LETTER VI. ABELARD to HELOISE. Abelard having at last conquered the Remains of his unhappy Paffion, had determined to put an End to fo dangerous a Correspondence as that between Heloise and himself. The following Letter therefore, though written with no less Concern than his former, is free from Mixtures of a worldly Passion, and is full of the warmest Sentiments of Piety, and the most moving Exhortations. 4 *RITE no more to me, Heloise, write w no more to me; 'tis Time to end a Commerce which makes our Mortifi cations of no Advantage to us. We retired from the World to fanctify ourselves; and by a Conduct directly contrary to Christian Morality, we become odious to Jesus Christ. Let us no more deceive ourselves, by flattering ourselves with the Remembrance of our paft Pleasures we shall make our Lives troublesome, and we shall be incapable of relishing the Sweets of Solitude. Let L4 : Let us make a good Use of our Austerities, and no longer preserve the Ideas of our Crimes amongst the Severities of Penitence. Let a Mortification of Body and Mind, a strict Fasting, continual Solitude, profound and holy Meditations, and a fincere Love of God, succeed our former Irregularities. Let us try to carry religious Perfection to a very difficult Point. 'Tis beautiful to find in Christianity Minds so disengaged from the Earth, from the Creatures and themselves, that they seem to act independently of those Bodies they are joined to, and to use them as their Slaves. We can never raise ourselves to too great Heights, when God is the Object. Be our Endeavours never so great, they will always come short of reaching that exalted Divinity, which even our Apprehenfions cannot reach. Let us act for God's Glory, independent of the Creatures or ourselves, without any Regard to our own Defires, or the Sentiments of others. Were we in this Temper of Mind, Heloise, I would willingly make my Abode at the Paraclete. My earnest Care for a House I have founded, would draw a thousand Blessings on it. I would instruct it by my Words, and animate it by my Example. I would watch over the Lives of my Sifters, and would command Nothing but what I myself would perform. I would direct you to pray, meditate, labour, and keep Vows of Silence Silence; and I would myself pray, meditate, labour, and be filent. However when I spoke, it should be to lift you up when you should fall, to strengthen you in your Weaknesses, to enlighten you in that Darkness and Obscurity which might at any Time surprise you. I would comfort you under those Severities used by Persons of great Virtue. I would moderate the Vivacity of your Zeal and Piety, and give your Virtue an even Temperament: I would point out those Duties which you ought to know, and fatisfy you in those Doubts which the Weakness of your Reason might occafion. I would be your Master and Father; and by a marvellous Talent, I would become lively, flow, foft, or severe, according to the different Characters of those I should guide in the painful Path of Christian Perfection. But whither does my vain Imagination carry me? Ah, Heloise, how far are we from such a happy Temper? Your Heart still burns with that fatal Fire which you cannot extinguish, and mine is full of Trouble and Uneasiness. Think not, Heloise, that I enjoy here a perfect Peace; I will, for the last Time, open my Heart to you; I am not yet disengaged from you; I fight against my excessive Tenderness for you, yet in Spite of all my Endeavours, the remaining Frailty makes me but too sensible of your Sorrows, and gives me a Share in them. Your Letters have indeed moved me, I could not read with Indifference Characters wrote by that dear Hand. I figh, I weep, and all my Reason is scarce fufficient to conceal my Weakness from my Pupils. This, unhappy Heloife! is the miferable Condition of Abelard. The World, which generally errs in its Notions, thinks I am easy, and as if I had loved only in you the Gratification of Sense, imagines I have now forgot you; but what a Mistake is this! People indeed did not mistake in thinking when we sepaTated, that Shame and Grief for having been fo cruelly ufed made me abandon the World. 'Twas not, as you know, a fincere Repentance for having offended God, which inspired me with a Defign of retiring: However, I confidered the Accident which happened to us as a fecret Design of Providence, to punish our Crimes; and only looked upon Fulbert as the Instrument of divine Vengeance. Grace drew me into an Afylum, where I might yet have remained, if the Rage of my Enemies would have permitted: I have endured all their Perfecutions, not doubting but God himself raised them up in order to purify me.. wrote When he saw me perfectly obedient to his holy Will, he permitted that I should justify my Doctrine; I made its Purity public, and shewed in the End that my Faith was not only orthodox, but also perfectly clear from even the Sufpicion of Novelty. I should be happy if I had none to fear but my Enemies, and no other Hindrance to my Salvation but but their Calumny; but, Heloise, you make me Trouble, your Letters declare to me that you are enslaved to a fatal Paffion; and yet if you cannot conquer it, you cannot be saved; and what Part would you have me take in this Cafe? Would you have me stifle the Inspirations of the Holy Ghost? Shall I, to sooth you, dry up those Tears which the Evil Spirit makes you shed: Shall this be the Fruit of my Meditations? No: let us be more firm in our Resolutions; we have not retired but in order to lament our Sins, and to gain Heaven; let us then refign ourselves to God with all our Heart. I know every Thing in the Beginning is difficult, but it is glorious to undertake the Beginning of a great Action, and that Glory increases proportionably, as the Difficulties are more confiderable. We ought upon this Account to surmount bravely all Obstacles which might hinder us in the Practice of Chriftian Virtue. In a Monastery Men are proved as Gold in the Furnace. No one can continue long there, unless he bear worthily the Yoke of our Lord, Attempt to break those shameful Chains which bind you to the Flesh, and if by the Assistance of Grace you are so happy as to accomplish this, I entreat you to think of me in your Prayers. Endeavour with all your Strength to be the Pattern of a perfect Christian; it is difficult, I confess, but not impossible; and I expect this beautiful Triumph |