say, hatred of sin. And here it is to wete why that hatred of sin is
never perfectly felt in a man's affection, ere the time that ghostly
joy of inward sweetness be felt in the affection, and this is the
skill: for ere this time was never the true cause of hatred felt in
the affection. For the feeling of ghostly joy teacheth a man what
sin harmeth the soul. And all after that the harm in the soul is
felt much or little, thereafter is the hatred measured, more or
less, unto the harming. But when a soul, by the grace of God and
long travail, is come to feeling of ghostly joy in God, then it
feeleth that sin hath been the cause of the delaying thereof. And
also when he feeleth that he may not alway last in the feeling of
that ghostly joy, for the corruption of the flesh, of the which
corruption sin is the cause; then he riseth with a strong feeling of
hatred against all sin and all kind of sin. This feeling taught
David us to have, where he saith in the psalm: "Be ye wroth and will
ye not sin";[86] that is thus to mean: Be ye wroth with the sin, but
not with the kind.[87] For kind stirreth to the deed, but not to
sin. And here it is to wete that this wrath and this hatred is not
contrary to charity, but charity teacheth how it shall be had both
in a man's self and in his even Christian;[88] for a man should
[not] hate sin [so that he destroy his kind, but so that he destroy
the sin and the appetite of sin] in his kind. And, as against our
even Christian, we ought to hate sin in him, and to love him; and of
this hatred speaketh David in the psalm, where he saith thus: "With
perfect hatred I hated them."[89] And in another psalm he saith that
"he had in hatred all wicked ways."[90] Thus it is well proved that,
ere Zebulun was born, Judah and Issachar were both born. For but if
a man have had charity and ghostly joy in his feeling first, he may
in no wise feel this perfect hatred of sin in his affection. For
Judah, that is to say, charity, teacheth us how we shall hate sin in
ourself and in our brethren; and Issachar, that is to say, ghostly
feeling of joy in God, teacheth us why we shall hate sin in ourself
and in our brethren. Judah biddeth us hate sin and love the kind;
and Issachar biddeth us destroy the sin and save the kind; and thus
it falleth for to be that the kind may be made strong in God and in
ghostly things by perfect hatred and destroying of sin. And
therefore is Zebulun cleped in the story "a dwelling stead of
strength."[91] And Leah said in his birth: "My husband shall now
dwell with me";[92] and so it is that God, that is the true husband
of our soul, is dwelling in that soul, strengthening it in the
affection with ghostly joy and sweetness in His love, that
travaileth busily to destroy sin in himself and in others by perfect
hatred of the sin and all the kind of sin. And thus it is said how
Zebulun is born.
CAPITULUM IX
HOW ORDAINED SHAME RISETH AND GROWETH IN THE AFFECTION
BUT though all that a soul through grace feel in it perfect hatred
of sin, whether it may yet live without sin? Nay, sikerly;[93] and
therefore let no man presume of himself, when the Apostle saith
thus: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourself, and
soothfastness is not in us."[94] And also saint Austin saith that he
dare well say that there is no man living without sin.[95] And I
pray thee, who is he that sinneth not in ignorance? Yea, and oft
times it falleth that God suffereth those men to fall full
grievously by the which He hath ordained other men's errors to be
righted, that they may learn by their own falling how merciful they
shall be in amending of others. And for that oft times men fall
grievously in those same sins that they most hate, therefore, after
hatred of sin, springeth ordained shame in a man's soul; and so it
is that after Zebulun was Dinah born. As by Zebulun hatred of sin,
so by Dinah is understanden ordained shame of sin. But wete thou
well: he that felt never Zebulun, felt never yet Dinah. Evil men
have a manner of shame, but it is not this ordained shame. For why,
if they had perfect shame of sin, they should not so customably do
it with will and advisement;[96] but they shame more with a foul
cloth on their body, than with a foul thought in their soul. But
what so thou be that weenest that thou hast gotten Dinah, think
whether thee would shame as much if a foul thought were in thine
heart, as thee would if thou were made to stand naked before the
king and all his royalme; and sikerly else wete it thou right well
that thou hast not yet gotten ordained shame in thy feeling, if so
be that thou have less shame with thy foul heart than with thy foul
body, and if thou think more shame with thy foul body in the sight
of men than with thy foul heart in the sight of the King of heaven
and of all His angels and holy saints in heaven.
