Mystics

"When thou dost shine, darkness looks white and fair, Forms turn to musick, clouds to smiles and air; Rain gently spends his honey-drops, and pours Balm on the cleft earth, milk on grass and flowers. Bright pledge of peace and sun-shine! the sure tye Of thy Lord's hand, the object of his eye. When I behold thee, though my light be dim, Distant, and low, I can in thine see Him Who looks upon thee from his glorious throne, And mindes the covenant 'twixt all and One."

"Still young and fine! but what is still in view We slight as old and soil'd, though fresh and new."

"My soul, there is a country Far beyond the stars Where stands a wingèd sentry All skillful in the wars: There, above noise and danger, Sweet Peace is crowned with smiles, And One born in a manger Commands the beauteous files."

"And yet, as angels in some brighter dreams Call to the soul when man doth sleep, So some strange thoughts transcend our wonted themes, And into glory peep."

"Dear, beauteous death, the jewel of the just! Shining nowhere but in the dark; What mysteries do lie beyond thy dust, Could man outlook that mark!"

"I see them walking in an air of glory Whose light doth trample on my days, My days, which are at best but dull and hoary, Mere glimmering and decays."

"They are all gone into the world of light! And I alone sit lingering here; Their very memory is fair and bright, And my sad thoughts doth clear."

"I saw Eternity the other night Like a great ring of pure and endless light. All calm, as it was bright; And round beneath it, Time in hours, days, years, Driv'n by the spheres Like a vast shadow moved; in which the world And all her train were hurled."

"Dear, harmless age! the short, swift span Where weeping Virtue parts with man; Where love without lust dwells, and bends What way we please without self-ends. An age of mysteries! which he Must live that would God's face see Which angels guard, and with it play, Angels! which foul men drive away."

"Why should I not love childhood still? Why, if I see a rock or shelf, Shall I from thence cast down myself? Or by complying with the world, From the same precipice be hurled? Those observations are but foul, Which make me wise to lose my soul. And yet the practice worldlings call Business, and weighty action all, Checking the poor child for his play, But gravely cast themselves away."

"I cannot reach it, and my striving eye Dazzles at it, as at eternity. Were now that chronicle alive, Those white designs which children drive, And the thoughts of each harmless hour, With their content too in my pow'r, Quickly would I make my path even, And by mere playing go to heaven."

"Some men a forward motion love, But I by backward steps would move."

"When yet I had not walk'd above A mile or two from my first Love, And looking back, at that short space Could see a glimpse of His bright face; When on some gilded cloud or flower My gazing soul would dwell an hour, And in those weaker glories spy Some shadows of eternity; Before I taught my tongue to wound My conscience with a sinful sound, Or had the black art to dispense A several sin to every sense, But felt through all this fleshly dress Bright shoots of everlastingness."

"Happy those early days, when I Shined in my angel-infancy! Before I understood this place Appointed for my second race."

"There is in God — some say — A deep, but dazzling darkness; as men here Say it is late and dusky, because they See not all clear. O for that Night! where I in Him Might live invisible and dim!"

"La gloire de Bossuet est devenue l'une des religions de la France."

"Bossuet was a man you instinctively approached on all fours."

"La sagesse humaine apprend beaucoup, si elle apprend à se taire."

"Dieu est celui en qui le non-être n'a pas de lieu."

"[L]a perfection est la raison d'être."

"Au milieu des déguisements et des artifices qui règnent parmi les hommes, il n'y a que l'attention et la vigilance qui nous puissent sauver des surprises."

"C'est le plus grande de toutes les faiblesses, que de craindre trop rie paraître faible."

"Le premier de tous les empires est celui qu'on a sur ses désirs."

"[D]éisme, c-est-à-dire […] un athéisme déguisé."

"Mais Dieu se rit des prières qu'on lui fait pour détourner les malheurs publics, quand on ne s'oppose pas à ce qui se fait pour les attirer. Que dis-je? quand on l'approuve et qu'on y souscrit, quoique ce soit avec répugnance."

"Le propre de l'hérétique, c'est-à-dire de colui qui a une opinion particulière, est de s'attacher à ses propres pensées; et le propre du catholique, c'est-à-dire de l'universel, est de préférer à ses sentiments le sentiment commun de tout l'Eglise."

"Les uns alléguant toujours que la liberté excessive se détruit enfin elle-même; et les autres craignant au contraire que l'autorité, que de sa nature croît toujours, ne dégénérât enfin en tyrannie."

"[L]e destinée ordinaire de ceux qui refusent de prêter l'oreille à la vérité est d'être entraînés à leur perte par des prophètes menteurs."

"Ne croyons pas que notre âme sait une portion de la nature divine, comme l'ont revé quelques philosophes. Dieu n'est pas un tout qui se partage."

