|
THEOLOGICA
GERMANICA
Written by: Unknown Posted
on: 03/31/2003
Category: Classic Christian
Library
Source: CCN
THEOLOGIA GERMANICA by
an Anonymous Author
translated by Susanna Winkworth
scanned from the 1893 Golden Treasury Series edition
by John H. Richards (jhr@elidor.demon.co.uk)
and
presented as a Public Domain file on the Internet
March
1995
This work was first discovered and published in
1516 by Martin Luther who said of it that "Next to the Bible
and St. Augustine, no book has ever come into my hands from
which I have learnt more of God and Christ, and man and all
things that are." It has since appealed to Christians of all
persuasions.
================================================================
Theologia Germanica
CHAPTER I
Of that which is perfect and that which is in part,
and how that which is in part is done away, when that which is
perfect is come.
St. Paul saith, "When that
which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be
done away." Now mark what is "that which is perfect," and
"that which is in part."
"That which is perfect"
is a Being, who hath comprehended and included all things in
Himself and His own Substance, and without whom, and beside
whom, there is no true Substance, and in whom all things have
their Substance. For He is the Substance of all things, and is
in Himself unchangeable and immoveable, and changeth and
moveth all things else. But "that which is in part," or the
Imperfect, is that which hath its source in, or springeth from
the Perfect; just as a brightness or a visible appearance
floweth out from the sun or a candle, and appeareth to be
somewhat, this or that. And it is called a creature; and of
all these "things which are in part," none is the Perfect. So
also the Perfect is none of the things which are in part. The
things which are in part can be apprehended, known, and
expressed; but the Perfect cannot be apprehended, known, or
expressed by any creature as creature. Therefore we do not
give a name to the Perfect, for it is none of these. The
creature as creature cannot know nor apprehend it, name nor
conceive it.
"Now when that which is Perfect is
come, then that which is in part shall be done away." But when
doth it come? I say, when as much as may be, it is known, felt
and tasted of the soul. For the lack lieth altogether in us,
and not in it. In like manner the sun lighteth the whole
world, and is as near to one as another, yet a blind man seeth
it not; but the fault thereof lieth in the blind man, not in
the sun. And like as the sun may not hide its brightness, but
must give light unto the earth (for heaven indeed draweth its
light and heat from another fountain), so also God, who is the
highest Good, willeth not to hide Himself from any,
wheresoever He findeth a devout soul, that is thoroughly
purified from all creatures. For in what measure we put off
the creature, in the same measure are we able to put on the
Creator; neither more nor less. For if mine eye is to see
anything, it must be single, or else be purified from all
other things; and where heat and light enter in, cold and
darkness must needs depart; it cannot be otherwise.
But one might say, "Now since the Perfect cannot be
known nor apprehended of any creature, but the soul is a
creature, how can it be known by the soul?" Answer: This is
why we say, "by the soul as a creature." We mean it is
impossible to the creature in virtue of its creature-nature
and qualities, that by which it saith "I" and " myself." For
in whatsoever creature the Perfect shall be known, therein
creature-nature, qualities, the I, the Self and the like, must
all be lost and done away. This is the meaning of that saying
of St. Paul: "When that which is perfect is come" (that is,
when it is known), "then that which is in part" (to wit,
creature-nature, qualities, the I, the Self, the Mine) will be
despised and counted for nought. So long as we think much of
these things, cleave to them with love, joy, pleasure or
desire, so long remaineth the Perfect unknown to us.
But it might further be said, "Thou sayest, beside the
Perfect there is no Substance, yet sayest again that somewhat
floweth out from it: now is not that which hath flowed out
from it, something beside it" Answer: This is why we say,
beside it, or without it, there is no true Substance. That
which hath flowed forth from it, is no true Substance, and
hath no Substance except in the Perfect, but is an accident,
or a brightness, or a visible appearance, which is no
Substance, and hath no Substance except in the fire whence the
brightness flowed forth, such as the sun or a candle.
CHAPTER II
Of what Sin is, and how we
must not take unto ourselves any good Thing, seeing that it
belongeth unto the true Good alone.
The
Scripture and the Faith and the Truth say, Sin is nought else,
but that the creature turneth away from the unchangeable Good
and betaketh itself to the changeable; that is to say, that it
turneth away from the Perfect to "that which is in part" and
imperfect, and most often to itself. Now mark: when the
creature claimeth for its own anything good, such as
Substance, Life, Knowledge, Power, and in short whatever we
should call good, as if it were that, or possessed that, or
that were itself, or that proceeded from it, - as often as
this cometh to pass, the creature goeth astray. What did the
devil do else, or what was his going astray and his fall else,
but that he claimed for himself to be also somewhat, and would
have it that somewhat was his, and somewhat was due to him?
This setting up of a claim and his I and Me and Mine, these
were his going astray, and his fall. And thus it is to this
day.
CHAPTER III
How Man's Fall
and going astray must be amended as Adam' Fall was.
What else did Adam do but this same thing? It is said,
it was because Adam ate the apple that he was lost, or fell. I
say, it was because of his claiming something for his own, and
because of his I, Mine, Me, and the like. Had he eaten seven
apples, and yet never claimed anything for his own, he would
not have fallen: but as soon as he called something his own,
he fell, and would have fallen if he had never touched an
apple. Behold! I have fallen a hundred times more often and
deeply, and gone a hundred times farther astray than Adam; and
not all mankind could mend his fall, or bring him back from
going astray. But how shall my fall be amended? It must be
healed as Adam's fall was healed, and on the self-same wise.
By whom, and on what wise was that healing brought to pass?
Mark this: man could not without God, and God should not
without man. Wherefore God took human nature or manhood upon
Himself and was made man, and man was made divine. Thus the
healing was brought to pass. So also must my fall be healed. I
cannot do the work without God, and God may not or will not
without me; for if it shall be accomplished, in me, too, God
must be made man; in such sort that God must take to Himself
all that is in me, within and without, so that there may be
nothing in me which striveth against God or hindereth His
Work. Now if God took to Himself all men that are in the
world, or ever were, and were made man in them, and they were
made divine in Him, and this work were not fulfilled in me, my
fall and my wandering would never be amended except it were
fulfilled in me also. And in this bringing back and healing, I
can, or may, or shall do nothing of myself, but just simply
yield to God, so that He alone may do all things in me and
work, and I may suffer Him and all His work and His divine
will. And because I will not do so, but I count myself to be
my own, and say "I," "Mine," "Me" and the like, God is
hindered, so that He cannot do His work in me alone and
without hindrance; for this cause my fall and my going astray
remain unhealed. Behold! this all cometh of my claiming
somewhat for my own.
CHAPTER IV
How Man, when he claimeth any good Thing for his own,
falleth, and toucheth God in His Honour.
God saith, "I
will not give My glory to another." This is as much as to say,
that praise and honour and glory belong to none but to God
only. But now, if I call any good thing my own, as if I were
it, or of myself had power or did or knew anything, or as if
anything were mine or of me, or belonged to me, or were due to
me or the like, I take unto myself somewhat of honour and
glory, and do two evil things: First, I fall and go astray as
aforesaid: Secondly, I touch God in His honour and take unto
myself what belongeth to God only. For all that must be called
good belongeth to none but to the true eternal Goodness which
is God only, and whoso taketh it unto himself, committeth
unrighteousness and is against God.
CHAPTER V
How we are to take that Saying, that we must come to
be without Will Wisdom, Love, Desire, Knowledge, and the like.
Certain men say that we ought to be without will,
wisdom, love, desire, knowledge, and the like. Hereby is not
to be understood that there is to be no knowledge in man, and
that God is not to be loved by him, nor desired and
longed for, nor praised and honoured; for that were a great
loss, and man were like the beasts and as the brutes that have
no reason. But it meaneth that man's knowledge should be so
clear and perfect that he should acknowledge of a truth that
in himself he neither hath nor can do any good thing, and that
none of his knowledge, wisdom and art, his will, love and good
works do come from himself, nor are of man, nor of any
creature, but that all these are of the eternal God, from whom
they all proceed. As Christ Himself saith, " Without Me, ye
can do nothing." St. Paul saith also, "What hast thou that
thou hast not received?" As much as to say - nothing. "Now if
thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst
not received it?" Again he saith, "Not that we are sufficient
of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our
sufficiency is of God." Now when a man duly perceiveth these
things in himself, he and the creature fall behind, and he
doth not call anything his own, and the less he taketh this
knowledge unto himself, the more perfect doth it become. So
also is it with the will, and love and desire, and the like.
For the less we call these things our own, the more perfect
and noble and Godlike do they become, and the more we think
them our own, the baser and less pure and perfect do they
become.
Behold on this sort must we cast all things
from us, and strip ourselves of them; we must refrain from
claiming anything for our own. When we do this, we shall have
the best, fullest, clearest and noblest knowledge that a
man can have, and also the noblest and purest love, will and
desire; for then these will be all of God alone. It is much
better that they should be God's than the creature's. Now that
I ascribe anything good to myself, as if I were, or had done,
or knew, or could perform any good thing, or that it were
mine, this is all of sin and folly. For if the truth were
rightly known by me, I should also know that I am not that
good thing and that it is not mine, nor of me, and that I do
not know it, and cannot do it, and the like. If this came to
pass, I should needs cease to call anything my own.
It
is better that God, or His works, should be known, as far as
it be possible to us, and loved, praised and honoured, and the
like, and even that man should vainly imagine he loveth
or praiseth God, than that God should be altogether unpraised,
unloved, unhonoured and unknown. For when the vain imagination
and ignorance are turned into an understanding and knowledge
of the truth, the claiming anything for our own will cease of
itself. Then the man says: "Behold! I, poor fool that I was,
imagined it was I, but behold! it is and was, of a truth,
God!"
CHAPTER VI
How that which is best and
noblest should also be loved above all Things by us, merely
because it is the best.
A Master called Boetius
saith, "It is of sin that we do not love that which is
Best." He hath spoken the truth. That which is best should be
the dearest of all things to us; and in our love of it,
neither helpfulness nor unhelpfulness, advantage nor
injury, gain nor loss, honour nor dishonour, praise nor
blame, nor anything of the kind should be regarded; but
what is in truth the noblest and best of all things,
should be also the dearest of all things, and that for no
other cause than that it is the noblest and best.
Hereby may a man order his life within and without.
His outward life: for among the creatures one is better than
another, according as the Eternal Good manifesteth itself and
worketh more in one than in another. Now that creature in
which the Eternal Good most manifesteth itself, shineth forth,
worketh, is most known and loved, is the best, and that
wherein the Eternal Good is least manifested is the least good
of all creatures. Therefore when we have to do with the
creatures and hold converse with them, and take note of their
diverse qualities, the best creatures must always be the
dearest to us, and we must cleave to them, and unite ourselves
to them, above all to those which we attribute to God as
belonging to Him or divine, such as wisdom, truth, kindness,
peace, love, justice, and the like. Hereby shall we order our
outward man, and all that is contrary to these virtues we must
eschew and flee from.
But if our inward man were to
make a leap and spring into the Perfect, we should find and
taste how that the Perfect is without measure, number or end,
better and nobler than all which is imperfect and in part, and
the Eternal above the temporal or perishable, and the fountain
and source above all that floweth or can ever flow from it.
Thus that which is imperfect and in part would become
tasteless and be as nothing to us. Be assured of this: All
that we have said must come to pass if we are to love that
which is noblest, highest and best.
CHAPTER VII
Of the Eyes of the Spirit wherewith Man looketh into
Eternity and into Time, and how the one is hindered of the
other in its Working.
Let us remember how it is
written and said that the soul of Christ had two eyes, a right
and a left eye. In the beginning, when the soul of Christ was
created, she fixed her right eye upon eternity and the
Godhead, and remained in the full intuition and enjoyment of
the divine Essence and Eternal Perfection; and continued thus
unmoved and undisturbed by all the accidents and travail,
suffering, torment and pain that ever befell the outward man.
But with the left eye she beheld the creature and perceived
all things therein, and took note of the difference between
the creatures, which were better or worse, nobler or meaner;
and thereafter was the outward man of Christ ordered.
Thus the inner man of Christ, according to the right
eye of His soul, stood in the full exercise of His divine
nature, in perfect blessedness, joy and eternal peace. But the
outward man and the left eye of Christ's soul, stood with Him
in perfect suffering, in all tribulation, affliction and
travail; and this in such sort that the inward and right eye
remained unmoved, unhindered and untouched by all the travail,
suffering, grief and anguish that ever befell the outward man.
It hath been said that when Christ was bound to the pillar and
scourged, and when He hung upon the cross, according to the
outward man, yet His inner man, or soul according to the right
eye, stood in as full possession of divine joy and blessedness
as it did after His ascension, or as it doth now. In like
manner His outward man, or soul with the left eye, was never
hindered, disturbed or troubled by the inward eye in its
contemplation of the outward things that belonged to it.
Now the created soul of man hath also two eyes. The
one is the power of seeing into eternity, the other of seeing
into time and the creatures, of perceiving how they differ
from each other as afore-said, of giving life and needful
things to the body, and ordering and governing it for the
best. But these two eyes of the soul of man cannot both
perform their work at once; but if the__soul shall see with
the right eye into eternity, then the left eye must close
itself and refrain from working, and be as though it were
dead.
For if the left eye be fulfilling its
office toward outward things; that is, holding converse with
time and the creatures; then must the right eye be hindered in
its working; that is, in its contemplation. Therefore
whosoever will have the one must let the other go; for "no man
can serve two masters."
CHAPTER VIII
How the Soul of Man, while
it is yet in the Body, may obtain a Foretaste of eternal
Blessedness.
It hath been asked whether it be possible
for the soul, while it is yet in the body, to reach so high as
to cast a, glance into eternity, and receive a foretaste of
eternal life and eternal blessedness. This is commonly denied;
and truly so in a sense. For it indeed cannot be so long as
the soul is taking heed to the body, and the things which
minister and appertain thereto, and to time and the creature,
and is disturbed and troubled and distracted thereby. For if
the soul shall rise to such a state, she must be quite pure,
wholly stripped and bare of all images, and be entirely
separate from all creatures, and above all from herself. Now
many think this is not to be done and is impossible in this
present time. But St. Dionysius maintains that it is possible,
as we find from his words in his Epistle to Timothy, where he
saith: "For the beholding of the hidden things of God, shalt
thou forsake sense and the things of the flesh, and all that
the senses can apprehend, and that reason of her own powers
can bring forth, and all things created and uncreated that
reason is able to comprehend and know, and shalt take thy
stand upon an utter abandonment of thyself, and as knowing
none of the aforesaid things, and enter into union with Him
who is, and who is above all existence and all knowledge." Now
if he did not hold this to be possible in this present time,
why should he teach it and enjoin it on us in this present
time But it behoveth you to know that a master hath said on
this passage of St. Dionysius, that it is possible, and may
happen to a man often, till he become so accustomed to it, as
to be able to look into eternity whenever he will. For when a
thing is at first very hard to a man and strange, and
seemingly quite impossible, if he put all his strength and
energy into it, and persevere therein, that will afterward
grow quite light and easy, which he at first thought quite out
of reach, seeing that it is of no use to begin any work,
unless it may be brought to a good end.
And a single
one of these excellent glances is better, worthier, higher and
more pleasing to God, than all that the creature can perform
as a creature. And as soon as a man turneth himself in spirit,
and with his whole heart and mind entereth into the mind of
God which is above time, all that ever he hath lost is
restored in a moment. And if a man were to do thus a thousand
times in a day, each time a fresh and real union would take
place; and in this sweet and divine work standeth the truest
and fullest union that may be in this present time. For he who
hath attained thereto, asketh nothing further, for he hath
found the Kingdom of Heaven and Eternal Life on earth.
CHAPTER IX
How it is better and more
profitable for a Man that he should perceive what God will do
with him, or to what end He will make Use of him, than if he
knew all that Gad had ever wrought, or would ever work through
all the Creatures; and how Blessedness lieth alone in
God, and not in the Creatures, or in any Works.
We
should mark and know of a very truth that all manner of virtue
and goodness, and even that Eternal Good which is God Himself,
can never make a man virtuous, good, or happy, so long as it
is outside the soul; that is, so long as the man is holding
converse with outward things through his senses and reason,
and doth not withdraw into himself and learn to understand his
own life, who and what he is. The like is true of sin and
evil. For all manner of sin and wickedness can never make us
evil, so long as it is outside of us; that is, so long as we
do not commit it, or do not give consent to it.
Therefore although it be good and profitable that we
should ask, and learn and know, what good and holy men have
wrought and suffered, and how God hath dealt with them, and
what He hath wrought in and through them, yet it were a
thousand times better that we should in ourselves learn and
perceive and understand, who we are, how and what our own life
is, what God is and is doing in us, what He will have from us,
and to what ends He will or will not make use of us. For, of a
truth, thoroughly to know oneself, is above all art, for it is
the highest art. If thou knowest thyself well, thou art better
and more praiseworthy before God, than if thou didst not know
thyself, but didst understand the course of the heavens and of
all the planets and stars, also the dispositions of all
mankind, also the nature of all beasts, and, in such matters,
hadst all the skill of all who are in heaven and on earth. For
it is said, there came a voice from heaven, saying, "Man, know
thyself." Thus that proverb is still true, "Going out were
never so good, but staying at home were much better."