Lo, it is now said of the seven children of Leah, by the which are
understanden seven manner of affections in a man's soul, the which
may be now ordained and now unordained, now measured and now
unmeasured; but when they are ordained and measured, then are they
virtues; and when they are unordained and unmeasured, then are they
vices. Thus behoveth a man have children[97] that they be not only
ordained, but also measured. Then are they ordained when they are of
that thing that they should be, and then are they unordained when
they are of that thing that they should not be; and then are they
measured when they are as much as they should be, and then are they
unmeasured when they are more than they should be. For why, overmuch
dread bringeth in despair, and overmuch sorrow casteth a man in to
bitterness and heaviness of kind,[98] for the which he is unable to
receive ghostly comfort. And overmuch hope is presumption, and
outrageous love is but flattering and faging,[99] and outrageous
gladness is dissolution and wantonness, and untempered hatred of sin
is woodness.[100] And on this manner, they are unordained and
unmeasured, and thus are they turned in to vices, and then lose they
the name of virtues, and may not be accounted amongst the sons of
Jacob, that is to say, God: for by Jacob is understanden God, as it
is shewed in the figure before.
CAPITULUM X
HOW DISCRETION AND CONTEMPLATION RISE IN THE REASON
Thus it seemeth that the virtue of discretion needeth to be had,
with the which all others may be governed; for without it all
virtues are turned in to vices. This is Joseph, that is the late
born child, but yet his father loveth him more than them all. For
why, without discretion may neither goodness be gotten nor kept, and
therefore no wonder though that virtue be singularly loved, without
which no virtue may be had nor governed. But what wonder though this
virtue be late gotten, when we may not win to the perfection of
discretion without much custom and many travails of these other
affections coming before? For first behoveth us to be used in each
virtue by itself, and get the proof of them all serely,[101] ere we
may have full knowing of them all, or else can deem sufficiently of
them all. And when we use us busily in these feelings and beholdings
before said, oft times we fall and oft times we rise. Then, by our
oft falling, may we learn how much wariness us behoveth have in the
getting and keeping of these virtues. And thus sometime, by long
use, a soul is led into full discretion, and then it may joy in the
birth of Joseph. And before this virtue be conceived in a man's
soul, all that these other virtues do, it is without discretion. And
therefore, in as much as a man presumeth and enforceth him in any of
these feelings beforesaid, over his might and out of measure, in so
much the fouler he falleth and faileth of his purpose. And therefore
it is that, after them all and last, is Dinah born; for often, after
a foul fall and a failing, cometh soon shame. And thus after many
failings and failings, and shames following, a man learneth by the
proof that there is nothing better than to be ruled after counsel,
the which is the readiest getting of discretion. For why, he that
doth all things with counsel, he shall never forthink[102] it; for
better is a sly man than a strong man; yea, and better is list than
lither strength,[103] and a sly man speaketh of victories. And here
is the open skill why that neither Leah nor Zilpah nor Bilhah might
bear such a child, but only Rachel; for, as it is said before, that
of reason springeth right counsel, the which is very discretion,
understanden by Joseph, the first son of Rachel; and then at the
first bring we forth Joseph in our reason when all that we are
stirred to do, we do it with counsel. This Joseph shall not only
know what sins we are most stirred unto, but also he shall know the
weakness of our kind, and after that either asketh, so shall he do
remedy, and seek counsel at wiser than he, and do after them, or
else he is not Joseph, Jacob's son born of Rachel. And also by this
foresaid[104] Joseph a man is not only learned to eschew the deceits
of his enemies, but also oft a man is led by him to the perfect