"Il n'y a donc rien de meilleur, pour ben juger des animaux, que d'étudier soi-même auparavant. Car encore que nous ayons quelque chose au-dessus de l'animal, nous sommes animaux, et nous avons l'expérience tant de ce que fait en nous l'animal que de ce qu'y fait le raisonnement et la réflexion."

"Un homme ne veut point croire qu'il soit orgueilleux, ni lâche, ni paresseux, ni emporté; il veut croire que qu'il a raison; et quoique su conscience lui reproche souvent ses fautes, il aime mieux étordir lui-même le sentiment qu'il en a, que d'avoir le chagrin de les connaître."

"Le plus grand dérèglement de l'esprit, c'est de croire les choses parce qu'on veut qu'elles soient et non parce qu'on a vu qu'elles sont en effet."

"[I]l n'y a rien de pire que l'anarchie, c'est-a-dire de vivre sans gouvernement et sans lois."

"[T]oute vérité démontrée est nécessaire, eternelle et immuable."

"Le fruit de la démonstration est la science."

"[L]'imagination aide beaucoup l'intelligence."

"Ainsi il appartient à l'esprit , c'est-a-dire à l'intendement, de juger de la beauté; parce que juger de la beauté, c'est juger de l'ordre, de la proportion et de la justesse; choses que l'esprit seul peut apercevoir."

"Only great souls know the grandeur there is in charity."

"Honor is like the eye, which cannot suffer the least impurity without damage. It is a precious stone, the price of which is lessened by a single flaw."

"[L]a felicité de l'homme consiste a vivre selon la raison."

"L'hérétique est celui qui ha une opinion; et c'est ce que le mot même signifie. Quest-ce a dire, avoir une opinion? C'est suivre sa propre pensée et son sentiment particulier. Mais le Catholique est catholique: c'est-a-dire qu'il est universel; et sans avoir de sentiment particulier, il suit sans hèsiter celui de l'Eglise."

"[C]et inexorable ennui, qui fait le fond de la vie humaine depui que l'homme a perdu le goût de Dieu!"

"[L]es hérésies n'ont jamais été que des opinions particulières, puisqu'elles ont commencé par cinq ou six hommes."

"La foi est une adhérence du cœur à la vérité éternelle."

"[L]e monde même vous désabuse du monde."

"Il faut aller jusqu'á l'horreur quand on se connaît."

"Nature, or to speak in more Christian fashion, God, the common Father of men, from the outset gave equal rights to all his children to all the things they needed to preserve their lives. None of us can boast of being more privileged than the rest by nature; but through the insatiable desire to amass wealth, it became impossible for this beautiful brotherhood to endure for long in the world. Men had to resort to division and possession, which resulted in constant quarrels and litigation; of this were born the words 'mine' and 'thine'—such cold terms, as the admirable St. John Chrysostom remarks—of this, too, was born the great diversity of conditions, some living in affluence in every respect, others languishing in penury."

"The book of Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, has long been appreciated in the East not only by virtue of its content but because of the meaning of its title. In the midst of medieval idolatry of Christ, the voice of Thomas à Kempis resounded in protest. From behind the walls of a Catholic monastery rang out a voice to clarify the Image of the Great Teacher. The very word imitation comprises a vital action. The formula — Imitation of Christ — is an achievement of daring innate in the conscious spirit that accepts all responsibility of creation. Truly, the conscious pupil dares to approach the Teacher in imitation. Such an example brought light into the musty darkness and behind the monastic walls provided the impetus to strive toward creative daring. In accordance with the groveling medieval consciousness, it would have been fitting to say, "The Worship of Christ." But the ascendant spirit dared to pronounce a call to imitation. Each step of blessed daring must be cherished as a milestone in the progress of humanity. We do not give attention to monastic utterances. Thomas had no need to climb to the stake — his task was to proclaim not the forbidden but the inspiring formula."

"For they truly know their Lord in the breaking of bread, whose heart within them so vehemently burneth, whilst Thou, O blessed Jesus, dost walk and converse with them."

"I offer also to Thee prayers and Sacramental intercessions for those specially who have injured me in aught, made me sad, or spoken evil concerning me, or have caused me any loss or displeasure; for all those also whom I have at any time made sad, disturbed, burdened, and scandalized, by words or deeds, knowingly or ignorantly; that to all of us alike, Thou mayest equally pardon our sins and mutual offences. Take away, O Lord, from our hearts all suspicion, indignation, anger, and contention, and whatsoever is able to injure charity and diminish brotherly love. Have mercy, have mercy, Lord, on those who entreat Thy mercy; give grace to the needy; and make us such that we may be worthy to enjoy Thy grace, and go forward to the life eternal."