Further, ye should learn that eternal blessedness
lieth in one thing alone, and in nought else. And if ever man
or the soul is to be made blessed, that one thing alone must
be in the soul. Now some might ask, "But what is that one
thing?" I answer, it is Goodness, or that which hath been made
good; and yet neither this good nor that, which we can name,
or perceive or show; but it is all and above all good things.
Moreover, it needeth not to enter into the soul, for
it is there already, only it is unperceived. When we say we
should come unto it, we mean that we should seek it, feel it,
and taste it. And now since it is One, unity and singleness is
better than manifoldness. For blessedness lieth not in much
and many, but in One and oneness. In one word, blessedness
lieth not in any creature, or work of the creatures, but it
lieth alone in God and in His works. Therefore I must wait
only on God and His work, and leave on one side all creatures
with their works, and first of all myself. In like manner all
the great works and wonders that God has ever wrought or shall
ever work in or through the creatures, or even God
Himself with all His goodness, so far as these things exist or
are done outside of me, can never make me blessed, but only in
so far as they exist and are done and loved, known, tasted and
felt within me.
CHAPTER X
How the perfect Men
have no other Desire than that they may be to the Eternal
Goodness what His Hand is to a Man, and how they have lost the
Fear of Hell, and Hope of Heaven.
Now let us mark:
Where men are enlightened with the true light, they perceive
that all which they might desire or choose, is nothing to that
which all creatures, as creatures, ever desired or chose or
knew,
Therefore they renounce all desire and choice,
and commit and commend themselves and all things to the
Eternal Goodness. Nevertheless, there remaineth in them a
desire to go forward and get nearer to the Eternal Goodness;
that is, to come to a clearer knowledge, and warmer love, and
more comfortable assurance, and perfect obedience and
subjection; so that every enlightened man could say: "I would
fain be to the Eternal Goodness, what His own hand is to a
man." And he feareth always that he is not enough so, and
longeth for the salvation of all men. And such men do not call
this longing their own, nor take it unto themselves, for they
know well that this desire is not of man, but of the Eternal
Goodness; for whatsoever is good shall no one take unto
himself as his own, seeing that it belongeth to the Eternal
Goodness, only.
Moreover, these men are in a state of
freedom, because they have lost the fear of pain or hell, and
the hope of reward or heaven, but are living in pure
submission to the Eternal Goodness, in the perfect freedom of
fervent love. This mind was in Christ in perfection, and is
also in His followers, in some more, and in some less. But it
is a sorrow and shame to think that the Eternal Goodness is
ever most graciously guiding and drawing us, and we will not
yield to it. What is better and nobler than true poorness in
spirit? Yet when that is held up before us, we will have none
of it, but are always seeking ourselves, and our own things.
We like to have our mouths always filled with good things,
that we may have in ourselves a lively taste of pleasure and
sweetness. When this is so, we are well pleased, and think it
standeth not amiss with us. But we are yet a long way off from
a perfect life. For when God will draw us up to something
higher, that is, to an utter loss and forsaking of our own
things, spiritual and natural, and withdraweth His comfort and
sweetness from us, we faint and are troubled, and can in no
wise bring our minds to it; and we forget God and neglect holy
exercises, and fancy we are lost for ever. This is a great
error and a bad sign. For a true lover of God, loveth Him or
the Eternal Goodness alike, in having and in not having, in
sweetness and bitterness, in good or evil report, and the
like, for he seeketh alone the honour of God, and not his own,
either in spiritual or natural things. And therefore he
standeth alike unshaken in all things, at all seasons. Hereby
let every man prove himself, how he standeth towards God, his
Creator and Lord.
CHAPTER XI
How a righteous
Man in this present Time is brought into hell, and there
cannot be comforted, and how he is taken out of Hell and
carried into Heaven, and there cannot be troubled.
Christ's soul must needs descend into hell, before it
ascended into heaven. So must also the soul of man. But mark
ye in what manner this cometh to pass. When a man truly
Perceiveth and considereth himself, who and what he is, and
findeth himself utterly vile and wicked, and unworthy of all
the comfort and kindness that he hath ever received from God,
or from the creatures, he falleth into such a deep abasement
and despising of himself, that he thinketh himself unworthy
that the earth should bear him, and it seemeth to him
reasonable that all creatures in heaven and earth should rise
up against him and avenge their Creator on him, and should
punish and torment him; and that he were unworthy even of
that. And it seemeth to him that he shall be eternally lost
and damned, and a footstool to all the devils in hell, and
that this is right and just and all too little compared to his
sins which he so often and in so many ways hath committed
against God his Creator. And therefore also he will not and
dare not desire any consolation or release, either from God or
from any creature that is in heaven or on earth; but he is
willing to be unconsoled and unreleased, and he doth not
grieve over his condemnation and sufferings; for they are
right and just, and not contrary to God, but according to the
will of God. Therefore they are right in his eyes, and he hath
nothing to say against them. Nothing grieveth him but his own
guilt and wickedness; for that is not right and is contrary to
God, and for that cause he is grieved and troubled in spirit.
This is what is meant by true repentance for sin. And
he who in this Present time entereth into this hell, entereth
afterward into the Kingdom of Heaven, and obtaineth a
foretaste there of which excelleth all the delight and joy
which he ever hath had or could have in this present time from
temporal things. But whilst a man is thus in hell, none may
console him, neither God nor the creature, as it is written,
"In hell there is no redemption." Of this state hath one said,
"Let me perish, let me die! I live without hope; from within
and from without I am condemned, let no one pray that I may be
released."
Now God hath not forsaken a man in this
hell, but He is laying His hand upon him, that the man may not
desire nor regard anything but the Eternal Good only, and may
come to know that that is so noble and passing good, that none
can search out or express its bliss, consolation and joy,
peace, rest and satisfaction. And then, when the man neither
careth for, nor seeketh, nor desireth, anything but the
Eternal Good alone, and seeketh not himself, nor his own
things, but the honour of God only, he is made a partaker of
all manner of joy, bliss, peace, rest and consolation, and so
the man is henceforth in the Kingdom of Heaven.
This
hell and this heaven are two good, safe ways for a man in this
present time, and happy is he who truly findeth them.
For this hell shall pass
away, But Heaven shall endure for aye.
Also let a man mark, when he is in this hell, nothing
may console him; and he cannot believe that he shall ever be
released or comforted. But when he is in heaven, nothing can
trouble him; he believeth also that none will ever be able to
offend or trouble him, albeit it is indeed true, that after
this hell he may be comforted and released, and after this
heaven he may be troubled and left without consolation.
Again: this hell and this heaven come about a man in
such sort, that he knoweth not whence they come; and whether
they come to him, or depart from him, he can of himself do
nothing towards it. Of these things he can neither give nor
take away from himself, bring them nor banish them, but as it
is written, "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou
hearest the sound thereof," that is to say, at this time
present, "but thou knowest not whence it cometh, nor whither
it goeth." And when a man is in one of these two states, all
is right with him, and he is as safe in hell as in heaven, and
so long as a man is on earth, it is possible for him to pass
ofttimes from the one into the other; nay even within the
space of a day and night, and all without his own doing. But
when the man is in neither of these two states he holdeth
converse with the creature, and wavereth hither and thither,
and knoweth not what manner of man he is. Therefore he shall
never forget either of them, but lay up the remembrance of
them in his heart.
CHAPTER XII
Touching that
true inward Peace, which Christ left to His Disciples at the
last.
Many say they have no peace nor rest, but so
many crosses and trials, afflictions and sorrows, that they
know not how they shall ever get through them. Now he who in
truth will perceive and take note, perceiveth clearly, that
true peace and rest lie not in outward things; for if it were
so, the Evil Spirit also would have peace when things go
according to his will which is nowise the case; for the
prophet declareth, "There is no peace, saith my God, to the
wicked". And therefore we must consider and see what is that
peace which Christ left to His disciples at the last, when He
said: "My peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you."
We may perceive that in these words Christ did not mean a
bodily and outward peace; for His beloved disciples, with all
His friends and followers, have ever suffered, from the
beginning, great affliction, persecution, nay, often
martyrdom, as Christ Himself said: "In this world ye shall
have tribulation." But Christ meant that true, inward peace of
the heart, which beginneth here, and endureth for ever
hereafter. Therefore He said: "Not as the world giveth," for
the world is false, and deceiveth in her gifts. She promiseth
much, and performeth little. Moreover there liveth no man on
earth who may always have rest and peace without troubles and
crosses, with whom things always go according to his will;
there is always something to be suffered here, turn which way
you will. And as soon as you are quit of one assault, perhaps
two come in its place. Wherefore yield thyself willingly to
them, and seek only that true peace of the heart, which none
can take away from thee, that thou mayest overcome all
assaults.
Thus then, Christ meant that inward peace
which can break through all assaults and crosses of
oppression, suffering, misery, humiliation and what more there
may be of the like, so that a man may be joyful and patient
therein, like the beloved disciples and followers of Christ.
Now he who will in love give his whole diligence and might
thereto, will verily come to know that true eternal peace
which is God Himself, as far as it is possible to a creature;
insomuch that what was bitter to him before, shall become
sweet, and his heart shall remain unmoved under all changes,
at all times, and after this life, he shall attain unto
everlasting peace.
CHAPTER XIII
How a Man may
cast aside Images too soon.
Tauler saith: " There be
some men at the present time, who take leave of types and
symbols too soon, before they have drawn out all the truth and
instruction contained therein." Hence they are scarcely or
perhaps never able to understand the truth aright. For such
men will follow no one, and lean unto their own
understandings, and desire to fly before they are fledged.
They would fain mount up to heaven in one flight; albeit
Christ did not so, for after His resurrection, He remained
full forty days with His beloved disciples. No one can be made
perfect in a day. A man must begin by denying himself, and
willingly forsaking all things for God's sake, and must give
up his own will, and all his natural inclinations, and
separate and cleanse himself thoroughly from all sins and evil
ways. After this, let him humbly take up the cross and follow
Christ. Also let him take and receive example and instruction,
reproof, counsel and teaching from devout and perfect servants
of God, and not follow his own guidance. Thus the work shall
be established and come to a good end. And when a man hath
thus broken loose from and outleaped all temporal things and
creatures, he may afterwards become perfect in a life of
contemplation. For he who will have the one must let the other
go. There is no other way.
CHAPTER XIV
Of
three Stages by which a Man is led upwards till he attaineth
true Perfection.
Now be assured that no one can be
enlightened unless he be first cleansed or purified and
stripped. So also, no one can be united with God unless he be
first enlightened. Thus there are three stages: first, the
purification; secondly, the enlightening; thirdly, the union.
The purification concerneth those who are beginning or
repenting, and is brought to pass in a threefold wise; by
contrition and sorrow for sin, by full confession, by hearty
amendment, The enlightening belongeth to such as are growing,
and also taketh place in three ways: to wit, by the eschewal
of sin, by the practice of virtue and good works, and by the
willing endurance of all manner of temptation and trials. The
union belongeth to such as are perfect, and also is brought to
pass in three ways: to wit, by pureness and singleness of
heart, by love, and by the contemplation of God, the Creator
of all things.
CHAPTER XV
How all Men are dead
in Adam and are made alive again in Christ, and of true
Obedience and Disobedience.
All that in Adam fell and
died, was raised again and made alive in Christ, and all that
rose up and was made alive in Adam, fell and died in Christ.
But what was that? I answer, true obedience and disobedience.
But what is true obedience? I answer, that a man should so
stand free, being quit of himself, that is, of his I, and Me,
and Self, and Mine, and the like, that in all things, he
should no more seek or regard himself, than if he did not
exist, and should take as little account of himself as if he
were not, and another had done all his works. Likewise he
should count all the creatures for nothing. What is there
then, which is, and which we may count for somewhat? I answer,
nothing but that which we may call God. Behold! this is very
obedience in the truth, and thus it will be in a blessed
eternity. There nothing is sought nor thought of, nor loved,
but the one thing only.
Hereby we may mark what
disobedience is: to wit, that a man maketh some account of
himself, and thinketh that he is, and knoweth, and can do
somewhat, and seeketh himself and his own ends in the things
around him, and hath regard to and loveth himself, and the
like. Man is created for true obedience, and is bound of right
to render it to God. And this obedience fell and died in Adam,
and rose again and lived in Christ. Yea, Christ's human nature
was so utterly bereft of Self, and apart from all creatures,
as no man's ever was, and was nothing else but "a house and
habitation of God." Neither of that in Him which belonged to
God, nor of that which was a living human nature and a
habitation of God, did He, as man, claim anything for His own.
His human nature did not even take unto itself the Godhead,
whose dwelling it was, nor anything that this same Godhead
willed, or did or left undone in Him, nor yet anything of all
that His human nature did or suffered; but in Christ's human
nature there was no claiming of anything, nor seeking nor
desire, saving that what was due might be rendered to the
Godhead, and He did not call this very desire His own. Of this
matter no more can be said, or written here, for it is
unspeakable, and was never yet and never will be fully
uttered; for it can neither be spoken nor written but by Him
who is and knows its ground; that is, God Himself, who call do
all things well.
CHAPTER XVI
Telleth us what
is the old Man, and what is the new Man.
Again, when
we read of the old man and the new man we must mark what that
meaneth. The old man is Adam and disobedience, the Self, the
Me, and so forth. But the new man is Christ and true
obedience, a giving up and denying oneself of all temporal
things, and seeking the honour of God alone in all things. And
when dying and perishing and the like are spoken of, it
meaneth that the old man should be destroyed, and not seek its
own either in spiritual or in natural things. For where this
is brought about in a true divine light, there the new man is
born again. In like manner, it hath been said that man should
die unto himself, that is, to earthly pleasures, consolations,
joys, appetites, the I, the Self, and all that is thereof in
man, to which he clingeth and on which he is yet leaning with
content, and thinketh much of. Whether it be the man himself,
or any other creature, whatever it be, it must depart and die,
if the man is to be brought aright to another mind, according
to the truth.
Thereunto doth St. Paul exhort us,
saying: "Put off concerning the former conversation the old
man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts: ...
and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in
righteousness and true holiness." Now he who liveth to himself
after the old man, is called and is truly a child of Adam; and
though he may give diligence to the ordering of his life, he
is still the child and brother of the Evil Spirit. But he who
liveth in humble obedience and in the new man which is Christ,
he is, in like manner, the brother of Christ and the child of
God.
Behold! where the old man dieth and the new man
is born, there is that second birth of which Christ saith,
"Except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom
of God." Likewise St. Paul saith, "As in Adam all die, even so
in Christ shall all be made alive." That is to say, all who
follow Adam in pride, in lust of the flesh, and in
disobedience, are dead in soul, and never will or can be made
alive but in Christ. And for this cause, so long as a man is
an Adam or his child, he is without God. Christ saith, "He who
is not with Me is against Me." Now he who is against God, is
dead before God. Whence it followeth that all Adam's children
are dead before God. But he who standeth with Christ in
perfect obedience, he is with God and liveth. As it hath been
said already, sin lieth in the turning away of the creature
from the Creator, which agreeth with what we have now said.
For he who is in disobedience is in sin, and sin can
never be atoned for or healed but by returning to God, and
this is brought to Pass by humble obedience. For so long as a
man continueth in disobedience, his sin can never be blotted
out; let him do what he will, it availeth him nothing. Let us
be assured of this. For disobedience is itself sin. But when a
man entereth into the obedience of the faith, all is healed,
and blotted out and forgiven, and not else. Insomuch that if
the Evil Spirit himself could come into true obedience, he
would become an angel again, and all his sin and wickedness
would be healed and blotted out and forgiven at once. And
could an angel fall into disobedience, he would straightway
become an evil spirit although he did nothing afresh.
If then it were possible for a man to renounce himself
and all things, and to live as wholly and purely in true
obedience, as Christ did in His human nature, such a man were
quite without sin, and were one thing with Christ, and the
same by grace which Christ was by nature. But it is said this
cannot be. So also it is said: "There is none without sin."
But be that as it may, this much is certain; that the nearer
we are to perfect obedience, the less we sin, and the farther
from it we are, the more we sin. In brief: whether a man be
good, better, or best of all; bad, worse, or worst of all;
sinful or saved before God; it all lieth in this matter of
obedience. Therefore it hath been said: the more of Self and
Me, the more of sin and wickedness. So likewise it hath been
said: the more the Self, the I, the Me, the Mine, that is,
self-seeking and selfishness, abate in a man, the more doth
God's I, that is, God Himself, increase in him.
Now,
if all mankind abode in true obedience, there would be no
grief nor sorrow. For if it were so, all men would be at one,
and none would vex or harm another; so also, none would lead a
life or do any deed contrary to God's will. Whence then should
grief or sorrow arise? But now alas! all men, nay the whole
world lieth in disobedience! Now were a man simply and wholly
obedient as Christ was, all disobedience were to him a sharp
and bitter pain. But though all men were against him, they
could neither shake nor trouble him, for while in this
obedience a man were one with God, and God Himself were one
with the man.