knowing of himself; and all after that a man knoweth himself,
thereafter he profiteth in the knowing of God, of whom he is the
image and the likeness. And therefore it is that after Joseph is
Benjamin born. For as by Joseph discretion, so by Benjamin we
understand contemplation. And both are they born of one mother, and
gotten of one father. For through the grace of God lightening our
reason, come we to the perfect knowing of ourself and of God, that
is to say, after that it may be in this life. But long after Joseph
is Benjamin born. For why, truly but if it so be that we use us
busily and long in ghostly travails, with the which we are learned
to know ourself, we may not be raised in to the knowing and
contemplation of God. He doth for nought that lifteth up his eye to
the sight of God, that is not yet able to see himself. For first I
would that a man learned him to know the unseeable[105] things of
his own spirit, ere he presume to know the unseeable things of the
spirit of God; and he that knoweth not yet himself and weeneth that
he hath gotten somedeal knowing of the unseeable things of God, I
doubt it not but that he is deceived; and therefore I rede that a
man seek first busily for to know himself, the which is made to the
image and the likeness of God as in soul. And wete thou well that he
that desireth for to see God, him behoveth to cleanse his soul, the
which is as a mirror in the which all things are clearly seen, when
it is clean; and when the mirror is foul, then mayst thou see
nothing clearly therein; and right so it is of thy soul, when it is
foul, neither thou knowest thyself nor God. As when the candle
brenneth, thou mayst then see the self candle[106] by the light
thereof, and other things also; right so, when thy soul brenneth in
the love of God, that is, when thou feelest continually thine heart
desire after the love of God, then, by the light of His grace that
He sendeth in thy reason, thou mayst see both thine own unworthiness
and His great goodness. And therefore cleanse thy mirror and proffer
thy candle to the fire; and then, when thy mirror is cleansed and
thy candle brenning, and it so be that thou wittily behold thereto,
then beginneth there a manner of clarity of the light of God for to
shine in thy soul, and a manner of sunbeam that is ghostly to appear
before thy ghostly sight, through the which the eye of thy soul is
opened to behold God and godly things, heaven and heavenly things,
and all manner of ghostly things. But this sight is but by times,
when God will vouchsafe for to give it to a working[107] soul, the
whiles it is in the battle of this deadly life; but after this life
it shall be everlasting. This light shone in the soul of David, when
he said thus in the psalm: "Lord, the light of Thy face is marked
upon us; Thou hast given gladness within mine heart."[108] The light
of God's face is the shining of His grace, that reformeth in us His
image that hath been disfigured with the darkness of sin; and
therefore a soul that brenneth in desire of His sight,[109] if it
hope for to have that that it desireth, wete it well it hath
conceived Benjamin. And, therefore, what is more healfull[110] than
the sweetness of this sight, or what softer thing may be felt?
Sikerly, none; and that woteth Rachel full well. For why, reason
saith that, in comparison of this sweetness, all other sweetness is
sorrow, and bitter as gall before honey. Nevertheless, yet may a man
never come to such a grace by his own slight.[111] For why, it is
the gift of God without desert of man. But without doubt, though it
be not the desert of man, yet no man may take such grace without
great study and brenning desires coming before; and that woteth
Rachel full well, and therefore she multiplieth her study, and
whetteth her desires, seeking desire upon desire;[112] so that at
the last, in great abundance of brenning desires and sorrow of the
delaying of her desire, Benjamin is born, and his mother Rachel
dieth;[113] for why, in what time that a soul is ravished above
itself by abundance of desires and a great multitude of love, so
that it is inflamed with the light of the Godhead, sikerly then
dieth all man's reason.
