to be united and drawn to Him +in a union so close that it will endure in prosperity and adversity, in +life and in death? Delay not to commit all things with trustful +confidence into the hands of His sure and infallible Providence. + +Is it not most fitting that thou shouldst trust Him Who gives to all +creatures, in the first place, their existence, power, and movement, +and, secondly, their species and nature, ordering in all their number, +weight, and measure? + +Just as Art presupposes the operations of Nature, so Nature presupposes +the work of God, the Creator, Preserver, Organizer, and Administrator. + +To Him alone belong infinite power, wisdom, and goodness, essential +mercy, justice, truth, and charity, immutable eternity, and immensity. +Nothing can exist and act of its own power, but every creature acts of +necessity by the power of God, the first moving cause, the first +principle and origin of every action, Who acts in every active being. + +If we consider the ordered harmony of the universe, it is the Providence +of God which must arrange all things, even to the smallest details. + +From the infinitely great to the infinitely small nothing can escape His +eternal Providence; nothing has been drawn from His control, either in +the acts of free-will, in events we ascribe to chance or fate, or in +what has been designed by Him. We may go further: it is as impossible +for God to make anything which does not fall within the dominion of His +Providence as it is for Him to create anything which is not subject to +His action. Divine Providence, therefore, extends over all things, even +the thoughts of man. + +This is the teaching of Holy Scripture, for in the Epistle of St. Peter +it is written: "Casting all your care upon Him, for He hath care of +you."[77] + +And, again, the Prophet says: "Cast thy care upon the Lord and He shall +sustain thee."[78] Also in Ecclesiasticus we read: "My children, behold +the generations of men; and know ye that no one hath hoped in the Lord, +and hath been confounded. For who hath continued in His commandment, and +hath been forsaken?"[79] And the Lord says: "Be not solicitous, +therefore, saying, What shall we eat?"[80] All that thou canst hope for +from God, however great it may be, thou shalt without doubt receive, +according to the promise in Deuteronomy: "Every place that your foot +shall tread upon shall be yours."[81] As much as thou canst desire thou +shalt receive, and as far as the foot of thy confidence reaches, so far +thou shalt possess. + +Hence St. Bernard says: "God, the Creator of all things, is so full of +mercy and compassion that whatever may be the grace for which we stretch +out our hands, we shall not fail to receive it."[82] + +It is written in St. Mark: "Whatsoever ye shall ask when ye pray, +believe that you shall receive, and they shall come unto you."[83] + +The greater and more persistent thy confidence in God, and the more +earnestly thou turnest to Him in lowly reverence, the more abundantly +and certainly shalt thou receive all thou dost hope and ask. + +But if, on account of the number and magnitude of his sins, the +confidence of any should languish, let him who feels this torpor +remember that all is possible to God, that what He wills must +infallibly happen, and what He wills not cannot come to pass, and, +finally, that it is as easy for Him to forgive and blot out innumerable +and heinous sins as to forgive one. + +On the other hand, it is just as impossible for a sinner to deliver +himself from a single sin as it would be for him to raise and cleanse +himself from many sins; for, not only are we unable to accomplish this, +but of ourselves we cannot even think what is right.