Behold now all disobedience is contrary
to God, and nothing else. In truth, no Thing is contrary to
God; no creature nor creature's work, nor anything that we can
name or think of is contrary to God or displeasing to Him, but
only disobedience and the disobedient man. In short, all that
is, is well-pleasing and good in God's eyes, saving only the
disobedient man. But he is so displeasing and hateful to God
and grieveth Him so sore, that if it were possible for human
nature to die a hundred deaths, God would willingly suffer
them all for one disobedient man, that He might slay
disobedience in him, and that obedience might be born again.
Behold! albeit no man may be so single and perfect in
this obedience as Christ was, yet it is possible to every man
to approach so near thereunto as to be rightly called Godlike,
and "a partaker of the divine nature." And the nearer a man
cometh thereunto, and the more Godlike and divine he becometh,
the more he hateth all disobedience, sin, evil and
unrighteousness, and the worse they grieve him. Disobedience
and sin are the same thing, for there is no sin but
disobedience, and what is done of: disobedience is all sin.
Therefore all we have to do is to keep ourselves from
disobedience.
CHAPTER XVII
How we are not to
take unto ourselves what we have done well: but only what we
have done amiss.
Behold! now it is reported there be
some who vainly think and say that they are so wholly dead to
self and quit of it, as to have reached and abide in a state
where they suffer nothing and are moved by nothing, just as if
all men were living in obedience, or as if there were no
creatures. And thus they profess to continue always in an even
temper of mind, so that nothing cometh amiss to them,
howsoever things fall out, well or ill. Nay verily! the matter
standeth not so, but as we have said. It might be thus, if all
men were brought into obedience; but until then, it cannot be.
But it may be asked: Are not we to be separate from
all things, and neither to take unto ourselves evil nor good?
I answer, no one shall take goodness unto himself, for that
belongeth to God and His goodness only; but thanks be unto the
man, and everlasting reward and blessings, who is fit and
ready to be a dwelling and tabernacle of the Eternal Goodness
and Godhead, wherein God may exert His power, and will and
work without hindrance. But if any now will excuse himself for
sin, by refusing to take what is evil unto himself, and laying
the guilt thereof upon the Evil Spirit, and thus make himself
out to be quite pure and innocent (as our first Parents Adam
and Eve did while they were yet in paradise; when each laid
the guilt upon the other), he hath no right at all to do this;
for it is written, "There is none without sin." Therefore I
say; reproach, shame, loss, woe, and eternal damnation be to
the man who is fit and ready and willing that the Evil Spirit
and falsehood, lies and all untruthfulness, wickedness and
other evil things should have their will and pleasure, word
and work in him, and make him their house and habitation.
CHAPTER XVIII
How that the Life of Christ is
the noblest and best Life that ever hath been or can be, and
how a careless Life of false Freedom is the worst Life that
can be.
Of a truth we ought to know and believe that
there is no life so noble and good and well pleasing to God,
as the life of Christ, and yet it is to nature and selfishness
the bitterest life. A life of carelessness and freedom is to
nature and the Self and the Me, the sweetest and pleasantest
life, but it is not the best; and in some men may become the
worst. But though Christ's life be the most bitter of all, yet
it is to be preferred above all. Hereby shall ye mark this:
There is an inward sight which hath power to perceive the One
true Good, and that it is neither this nor that, but that of
which St. Paul saith; "When that which is perfect is come,
then that which is in part shall be done away." By this he
meaneth, that the Whole and Perfect excelleth all the
fragments, and that all which is in part and imperfect, is as
nought compared to the Perfect. Thus likewise all knowledge of
the parts is swallowed up when the Whole is known; and where
that Good is known, it cannot but be longed for and loved so
greatly, that all other love wherewith the man hath loved
himself and other things, fadeth away. And that inward sight
likewise perceiveth what is best and noblest in all things,
and loveth it in the one true Good, and only for the sake of
that true Good.
Behold! where there is this inward
sight, the man perceiveth of a truth, that Christ"s life is
the best and noblest life, and therefore the most to be
preferred, and he willingly accepteth and endureth it, without
a question or a complaint, whether it please or offend nature
or other men, whether he like or dislike it, find it sweet or
bitter and the like. And therefore wherever this Perfect and
true Good is known, there also the life of Christ must be led,
until the death of the body. And he who vainly thinketh
otherwise is deceived, and he who saith otherwise, lieth, and
in what man the life of Christ is not, of him the true Good
and eternal Truth will nevermore be known.
CHAPTER XIX
How we cannot come to the true Light and Christ's
Life, by much Questioning or Reading, or by high natural Skill
and Reason, but by truly renouncing ourselves and all Things.
Let no one suppose, that we may attain to this true
light and perfect knowledge, or life of Christ, by much
questioning, or by hearsay, or by reading and study, nor yet
by high skill and great learning. Yea, so long as a man taketh
account of anything which is this or that, whether it be
himself, or any other creature; or doeth anything, or frameth
a purpose, for the sake of his own likings or desires, or
opinions, or ends, he cometh not unto the life of Christ. This
hath Christ Himself declared, for He saith: "If any man will
come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross,
and follow Me." "He that taketh not his cross, and followeth
after Me, is not worthy of Me." And if he "hate not his father
and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren and sisters,
yea, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple." He
meaneth it thus: "He who doth not forsake and part with
everything, can never know My eternal truth, nor attain unto
My life." And though this had never been declared unto us, yet
the truth herself sayeth it, for it is so of a truth. But so
long as a man clingeth unto the elements and fragments of this
world (and above all to himself), and holdeth converse with
them, and maketh great account of them, he is deceived and
blinded, and perceiveth what is good no further than as it is
most convenient and pleasant to himself and profitable to his
own ends. These he holdeth to be the highest good and loveth
above all. Thus he never cometh to the truth.
CHAPTER
XX
How, seeing that the Life of Christ is most bitter
to Nature and Self, Nature will have none of it, and chooseth
a false careless Life, as is most convenient to her.
Now, since the life of Christ is every way most bitter
to nature and the Self and the Me (for in the true life of
Christ, the Self and the Me and nature must be forsaken and
lost, and die altogether), therefore, in each of us, nature
hath a horror of it, and thinketh it evil and unjust and a
folly, and graspeth after such a life as shall be most
comfortable and pleasant to herself, and saith, and believeth
also in her blindness, that such a life is the best possible.
Now, nothing is so comfortable and pleasant to nature, as a
free, careless way of life, therefore she clingeth to that,
and taketh enjoyment in herself and her own powers, and
looketh only to her own peace and comfort and the like. And
this happeneth most of all, where there are high natural gifts
of reason, for that soareth upwards in its own light and by
its own power, till at last it cometh to think itself the true
Eternal Light, and giveth itself out as such, and is thus
deceived in itself, and deceiveth other people along with it,
who know no better, and also are thereunto inclined.
CHAPTER XXI
How a friend of Christ willingly
fulfilleth by his outward Works, such Things as must be and
ought to be, and doth not concern himself with the rest.
Now, it may be asked, what is the state of a man who
followeth the true Light to the utmost of his power? I answer
truly, it will never be declared aright, for he who is not
such a man, can neither understand nor know it, and he who is,
knoweth it indeed; but he cannot utter it, for it is
unspeakable. Therefore let him who would know it, give his
whole diligence that he may enter therein; then will he see
and find what hath never been uttered by man's lips. However,
I believe that such a man hath liberty as to his outward walk
and conversation, so long as they consist with what must be or
ought to be; but they may not consist with what he merely
willeth to be. But oftentimes a man maketh to himself many
must-be's and ought-to-be's which are false. The which ye may
see hereby, that when a man is moved by his pride or
covetousness or other evil dispositions, to do or leave undone
anything, he ofttimes saith, "It must needs be so, and ought
to be so." Or if he is driven to, or held back from anything
by the desire to find favour in men's eyes, or by love,
friendship, enmity, or the lusts and appetites of his body, he
saith, "It must needs be so, and ought to be so." Yet behold,
that is utterly false. Had we no must-be's, nor ought-to-be's,
but such as God and the Truth show us, and constrain us to, we
should have less, forsooth, to order and do than now; for we
make to ourselves much disquietude and difficulty which we
might well be spared and raised above.
CHAPTER XXII
How sometimes the Spirit of God, and sometimes also
the Evil Spirit may possess a Man and have the mastery over
him.
It is written that sometimes the Devil and his
spirit do so enter into and possess a man, that he knoweth not
what he doeth and leaveth undone, and hath no power over
himself, but the Evil Spirit hath the mastery over him, and
doeth and leaveth undone in, and with, and through, and by the
man what he will. It is true in a sense that all the world is
subject to and possessed with the Evil Spirit, that is, with
lies, falsehood, and other vices and evil ways; this also
cometh of the Evil Spirit, but in a different sense,
Now, a man who should be in like manner possessed by
the Spirit of God, so that he should not know what he doeth or
leaveth undone, and have no power over himself, but the will
and Spirit of God should have the mastery over him, and work,
and do, and leave undone with him and by him, what and as God
would; such a man were one of those of whom St. Paul saith:
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the
sons of God," and they "are not under the law, but under
grace," and to whom Christ saith: "For it is not ye that
speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you."
But I fear that for one who is truly possessed with
the Spirit of God, there are a hundred thousand or an
innumerable multitude possessed with the Evil Spirit. This is
because men have more likeness to the Evil Spirit than to God.
For the Self, the I, the Me and the like, all belong to the
Evil Spirit, and therefore it is, that he is an Evil Spirit.
Behold one or two words can utter all that hath been said by
these many words: "Be simply and wholly bereft of Self." But
by these many words, the matter hath been more fully sifted,
proved, and set forth.
Now men say, "I am in no wise
prepared for this work, and therefore it cannot be wrought in
me," and thus they find an excuse, so that they neither are
ready nor in the way to be so. And truly there is no one to
blame for this but themselves. For if a man were looking and
striving after nothing but to find a preparation in all
things, and diligently gave his whole mind to see how he might
become prepared; verily God would well prepare him, for God
giveth as much care and earnestness and love to the preparing
of a man, as to the pouring in of His Spirit when the man is
prepared.
Yet there be certain means thereunto, as the
saying is, "To learn an art which thou knowest not, four
things are needful." The first and most needful of all is, a
great desire and diligence and constant endeavour to learn the
art. And where this is wanting, the art will never be learned.
The second is, a copy or ensample by which thou mayest learn.
The third is to give earnest heed to the master, and watch how
he worketh, and to be obedient to him in all things, and to
trust him and follow him. The fourth is to put thy own hand to
the work, and practise it with all industry. But where one of
these four is wanting, the art will never be learned and
mastered. So likewise is it with this preparation. For he who
hath the first, that is, thorough diligence and constant,
persevering desire towards his end, will also seek and find
all that appertaineth thereunto, or is serviceable and
profitable to it. But he who hath not that earnestness and
diligence, love and desire, seeketh not, and therefore findeth
not, and therefore remaineth ever unprepared. And therefore he
never attaineth unto that end.
CHAPTER XXIlI
He who will submit himself to God and be obedient to
Him, must be ready to bear with all Things; to wit, God,
himself, and all Creatures, and must be obedient to them all
whether he have to suffer or to do.
There be some who
talk of other ways and preparations to this end, and say we
must lie still under God's hand, and be obedient and resigned
and submit to Him. This is true; for all this would be
perfected in a man who should attain to the uttermost that can
be reached in this present time. But if a man ought and is
willing to lie still under God's hand, he must and ought also
to be still under all things, whether they come from God
himself, or the creatures, nothing excepted. And he who would
be obedient, resigned and submissive to God, must and ought to
be also resigned, obedient and submissive to all things, in a
spirit of yielding, and not of resistance, and take them in
silence, resting on the hidden foundations of his soul, and
having a secret inward patience, that enableth him to take all
chances or crosses willingly, and whatever befalleth, neither
to call for nor desire any redress, or deliverance, or
resistance, or revenge, but always in a loving, sincere
humility to cry, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what
they do!"
Behold! this were a good path to that which
is Best, and a noble and blessed preparation for the farthest
goal which a man may reach in this present time. This is the
lovely life of Christ, for He walked in the aforesaid paths
perfectly and wholly unto the end of His bodily life on earth.
Therefore there is no other and better way or preparation to
the joyful life of Jesus Christ, than this same course, and to
exercise oneself therein, as much as may be. And of what
belongeth thereunto we have already said somewhat; nay, all
that we have here or elsewhere said and written, is but a way
or means to that end. But what the end is, knoweth no man to
declare. But let him who would know it, follow my counsel and
take the right path thereunto, which is the humble life of
Jesus Christ; let him strive after that with unwearied
perseverance, and so, without doubt, he shall come to that end
which endureth for ever. "For he that endureth to the end
shall be saved."
CHAPTER XXIV
How that four
Things are needful before a Man can receive divine Truth and
be possessed with the Spirit of God.
Moreover there
are yet other ways to the lovely life of Christ, besides those
we have spoken of: to wit, that God and man should be wholly
united, so that it can be said of a truth, that God and man
are one. This cometh to Pass on this wise. Where the Truth
always reigneth, so that true perfect God and true perfect man
are at one, and man so giveth place to God, that God Himself
is there and yet the man too, and this same unity worketh
continually, and doeth and leaveth undone without any I, and
Me, and Mine, and the like; behold, there is Christ, and
nowhere else. Now, seeing that here there is true perfect
manhood, so there is a perfect perceiving and feeling of
pleasure and pain, liking and disliking, sweetness and
bitterness, joy and sorrow, and all that can be perceived and
felt within and without. And seeing that God is here made man,
He is also able to perceive and feel love and hatred, evil and
good and the like. As a man who is not God, feeleth and taketh
note of all that giveth him pleasure and pain, and it pierceth
him to the heart, especially what offendeth him; so is it also
when God and man are one, and yet God is the man; there
everything is perceived and felt that is contrary to God and
man. And since there man becometh nought, and God alone is
everything, so is it with that which is contrary to man, and a
sorrow to him. And this must hold true of God so long as a
bodily and substantial life endureth.
Furthermore,
mark ye, that the one Being in whom God and man are united,
standeth free of himself and of all things, and whatever is in
him is there for God's sake and not for man's, or the
creature's. For it is the property of God to be without this
and that, and without Self and Me, and without equal or
fellow; but it is the nature and property of the creature to
seek itself and its own things, and this and that, here and
there; and in all that it doeth and leaveth undone its desire
is to its own advantage and profit. Now where a creature or a
man forsaketh and cometh out of himself and his own things,
there God entereth in with His own, that is, with Himself
CHAPTER XXV
Of two evil Fruits that do spring
up from the Seed of the Evil Spirit, and are two Sisters who
love to dwell together. The one is called spiritual Pride and
Highmindedness, the other is false, lawless Freedom.
Now, after that a man hath walked in all the ways that
lead him unto the truth, and exercised himself therein, not
sparing his labour; now, as often and as long as he dreameth
that his work is altogether finished, and he is by this time
quite dead to the world, and come out from Self and given up
to God alone, behold! the Devil cometh and soweth his seed in
the man's heart. From this seed spring two fruits; the one is
spiritual fulness or pride, the other is false, lawless
freedom. These are two sisters who love to be together. Now,
it beginneth on this wise : the Devil puffeth up the man, till
he thinketh himself to have climbed the topmost pinnacle, and
to have come so near to heaven, that he no longer needeth
Scripture, nor teaching, nor this nor that, but is altogether
raised above any need. Whereupon there ariseth a false peace
and satisfaction with himself, and then it followeth that he
saith or thinketh: "Yea, now I am above all other men, and
know and understand more than any one in the world; therefore
it is certainly just and reasonable that I should be the lord
and commander of all creatures, and that all creatures, and
especially all men, should serve me and be subject unto me."
And then he seeketh and desireth the same, and taketh it
gladly from all creatures, especially men, and thinketh
himself well worthy of all this, and that it is his due, and
looketh on men as if they were the beasts of the field, and
thinketh himself worthy of all that ministereth to his body
and life and nature, in profit, or joy, or pleasure, or even
pastime and amusement, and he seeketh and taketh it wherever
he findeth opportunity. And whatever is done or can be done
for him, seemeth him all too little and too poor, for he
thinketh himself worthy of still more and greater honour than
can be rendered to him. And of all the men who serve him and
are subject to him, even if they be downright thieves and
murderers, he saith nevertheless, that they have faithful,
noble hearts, and have great love and faithfulness to the
truth and to poor men. And such men are praised by him, and he
seeketh them and followeth after them wherever they be. But he
who doth not order himself according to the will of these
high-minded men, nor is subject unto them, is not sought after
by them, nay, more likely blamed and spoken ill of, even
though he were as holy as St. Peter himself. And seeing that
this proud and puffed-up spirit thinketh that she needeth
neither Scripture, nor instruction, nor anything of the kind,
therefore she giveth no heed to the admonitions, order, laws
and precepts of the holy Christian Church, nor to the
Sacraments, but mocketh at them and at all men who walk
according to these ordinances and hold them in reverence.
