Bossuet: With Golden Words

This Christian Demosthenes was born at Dijon on September 27, 1627, of one of the most influential families of that city. His father, Benigne Bossuet, was a Judge in the Parliament of Dijon, and later one of the foremost officials of Metz. During his absence from Dijon, the father entrusted the education of his children to his brother Claude, a man of learning and avid literary tastes.

Incidents in Bossuet's early life

At an early age the young Bossuet began to make a second home of his uncle's library. Paging through the many books of history and literature, he found his deepest pleasure in frequenting this haunt of learning, and amazed his uncle by his prodigious feats of memory. When he was still very young, an apparently trivial incident happened that was to have a tremendous influence on his entire life. Entering the library one day while his father and uncle were discussing polities, the young Bossuet, noticing a large book open on the table, began to finger through its pages. It was the first meeting of Bossuet and the incomparable Isaias. Fascinated by the imagery, and even more impressed by the profound yet simple nature of the truths contained in this most sublime of O.T. books, he began that day a lifelong study of that work which ever after became his constant companion.

Bossuet's elementary education was obtained at the Jesuit school at Dijon. Impressed by his son's brilliant performances as a student, the elder Bossuet decided to send him to Paris to study under the celebrated Descartes, who was at this time a professor at the College de Navarre. At the age of sixteen the young man from Dijon took the Master's degree, and four years later, in 1648, defended his first thesis in theology before the Grand Condé himself.

Studied under direction of St. Vincent de Paul

An event which occurred when he was only seventeen shows clearly the precocious nature of his eloquence. His singular success in defending his philosophical thesis before the Bishop of Lisieux brought him to the attention of the Parisian literary circles. At the Hotel de Rambouillet, an old friend of his father, the Governor of Verdun, the Marquis de Feuquières, openly boasted that, if the boy were given a topic and a few moments for recollection, he would preach a sermon that would amaze his listeners. The novelty-loving literati of the Hotel de Rambouillet could hardly pass up such a challenge. Curiosity was one of their lesser vices.

The young theology student was summoned at 11 o'clock one night, possibly from his bed, to preach at the Hotel where a large crowd of the elite of Paris had gathered. Bossuet arrived, received his subject, and took the audience by storm. Voiture's remark: "Never have I heard anyone preach so early or so late," probably reflected the sentiment of many in the audience.

The Bishop of Lisieux later repeated the experiment before a group of prelates with the same result. Drawing Bossuet aside after the improvised sermon, the bishop warned him against the danger of premature success and implored him not to allow himself to be made a popular Parisian preacher, at least until he had received Holy Orders.

After preparing for the priesthood for two years under the direction of St. Vincent de Paul, Bossuet was ordained in 1652. Refusing more ambitious proposals offered to him at Paris, he departed for Metz. There in comparative peace and quiet he prepared himself spiritually and intellectually for his future duties as preacher at the Royal Court, teacher of the Dauphin, and Bishop of Meaux.

Bossuet never flattered his Royal or Noble Listeners

At the insistence of St. Vincent de Paul, Bossuet returned to Paris in 1659 to devote himself entirely to preaching. With him came a new style of preaching to royal listeners. Flattery had been in vogue even in the pulpit to a degree that disgusted sensible listeners. The courtiers were masters of self-deception, and gourmands in devouring praise. No one could possibly speak more kindly of them than they thought of themselves. Flattery was so much a part of their lives that to be effective it had to be excessive.

Bossuet would have no parts of such a style, and the courtiers soon grew accustomed to swallowing the medicine he gave them without the sugar coating they had grown accustomed to receiving. To the Queen he addressed the following: "Your Majesty, it is too cruel a flattery to tell the great that they are faultless. On the contrary, the very eminence of royalty involves the consequence that no fault of theirs. can be trifling." One of the most reliable witnesses to Bossuet's genius as a speaker is the fact that these creatures of pride and praise continued to listen to him.

In the care which he took in preparing sermons, Bossuet could well serve as model for priests who are faced with the dreary and painstaking task of preparing sermons regularly. Though he probably had no equal at improvising sermons on the spur of the moment, Bossuet rarely relied on his talent for extemporaneous preaching. He carefully composed his sermons, and the abundance of marginal notes on his manuscripts indicate how frequently they were revised for improvement.