[84] All comes to us +from God. It is, however, far more dangerous, other things being equal, +to be entangled in many sins than to be held only by one. + +In truth, no evil remains unpunished, and for every mortal sin is due, +in strict justice, an infinite punishment, because a mortal sin is +committed against God, to Whom belong infinite greatness, dignity, and +glory. + +Moreover, according to the Apostle, "the Lord knoweth who are His,"[85] +and it is impossible that one of them should perish, no matter how +violently the tempests and waves of error rage, how great the scandal, +schisms and persecutions, how grievous the adversities, discords, +heresies, tribulations, or temptations of every kind. + +The number of the elect and the measure of their merit is eternally and +unalterably predestined. So true is this that all the good and evil +which can happen to them or to others, all prosperity and adversity, +serve only to their advantage. + +Nay more, adversity does but render them more glorious, and proves their +fidelity more surely. + +Delay not, therefore, to commit all things without fear to the +Providence of God, by Whose permission all evil of whatever kind +happens, and ever for some good end. It could not be except He permitted +it; its form and measure are allowed by Him Who can and will by His +wisdom turn all to good. + +Just as it is by His action that all good is wrought, so is it by His +permission that all evil happens.[86] + +But from the evil He draws good, and thus marvellously shows forth His +power, wisdom, and clemency by our Lord Jesus Christ. So also He +manifests His mercy and His justice, the power of grace, the weakness of +nature, and the beauty of the universe. So He shows by the force of +contrast the glory of the good, and the malice and punishment of the +wicked. + +In like manner, in the conversion of a sinner we behold contrition, +confession, and penance; and, on the other hand, the tenderness of God, +His mercy and charity, His glory and His goodness. + +Yet sin does not always turn to the good of those who commit it; but it +is usually the greatest of perils and worst of ills, for it causes the +loss of grace and glory. It stains the soul and provokes chastisement +and even eternal punishment. From so great an evil may our Lord Jesus +vouchsafe to preserve us! Amen. + + + R. AND T. WASHBOURNE, LTD., PRINTERS, LONDON. + + + + +FOOTNOTES: + +[1] Following the general tradition, we attribute this work to Albert +the Great, but not all critics are agreed as to its authenticity. + +[2] Albert the Great is speaking here in a special manner of religious +perfection, although what he says is also true of Christian perfection +in general. + +[3] He speaks here of the obligation laid upon all Christians. + +[4] Religious bind themselves to observe as a duty that which was only +of counsel. To them, therefore, the practice of the counsels becomes an +obligation. + +[5] The vows of religion have as their immediate object the removal of +obstacles to perfection, but they do not in themselves constitute +perfection. Perfection consists in charity. Albert the Great speaks of +only one vow, because in his day the formulas of religious profession +mentioned only the vow of obedience, which includes the other two vows. + +[6] John iv. 24. + +[7] Matt. vi. 6. + +[8] When Albert the Great and the other mystics warn us against +solicitude with regard to creatures, they refer to that solicitude which +is felt for creatures in themselves; they do not mean that we ought not +to occupy ourselves with them in any way for God's sake. The great +doctor explains his meaning in clear terms later on in this work. + +[9] 1 Pet. v. 7. + +[10] Phil. iv. 6. + +[11] Ps. liv. 23. + +[12] Ps. lxxii. 28. + +[13] Ps. xv. 8. + +[14] Cant. iii. 4. + +[15] Wis. vii. 11. + +[16] Matt. xvi. 26. + +[17] Luke xvii. 21. + +[18] Albert the Great supposes here that we give ourselves equally to +God and to creatures, which would be wrong, and not that creatures are +subordinated to God, which would be a virtue. + +[19] This must be understood to mean that God is the principal and +supreme end of all created activities. + +[20] The perfect image of God in man does not consist merely in the +possession of those faculties by which we resemble Him, but rather in +performing by faith and love, as far as is in our power, acts like those +which He performs, in knowing Him as He knows Himself, in loving Him as +He loves Himself. + +[21] In scholastic theology the term "form" is used of that which gives +to anything its accidental or substantial being. God is the "accidental +form" of the soul, because in giving it its activity He bestows upon it +something of His own activity, by means of sanctifying grace. Yet more +truly may it be said that God is also the "form" of the soul in the +sense that it is destined by the ordinary workings of Providence to +participate by sanctifying grace in the Being of God, enjoying thus a +participation