Hereby we may plainly see that those two sisters dwell
together.
Moreover since this sheer pride thinketh to
know and understand more than all men besides, therefore she
chooseth to prate more than all other men, and would fain have
her opinions and speeches to be alone regarded and listened
to, and counteth all that others think and say to be wrong,
and holdeth it in derision as a folly.
CHAPTER XXVI
Touching Poorness of Spirit and true Humility and
whereby we may discern the true and lawful free Men whom the
Truth hath made free.
But it is quite otherwise where
there is poorness of spirit, and true humility; and it is so
because it is found and known of a truth that a man, of
himself and his own power, is nothing, hath nothing, can do
and is capable of nothing but only infirmity and evil. Hence
followeth that the man findeth himself altogether unworthy of
all that hath been or ever will be done for him, by God or the
creatures, and that he is a debtor to God and also to all the
creatures in God's stead, both to bear with, and to labour
for, and to serve them. And therefore he doth not in any wise
stand up for his own rights, but from the humility of his
heart he saith, "It is just and reasonable that God and all
creatures should be against me, and have a right over me, and
to me, and that I should not be against any one, nor have a
right to anything." Hence it followeth that the man doth not
and will not crave or beg for anything, either from God or the
creatures, beyond mere needful things, and for those only with
shamefacedness, as a favour and not as a right. And he will
not minister unto or gratify his body or any of his natural
desires, beyond what is needful, nor allow that any should
help or serve him except in case of necessity, and then always
in trembling; for he hath no right to anything and therefore
he thinketh himself unworthy of anything. So likewise all his
own discourse, ways, words and works seem to this man a thing
of nought and a folly. Therefore he speaketh little, and doth
not take upon himself to admonish or rebuke any, unless he be
constrained thereto by love or faithfulness towards God, and
even then he doth it in fear, and so little as may be.
Moreover, when a man hath this poor and humble spirit,
he cometh to see and understand aright, how that all men are
bent upon themselves, and inclined to evil and sin, and that
on this account it is needful and profitable that there be
order, customs, law and precepts, to the end that the
blindness and foolishness of men may be corrected, and that
vice and wickedness may be kept under, and constrained to
seemliness. For without ordinances, men would be much more
mischievous and ungovernable than dogs and cattle. And few
have come to the knowledge of the truth but what have begun
with holy practices and ordinances, and exercised themselves
therein so long as they knew nothing more nor better.
Therefore one who is poor in spirit and of a humble
mind doth not despise or make light of law, order, precepts
and holy customs, nor yet of those who observe and cleave
wholly to them, but with loving pity and gentle sorrow,
crieth: "Almighty Father, Thou Eternal Truth, I make my lament
unto Thee, and it grieveth Thy Spirit too, that through man's
blindness, infirmity, and sin, that is made needful and must
be, which in deed and truth were neither needful nor right."
For those who are perfect are under no law.
So order,
laws, precepts and the like are merely an admonition to men
who understand nothing better and know and perceive not
wherefore all law and order is ordained. And the perfect
accept the law along with such ignorant men as understand and
know nothing better, and practise it with them, to the intent
that they may be restrained thereby, and kept from evil ways,
or if it be possible, brought to something higher,
Behold! all that we have said of poverty and humility
is so of a truth, and we have the proof and witness thereof in
the pure life of Christ, and in His words. For He both
practised and fulfilled every work of true humility and all
other virtues, as shineth forth in His holy life, and He saith
also expressly: "Learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly of
heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Moreover He
did not despise and set at nought the law and the
commandments, nor yet the men who are under the law. He saith:
"I am not come to destroy the law or the prophets, but to
fulfil." But he saith further, that to keep them is not
enough, we must press forward to what is higher and better, as
is indeed true. He saith: "Except your righteousness shall
exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye
shall in no case enter into the kingdom of Heaven." For the
law forbiddeth evil works, but Christ condemneth also evil
thoughts; the law alloweth us to take vengeance on our
enemies, but Christ commandeth us to love them. The law
forbiddeth not the good things of this world, but He
counselleth us to despise them. And He hath set His seal upon
all He said, with His own holy life; for He taught nothing
that He did not fulfil in work, and He kept the law and was
subject unto it to the end of His mortal life. Likewise St.
Paul saith: "Christ was made under the law, to redeem them
that were under the law." That is, that He might bring them to
something higher and nearer to Himself. He said again, "The
Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister."
In a word: in Christ's life and words and works, we
find nothing but true, pure humility and poverty such as we
have set forth. And therefore where God dwelleth in a man, and
the man is a true follower of Christ, it will be, and must be,
and ought to be the same. But where there is pride, and a
haughty spirit, and a light careless mind, Christ is not, nor
any true follower of His.
Christ said: "My soul is
troubled, even unto death." He meaneth His bodily death. That
is to say: from the time that He was born of Mary, until His
death on the cross, He had not one joyful day, but only
trouble, sorrow and contradiction. Therefore it is just and
reasonable that His servants should be even as their Master.
Christ saith also: "Blessed are the poor in spirit" (that is,
those who are truly humble), "for theirs is the kingdom of
Heaven." And thus we find it of a truth, where God is made
man. For in Christ and in all His true followers, there must
needs be thorough humility and poorness of spirit, a lowly
retiring disposition, and a heart laden with a secret sorrow
and mourning, so long as this mortal life lasteth. And he who
dreameth otherwise is deceived, and deceiveth others with him
as aforesaid. Therefore nature and Self always avoid this
life, and cling to a life of false freedom and ease, as we
have said.
Behold! now cometh an Adam or an Evil
Spirit, wishing to justify himself and make excuse, and saith:
"Thou wilt almost have it that Christ was bereft of self and
the like, yet He spake often of Himself, and glorified Himself
in this and that." Answer: when a man in whom the truth
worketh, hath and ought to have a will towards anything, his
will and endeavour and works are for no end, but that the
truth may be seen and manifested; and this will was in Christ,
and to this end, words and works were needful. And what Christ
did because it was the most profitable and best means
thereunto, He no more took unto Himself than anything else
that happened. Dost thou say now : "Then there was a Wherefore
in Christ"? I answer, if thou wert to ask the sun, "Why
shinest thou? " he would say: "I must shine, and cannot do
otherwise, for it is my nature and property; but this my
property, and the light I give, is not of myself, and I do not
call it mine." So likewise is it with God and Christ and all
who are godly and belong unto God. In them is no willing, nor
working nor desiring but has for its end, goodness as
goodness, for the sake of goodness, and they have no other
Wherefore than this.
CHAPTER XXVII
How we are
to take Christ's Words when He bade forsake all Things; and
wherein the Union with the Divine Will standeth.
Now,
according to what hath been said, ye must observe that when we
say, as Christ also saith, that we ought to resign and forsake
all things, this is not to be taken in the sense that a man is
neither to do nor to purpose anything; for a man must always
have something to do and to order so long as he liveth. But we
are to understand by it that the union with God standeth not
in any man's powers, in his working or abstaining, perceiving
or knowing, nor in that of all the creatures taken together.
Now what is this union? It is that we should be of a
truth purely, simply, and wholly at one with the One Eternal
Will of God, or altogether without will, so that the created
will should flow out into the Eternal Will, and be swallowed
up and lost therein, so that the Eternal Will alone should do
and leave undone in us, Now mark what may help or further us
towards this end. Behold, neither exercises, nor words, nor
works, nor any creature nor creature's work can do this. In
this wise therefore must we renounce and forsake all things,
that we must not imagine or suppose that any words, works, or
exercises, any skill or cunning or any created thing can help
or serve us thereto. Therefore we must suffer these things to
be what they are, and enter into the union with God. Yet
outward things must be, and we must do and refrain so far as
is necessary, especially we must sleep and wake, walk and
stand still, speak and be silent and much more of the like.
These must go on so long as we live.
CHAPTER XXVIII
How, after a Union with the Divine Will, the in ward
Man standeth immoveable, the while the outward Man is moved
hither and thither.
Now, when this union truly cometh
to pass and becometh established, the inward man standeth
henceforward immoveable in this union; and God suffereth the
outward man to be moved hither and thither, from this to that,
of such things as are necessary and right. So that the outward
man saith in sincerity "I have no will to be or not to be, to
live or die, to know or not to know, to do or to leave undone
and the like; but I am ready for all that is to be, or ought
to be, and obedient thereunto, whether I have to do or to
suffer." And thus the outward man hath no Wherefore or
purpose, but only to do his part to further the Eternal Will.
For it is perceived of a truth, that the inward man shall
stand immoveable, and that it is needful for the outward man
to be moved. And if the inward man have any Wherefore in the
actions of the outward man, he saith only that such things
must be and ought to be, as are ordained by the Eternal Will.
And where God Himself dwelleth in the man, it is thus; as we
plainly see in Christ. Moreover, where there is this union,
which is the offspring of a Divine light and dwelleth in its
beams, there is no spiritual pride or irreverent spirit, but
boundless humility, and a lowly broken heart; also an honest
blameless walk, justice, peace, content, and all that is of
virtue must needs be there. Where they are not, there is no
right union, as we have said. For just as neither this thing
nor that can bring about or further this union, so there is
nothing which hath power to frustrate or hinder it, save the
man himself with his self-will, that doeth him this great
wrong. Of this be well assured.
CHAPTER XXIX
How a Man may not attain so high before Death as not
to be moved or touched by outward Things.
There be
some who affirm, that a man, while in this present time, may
and ought to be above being touched by outward things, and in
all respects as Christ was after His resurrection. This they
try to prove and establish by Christ's words: "I go before you
into Galilee there; shall ye see Me." And again, "A spirit
hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have." These sayings
they interpret thus: " As ye have seen Me, and been followers
of Me, in My mortal body and life, so also it behoveth you to
see Me and follow Me, as I go before you into Galilee; that is
to say, into a state in which nothing hath power to move or
grieve the soul; on which state ye shall enter, and live and
continue therein, before that ye have suffered and gone
through your bodily death. And as ye see Me having flesh and
bones, and not liable to suffer, so shall ye likewise, while
yet in the body and having your mortal nature, cease to feel
outward things, were it even the death of the body."
Now, I answer, in the first place, to this
affirmation, that Christ did not mean that a man should or
could attain unto this state, unless he have first gone
through and suffered all that Christ did. Now, Christ did not
attain thereunto, before He had passed through and suffered
His natural death, and what things appertain thereto.
Therefore no man can or ought to come to it so long as he is
mortal and liable to suffer. For if such a state were the
noblest and best, and if it were possible and right to attain
to it, as aforesaid, in this present time, then it would have
been attained by Christ; for the life of Christ is the best
and noblest, the worthiest and loveliest in God's sight that
ever was or will be. Therefore if it was not and could not be
so with Christ, it will never be so with any man. Therefore
though some may imagine and say that such a life is the best
and noblest life, yet it is not so.
CHAPTER XXX
On what wise we may came to be beyond and above all
Custom, Order, Law, Precepts and the like.
Some say
further, that we can and ought to get beyond all virtue, all
custom and order, all law, precepts and seemliness, so that
all these should be laid aside, thrown off and set at nought.
Herein there is some truth, and some falsehood. Behold and
mark: Christ was greater than His own life, and above all
virtue, custom, ordinances and the like, and so also is the
Evil Spirit above them, but with a difference. For Christ was
and is above them on this wise, that His words, and works, and
ways, His doings and refrainings, His speech and silence, His
sufferings, and whatsoever happened to Him, were not forced
upon Him, neither did He need them, neither were they of any
profit to Himself. It was and is the same with all manner of
virtue, order, laws, decency, and the like; for all that may
be reached by them is already in Christ to perfection. In this
sense, that saying of St. Paul is true and receiveth its
fulfilment, "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are
the sons of God," "and are not under the law, but under
grace." That meaneth, man need not teach them what they are to
do or abstain from; for their Master, that is, the Spirit of
God, shall verily teach them what is needful for them to know.
Likewise they do not need that men should give them precepts,
or command them to do right and not to do wrong, and the like;
for the same admirable Master who teacheth them what is good
or not good, what is higher and lower, and in short leadeth
them into all truth, He reigneth also within them, and biddeth
them to hold fast that which is good, and to let the rest go,
and to Him they give ear. Behold! in this sense they need not
to wait upon any law, either to teach or to command them. In
another sense also they need no law; namely, in order to seek
or win something thereby or get any advantage for themselves.
For whatever help toward eternal life, or furtherance in the
way everlasting, they might obtain from the aid, or counsel,
or words, or works of any creature, they possess already
beforehand. Behold! in this sense also it is true, that we may
rise above all law and virtue, and also above the works and
knowledge and powers of any creature.
CHAPTER XXXI
How we are not to cast off the Life of Christ, but
practise it diligently, and walk in it until Death
But
that other thing which they affirm, how that we ought to throw
off and cast aside the life of Christ, and all laws and
commandments, customs and order and the like, and pay no heed
to them, but despise and make light of them, is altogether
false and a lie. Now some may say; "Since neither Christ nor
others can ever gain anything, either by a Christian life, or
by all these exercises and ordinances, and the like, nor turn
them to any account, seeing that they possess already all that
can be had through them, what cause is there why they should
not henceforth eschew them altogether?" Must they still retain
and practise them?"
Behold, ye must look narrowly into
this matter. There are two kinds of Light; the one is true and
the other is false. The true light is that Eternal Light which
is God; or else it is a created light, but yet divine, which
is called grace. And these are both the true Light. So is the
false light Nature or of Nature. But why is the first true,
and the second false? This we can better perceive than say or
write. To God, as Godhead, appertain neither will, nor
knowledge, nor manifestation, nor anything that we can name,
or say, or conceive. But to God as God, it belongeth to
express Himself, and know and love Himself, and to reveal
Himself to Himself; and all this without any creature. And all
this resteth in God as a substance but not as a working, so
long as there is no creature. And out of this expressing and
revealing of Himself unto Himself, ariseth the distinction of
Persons. But when God as God is made man, or where God
dwelleth in a godly man, or one who is "made a partaker of the
divine nature," in such a man somewhat appertaineth unto God
which is His own, and belongeth to Him only and not to the
creature. And without the creature, this would lie in His own
Self as a Substance or well-spring, but would not be
manifested or wrought out into deeds. Now God will have it to
be exercised and clothed in a form, for it is there only to be
wrought out and executed. What else is it for? Shall it lie
idle? What then would it profit? As good were it that it had
never been; nay better, for what is of no use existeth in
vain, and that is abhorred by God and Nature. However God will
have it wrought out, and this cannot come to pass (which it
ought to do) without the creature. Nay, if there ought not to
be, and were not this and that - works, and a world full of
real things, and the like, - what were God Himself, and what
had He to do, and whose God would He be? Here we must turn and
stop, or we might follow this matter and grope along until we
knew not where we were, nor how we should find our way out
again.
CHAPTER XXXII
How God is a true,
simple, perfect Good, and how He is a Light and a Reason and
all Virtues, and how what is highest and best, that is, God,
ought to be most loved by us.
In short, I would have
you to understand, that God (in so far as He is good) is
goodness as goodness, and not this or that good. But here mark
one thing. Behold! what is sometimes here and sometimes there
is not everywhere, and above all things and places; so also,
what is to-day, or to-morrow, is not always, at all times, and
above all time; and what is some thing, this or that, is not
all things and above all things. Now behold, if God were some
thing, this or that, He would not be all in all, and above
all, as He is; and so also, He would not be true Perfection,
Therefore God is, and yet He is neither this nor that which
the creature, as creature, can perceive, name, conceive or
express. Therefore if God (in so far as He is good) were this
or that good, He would not be all good, and therefore He would
not be the One Perfect Good, which He is. Now God is also a
Light and a Reason, the property of which is to give light and
shine, and take knowledge; and inasmuch as God is Light and
Reason, He must give light and perceive. And all this giving
and perceiving of light existeth in God without the creature;
not as a work fulfilled, but as a substance or well-spring.
But for it to flow out into a work, something really done and
accomplished, there must be creatures through whom this can
come to pass. Look ye: where this Reason and Light is at work
in a creature, it perceiveth and knoweth and teacheth what
itself is; how that it is good in itself and neither this
thing nor that thing. This Light and Reason knoweth and
teacheth men, that it is a true, simple, perfect Good, which
is neither this nor that special good, but comprehendeth every
kind of good.
Now, having declared that this Light
teacheth the One Good, what doth it teach concerning it? Give
heed to this. Behold! even as God is the one Good and Light
and Reason, so is He also Will and Love and Justice and Truth,
and in short all virtues. But all these are in God one
Substance, and none of them can be put in exercise and wrought
out into deeds without the creature, for in God, without the
creature, they are only as a Substance or well-spring, not as
a work. But where the One, who is yet all these, layeth hold
of a creature, and taketh possession of it, and directeth and
maketh use of it, so that He may perceive in it somewhat of
His own, behold, in so far as He is Will and Love, He is
taught of Himself, seeing that He is also Light and Reason,
and He willeth nothing but that One thing which He is.
