Humility
The virtue of humility, especially as expressed in reluctance to accept ecclesiastical office (nolo episcopari) and in low self-assessment despite great learning. Moses declined God's call multiple times; Basil fled and feigned sickness; Van der Burch grieved deeply and resisted the archbishopric; Lapide affirmed "I am the most foolish of men."
Preliminaries
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TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI.
— Cyprian praises Bishop Cornelius for being "quiet and modest" and suffering compulsion to accept the episcopate.
"quiet and modest, and such as those are accustomed to be who are divinely chosen for this place, out of the modesty of his virginal conscience, and out of the humility of the diffidence innate to him and carefully preserved"
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TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI.
— Moses declined God's call multiple times, making excuses to the point of provoking God's anger. Basil fled the bishopric, hid, feigned sickness, and accepted only with great resistance.
"Moses, called by God to take up the leadership a third and fourth time, declined, making excuses to the point of provoking God's anger, rejecting the honour and the burden alike."
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TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI.
— Van der Burch wished to resign as Vicar and withdraw to live for God; only his Provincial drew him back.
"you wished to shake off the burden, to withdraw, and to live for yourself and for God"
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TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI.
— Van der Burch grieved deeply, resisted long, and sought escape when nominated Archbishop of Cambrai; only accepted when driven and compelled.
"how deeply you grieved, how long you resisted, how many means of escape you sought — and only when driven and compelled by the importunate entreaties of many, and by threats and near-force... did you at last unwillingly accept the office."
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TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI.
— St. Authbert of Cambrai "shone among the people of Cambrai and Hainault with marvellous humility and holiness."
"Authert shone among the people of Cambrai and Hainault with marvellous humility and holiness."
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THE LIFE OF CORNELIUS A LAPIDE.
— Lapide's own humility: despite vast learning, he affirmed "I am the most foolish of men" and "I feel how little progress I have made."
"So humble was his opinion of himself amid so vast a learning... that he would affirm: 'Truly and in my conscience, I am the most foolish of men, and the wisdom of men is not with me; I am a little child who does not know his own going out or coming in.'"
Pope Clement VIII, Jerome's Prefaces, On Worship
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I. THE HELMETED PROLOGUE.
— Jerome compares his offering to skins and goats' hair while others offer gold and silver, and declares his humility before his critics.
"it goes well with us if we offer skins and goats' hair."
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I. THE HELMETED PROLOGUE.
— Jerome, knowing his humility, resolves to guard his ways and keep silence, citing Psalm 38.
"I, knowing my humility, will always remember that saying"
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II. JEROME TO PAULINUS.
— Jerome refuses to be a master, pledging himself as a companion: "refusing to be a master, I pledge myself as a companion."
"refusing to be a master, I pledge myself as a companion."
Preface and Praise of Sacred Scripture
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Chapter V: On the Dispositions Required for This Study
— Augustine to Dioscorus: the first, second, and third requirement for grasping truth is humility, just as Demosthenes gave three places to pronunciation.
"the first thing is humility, the second is humility, the third is humility; and as often as you ask me, I would say the same thing"
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Chapter V: On the Dispositions Required for This Study
— Augustine: the student of Scripture should consider that knowledge puffs up but charity builds up; rooted in humble charity we may comprehend the breadth, length, height, and depth of Christ.
"Let the student of Scripture consider," he says, "that Apostolic saying: Knowledge puffs up, but charity builds up, and that saying of Christ: Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart"
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Chapter V: On the Dispositions Required for This Study
— Cardinal Hosius warned that pride would lead Bishop Dudecius to apostasy; the prediction came true.
"When Hosius was asked whence he had foreseen this, he replied: From the man's pride alone; for his mind, perceiving him tenacious of his own judgment, foresaw that he would fall into this pit"
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Chapter I: On the Excellence, Necessity, and Fruit of Sacred Scripture
— Victorinus turned from pride to Christian humility through Scripture.
"Divine Scripture was able to turn Victorinus, then a puffed-up Rhetorician of the city, from pagan superstition and pride to Christian faith and humility"