real, though created, in the Divine nature. + +[22] We must avoid these things in so far as they separate us from God, +but they may also serve to draw us nearer to Him if we regard them in +God and for God. + +[23] It is by the intelligence and will that man actually attains to +this, but the use of the sensitive faculties is presupposed. + +[24] The sensitive faculties, if used as a means, often help us to draw +near to God, but when used as an end, their activity becomes an +obstacle. + +[25] This teaching is the Christian rendering of the axiom formulated by +the Philosopher: "Homo sedendo fit sapiens"--"It is in quiet that man +gains wisdom." + +[26] This is especially true for religious. + +[27] By this is meant that the Holy Scriptures, though always +presupposed as the foundation of our belief, of themselves give only an +objective knowledge of God, while that which the Holy Ghost gives is +experimental. + +[28] God knows and loves Himself in Himself by His own nature, while we +know and love Him in Himself by grace. + +[29] A very striking feature in the doctrine of this book is that it +requires first the perfection of the soul and the faculties, whence +proceeds that of our actions. Some modern authors, confining themselves +to casuistry, speak almost exclusively of the perfection of actions, a +method less logical and less thorough. + +[30] Prov. viii. 31. + +[31] The exterior powers of a man are the imagination and passions; the +interior his intelligence and will, which sometimes find themselves +deprived of all the aids of sensible devotion. + +[32] In truth, all the designs of God in our regard are full of mercy, +and tend especially to our sanctification; the obstacles to these +designs come only from our evil passions. + +[33] The book "De Spiritu et Anima" is of uncertain authorship. It is +printed after the works of St. Augustine in Migne's "Patrologia Latina," +vol. xl., 779. + +[34] This darkness is the silence of the imagination, which no longer +gains a hearing, and that of the intellect, which is sufficiently +enlightened to understand that we can in reality understand nothing of +the Divinity in itself, and that the best thing we can do is to remove +from our conception of God all those limitations which we observe in +creatures. The reason of this is that we can only know God naturally by +means of what we see in creatures, and these are always utterly +insufficient to give us an adequate idea of the Creator. + +[35] Ps. lxxxiii. 8. + +[36] We only lose God, the uncreated Good, by an unlawful attachment to +created good; if we are free from this attachment, we tend to Him +without effort. + +[37] The subsequent condemnation, in 1687, of this doctrine, as taught +by Molino, could not, of course, be foreseen by Blessed Albertus writing +in the thirteenth century. + +[38] John xiv. 6. + +[39] And this she does because creatures no longer occupy her, except +for God's sake. + +[40] This is so because, according to true philosophy, the essence of a +thing is distinct from its existence. + +[41] Every actual cause is more intimately present to its accomplished +work than the work itself, which it necessarily precedes. + +[42] John i. 3, 4. + +[43] We cannot always experience Divine things, and at first we can only +compare them to the things which we experience here below. + +[44] We deny that there is in God anything which is a mere potentiality, +or an imperfection. We deny in Him also the process of reasoning which +is the special work of the faculty of reason, because this implies the +absence of the vision of truth. We deny "being as it is found in +creatures," because in creatures it is necessarily limited, and subject +to accident. + +[45] "Nom. Div.," i. + +[46] Exod. xxxiii. 