Behold! in such a creature, there is no longer
anything willed or loved but that which is good, because it is
good, and for no other reason than that it is good, not
because it is this or that, or pleaseth or displeaseth such a
one, is pleasant or painful, bitter or sweet, or what not. All
this is not asked about nor looked at. And such a creature
doth nothing for its own sake, or in its own name, for it hath
quitted all Self, and Me, and Mine, and We and Ours, and the
like, and these are departed. It no longer saith, "I love
myself, or this or that, or what not." And if you were to ask
Love, "What lovest thou?" she would answer, "I love Goodness."
"Wherefore?" "Because it is good, and for the sake of
Goodness." So it is good and just and right to deem that if
there were ought better than God, that must be loved better
than God. And thus God loveth not Himself as Himself, but as
Goodness. And if there were, and He knew, ought better than
God, He would love that and not Himself. Thus the Self and the
Me are wholly sundered from God, and belong to Him only in so
far as they are necessary for Him to be a Person.
Behold! all that we have said must indeed come to pass
in a Godlike man, or one who is truly "made a partaker of the
divine nature"; for else he would not be truly such.
CHAPTER XXXIII
How when a Man is made truly
Godlike, his Love is pure and unmixed, and he loveth all
Creatures, and doth his best for them.
Hence it
followeth, that in a truly Godlike man, his love is pure and
unmixed, and full of kindness, insomuch that he cannot but
love in sincerity all men and things, and wish well, and do
good to them, and rejoice in their welfare. Yea, let them do
what they will to such a man, do him wrong or kindness, bear
him love or hatred or the like, yea, if one could kill such a
man a hundred times over, and he always came to life again, he
could not but love the very man who had so often slain him,
although he had been treated so unjustly, and wickedly, and
cruelly by him, and could not but wish well, and do well to
him, and show him the very greatest kindness in his power, if
the other would but only receive and take it at his hands. The
proof and witness whereof may be seen in Christ; for He said
to Judas, when he betrayed Him: " Friend, wherefore art thou
come?" Just as if He had said: "Thou hatest Me, and art Mine
enemy, yet I love thee and am thy friend. Thou desirest and
rejoicest in My affliction, and dost the worst thou canst unto
Me; yet I desire and wish thee all good, and would fain give
it thee, and do it for thee, if thou wouldst but take and
receive it." As though God in human nature were saying: "I am
pure, simple Goodness, and therefore I cannot will, or desire,
or rejoice in, or do or give anything but goodness. If I am to
reward thee for thy evil and wickedness, I must do it with
goodness, for I am and have nothing else." Hence therefore
God, in a man who is "made partaker of His nature," desireth
and taketh no revenge for all the wrong that is or can be done
unto Him. This we see in Christ, when He said: "Father,
forgive them, for they know not what they do."
Likewise it is God's property that He doth not
constrain any by force to do or not to do anything, but He
alloweth every man to do and leave undone according to his
will, whether it be good or bad, and resisteth none. This too
we see in Christ, who would not resist or defend Himself when
His enemies laid hands on Him. And when Peter would have
defended Him, He said unto Peter: "Put up thy sword into the
sheath: the cup which My Father hath given Me, shall I not
drink it?" Neither may a man who is made a partaker of the
divine nature, oppress or grieve any one. That is, it never
entereth into his thoughts, or intents, or wishes, to cause
pain or distress to any, either by deed or neglect, by speech
or silence.
CHAPTER XXXIV
How that if a Man
will attain to that which is best, he must forswear his own
Will; and he who helpeth a Man to his own Will helpeth him to
the worst Thing he can.
Some may say: "Now since God
willeth and desireth and doeth the best that may be to every
one, He ought so to help each man and order things for him,
that they should fall out according to his will and fulfil his
desires, so that one might be a Pope, another a Bishop, and so
forth." Be assured, he who helpeth a man to his own will,
helpeth him to the worst that he can. For the more a man
followeth after his own self-will, and self-will groweth in
him, the farther off is he from God, the true Good, for
nothing burneth in hell but self-will. Therefore it hath been
said, "Put off thine own will, and there will be no hell." Now
God is very willing to help a man and bring him to that which
is best in itself, and is of all things the best for man. But
to this end, all self-will must depart, as we have said. And
God would fain give man His help and counsel thereunto, for so
long as a man is seeking his own good, he doth not seek what
is best for him, and will never find it. For a man's highest
good would be and truly is, that he should not seek himself
nor his own things, nor be his own end in any respect, either
in things spiritual or things natural, but should seek only
the praise and glory of God and His holy will. This doth God
teach and admonish us. Let him therefore who wisheth that God
should help him to what is best, and best for him, give
diligent heed to God's counsels and teachings, and obey His
commandments; thus, and not else, will he have, and hath
already, God's help. Now God teacheth and admonisheth man to
forsake himself and all things, and to follow Him only. " For
he who loveth his soul," that is himself, and will guard it
and keep it, "he shall lose it"; that is, he who seeketh
himself and his own advantage in all things, in so doing
loseth his soul. "But he who hateth his soul for My sake shall
keep it unto life eternal"; that is, he who forsaketh himself
and his own things, and giveth up his own will, and fulfilleth
God's will, his soul will be kept and preserved unto Life
Eternal.
CHAPTER XXXV
How there is deep and
true Humility and Poorness of Spirit in a Man who is "made a
Partaker of the Divine Nature."
Moreover, in a man who
is "made a partaker of the divine nature," there is a thorough
and deep humility, and where this is not, the man hath not
been "made a partaker of the divine nature." So Christ taught
in words and fulfilled in works. And this humility springeth
up in the man, because in the true Light he seeth (as it also
really is) that Substance, Life, Perceiving, Knowledge, Power,
and what is thereof, do all belong to the True Good, and not
to the creature; but that the creature of itself is nothing
and hath nothing, and that when it turneth itself aside from
the True Good in will or in works, nothing is left to it but
pure evil. And therefore it is true to the very letter, that
the creature, as creature, hath no worthiness in itself, and
no right to anything, and no claim over any one, either over
God or over the creature, and that it ought to give itself up
to God and submit to Him because this is just. And this is the
chiefest and most weighty matter.
Now, if we ought to
be, and desire to be, obedient and submit unto God, we must
also submit to what we receive at the hands of any of His
creatures, or our submission is all false. From this latter
article floweth true humility, as indeed it doth also from the
former. And unless this verily ought to be, and were wholly
agreeable to God's justice, Christ would not have taught it in
words, and fulfilled it in His life. And herein there is a
veritable manifestation of God; and it is so of a truth, that
of God's truth and justice this creature shall be subject to
God and all creatures, and no thing or person shall be subject
or obedient to her. God and all the creatures have a right
over her and to her, but she hath a right to nothing: she is a
debtor to all, and nothing is owing to her, so that she shall
be ready to bear all things from others, and also if needs be
to do all things for others. And out of this groweth that
poorness of spirit of which Christ said: "Blessed are the poor
in spirit" (that is to say, the truly humble), "for theirs is
the Kingdom of Heaven." All this hath Christ taught in words
and fulfilled with His life.
CHAPTER XXXVI
How
nothing is contrary to God but Sin only; and what Sin is in
Kind and Act.
Further ye shall mark: when it is said
that such a thing or such a deed is contrary to God, or that
such a thing is hateful to God and grieveth His Spirit, ye
must know that no creature is contrary to God, or hateful or
grievous unto Him, in so far as it is, liveth, knoweth, hath
power to do, or produce ought, and so forth, for all this is
not contrary to God. That an evil spirit, or a man is, liveth,
and the like, is altogether good and of God; for God is the
Being of all that are, and the Life of all that live, and the
Wisdom of all the wise; for all things have their being more
truly in God than in themselves, and also all their powers,
knowledge, life, and the rest; for if it were not so, God
would not be all good; And thus all creatures are good. Now
what is good is agreeable to God, and He will have it.
Therefore it cannot be contrary to Him.
But what then
is there which is contrary to God and hateful to Him? Nothing
but Sin. But what is Sin? Mark this: Sin is nothing else than
that the creature willeth otherwise than God willeth, and
contrary to Him. Each of us may see this in himself; for he
who willeth otherwise than I, or whose will is contrary to
mine, is my foe; but he who willeth the same as I, is my
friend, and I love him. It is even so with God: and that is
sin, and is contrary to God, and hateful and grievous to Him.
And he who willeth, speaketh, or is silent, doeth or leaveth
undone, otherwise than as I will, is contrary to me, and an
offence unto me. So it is also with God: when a man willeth
otherwise than God, or contrary to God, whatever he doeth or
leaveth undone, in short all that proceedeth from him, is
contrary to God and is sin. And whatsoever Will willeth
otherwise than God, is against God's will. As Christ said: "
He who is not with Me is against me." Hereby may each man see
plainly whether or not he be without sin, and whether or not
he be committing sin, and what sin is, and how sin ought to be
atoned for, and wherewith it may be healed. And this
contradiction to God's will is what we call, and is,
disobedience. And therefore Adam, the I, the Self, Self-will,
Sin, or the Old Man, the turning aside or departing from God,
do all mean one and the same thing.
CHAPTER XXXVII
How in God, as God, there can neither be Grief,
Sorrow, Displeasure, nor the like, but how it is otherwise in
a Man who is "made a Partaker of the Divine Nature."
In God, as God, neither sorrow nor grief nor
displeasure can have place, and yet God is grieved on account
of men's sins. Now since grief cannot befall God without the
creature, this cometh to pass where He is made man, or when He
dwelleth in a Godlike man. And there, behold, sin is so
hateful to God, and grieveth Him so sore, that He would
willingly suffer agony and death, if one man's sins might be
thereby washed out. And if He were asked whether He would
rather live and that sin should remain, or die and destroy sin
by His death, He would answer that He would a thousand times
rather die. For to God one man's sin is more hateful, and
grieveth Him worse than His own agony and death. Now if one
man's sin grieveth God so sore, what must the sins of all men
do Hereby ye may consider, how greatly man grieveth God with
his sins.
And therefore where God is made man, or when
He dwelleth in a truly Godlike man, nothing is complained of
but sin, and nothing else is hateful; for all that is, and is
done, without sin, is as God will have it, and is His. But the
mourning and sorrow of a truly Godlike man on account of sin,
must and ought to last until death, should he live till the
Day of Judgment, or for ever. From this cause arose that
hidden anguish of Christ, of which none can tell or knoweth
ought save Himself alone, and therefore is it called a
mystery.
Moreover, this is an attribute of God, which
He will have, and is well pleased to see in a man; and it is
indeed God's own, for it belongeth not unto the man, he cannot
make sin to be so hateful to himself. And where God findeth
this grief for sin, He loveth and esteemeth it more than ought
else; because it is, of all things, the bitterest and saddest
that man can endure.
All that is here written touching
this divine attribute, which God will have man to possess,
that it may be brought into exercise in a living soul, is
taught us by that true Light, which also teacheth the man in
whom this Godlike sorrow worketh, not to take it unto himself,
any more than if he were not there. For such a man feeleth in
himself that he hath not made it to spring up in his heart,
and that it is none of his, but belongeth to God alone.
CHAPTER XXXVIII
How we are to put on the Life
of Christ from Love, and not for the sake of Reward, and how
we must never grow careless concerning it, or cast it off.
Now, wherever a man hath been made a partaker of the
divine nature, in him is fulfilled the best and noblest life,
and the worthiest in God's eyes, that hath been or can be. And
of that eternal love which loveth Goodness as Goodness and for
the sake of Goodness, a true, noble, Christ-like life is so
greatly beloved, that it will never be forsaken or cast off.
Where a man hath tasted this life, it is impossible for him
ever to part with it, were he to live until the Judgment Day.
And though he must die a thousand deaths, and though all the
sufferings that ever befell all creatures could be heaped upon
him, he would rather undergo them all, than fall away from
this excellent life; and if he could exchange it for an
angel's life, he would not.
This is our answer to the
question, "If a man, by putting on Christ's life, can get
nothing more than he hath already, and serve no end, what good
will it do him?" This life is not chosen in order to serve any
end, or to get anything by it, but for love of its nobleness,
and because God loveth and esteemeth it so greatly. And
whoever saith that he hath had enough of it, and may now lay
it aside, hath never tasted nor known it; for he who hath
truly felt or tasted it, can never give it up again. And he
who hath put on the life of Christ with the intent to win or
deserve ought thereby, hath taken it up as an hireling and not
for love, and is altogether without it. For he who doth not
take it up for love, hath none of it at all; he may dream
indeed that he hath put it on, but he is deceived. Christ did
not lead such a life as His for the sake of reward, but out of
love; and love maketh such a life light and taketh away all
its hardships, so that it becometh sweet and is gladly
endured. But to him who hath not put it on from love, but hath
done so, as he dreameth, for the sake of reward, it is utterly
bitter and a weariness, and he would fain be quit of it. And
it is a sure token of an hireling that he wisheth his work
were at an end. But he who truly loveth it, is not offended at
its toil or suffering, nor the length of time it lasteth.
Therefore it is written, "To Serve God and live to Him, is
easy to him who doeth it." Truly is so to him who doth it for
love, but it is hard and wearisome to him who doth it for
hire. It is the same with all virtue and good works, and
likewise with order, laws, obedience to precepts, and the
like. But God rejoiceth more over one man who truly loveth,
than over a thousand hirelings.
CHAPTER XXXIX
How God will have Order, Custom, Measure, and the like
in the Creature, seeing that He cannot have them without the
Creature, and of four sorts of Men who are concerned with this
Order, Law, and Custom.
It is said, and truly, God is
above and without custom, measure, and order, and yet giveth
to all things their custom, order, measure, fitness, and the
like. The which is to be thus understood. God will have all
these to be, and they cannot have a being in Himself without
the creature, for in God, apart from the creature, there is
neither order nor disorder, custom nor chance, and so forth;
therefore He will have things so that these shall be, and
shall be put in exercise. For wherever there is word, work, or
change, these must be either according to order, custom,
measure and fitness, or according to unfitness and disorder.
Now fitness and order are better and nobler than their
contraries.
But ye must mark: There are four sorts of
men who are concerned with order, laws, and customs. Some keep
them neither for God's sake, nor to serve their own ends, but
from constraint: these have as little to do with them as may
be, and find them a burden and heavy yoke. The second sort
obey for the sake of reward: these are men who know nothing
beside, or better than, laws and precepts, and imagine that by
keeping them they may obtain the kingdom of Heaven and Eternal
Life, and not otherwise; and him who practiseth many
ordinances they think to be holy, and him who omitteth any
tittle of them they think to be lost. Such men are very much
in earnest and give great diligence to the work, and yet they
find it a weariness. The third sort are wicked, false-hearted
men, who dream and declare that they are perfect and need no
ordinances, and make a mock of them.
The fourth are
those who are enlightened with the True Light, who do not
practise these things for reward, for they neither look nor
desire to get anything thereby, but all that they do is from
love alone. And these are not so anxious and eager to
accomplish much and with all speed as the second sort, but
rather seek to do things in peace and good leisure; and if
some not weighty matter be neglected, they do not therefore
think themselves lost, for they know very well that order and
fitness are better than disorder, and therefore they choose to
walk orderly, yet know at the same time that their salvation
hangeth not thereon. Therefore they are not in so great
anxiety as the others. These men are judged and blamed by both
the other parties, for the hirelings say that they neglect
their duties and accuse them of being unrighteous, and the
like; and the others (that is, the Free Spirits) hold them in
derision, and say that they cleave unto weak and beggarly
elements, and the like. But these enlightened men keep the
middle path, which is also the best; for a lover of God is
better and dearer to Him than a hundred thousand hirelings. It
is the same with all their doings.
Furthermore, ye
must mark, that to receive God's commands and His counsel and
all His teaching, is the privilege of the inward man, after
that he is united with God. And where there is such a union,
the outward man is surely taught and ordered by the inward
man, so that no outward commandment or teaching is needed. But
the commandments and laws of men belong to the outer man, and
are needful for those men who know nothing better, for else
they would not know what to do and what to refrain from, and
would become like unto the dogs or other beasts.
CHAPTER XL
A good Account of the False Light
and its Kind.
Now I have said that there is a False
Light; but I must tell you more particularly what it is, and
what belongeth thereunto. Behold, all that is contrary to the
True Light belongeth unto the False. To the True Light it
belongeth of necessity, that it seeketh not to deceive, nor
consenteth that any should be wronged or deceived, neither can
it be deceived. But the false is deceived and a delusion, and
deceiveth others along with itself. For God deceiveth no man,
nor willeth that any should be deceived, and so it is with His
True Light. Now mark, the True Light is God or divine, but the
False Light is Nature or natural. Now it belongeth to God,
that He is neither this nor that, neither willeth nor
desireth, nor seeketh anything in the man whom He hath made a
partaker of the divine nature, save Goodness as Goodness, and
for the sake of Goodness. This is the token of the True Light.
But to the Creature and Nature it belongeth to be somewhat,
this or that, and to intend and seek something, this or that,
and not simply what is good without any Wherefore. And as God
and the True Light are without all self-will, selfishness, and
self-seeking, so do the I, the Me, the Mine, and the like,
belong unto the natural and false Light; for in all things it
seeketh itself and its own ends, rather than Goodness for the
sake of Goodness. This is its property, and the property of
nature or the carnal man in each of us.