And therefore, what so thou be that covetest to come to
contemplation of God, that is to say, to bring forth such a child
that men clepen in the story Benjamin (that is to say, sight of
God), then shalt thou use thee in this manner. Thou shalt call
together thy thoughts and thy desires, and make thee of them a
church, and learn thee therein for to love only this good word Jesu,
so that all thy desires and all thy thoughts are only set for to
love Jesu, and that unceasingly as it may be here; so that thou
fulfill that is said in the psalm: "Lord, I shall bless Thee in
churches";[114] that is, in thoughts and desires of the love of
Jesu. And then, in this church of thoughts and desires, and in this
onehead of studies and of wills, look that all thy thoughts, and all
thy desires, and all thy studies, and all thy wills be only set in
the love and the praising of this Lord Jesu, without forgetting, as
far forth as thou mayst by grace, and as thy frailty will suffer;
evermore meeking thee to prayer and to counsel, patiently abiding
the will of our Lord, unto the time that thy mind be ravished above
itself, to be fed with the fair food of angels in the beholding of
God and ghostly things:[115] so that it be fulfilled in thee that is
written in the psalm: Ibi Benjamin adolesentulus in mentis
excessu;[116] that is: "There is Benjamin, the young child, in
ravishing of mind." The grace of Jesu keep thee evermore.[117] Amen
DEO GRATIAS
II.
HERE FOLLOWETH DIVERS DOCTRINES DEVOUT AND FRUITFUL, TAKEN OUT OF
THE LIFE OF THAT GLORIOUS VIRGIN AND SPOUSE OF OUR LORD, SAINT
KATHERIN OF SEENES. AND FIRST THOSE WHICH OUR LORD TAUGHT AND SHEWED
TO HERSELF, AND SITH THOSE WHICH SHE TAUGHT AND SHEWED UNTO OTHERS
THE first doctrine of our Lord is this:
"Knowest thou not, daughter, who thou art and who I am? If thou know
well these two words, thou art and shalt be blessed. Thou art she
that art nought; and I am He that am ought.[118] If thou have the
very knowledge of these two things in thy soul, thy ghostly enemy
shall never deceive thee, but thou shalt eschew graciously all his
malice;[119] and thou shalt never consent to any thing that is
against My commandments and precepts, but all grace, all truth, and
all charity thou shalt win without any hardness."
The second doctrine of our Lord is this:
"Think on Me, and I shall think on thee."
In declaring of which doctrine she was wont to say that:
"A soul which is verily united to God perceiveth not, seeth not, nor
loveth not herself, nor none other soul, nor hath no mind of no
creature but only on God."
And these words she expoundeth more expressly, and saith thus:
"Such a soul seeth herself, that she is very nought of herself, and
knoweth perfectly that all the goodness, with all the mights of the
soul, is her Maker's. She forsaketh utterly herself and all
creatures, and hideth herself fully in her Maker, our Lord Jesu; in
so much that she sendeth fully and principally all her ghostly and
bodily workings in to Him; in whom she perceiveth that she may find
all goodness, and all perfection of blessedness. And, therefore, she
shall have no will to go out from such inward knowledge of Him for
nothing.[120] And of this unity of love, that is increased every day
in such a soul, she is transformed in a manner in to our Lord, that
she may neither think, nor understand, nor love, nor have no mind
but God, or else in God. For she may not see herself, nor none other
creature, but only in God; nor she may not love herself, nor none
other, but only in God; nor she may have no mind of herself nor of
none other, but only in God, nor she may have no mind but only of
her Maker. And therefore," she said, "we shall have none other
business but only to think how we may please Him, unto whom we have
committed all our governance both in body and soul."
The third doctrine of our Lord is this; in obtaining of virtue and
ghostly strength:
"Daughter, if thou wilt get unto thee virtue and also ghostly
strength,[121] thou must follow Me. Albeit that I might by My godly
virtue have overcome all the power of the fiends by many manner ways
of overcoming, yet, for to give you ensample by My manhood, I would
not overcome him but only by taking of death upon the Cross, that ye
might be taught thereby, if ye will overcome your ghostly enemies,
for to take the Cross as I did; the which Cross shall be to you a
great refreshing in all your temptations, if ye have mind of the
pains that I suffered thereon.[122] And certainly the pains of the
Cross may well be called refreshing of temptations, for the more
pain ye suffer for My love, the more like ye be to Me. And if ye be
so like to Me in passion, needs ye must be like to Me in joy.[123]
Therefore for My love, daughter, suffer patiently bitter things, and
not sweet things; and doubt in no wise, for thou shalt be strong
enough for to suffer all things patiently."