One other aspect of his preparation for preaching should not be overlooked. Almost every paragraph of his sermons reflects his abundant knowledge of Sacred Scripture and the Fathers, especially St. Augustine, who seems to have been his favorite non-biblical author. It was probably this continual study which added richness to his sermons.

In 1670 Bossuet was drawn even. closer to the Court by his appointment as Preceptor of the Dauphin, the successor to the throne of France. Realizing the importance of his assignment, for in all probability he would mould the mind and soul of the future king of France, Bossuet applied himself diligently to his duty, attending to all the young Prince's lessons, and even composing many of the textbooks to fit the Dauphin's particular needs and temperament. For ten years he devoted himself to this task, which later appeared fruitless; for the Dauphin was naturally dull, and died in 1711 before his father, King Louis XIV.

After the marriage of the Dauphin, Bossuet was selected for the bishopric of Meaux. Before occupying his episcopal see, however, he became involved in that great struggle between the Pope and the French Church. Bossuet, like many of the French bishops, had a sincere though exaggerated notion of the liberties due the Gallican Church. On no occasion did he ever deny the Primacy of Rome or the preeminent dignity of the Apostolic See; yet, it must be admitted that he played a prominent role in the historic French Assembly of 1682, and actually drew up the famous "Four Articles," which were received so unfavourably in Rome.

Meticulous Devotion to his Episcopal Duties

As soon as the French Assembly had dispersed, Bossuet returned to his diocese. During the twenty-two years that he spent as Bishop of Meaux, he proved himself a prelate after the pattern of that great model of bishops, St. Charles Borromeo. Though he remained till his last days an avid scholar, and would probably have preferred devoting himself without interruption to his studies, he never neglected his episcopal duties for his own personal preferences.

His reverence for rubrics and exactitude in observing liturgical ceremonies proved an inspiration to his clergy. Though he attended to all his duties with great care, he usually excused himself from the many formalities and visits which devour the precious time of great men. Despising the frivolous conversation and petty time-wasting diversions so popular in his day, he valued ordinary conversation only as a means of relaxation after strenuous labor.

One of his habits, though peculiar, explains the enormous extent of his literary accomplishments. After sleeping a few hours, he would rise, say his breviary, and study or write till he felt ready for more rest. Then he would lie down and immediately go to sleep. Bossuet carefully avoided taking part in the vain activities of the Court Life and the loquacious literary circles of Paris. By his habits of retirement and love of study he gained a profound mastery of history, the classics, philosophy.

and theology. This great learning he used to good avail in his sermons, and at a later period in the famous controversies in which he was engaged.

Bossuet as an Outstanding Controversialist

As a controversialist, Bossuet ranks with the great St. Robert Bellarmine and Bishop Huet of Avranches. His "History of the Variations of the Protestant Churches" showed with the clearness characteristic of his style the contradictions, variations and absurdities of the Protestant Churches.

Protestants were not his only opponents. The Jansenists he opposed for the excessive rigor of their moral code; and, on the other hand, he staunchly resisted the teachings of the Probabilists, for he believed that their system. of moral theology would inevitably lead to a laxity of conduct inconsistent with Christian teachings.

His most energetic efforts were directed against Quietism, which may, in a sense, be referred to as Christian Buddhism. The Quietists urged the extinction of all desires, even the desire of salvation, and a complete passivity on the part of man in order that God might work in the soul unimpeded. Since this system discouraged many forms of prayer, and the use of the Sacraments, Bossuet considered it especially dangerous. His opposition was confirmed by the Holy See, which firmly condemned this false form of mysticism, and proved the wisdom of his strenuous exertions to check its growth 

Though in his last years his physical strength began to ebb, the cagle-like wings of his mind lost none of their strength. His life-long habit of using his time profitably persisted to the end. He still deplored the loss of fleeting moments and requested the New Testament to be read aloud to him when he could no longer read it himself. The Gospel of St. John, to which he was especially attached, was read to him sixty times during his last illness; and each time he listened to it as though he had never heard it before, girding himself by contemplation of its truths for the final struggle with death. 

With a crucifix before his eyes, he heard the prayers of the dying read over him on the morning of April 12, 1704, and departed peacefully from this life