Now mark how
it first cometh to be deceived. It doth not desire nor choose
Goodness as Goodness, and for the sake of Goodness, but
desireth and chooseth itself and its own ends, rather than the
Highest Good; and this is an error, and is the first
deception.
Secondly, it dreameth itself to be that
which it is not, for it dreameth itself to be God, and is
truly nothing but nature. And because it imagineth itself to
be God, it taketh to itself what belongeth to God; and not
that which is God's, when He is made man, or dwelleth in a
Godlike man, but that which is God's, and belongeth unto Him,
as He is in eternity, without the creature. For, as it is
said, God needeth nothing, is free, not bound to work, apart
by Himself, above all things, and so forth (which is all
true); and God is unchangeable, not to be moved by anything,
and is without conscience, and what He doeth that is well
done; "So will I be," saith the False Light, "for the more
like God one is, the better one is, and therefore I will be
like God and will be God, and will sit and go and stand at His
right hand": as Lucifer the Evil Spirit also said. Now God in
Eternity is without contradiction, suffering and grief, and
nothing can hurt or vex Him of all that is or befalleth. But
with God, when He is made Man, it is otherwise.
In a
word: all that can be deceived is deceived by this False
Light. Now since all is deceived by this False Light that can
be deceived, and all that is creature and nature, and all that
is not God nor of God, may be deceived, and since this False
Light itself is nature, it is possible for it to be deceived.
And therefore it becometh and is deceived by itself, in that
it riseth and climbeth to such a height that it dreameth
itself to be above nature, and fancieth it to be impossible
for nature or any creature to get so high, and therefore it
cometh to imagine itself God. And hence it taketh unto itself
all that belongeth unto God, and specially what is His as He
is in Eternity, and not as He is made Man. Therefore it
thinketh and declareth itself to be above all works, words,
customs, laws and order, and above that life which Christ led
in the body which He possessed in His holy human nature. So
likewise it professeth to remain unmoved by any of the
creature's works; whether they be good or evil, against God or
not, is all alike to it; and it keepeth itself apart from all
things, like God in Eternity, and all that belongeth to God
and to no creature it taketh unto itself, and vainly dreameth
that this belongeth unto it; and deemeth itself well worthy of
all this, and that it is just and right that all creatures
should serve it, and do it homage. And thus no contradiction,
suffering or grief is left unto it; indeed nothing but a mere
bodily and carnal perceiving: this must remain until the death
of the body, and what suffering may accrue therefrom.
Furthermore, this False Light imagineth, and saith, that it
has got beyond Christ's life in the flesh, and that outward
things have lost all power to touch it or give it pain, as it
was with Christ after His resurrection, together with many
other strange and false conceits which arise and grow up from
these.
And now since this False Light is nature, it
possesseth the property of nature, which is to intend and seek
itself and its own in all things, and what may be most
expedient, easy and pleasant to nature and itself. And because
it is deceived, it imagineth and proclaimeth it to be best
that each should seek and do what is best for himself. It
refuseth also to take knowledge of any Good but its own, that
which it vainly fancieth to be Good. And if one speak to it of
the One, true, everlasting Good, which is neither this nor
that, it knoweth nothing thereof, and thinketh scorn of it.
And this is not unreasonable, for nature as nature cannot
attain thereunto. Now this False Light is merely nature, and
therefore it cannot: attain thereunto.
Further, this
False Light saith that it hath got above conscience and the
sense of sin, and that whatever it doeth is right, Yea, it was
said by such a false Free Spirit, who was in this error, that
if he had killed ten men he should have as little sense of
guilt as if he had killed a dog. Briefly: this false and
deceived Light fleeth all that is harsh and contrary to
nature, for this belongeth to it, seeing that it is nature.
And seeing also that it is so utterly deceived as to dream
that it is God, it were ready to swear by all that is holy,
that it knoweth truly what is best, and that both in belief
and practice it hath reached the very summit. For this cause
it cannot be converted or guided into the right path, even as
it is with the Evil Spirit.
Mark further: in so far as
this Light imagineth itself to be God and taketh His
attributes unto itself, it is Lucifer, the Evil Spirit; but in
so far as it setteth at nought the life of Christ, and other
things belonging to the True Light, which have been taught and
fulfilled by Christ, it is Antichrist, for it teacheth
contrary to Christ. And as this Light is deceived by its own
cunning and discernment, so all that is not God, or of God, is
deceived by it, that is, all men who are not enlightened by
the True Light and its love. For all who are enlightened by
the True Light can never more be deceived, but whoso hath it
not and chooseth to walk by the False Light, he is deceived.
This cometh herefrom, that all men in whom the True
Light is not, are bent upon themselves, and think much of
themselves, and seek and propose their own ends in all things,
and whatever is most pleasant and convenient to themselves
they hold to be best. And whoso declareth the same to be best,
and helpeth and teacheth them to attain it, him they follow
after, and maintain to be the best and wisest of teachers. Now
the False Light teacheth them this very doctrine, and showeth
them all the means to come by their desire; therefore all
those follow after it, who know not the True Light. And thus
they are together deceived.
It is said of Antichrist,
that when he cometh, he who hath not the seal of God in his
forehead, followeth after him, but as many as have the seal
follow not after him. This agreeth with what hath been said.
It is indeed true, that it is good for a man that he should
desire, or come by his own good. But this cannot come to pass
so long as a man is seeking, or purposing his own good; for if
he is to find and come by his own highest good, he must lose
it that he may find it. As Christ said: "He who loveth his
life shall lose it." That is; he shall forsake and die to the
desires of the flesh, and shall not obey his own will nor the
lusts of the body, but obey the commands of God and those who
are in authority over him, and not seek his own, either in
spiritual or natural things, but only the praise and glory of
God in all things. For he who thus loseth his life shall find
it again in Eternal Life. That is: all the goodness, help,
comfort, and joy which are in the creature, in heaven or on
earth, a true ]over of God findeth comprehended in God
Himself; yea, unspeakably more, and as much nobler and more
perfect as God the Creator is better, nobler, and more perfect
than His creature. But by these excellences in the creature
the False Light is deceived, and seeketh nothing but itself
and its own in all things. Therefore it cometh never to the
right way.
Further, this False Light saith, that we
should be without conscience or sense of sin, and that it is a
weakness and folly to have anything to do with them: and this
it will prove by saying that Christ was without conscience or
sense of sin. We may answer and say: Satan is also without
them, and is none the better for that. Mark what a sense of
sin is. It is that we perceive how man has turned away from
God in his will (this is what we call sin), and that this is
man's fault, not God's, for God is guiltless of sin. Now, who
is there that knoweth himself to be free from sin save Christ
alone? Scarcely will any other affirm this. Now he who is
without sense of sin is either Christ or the Evil Spirit
Briefly: where this True Light is, there is a true,
just life such as God loveth and esteemeth. And if the man's
life is not perfect as Christ's was, yet it is framed and
builded after His, and his life is loved, together with all
that agreeth with decency, order, and all other virtues, and
all Self-will, I, Mine, Me, and the like, is lost; nothing is
purposed or sought but Goodness, for the sake of Goodness, and
as Goodness. But where that False Light is, there men become
heedless of Christ's life and all virtue, and seek and intend
whatever is convenient and pleasant to nature. From this
ariseth a false, licentious freedom, so that men grow
regardless and careless of everything. For the True Light is
God's seed, and therefore it bringeth forth the fruits of God.
And so likewise the False Light is the seed of the Devil; and
where that is sown, the fruits of the Devil spring up - nay,
the very Devil himself. This ye may understand by giving heed
to what hath been said.
CHAPTER XLI
Now that
he is to be called, and is truly, a Partaker of the Divine
Nature, who is illuminated with the Divine Light, and inflamed
with Eternal Love, and how Light and Knowledge are worth
nothing without Love.
Some may ask, "What is it to be
a 'partaker of the divine nature,' or a Godlike man?" Answer:
he who is imbued with or illuminated by the Eternal or divine
Light, and inflamed or consumed with Eternal or divine love,
he is a Godlike man and a partaker of the divine nature; and
of the nature of this True Light we have said somewhat
already.
But ye must know that this Light or knowledge
is worth nothing without Love. This ye may see if ye call to
mind, that though a man may know very well what is virtue or
wickedness, yet if he doth not love virtue, he is not
virtuous, for he obeyeth vice. But if he loveth virtue he
followeth after it, and his love maketh him an enemy to
wickedness, so that he will not do or practise it, and hateth
it also in other men; and he loveth virtue so that he would
not leave a virtue unpractised even if he might, and this for
no reward, but simply for the love of virtue. And to him
virtue is its own reward, and he is content therewith, and
would take no treasure or riches in exchange for it. Such an
one is already a virtuous man, or he is in the way to be so.
And he who is a truly virtuous man would not cease to be so,
to gain the whole world, yea, he would rather die a miserable
death.
It is the same with justice. Many a man knoweth
full well what is just or unjust, and yet neither is nor ever
will become a just man. For he loveth not justice, and
therefore he worketh wickedness and injustice. If he loved
justice, he would not do an unjust thing; for he would feel
such hatred and indignation towards injustice wherever he saw
it, that he would do or suffer anything that injustice might
be put an end to, and men might become just. And he would
rather die than do an injustice, and all this for nothing but
the love of justice. And to him, justice is her own reward,
and rewardeth him with herself; and so there liveth a just
man, and he would rather die a thousand times over than live
as an unjust man. It is the same with truth: a man may know
full well what is true or a lie, but if he loveth not the
truth he is not a true man; but if he loveth, it is with truth
even as with justice. Of justice speaketh Isaiah in the fifth
chapter: "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil;
that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put
bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"
Thus may we
perceive that knowledge and light profit nothing without Love.
We see this in the Evil Spirit; he perceiveth and knoweth good
and evil, right and wrong, and the like; but since he hath no
love for the good that he seeth, he becometh not good, as he
would if he had any love for the truth indeed true that Love
must be guided and taught of Knowledge, but if Knowledge be
not followed by love, it will avail nothing. It is the same
with God and divine things. Let a man know much about God and
divine things, nay, dream that he seeth and understandeth what
God Himself is, if he have not Love, he will never become like
unto God, or a "partaker of the divine nature." But if there
be true Love along with his knowledge, he cannot but cleave to
God, and forsake all that is not God or of Him, and hate it
and fight against it, and find it a cross and a sorrow.
And this Love so maketh a man one with God, that he
can nevermore be separated from Him.
CHAPTER XLII
A Question: whether we can know God and not love Him,
and how there are two kinds of Light and Love - a true and a
false.
Here is an honest question; namely, it hath
been said that he who knoweth God and loveth Him not, will
never be saved by his knowledge; the which sounds as if we
might know God and not love Him. Yet we have said elsewhere,
that where God is known, He is also loved, and whosoever
knoweth God must love Him. How may these things agree? Here ye
must mark one thing. We have spoken of two Lights - a True and
a False. So also there are two kinds of Love, a True and a
False. And each kind of Love is taught or guided by its own
kind of Light or Reason. Now, the True Light maketh True Love,
and the False Light maketh False Love; for whatever Light
deemeth to be best, she delivereth unto Love as the best, and
biddeth her love it, and Love obeyeth, and fulfilleth her
commands.
Now, as we have said, the False Light is
natural, and is Nature herself. Therefore every property
belongeth unto it which belongeth unto nature, such as the Me,
the Mine, the Self, and the like; and therefore it must needs
be deceived in itself and be false; for no I, Me, or Mine,
ever came to the True Light or Knowledge undeceived, save once
only; to wit, in God made Man. And if we are to come to the
knowledge of the simple Truth, all these must depart and
perish. And in particular it belongeth to the natural Light
that it would fain know or learn much, if it were possible,
and hath great pleasure, delight and glorying in its
discernment and knowledge; and therefore it is always longing
to know more and more, and never cometh to rest and
satisfaction, and the more it learneth and knoweth, the more
doth it delight and glory therein. And when it hath come so
high, that it thinketh to know all things and to be above all
things, it standeth on its highest pinnacle of delight and
glory, and then it holdeth Knowledge to be the best and
noblest of all things, and therefore it teacheth Love to love
knowledge and discernment as the best and most excellent of
all things. Behold, then knowledge and discernment come to be
more loved than that which is discerned, for the false natural
Light loveth its knowledge and powers, which are itself, more
than that which is known. And were it possible that this false
natural Light should understand the simple Truth, as it is in
God and in truth, it still would not lose its own property,
that is, it would not depart from itself and its own things.
Behold, in this sense there is knowledge without the love of
that which is or may be known.
Also this Light riseth
and climbeth so high that it vainly thinketh that it knoweth
God and the pure, simple Truth, and thus it loveth itself in
Him. And it is true that God can be known only by God.
Wherefore as this Light vainly thinketh to understand God, it
imagineth itself to be God, and giveth itself out to be God,
and wisheth to be accounted so, and thinketh itself to be
above all things, and well worthy of all things, and that it
hath a right to all things, and hath got beyond all things,
such as commandments, laws, and virtue, and even beyond Christ
and a Christian life, and setteth all these at nought, for it
doth not set up to be Christ, but the Eternal God. And this is
because Christ's life is distasteful and burdensome to nature,
therefore she will have nothing to do with it; but to be God
in eternity and not man, or to be Christ as He was after His
resurrection, is all easy, and pleasant, and comfortable to
nature, and so she holdeth it to be best. Behold, with this
false and deluded Love, something may be known without being
loved, for the seeing and knowing is more loved than that
which is known. Further, there is a kind of learning which is
called knowledge; to wit, when, through hearsay, or reading,
or great acquaintance with Scripture, some fancy themselves to
know much, and call it knowledge, and say, "I know this or
that." And if you ask, "How dost thou know it?" they answer,
"I have read it in the Scriptures," and the like. Behold, this
they call understanding, and knowing. Yet this is not
knowledge, but belief, and many things are known and loved and
seen only with this sort of perceiving and knowing.
There is also yet another kind of Love, which is
especially false, to wit, when something is loved for the sake
of a. reward, as when justice is loved not for the sake of
justice, but to obtain something thereby, and so on. And where
a creature loveth other creatures for the sake of something
that they have, or loveth God, for the sake of something of
her own, it is all false Love; and this Love belongeth
properly to nature, for nature as nature can feel and know no
other love than this; for if ye look narrowly into it, nature
as nature loveth nothing beside herself. On this wise
something may be seen to be good and not loved.
But
true Love is taught and guided by the true Light and Reason,
and this true, eternal and divine Light teacheth Love to love
nothing but the One true and Perfect Good, and that simply for
its own sake, and not for the sake of a reward, or in the hope
of obtaining anything, but simply for the Love of Goodness,
because it is good and hath a right to be loved. And all that
is thus seen by the help of the True Light must also be loved
of the True Love. Now that Perfect Good, which we call God,
cannot be perceived but by the True Light; therefore He must
be loved wherever He is seen or made known.
CHAPTER
XLIII
Whereby we may know a Man who is made a partaker
of the divine Nature, and what belongeth unto him; and
further, what is the token of a False Light, and a False
Free-Thinker.
Further mark ye; that when the True Love
and True Light are in a man, the Perfect Good is known and
loved for itself and as itself; and yet not so that it loveth
itself of itself and as itself, but the one True and Perfect
Good can and will love nothing else, in so far as it is in
itself, save the one, true Goodness. Now if this is itself, it
must love itself, yet not as itself nor as of itself, but in
this wise: that the One true Good loveth the One Perfect
Goodness, and the One Perfect Goodness is loved of the One,
true and Perfect Good. And in this sense that saying is true,
that "God loveth not Himself as Himself." For if there were
ought better than God, God would love that, and not Himself.
For in this True Light and True Love there neither is nor can
remain any I, Me, Mine, Thou, Thine, and the like, but that
Light perceiveth and knoweth that there is a Good which is all
Good and above all Good, and that all good things are of one
substance in the One Good, and that without that One, there is
no good thing. And therefore, where this Light is, the man's
end and aim is not this or that, Me or Thee, or the like, but
only the One, who is neither I nor Thou, this nor that, but is
above all I and Thou, this and that; and in Him all Goodness
is loved as One Good, according to that saying: "All in One as
One, and One in All as All, and One and all Good, is loved
through the One in One, and for the sake of the One, for the
love that man hath to the One."
Behold, in such a man
must all thought of Self, all self-seeking, self-will, and
what cometh thereof, be utterly lost and surrendered and given
over to God, except in so far as they are necessary to make up
a person. And whatever cometh to pass in a man who is truly
Godlike, whether he do or suffer, all is done in this Light
aud this Love, and from the same, through the same, unto the
same again. And in his heart there is a content and a
quietness, so that he doth not desire to know more or less, to
have, to live, to die, to be, or not to be, or anything of the
kind; these become all one and alike to him, and he
complaineth of nothing but of sin only. And what sin is, we
have said already, namely, to desire or will anything
otherwise than the One Perfect Good and the One Eternal Will,
and apart from and contrary to them, or to wish to have a will
of one's own. And what is done of sin, such as lies, fraud,
injustice, treachery, and all iniquity, in short, all that we
call sin, cometh hence, that man hath another will than God
and the True Good; for were there no will but the One Will, no
sin could ever be committed. Therefore we may well say that
all self-will is sin, and there is no sin but what springeth
therefrom. And this is the only thing which a truly Godlike
man complaineth of; but to him, this is such a sore pain and
grief, that he would die a hundred deaths in agony and shame,
rather than endure it; and this his grief must last until
death, and where it is not, there be sure that the man is not
truly Godlike, or a partaker of the divine nature.
