The Steps of Humility and Pride XVII:45-XVIII:46 73: Eighth Step: Self-Justification
The Steps of Humility and Pride XVII:45-XVIII:46
EIGHTH STEP: SELF-JUSTIFICATION
XVII. 45. There are many ways of excusing sins.335 One will say: "I didn't do it." Another; "I did it, but I was perfectly right in doing it." If it was wrong he may say: "It isn't all that bad." If it was decidedly harmful, he can fall back on:
"I meant well." If the bad intention is too evident he will take refuge in the excuses of Adam and Eve and say someone else led him into it.336 If a man defends his obvious sins like that, he is hardly likely to fulfill the fifth degree of humility in St Benedict's Rule and "make known to his Abbot by humble confession the evil thoughts of his heart and the sins he has committed in secret."337
THE NINTH STEP: HYPOCRITICAL CONFESSION
XVIII. 46. Excuses of this kind are bad enough for the Psalmist to call them "words of malice," but there is something even more dangerous than this stubborn and obstinate selfdefence, and that is hypocritical confession springing from pride.338 There are some who, when they are caught out in wrong-doing and know that if they defend themselves they will not be believed, find a subtle way out of the difficulty in deceitful self-accusation. This is the kind of man "who humbles himself deceitfully while his mind is full of evil."339 Their
335. See previous note.
336. Gen 3:12-13. See Pre 27 where Bernard, citing the same Ps text (140:4) develops his comment on Adam and Eve, finding the greater sin in this excusemaking (OB 3:272f; CF 1:126).
337. RB 7:44. The early Consuetudines of the Cistercians following RB 46, provided for two kinds of confession: open public confession in chapter and private secret confession to the prior at the end of chapter or at other suitable times. See Consuetudines Ordinis Cisterciensis III, c. 70 in Nomasticon
Cisterciense, ed R Sejalon (Solesmes: St Peter's, 1892), pp. 145ff;also Usus Conversorum
11, ibid, p. 239.
338. Bernard speaks of the properties of confession in Div 40:6, the first of which is that it be "true." It is also to be complete and personal, not involving others— vera, nuda et propria (OB 6-l:239f; CF 46). The seven steps in the ways of obedience and confession developed by St Bernard in that Sermon might be fruitfully compared with these steps of humility.
339. Sir 19:23.
The Steps of Humility and Pride XVII:47 eyes are cast down, they humble themselves to the very dust, they wring out some tears if they can, sighs and groans interrupt their words. They will not merely admit what has happened but will exaggerate their guilt. They accuse themselves of things so great, so incredible, that you begin to doubt the charges you were certain of before. The things they say about themselves now can surely not be true, perhaps the other things are not so certain either. They are making statements they do not want you to believe, they defend the fault by confessing and hide it by false openness. The confession sounds very well but evil is hidden in the heart. The hearer is led to think that the accusation is not really true, it is only humility. After all, the Scripture says: "The just man is his own first accuser."340 Such men are willing that you think they are telling lies about themselves, so long as you do not think they are failing in humility. They will not get much credit from God for either truth or humility. If their guilt is too great for any defence they will assume the attitude of penitents hoping that their fault will be forgotten in admiration of their candid confession; but the candor of their confession is all in outward show. It does not come from the heart and cancels no sin.
47. Pride is certainly paying a compliment to humility if it uses it as a disguise when it would escape punishment. The superior will see through this fraud quickly enough if instead of taking notice of this proud humiliation he refuses to overlook the offense or remit the punishment. An earthen vessel is tested by fire341 and the true penitent by tribulation. A real penitent is not afraid of the difficulties of penance.342
Whatever is enjoined upon him for the fault which he hates, he patiently embraces with a quiet mind. If obedience should expose him to hard and mortifying things and even undeserved reproaches he will bear it unflinchingly. He has possession of the fourth degree of humility.343 The man whose penitence
340. Prov 18:17 (Old Latin or Italic version).
341. Sir 27:6.
342. Cf. Conv 6; OB 4:77f; CF 43.
343. "The fourth degree of humility is that he hold fast to patience with a silent mind when in this obedience he meets with difficulties and contradictions and even any kind of injustice, enduring all without growing weary or running away.
- R B 7:35-36.