11; Num. xii. 8; Heb. iii. 2. + +[47] It would be well to quote St. Thomas, the disciple of Albert the +Great, upon this important doctrine: "A thing may be said to belong to +the contemplative life in two senses, either as an essential part of it, +or as a preliminary disposition. The moral virtues do not belong to the +essence of contemplation, whose sole end is the contemplation of +truth.... But they belong to it as a necessary predisposition ... +because they calm the passions and the tumult of exterior +preoccupations, and so facilitate contemplation" ("Sum.," 2, 2{ae}, q. +180, a. 2). + +This distinction should never be lost sight of in reading the mystic +books of the scholastics. + +[48] John xvii. 3. + +[49] Ps. xvi. 15. + +[50] This admirable doctrine condemns a whole mass of insipid, shallow, +affected and sensual books and ideas, which have in modern times flooded +the world of piety, have banished from souls more wholesome thoughts, +and filled them with a questionable and injurious sentimentality. + +[51] Matt. xi. 6; xiii. 57, etc. + +[52] This shows an excellent grasp of the meaning of the celebrated +maxim "Perinde ac cadaver." + +[53] Luke x. 42. + +[54] _Ibid._ + +[55] Luke ii. 14. + +[56] Nothing could be more conformable to the teaching of the Gospel +than this doctrine. + +At His birth Jesus bids the Angels sing that peace belongs to men of +good will (Luke ii. 14); later He will declare that His meat is to do +the will of His Father (John iv. 34); that He seeks not His own will, +but the will of Him Who sent Him (John v. 30); that He came down from +heaven to accomplish it (John vi. 38); and when face to face with death +He will still pray that the Father's will be done, not His (Matt. xxvi. +39; Luke xxii. 42). Over and over again, in the Gospel, do we find Him +using the same language. + +He would have His disciples act in the same manner. It is not the man, +He tells us, who repeats the words: "My Father, my Father," who shall +enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of God (Matt. +vii. 21; Rom. ii. 13; Jas. i. 22); and in the prayer which He dictates +to us He bids us ask for the accomplishment of this will as the means of +glorifying God, and of sanctifying our souls (Matt. vi. 10). + +Finally, He tells us that if we conform ourselves to this sovereign +will, we shall be His brethren (Matt. xii. 50; Mark iii. 35). + +When certain persons, pious or otherwise, confusing sentiment with true +love, ask themselves if they love God, or if they will be able to love +Him always, we have only to ask them the same question in other words: +Are they doing the will of God? can they do it?--_i.e._, can they +perform their duty for God's sake? Put thus, the question resolves +itself. + +The reason for such a doctrine is very simple: to love anyone is to wish +him well; that, in the case of God, is to desire His beneficent will +towards us. Our Lord and Master recalled this principle when He said to +His disciples, "You are My friends, if you do the things that I command +you" (John xv. 14). + +[57] We must, in virtue of the same principle, keep a firm hold of the +truth, as indisputable as it is frequently forgotten, that we have the +merit of the good which we will to carry out and are unable to +accomplish, as we have also the demerit of the evil we should have done +and could not. + +[58] "Upon the will depends our future of Heaven or hell," because, +given the knowledge of God, the will attaches itself to Him by love, or +hates Him with obstinacy. + +[59] We may notice, in particular, a three-fold benefit: first, +temptation calls for conflict, and so strengthens virtue; then it +obliges a man to adhere deliberately to that virtue which is assailed by +the temptation, and so gain a further perfection; finally, there are +necessarily included in both the conflict and the adherence to good +numerous virtuous, and therefore meritorious, acts. Thus we may reap +advantage from temptation both in our dispositions and our acts. + +[60] Job vii. 1. + +[61] 1 John iv. 8. + +[62] Cant. viii. 6. + +[63] The author is speaking here of the soul in so far as it is human, +and it is as such that it is more where it loves than where it gives +life. + +[64] Without charity there is no perfect virtue, since without it no +virtue can lead man to his final end, which is God, although it may lead +him to some lower end. It is in this sense that, according to the older +theologians, charity is the "form" of the other virtues, since by it the +acts of all the other virtues are supernaturalized and directed to their +true end--_i.e._, to God. _Cf._ St. Th. "Sum.," 2, 2{ae}, q. 23, aa. 7, +8. + +[65] Matt. xxii. 40. + +[66] Rom. xiii. 10. + +[67] 1 Tim. i. 5. + +[68] God can only love Himself or creatures for His own sake; if we have +this love within our souls we shall be in a certain sense one being with +Him. + +[69] This teaching is based on the definition that