Now, seeing that in this Light and Love, all Good is
loved in One and as One, and the One in all things, and in all
things as One and as All, therefore all those things must be
loved that rightly are of good report; such as virtue, order,
seemliness, justice, truth, and the like; and all that
belongeth to God in the true Good and is His own, is loved and
praised; and all that is without this Good, and contrary to
it, is a sorrow and a pain, and is hated as sin, for it is of
a truth sin. And he who liveth in the true Light and true
Love, hath the best, noblest, and worthiest life that ever was
or will be, and therefore it cannot but be loved and praised
above any other life. This life was and is in Christ to
perfection, else He were not the Christ.
And the love
wherewith the man loveth this noble life and all goodness,
maketh, that all which he is called upon to do, or suffer, or
pass through, and which must needs be, he doeth or endureth
willingly and worthily, however hard it may be to nature.
Therefore saith Christ: "My yoke is easy, and My burden is
light." This cometh of the love which loveth this admirable
life. This we may see in the beloved Apostles and Martyrs;
they suffered willingly and gladly all that was done unto
them, and never asked of God that their suffering and tortures
might be made shorter, or lighter or fewer, but only that they
might remain steadfast and endure to the end. Of a truth all
that is the fruit of divine Love in a truly Godlike man is so
simple, plain, and straightforward, that he can never properly
give an account of it by writing or by speech, but only say
that so it is. And he who hath it not doth not even believe in
it; how then can he come to know it
On the other hand,
the life of the natural man, where he hath a lively, subtle,
cunning nature, is so manifold and complex, and seeketh and
inventeth so many turnings and windings and falsehoods for its
own ends, and that so continually, that this also is neither
to be uttered nor set forth.
Now, since all falsehood
is deceived, and all deception beginneth in self-deception, so
is it also with this false Light and Life, for he who
deceiveth is also deceived, as we have said before. And in
this false Light and Life is found everything that belongeth
to the Evil Spirit and is his, insomuch that they cannot be
discerned apart; for the false Light is the Evil Spirit, and
the Evil Spirit is this false Light. Hereby we may know this.
For even as the Evil Spirit thinketh himself to be God, or
would fain be God, or be thought to be God, and in all this is
so utterly deceived that he doth not think himself to be
deceived, so is it also with this false Light, and the Love
and Life that is thereof. And as the Devil would fain deceive
all men, and draw them to himself and his works, and make them
like himself, and useth much art and cunning to this end, so
is it also with this false Light; and as no one may turn the
Evil Spirit from his own way, so no one can turn this deceived
and deceitful Light from its errors. And the cause thereof is,
that both these two, the Devil and Nature, vainly think that
they are not deceived, and that it standeth quite well with
them. And this is the very worst and most mischievous
delusion. Thus the Devil and Nature are one, and where nature
is conquered the Devil is also conquered, and, in like manner,
where nature is not conquered the Devil is not conquered.
Whether as touching the outward life in the world, or the
inward life of the spirit, this false Light continueth in its
state of blindness and falsehood, so that it is both deceived
itself and deceiveth others with it, wheresoever it may.
From what hath here been said, ye may understand and
perceive more than hath been expressly set forth. For whenever
we speak of the Adam, and disobedience, and of the old man, of
self-seeking, self-will, and self-serving, of the I, the Me,
and the Mine, nature, falsehood, the Devil, sin; it is all one
and the same thing. These are all contrary to God, and remain
without God.
CHAPTER XLIV
How nothing is
contrary to God but Self-will and how he who seeketh his own
Good for his own sake, findeth it not; and how a Man of
himself neither knoweth nor can do any good Thing.
Now, it may be asked; is there aught which is contrary
to God and the true Good? I say, No. Likewise, there is
nothing without God, except to will otherwise than is willed
by the Eternal Will; that is, contrary to the Eternal Will.
Now the Eternal Will willeth that nothing be willed or loved
but the Eternal Goodness. And where it is otherwise, there is
something contrary to Him, and in this sense it is true that
he who is without God is contrary to God; but in truth there
is no Being contrary to God or the true Good.
We must
understand it as though God said: "He who willeth without Me,
or willeth not what I will, or otherwise than as I will, he
willeth contrary to Me, for My will is that no one should will
otherwise than I, and that there should be no will without Me,
and without My will; even as without Me, there is neither
Substance, nor Life, nor this, nor that, so also there should
be no Will apart from Me, and without My will." And even as in
truth all beings are one in substance in the Perfect Being,
and all good is one in the One Being, and so forth, and cannot
exist without that One, so shall all wills be one in the One
Perfect Will, and there shall be no will apart from that One.
And whatever is otherwise is wrong, and contrary to God and
His will, and therefore it is sin. Therefore all will apart
from God's will (that is, all self-will) is sin, and so is all
that is done from self-will. So long as a man seeketh his own
will and his own highest Good, because it is HIS and for his
own sake, he will never find it; for so long as he doeth this,
he is not seeking his own highest Good, and how then should he
find it For so long as he doeth this, he seeketh himself, and
dreameth that he is himself the highest Good; and seeing that
he is not the highest Good, he seeketh not the highest Good,
so long as he seeketh himself. But whosoever seeketh, loveth,
and pursueth Goodness as Goodness and for the sake of
Goodness, and maketh that his end, for nothing but the love of
Goodness, not for love of the I, Me, Mine, Self, and the like,
he will find the highest Good, for he seeketh it aright, and
they who seek it otherwise do err. And truly it is on this
wise that the true and Perfect Goodness seeketh and loveth and
pursueth itself, and therefore it findeth itself.
It
is a great folly when a man, or any creature, dreameth that he
knoweth or can accomplish aught of himself, and above all when
he dreameth that he knoweth or can fulfil any good thing,
whereby he may deserve much at God's hands, and prevail with
Him. If he understood rightly, he would see that this is to
put a great affront upon God. But the True and Perfect
Goodness hath compassion on the foolish simple man who knoweth
no better, and ordereth things for the best for him, and
giveth him as much of the good things of God as he is able to
receive. But as we have said afore, he findeth and receiveth
not the True Good so long as he remaineth unchanged; for
unless Self and Me depart, he will never find or receive it.
CHAPTER XLV
How that where there is a
Christian Life, Christ dwelleth, and how Christ's Life is the
best and most admirable Life that ever hath been or can be.
He who knoweth and understandeth Christ's life,
knoweth and understandeth Christ Himself; and in like manner,
he who understandeth not His life, doth not understand Christ
Himself. And he who believeth on Christ, believeth that His
life is the best and noblest life that can be, and if a man
believe not this, neither doth he believe on Christ Himself.
And in so far as a man's life is according to Christ, Christ
Himself dwelleth in him, and if he hath not the one neither
hath he the other. For where there is the life of Christ,
there is Christ Himself, and where His life is not, Christ is
not, and where a man hath His life, he may say with St. Paul,
"I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." And this is the
noblest and best life; for in him who hath it, God Himself
dwelleth, with all goodness. So how could there be a better
life? When we speak of obedience, of the new man, of the True
Light, the True Love, or the life of Christ, it is all the
same thing, and where one of these is, there are they all, and
where one is wanting, there is none of them, for they are all
one in truth and substance. And whatever may bring about that
new birth which maketh alive in Christ, to that let us cleave
with all our might and to nought else; and let us forswear and
flee all that may hinder it. And he who hath received this
life in the Holy Sacrament, hath verily and indeed received
Christ, and the more of that life he hath received, the more
he hath received of Christ, and the less, the less of Christ.
CHAPTER XLVI
How
entire Satisfaction and true Rest are to be found in God
alone, and not in any Creature; and how he who Will be
obedient unto God, must also be obedient to the Creatures,
with all Quietness, and he who would love God, must love all
Things in One.
It is said, that he who is content to
find all his satisfaction in God, hath enough; and this is
true. And he who findeth satisfaction in aught which is this
and that, findeth it not in God; and he who findeth it in God,
findeth it in nothing else, but in that which is neither this
nor that, but is All. For God is One and must be One, and God
is All and must be All. And now what is, and is not One, is
not God; and what is, and is not All and above All, is also
not God, for God is One and above One, and All and above All.
Now he who findeth full satisfaction in God, receiveth all his
satisfaction from One source, and from One only, as One. And a
man cannot find all satisfaction in God, unless all things are
One to him, and One is All, and something and nothing are
alike. But where it should be thus, there would be true
satisfaction, and not else.
Therefore also, he who
will wholly commit himself unto God and be obedient to Him,
must also resign himself to all things, and be willing to
suffer them, without resisting or defending himself or calling
for succour. And he who doth not thus resign or submit himself
to all things in One as One, doth not resign or submit himself
to God. Let us look at Christ. And he who shall and will lie
still under God's hand, must lie still under all things in One
as One, and in no wise withstand any suffering. Such an one
were a Christ. And he who fighteth against affliction, and
refuseth to endure it, is truly fighting against God. That is
to say, we may not withstand any creature or thing by force of
war, either in will or works. But we may indeed, without sin,
prevent affliction, or avoid it, or flee from it.
Now
he who shall or will love God, loveth all things in One as
All, One and All, and One in All as All in One; and he who
loveth somewhat, this or that, otherwise than in the One, and
for the sake of the One, loveth not God; for he loveth
somewhat which is not God. Therefore he loveth it more than
God. Now he who loveth somewhat more than God or along with
God, loveth not God, for He must be and will be alone loved,
and verily nothing ought to be loved but God alone. And when
the true divine Light and Love dwell in a man, he loveth
nothing else but God alone, for he loveth God as Goodness and
for the sake of Goodness, and all Goodness as One, and one as
All ; for, in truth, All is One and One is All in God.
CHAPTER XLVII
A Question: Whether, if we ought
to love all Things, we ought to love Sin also?
Some
may put a question here and say: "If we are to love all
things, must we then love sin too?" I answer: No. When I say
"all things," I mean all Good; and all that is, is good, in so
far as it hath Being. The Devil is good in so far as he hath
Being. In this sense nothing is evil, or not good. But sin is
to will, desire, or love otherwise than as God doth. And
Willing is not Being, therefore it is not good. Nothing is
good except in so far as it is in God and with God. Now all
things have their Being in God, and more truly in God than in
themselves, and therefore all things are good in so far as
they have a Being, and if there were aught that had not its
Being in God, it would not be good. Now behold, the willing or
desiring which is contrary to God is not in God; for God
cannot will or desire anything contrary to Himself, or
otherwise than Himself. Therefore it is evil or not good, and
is merely nought.
God loveth also works, but not all
works. Which then? Such as are done from the teaching and
guidance of the True Light and the True Love; and what is done
from these and in these, is done in spirit and in truth, and
what is thereof, is God's, and pleaseth Him well. But what is
done of the false Light and false Love, is all of the Wicked
One; and especially what happeneth, is done or left undone,
wrought or suffered from any other will, or desire, or love,
than God's will, or desire, or love. This is, and cometh to
pass, without God and contrary to God, and is utterly contrary
to good works, and is altogether sin.
CHAPTER XLVIII
How we must believe certain Things of God's Truth
beforehand, ere we can come to a true Knowledge and Experience
thereof:
Christ said, " He that believeth not," or
will not or cannot believe, "shall be damned." It is so of a
truth; for a man, while he is in this present time, hath not
knowledge; and he cannot attain unto it, unless he first
believe. And he who would know before he believeth, cometh
never to true knowledge. We speak not here of the articles of
the Christian faith, for every one believeth them, and they
are common to every Christian man, whether he be sinful or
saved, good or wicked; and they must be believed in the first
place, for without that, one cannot come to know them. But we
are speaking of a certain Truth which it is possible to know
by experience, but which ye must believe in, before that ye
know it by experience, else ye will never come to know it
truly. This is the faith of which Christ speaketh in that
saying of His.
CHAPTER XLIX
Of Self-will, and
how Lucifer and Adam fell away from God through Self-will.
It hath been said, that there is of nothing so much in
hell as of self-will. The which is true, for there is nothing
else there than self-will, and if there were no self-will,
there would be no Devil and no hell. When it is said that
Lucifer fell from Heaven, and turned away from God and the
like, it meaneth nothing else than that he would have his own
will, and would not be at one with the Eternal Will. So was it
likewise with Adam in Paradise. And when we say Self-will, we
mean, to will otherwise than as the One and Eternal Will of
God willeth.
CHAPTER L
How this present Time
is a Paradise and outer Court of Heaven, and how therein there
is only one Tree forbidden, that is, Self-will.
What
is Paradise? All things that are; for all are goodly and
pleasant, and therefore may fitly be called a Paradise. It is
said also, that Paradise is an outer court of Heaven. Even so
this world is verily an outer court of the Eternal, or of
Eternity, and specially whatever in Time, or any temporal
things or creatures, manifesteth or remindeth us of God or
Eternity; for the creatures are a guide and a path unto God
and Eternity. Thus this world is an outer court of Eternity,
and therefore it may well be called a Paradise, for it is such
in truth. And in this Paradise, all things are lawful, save
one tree and the fruits thereof. That is to say: of all things
that are, nothing is forbidden and nothing is contrary to God
but one thing only: that is, Self-will, or to will otherwise
than as the Eternal Will would have it. Remember this. For God
saith to Adam, that is, to every man, "Whatever thou art, or
doest, or leavest undone, or whatever cometh to pass, is all
lawful and not forbidden if it be not done from or according
to thy will, but for the sake of and according to My will. But
all that is done from thine own Will is contrary to the
Eternal Will."
It is not that every work which is thus
wrought is in itself contrary to the Eternal Will, but in so
far as it is wrought from a different will, or otherwise than
from the Eternal and Divine Will.
CHAPTER LI
Wherefore God hath created Self-will, seeing that it
is so contrary to Him.
Now some may ask: "Since this
tree, to wit, Self-will, is so contrary to God and the Eternal
Will, wherefore hath God created it, and set it in Paradise?"
Answer: whatever man or creature desireth to dive into
and understand the secret counsel and will of God, so that he
would fain know wherefore God doeth this, or doeth not that,
and the like, desireth the same as Adam and the Devil. For
this desire is seldom from aught else than that the man taketh
delight in knowing, and glorieth therein, and this is sheer
pride. And so long as this desire lasteth, the truth will
never be known, and the man is even as Adam or the Devil. A
truly humble and enlightened man doth not desire of God that
He should reveal His secrets unto him, and ask wherefore Cod
doeth this or that, or hindereth or alloweth such a thing, and
so forth; but he desireth only to know how he may please God,
and become as nought in himself, having no will, and that the
Eternal Will may live in him, and have full possession of him,
undisturbed by any other will, and how its due may be rendered
to the Eternal Will, by him and through him.
However,
there is yet another answer to this question, for we may say:
the most noble and delightful gift that is bestowed on any
creature is that of perceiving, or Reason, and Will. And these
two are so bound together, that where the one is, there the
other is also. And if it were not for these two gifts, there
would be no reasonable creatures, but only brutes and
brutishness; and that were a great loss, for God would never
have His due, and behold Himself and His attributes manifested
in deeds and works; the which ought to be, and is, necessary
to perfection. Now, behold, Perception and Reason are created
and bestowed along with Will, to the intent that they may
instruct the will and also themselves, that neither perception
nor will is of itself, nor is nor ought to be unto itself, nor
ought to seek or obey itself. Neither shall they turn
themselves to their own advantage, nor make use of themselves
to their own ends and purposes; for His they are from Whom
they do proceed, and unto Him shall they submit, and flow back
into Him, and become nought in themselves, that is, in their
selfishness.
But here ye must consider more
particularly, somewhat touching the Will. There is an Eternal
Will, which is in God a first Principle and substance, apart
from all works and effects, and the same will is in Man, or
the creature, willing certain things, and bringing them to
pass. For it belongeth unto the Will, and is its property,
that it shall will something. What else is it for? For it were
in vain, unless it had some work to do, and this it cannot
have without the creature. Therefore there must be creatures,
and God will have them, to the end that the Will may be put in
exercise by their means, and work, which in God is and must be
without work. Therefore the will in the creature, which we
call a created will, is as truly God's as the Eternal Will,
and is not of the creature.