The first doctrine of this glorious virgin is this:
"A soul which is verily mete[124] to God, as much as it hath of the
love of God, so much it hath of the hate of her own sensuality. For
of the love of God naturally cometh hate of sin, the which is done
against God. The soul, therefore, considering that the root and
beginning of sin reigneth in the sensuality, and there principally
is rooted, she is moved and stirred highly and holily with all her
mights against her own sensuality; not utterly to destroy the root,
for that may not be, as long as the soul dwelleth in the body living
in this life, but ever there shall be left a root, namely of small
venial sins. And because she may not utterly destroy the root of sin
thus in her sensuality, she conceiveth a great displeasaunce against
her sensuality, of the which displeasaunce springeth an holy hate
and a despising of the sensuality, by the which the soul is ever
well kept from her ghostly enemies. There is nothing that keepeth
the soul so strong and so sure as doth such an holy hate. And that
felt well the Apostle, when he said: Cum infirmor, tonc fortior sum
et potens;[125] that is: When I am sick and feeble in my sensuality
by hate of sin, then am I stronger and mightier in my soul. Lo, of
such hate cometh virtue, of such feebleness cometh strength, and of
such displeasaunce cometh pleasaunce. This holy hate maketh a man
meek, and to feel meek things of himself. It maketh him patient in
adversity, temperate in prosperity, and setteth him in all honesty
of virtue, and maketh him to be loved both of God and man. And where
this holy hate is not, there is inordinate love, which is the
stinking canal of all sin, and root[126] of all evil concupiscence.
Do therefore," she saith, "your business to put away such inordinate
love of your own self, out of your hearts, and plant therein holy
hate of sin. For certain that is the right way to perfection, and
amendment of all sin."
Here is a common answer which she used to say to the fiends:
"I trust in my Lord Jesu Christ, and not in myself."
Here is a rule how we shall behave us in time of temptation:
"When temptation," she saith, "ariseth in us, we should never
dispute nor make questions; for that is," she saith, "that the fiend
most seeketh of us for to fall in questions with him. He trusteth so
highly in the great subtlety of his malice, that he should overcome
us with his sophistical reasons. Therefore a soul should never make
questions, nor answer to the questions of the fiend, but rather turn
her to devout prayer, and commend her to our Lord that she consent
not to his subtle demands; for by virtue of devout prayer, and
steadfast faith, we may overcome all the subtle temptations of the
fiend."
Here is a good conceit of this holy maid to eschew the temptations
of the fiend:
"It happeneth," she said, "that otherwhile[127] the devout fervour
of a soul loving our Lord Jesu, either by some certain sin, or else
by some new subtle temptations of the fiend, waxeth dull and slow,
and otherwhile it is brought to very coldness;[128] in so much that
some unwitty folks, considering that they be destitute from the
ghostly comfort the which they were wont to have, leave[129]
therefore the ghostly exercise that they were wont to use of prayer,
of meditations, of reading, of holy communications, and of penance
doing; whereby they be made more ready to be overcome of the fiend.
For he desireth nothing else of Christ's knights, but that they
should put away their armour by the which they were wont to overcome
their enemies. A wise knight of our Lord Jesu should not do so. But
thus, the more he feeleth[130] himself dull and slow, or cold in
devotion, the rather he should continue in his ghostly exercise, and
not for to make them less, but rather increase them."