prayer is essentially +"an elevation of the soul to God." + +[70] 1 Thess. v. 17. + +[71] 1 Tim. ii. 8. + +[72] Remission may be obtained in this way of the fault in the case of +venial sins, of the punishment due in all sins. + +[73] Ps. ix. 24. + +[74] Isa. iii. 12. + +[75] Luke vi. 26. + +[76] St. Thomas explains as follows both the possibility and the +correctness of this opinion of ourselves: "A man can, without falsehood, +believe and declare himself viler than all others, both on account of +the secret faults which he knows to exist within him, and on account of +the gifts of God hidden in the souls of others." + +St. Augustine, in his work "De Virginit.," ch. lii., says: "Believe that +others are better than you in the depths of their souls, although +outwardly you may appear better than they." + +In the same way one may truthfully both say and believe that one is +altogether useless and unworthy in his own strength. The Apostle says (2 +Cor. iii. 5): "Not that we are sufficient to think anything of +ourselves, as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God" ("Sum.," 2, +2{ae}, q. 161, a. 6, 1{m}). + +[77] 1 Pet. v. 7. + +[78] Ps. liv. 23. + +[79] Ecclus. ii. 11, 12. + +[80] Matt. vi. 31. + +[81] Deut. xi. 24. + +[82] _Cf._ Serm. I. in Pent. + +[83] Mark xi. 24. + +[84] 2 Cor. iii. 5. + +[85] 2 Tim. ii. 19. + +[86] The teaching of Albert the Great on Divine Providence is truly +admirable. It is based upon the axiom that the actions of the creature +do not depend partly upon itself and partly upon God, but wholly upon +itself and wholly upon God (_cf._ St. Thomas "Cont. Gent.," iii. 70). + +Human causality is not parallel with the Divine, but subordinate to it, +as the scholastics teach. This doctrine alone safeguards the action of +God and of that of the creature. The doctrine of parallelism derogates +from both, and leads to fatalism by attributing to God things which He +has not done, and suppressing for man the necessary principle of all +good, especially that of liberty. + +It is the doctrine of subordinated causes also which explains how things +decreed by God are determined by the supreme authority, and infallibly +come to pass, without prejudice to the freedom of action of secondary +causes. All this belongs to the highest theology. Unhappily, certain +modern authors have forgotten it. + + + + + _The Angelus Series_ + + OF + + Authorized Translations of Standard + Foreign Works, Original Works, + and Selections + + + THE FIRST SEVEN VOLUMES ARE + + =ON KINDNESS.= By Very Rev. J. GUIBERT, S.S. _20,000 Copies sold in + France._ + + =ON CHARACTER.= By Very Rev. J. GUIBERT, S.S. _18,000 Copies sold in + France._ + + =ON THANKSGIVING.= Selected from Father Faber's Works. By the Hon. + ALISON STOURTON. + + =FROM A GARDEN JUNGLE.= By AN UNPAID SECRETARY. + + =ON PIETY.= By Very Rev. J. GUIBERT, S.S. _13,000 Copies sold in + France._ + + =ON THE EXERCISES OF PIETY.= By Very Rev. J. GUIBERT, S.S. _13,000 + Copies sold in France._ + + =ON UNION WITH GOD.= By Blessed ALBERT THE GREAT, O.P. With notes + by Rev. P. J. BERTHIER, O.P. + + + OTHER VOLUMES IN PREPARATION. + + _Art linen, gilt, with ingrained paper sides, 1s. 3d. net._ + + _Paste-grain leather, gilt top and back, 2s. 6d. net._ + + + LONDON: + R. & T. WASHBOURNE, LTD., PATERNOSTER ROW. + + + + +Transcriber's Notes: + + + Passages in italics or underlined are indicated by _italics_. + + Passages in bold are indicated by =bold=. + + Superscripted letters are indicated by {superscript}. + + + + + + + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of On Union with God, by Albertus Magnus + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ON UNION WITH GOD *** + +***** This file should be named 36402-8.txt or 36402-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/6/4/0/36402/ + +Produced by David E. Brown, Bryan Ness and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +https://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +https://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at https://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit https://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including including checks, online payments and credit card +donations. To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + https://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. |