And now, since God cannot
bring His will into exercise, working and causing changes,
without the creature, therefore it pleaseth Him to do so in
and with the creature. Therefore the will is not given to be
exerted by the creature, but only by God, who hath a right to
work out His own will by means of the will which is in man,
and yet is God's. And in whatever man or creature it should be
purely and wholly thus, the will would be exerted not by the
man but by God, and thus it would not be self-will, and the
man would not will otherwise than as God willeth; for God
Himself would move the will and not man. And thus the will
would be one with the Eternal Will, and flow out into it,
though the man would still keep his sense of liking and
disliking, pleasure and pain, and the like. For wherever the
will is exerted, there must be a sense of liking and
disliking; for if things go according to his will, the man
liketh it, and if they do not, he disliketh it, and this
liking and disliking are not of the man's producing, but of
God's. For whatever is the source of the will, is the source
of these also. Now the will cometh not of man but of God,
therefore liking and disliking come from Him also. But nothing
is complained of, save only what is contrary to God. So also
there is no joy but of God alone, and that which is His and
belongeth unto Him. And as it is with the will, so is it also
with perception, reason, gifts, love, and all the powers of
man; they are all of God, and not of man. And wherever the
will should be altogether surrendered to God, the rest would
of a certainty be surrendered likewise, and God would have His
right, and the man's will would not be his own. Behold,
therefore hath God created the will, but not that it should be
self-will.
Now cometh the Devil or Adam, that is to
say, false nature, and taketh this will unto itself and maketh
the same its own, and useth it for itself and its own ends.
And this is the mischief and wrong, and the bite that Adam
made in the apple, which is forbidden, because it is contrary
to God. And therefore, so long as there is any self-will,
there will never be true love, true peace, true rest. This we
see both in man and in the Devil. And there will never be true
blessedness either in time or eternity, where this self-will
is working, that is to say, where man taketh the will unto
himself and maketh it his own. And if it be not surrendered in
this present time, but carried over into eternity, it may be
foreseen that it will never be surrendered, and then of a
truth there will never be content, nor rest, nor blessedness;
as we may see by the Devil. If there were no reason or will in
the creatures, God were, and must remain for ever, unknown,
unloved, unpraised, and unhonoured, and all the creatures
would be worth nothing, and were of no avail to God. Behold
thus the question which was put to us is answered. And if
there were any who, by my much writing (which yet is brief and
profitable in God), might be led to amend their ways, this
were indeed well-pleasing unto God.
That which is
free, none may call his own, and he who maketh it his own,
committeth a wrong. Now, in the whole realm of freedom,
nothing is so free as the will, and he who maketh it his own,
and suffereth it not to remain in its excellent freedom, and
free nobility, and in its free exercise, doeth a grievous
wrong. This is what is done by the Devil and Adam and all
their followers. But he who leaveth the will in its noble
freedom doeth right, and this doth Christ with all His
followers. And whoso robbeth the will of its noble freedom and
maketh it his own, must of necessity as his reward, be laden
with cares and troubles, with discontent, disquiet, unrest,
and all manner of wretchedness, and this will remain and
endure in time and in eternity. But he who leaveth the will in
its freedom, hath content, peace, rest, and blessedness in
time and in eternity. Wherever there is a man in whom the will
is not enslaved, but continueth noble and free, there is a
true freeman not in bondage to any, one of those to whom
Christ said: "The truth shall make you free"; and immediately
after, he saith : " If the Son shall make you free, ye shall
be free indeed."
Furthermore, mark ye that where the
will enjoyeth its freedom, it hath its proper work, that is,
willing. And where it chooseth whatever it will unhindered, it
always chooseth in all things what is noblest and best, and
all that is not noble and good it hateth, and findeth to be a
grief and offence unto it. And the more free and unhindered
the will is, the more is it pained by evil, injustice,
iniquity, and in short all manner of wickedness and sin, and
the more do they grieve and afflict it. This we see in Christ,
whose will was the purest and the least fettered or brought
into bondage of any man's that ever lived. So likewise was
Christ's human nature the most free and single of all
creatures, and yet felt the deepest grief, pain, and
indignation at sin that any creature ever felt. But when men
claim freedom for their own, so as to feel no sorrow or
indignation at sin and what is contrary to God, but say that
we must heed nothing and care for nothing, but be, in this
present time, as Christ was after His resurrection, and the
like; - this is no true and divine freedom springing from the
true divine Light, but a natural, unrighteous, false, and
deceitful freedom, springing from a natural, false, and
deluded light.
Were there no self-will, there would be
also no ownership. In heaven there is no ownership; hence
there are found content, true peace, and all blessedness. If
any one there took upon him to call anything his own, he would
straightway be thrust out into hell, and would become an evil
spirit. But in hell everyone will have self-will, therefore
there is all manner of misery and wretchedness. So is it also
here on earth. But if there were one in hell who should get
quit of his self-will and call nothing his own, he would come
out of hell into heaven. Now, in this present time, man is set
between heaven and hell, and may turn himself towards which he
will. For the more he hath of ownership, the more he hath of
hell and misery; and the less of self-will, the less of hell,
and the nearer he is to the Kingdom of Heaven. And could a
man, while on earth, be wholly quit of self-will and
ownership, and stand up free and at large in God's true light,
and continue therein, he would be sure of the Kingdom of
Heaven. He who hath something, or seeketh or longeth to have
something of his own, is himself a slave; and he who hath
nothing of his own, nor seeketh nor longeth thereafter, is
free and at large, and in bondage to none.
All that
hath here been said, Christ taught in words and fulfilled in
works for three-and-thirty years, and He teacheth it to us
very briefly when He saith: "Follow Me." But he who will
follow Him must forsake all things, for He renounced all
things so utterly as no man else hath ever done. Moreover, he
who will come after Him, must take up the cross, and the cross
is nothing else than Christ's life, for that is a bitter cross
to nature. Therefore He saith: "And he that taketh not his
cross, and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me, and cannot
be My disciple." But nature, in her false freedom, weeneth she
hath forsaken all things, yet she will have none of the cross,
and saith she hath had enough of it already, and needeth it no
longer, and thus she is deceived. For had she ever tasted the
cross she would never part with it again. He that believeth on
Christ must believe all that is here written.
CHAPTER
LII
How we must take those two Sayings of Christ: "No
Man cometh unto the Father, but by Me," and "No Man cometh
unto Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him."
Christ saith: "No man cometh unto the Father, but by
Me." Now mark how we must come unto the Father through Christ.
The man shall set a watch over himself and all that belongeth
to him within and without, and shall so direct, govern, and
guard his heart, as far as in him lieth, that neither will nor
desire, love nor longing, opinion nor thought, shall spring up
in his heart, or have any abiding-place in him, save such as
are meet for God and would beseem him well, if God Himself
were made Man. And whenever he becometh aware of any thought
or intent rising up within him that doth not belong to God and
were not meet for Him, he must resist it and root it out as
thoroughly and as Speedily as he may.
By this rule he
must order his outward behaviour, whether he work or refrain,
speak or keep silence, wake or sleep, go or stand still. In
short: in all his ways and walks, whether as touching his own
business, or his dealings with other men, he must keep his
heart with all diligence, lest he do aught, or turn aside to
aught, or suffer aught to spring up or dwell within him or
about him, or lest anything be done in him or through him,
otherwise than were meet for God, and would be possible and
seemly if God Himself were verily made Man.
Behold!
he, in whom it should be thus, whatever he had within, or did
without, would be all of God, and the man would be in his life
a follower of Christ more truly than we can understand or set
forth. And he who led such a life would go in and out through
Christ; for he would be a follower of Christ: therefore also
he would come with Christ and through Christ unto the Father.
And he would be also a servant of Christ, for he who cometh
after Him is His servant, as He Himself also saith: "If any
man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall
also my servant be." And he who is thus a servant and follower
of Christ, cometh to that place where Christ Himself is; that
is, unto the Father. As Christ Himself saith: "Father, I will
that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I
am." Behold, he who walketh in this path, "entereth in by the
door into the sheepfold," that is, into eternal life; "and to
him the porter openeth"; but he who entereth in by some other
way, or vainly thinketh that he would or can come to the
Father or to eternal blessedness otherwise than through
Christ, is deceived; for he is not in the right Way, nor
entereth in by the right Door. Therefore to him the porter
openeth not, for he is a thief and a murderer, as Christ
saith.
Now, behold and mark, whether one can be in the
right Way, and enter in by the right Door, if one be living in
lawless freedom or license, or disregard of ordinances, virtue
or vice, order or disorder, and the like. Such liberty we do
not find in Christ, neither is it in any of His true
followers.
CHAPTER LIII
Considereth that other
saying of Christ, "No Man can come unto Me, except the Father,
which hath sent Me, draw him."
Christ hath also said:
"No man cometh unto Me, except the Father, which hath sent Me,
draw him." Now mark: by the Father, I understand the Perfect,
Simple Good, which is All and above All, and without which and
besides which there is no true Substance, nor true Good, and
without which no good work ever was or will be done. And in
that it is All, it must be in All and above All. And it cannot
be any one of those things which the creatures, as creatures,
can comprehend or understand. For whatever the creature, as
creature (that is, in her creature kind), can conceive of and
understand, is something, this or that, and therefore is some
sort of creature. And now if the Simple Perfect Good were
somewhat, this or that, which the creature understandeth, it
would not be the All, nor the Only One, and therefore not
Perfect. Therefore also it cannot be named, seeing that it is
none of all the things which the creature as creature can
comprehend, know, conceive, or name. Now behold, when this
Perfect Good, which is unnameable, floweth into a Person able
to bring forth, and bringeth forth the Only-begotten Son in
that Person, and itself in Him, we call it the Father.
Now mark how the Father draweth men unto Christ. When
somewhat of this Perfect Good is discovered and revealed
within the soul of man, as it were in a glance or flash, the
soul conceiveth a longing to approach unto the Perfect
Goodness, and unite herself with the Father. And the stronger
this yearning groweth, the more is revealed unto her; and the
more is revealed unto her, the more is she drawn toward the
Father, and. her desire quickened. Thus is the soul drawn and
quickened into a union with the Eternal Goodness. And this is
the drawing of the Father, and thus the soul is taught of Him
who draweth her unto Himself, that she cannot enter into a
union with Him except she come unto Him by the life of Christ.
Behold, now she putteth on that life of which I have spoken
afore.
Now see the meaning of these two sayings of
Christ's. The one, "No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me";
that is, through My life, as hath been set forth. The other
saying, "No man cometh unto Me, except the Father draw him";
that is, he doth not take My life upon him and come after Me,
except he be moved and drawn of My Father; that is, of the
Simple and Perfect Good, of which St. Paul saith; "when that
which is Perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be
done away." That is to say; in whatever soul this Perfect Good
is known, felt and tasted, so far as may be in this present
time, to that soul all created things are as nought compared
with this Perfect One, as in truth they are; for beside or
without the Perfect One, is neither true Good nor true
Substance. Whosoever then hath, or knoweth, or loveth, the
Perfect One, hath and knoweth all goodness. What more then
doth he want, or what is all that "is in part" to him, seeing
that all the parts are united in the Perfect, in One Substance
?
What hath here been said, concerneth the outward
life, and is a good way or access unto the true inward life;
but the inward life beginneth after this. When a man hath
tasted that which is perfect as far as is possible in this
present time, all created things and even himself become as
nought to him. And when he perceiveth of a truth that the
Perfect One is All and above All, he needs must follow after
Him, and ascribe all that is good, such as Substance, Life,
Knowledge, Reason, Power, and the like, unto Him alone and to
no creature. And hence followeth that the man claimeth for his
own neither Substance, Life, Knowledge, nor Power, Doing nor
Refraining, nor anything that we can call good. And thus the
man becometh so poor, that he is nought in himself, and so are
also all things unto him which are somewhat, that is, all
created things. And then there beginneth in him a true inward
life, wherein from henceforward, God Himself dwelleth in the
man, so that nothing is left in him but what is God's or of
God, and nothing is left which taketh anything unto itself.
And thus God Himself, that is, the One Eternal Perfectness,
alone is, liveth, knoweth, worketh, loveth, willeth, doeth and
refraineth in the man. And thus, of a truth, it should be, and
where it is not so, the man hath yet far to travel, and things
are not altogether right with him.
Furthermore, it is
a good way and access unto this life, to feel always that what
is best is dearest, and always to prefer the best, and cleave
to it, and unite oneself to it. First: in the creatures. But
what is best in the creatures? Be assured: that, in which the
Eternal Perfect Goodness and what is thereof, that is, all
which belongeth thereunto, most brightly shineth and worketh,
and is best known and loved. But what is that which is of God,
and belongeth unto Him? I answer : whatever with justice and
truth we do, or might call good.
When therefore among
the creatures the man cleaveth to that which is the best that
he can perceive, and keepeth steadfastly to that, in
singleness of heart, he cometh afterward to what is better and
better, until, at last, he findeth and tasteth that the
Eternal Good is a Perfect Good, without measure and number
above all created good. Now if what is best is to be dearest
to us, and we are to follow after it, the One Eternal Good
must be loved above all and alone, and we must cleave to Him
alone, and unite ourselves with Him as closely as we may. And
now if we are to ascribe all goodness to the One Eternal Good,
as of right and truth we ought, so must we also of right and
truth ascribe unto Him the beginning, middle, and end of our
course, so that nothing remain to man or the creature. So it
should be of a truth, let men say what they will.
Now
on this wise we should attain unto a true inward life. And
what then further would happen to the soul, or would be
revealed unto her, and what her life would be henceforward,
none can declare or guess. For it is that which hath never
been uttered by man's lips, nor hath it entered into the heart
of man to conceive.
In this our long discourse, are
briefly comprehended those things which ought of right and
truth to be fulfilled: to wit, that man should claim nothing
for his own, nor crave, will, love, or intend anything but God
alone, and what is like unto Him, that is to say, the One,
Eternal, Perfect Goodness.
But if it be not thus with
a man, and he take, will, purpose, or crave, somewhat for
himself, this or that, whatever it may be, beside or other
than the Eternal and Perfect Goodness which is God Himself,
this is all too much and a great injury, and hindereth the man
from a perfect life; wherefore he can never reach the Perfect
Good, unless he first forsake all things and himself first of
all. For no man can serve two masters, who are contrary the
one to the other; he who will have the one, must let the other
go. Therefore if the Creator shall enter in, the creature must
depart. Of this be assured.
CHAPTER LIV
How
a Man shall not seek his own, either in Things spiritual
or natural but the Honour of God only; and how he must enter
in by the right Door, to wit, by Christ, into Eternal Life.
If a man may attain thereunto, to be unto God as his
hand is to a man, let him be therewith content, and not seek
farther. This is my faithful counsel, and here I take my
stand. That is to say, let him strive and wrestle with all his
might to obey God and His commandments so thoroughly at all
times and in all things, that in him there be nothing,
spiritual or natural, which opposeth God; and that his whole
soul and body with all their members may stand ready and
willing for that to which God hath created them; as ready and
willing as his hand is to a man, which is so wholly in his
power, that in the twinkling of an eye, he moveth and turneth
it whither he will. And when we find it otherwise with us, we
must give our whole diligence to amend our state; and this
from love and not from fear, and in all things whatsoever,
seek and intend the glory and praise of God alone. We must not
seek our own, either in things spiritual or in things natural.
It must needs be thus, if it is to stand well with us. And
every creature oweth this of right and truth unto God, and
especially man, to whom, by the ordinance of God, all
creatures are made subject, and are servants, that he may be
subject to and serve God only.
Further, when a man
hath come so far, and climbed so high, that he thinketh and
weeneth he standeth sure, let him beware lest the Devil strew
ashes and his own bad seed on his heart, and nature seek and
take her own comfort, rest, peace, and delight in the
prosperity of his soul, and he fall into a foolish, lawless
freedom and licentiousness, which is altogether alien to, and
at war with, a true life in God. And this will happen to that
man who hath not entered, or refuseth to enter in by the right
Way and the right Door (which is Christ, as we have said), and
imagineth that he would or could come by any other way to the
highest truth. He may perhaps dream that he hath attained
thereunto, but verily he is in error.
And our witness
is Christ, who declareth: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He
that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth
up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber." A thief,
for he robbeth God of His honour and glory, which belong to
God alone; he taketh them unto himself, and seeketh and
purposeth himself. A murderer, for he slayeth his own soul,
and taketh away her life, which is God. For as the body liveth
by the soul, even so the soul liveth by God. Moreover, he
murdereth all those who follow him, by his doctrine and
example. For Christ saith: "I came down from heaven, not to do
Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me." And again:
"Why call ye Me Lord, Lord?" as if he would say, it will avail
you nothing to Eternal life. And again: "Not every one that
saith unto Me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of
Heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in
Heaven." But He saith also: "If thou wilt enter into life,
keep the commandments." And what are the commandments? "To
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul,
and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and to love
thy neighbour as thyself." And in these two commandments all
others are briefly comprehended.
There is nothing more
precious to God, or more profitable to man, than humble
obedience. In His eyes, one good work, wrought from true
obedience, is of more value than a hundred thousand, wrought
from self-will, contrary to obedience. Therefore he who hath
this obedience need not dread Him, for such a man is in the
right way, and following after Christ.
That we may
thus deny ourselves, and forsake and renounce all things for
God's sake, and give up our own wills, and die unto ourselves,
and live unto God alone and to His will, may He help us, who
gave up His will to His Heavenly Father, - Jesus Christ our
Lord, to whom be blessing for ever and ever. Amen.
THE
END
Doc viewed 904 times.
|