Here is another doctrine of this holy maid, the which she used to
say to herself in edifying of others:
"Thou vile and wretched creature, art thou worthy any manner of
comfort in this life? Why hast thou not mind of thy sins? What
supposest thou of thyself, wretched sinner? Is it not enough to
thee, trowest thou not, that thou art escaped by the mercy of our
Lord from everlasting damnation? Therefore thou shouldest be well
apaid,[131] wretch, though thou suffer all the pains and darkness of
thy soul all the days of thy life. Why art thou, then, heavy and
sorrowful to suffer such pains, sith by God's grace thou shalt
escape endless pains with Christ Jesu without any doubt, and be
comforted endlessly, if thou bear these pains patiently. Whether
hast thou chosen to serve our Lord only for the comfort that thou
mayst have of Him in this life? Nay, but for the comfort that thou
shalt have of Him in the bliss of heaven. Therefore arise up now,
and cease never of thy ghostly exercise that thou hast used, but
rather increase to them more."
Here is an answer by the which she had a final victory of the fiend,
after long threats of intolerable pains:
"I have chosen pain for my refreshing, and therefore it is not hard
to me to suffer them, but rather delectable for the love of my
Saviour, as long as it pleaseth His Majesty that I shall suffer
them."
Here is a doctrine of the said virgin, how we should use the grace
of our Lord:
"Who so could use the grace of our Lord, he should ever have the
victory of all things that falleth to him. For as often," she said,
"as any new thing falleth to a man, be it of prosperity or
adversity, he should think in himself thus: Of this will I win
somewhat. For he that can do so, shall soon be rich in virtue."
Here followeth notable doctrines of this holy maid, taken of her
sermon which she made to her disciples before her passing, and the
first was this:
"What so ever he be that cometh to the service of God, if he will
have God truly, it is needful to him that he make his heart naked
from all sensible love, not only of certain persons but of every
creature what that ever he be, and then he should stretch up his
soul to our Lord and our Maker, simply, with all the desire of his
heart. For an heart may not wholly be given to God, but if it be
free from all other love, open and simple without doubleness." And
so she affirmed of herself, that it was her principal labour and
business from her young age unto that time, ever for to come to that
perfection. Also she said that she knew well that to such a state of
perfection, in the which all the heart is given to God, a soul may
not come perfectly without meditation of devout prayer, and that the
prayer be grounded in meekness, and that it come not forth and
proceed by any trust of any manner of virtue of him that prayeth,
but alway he should know himself to be right nought. For she said
that that was ever her business, to give herself to the exercise of
prayer, so for to win the continual habit of prayer; for she did see
well that by prayer all virtues are increased, and made mighty and
strong; and, without prayer, they wax feeble and defail.[132]
Wherefore she induced her disciples that they should busy them to
prayer perseverauntly; and therefore she told them of two manner of
prayers:[133] Vocal and Mental. Vocal prayers, she said, should be
kept certain hours in the night and in the day ordained by holy
Church; but mental prayer should ever be had, in act or in habit of
the soul. Also she said that, by the light of quick faith, she saw
clearly and conceived in her soul that what that ever befell to her,
or to any others, all cometh from God, not for hate but for great
love that He hath to His creatures; and by[134] this quick faith she
conceived in herself a love and a readiness to obey as well to the
precepts of her sovereigns,[135] as to the commandments of God, ever
thinking that their precepts should come from God, either for need
of herself, or else for increase of virtue in her soul. Also she
said, for to get and purchase purity of soul, it were right
necessary that a man kept himself from all manner of judgments of
his [neighbour, and from all idle speaking of his][136] neighbour's
deeds; for in every creature we should behold only the will of God.
And therefore she said that in no wise men should deem[137]
creatures; that is, neither despise them by their doom[138] nor
condemn them, all be it that they see them do open sin before them;
but rather they should have compassion on them and pray for them,
and despise them not, nor condemn them. Also she said that she had
great hope and trust in God's providence; for, she said, she knew
well[139] by experience that the Divine providence was and is a
passing great thing, for it wanteth never to them that hopeth in it.
DEO GRATIS
III.