Christus loquens sponse dicit ei, quod omnia creata sunt ad voluntatem suam preter homines; dicit eciam, quod sunt tria genera hominum in hoc mundo, qui comparantur tribus nauibus ambulantibus in mari, quarum prima periclitatur et perit, secunda fluctuat, tercia bene regitur.
The Creator and the Free Will of Man
God asserts His sovereignty over all creation, noting that only humanity possesses a will independent of His own.
The Son speaks: "I am the creator of all spirits, both good and evil." I am also the moderator and ruler of all spirits. I am also the creator of all living things, as well as everything that exists without life. Therefore, everything in heaven, on earth, and in the sea exists according to my will, except for man alone.
The Three Ships of the Soul
Christ uses the metaphor of three ships to describe the varying states of the human soul in relation to divine grace, discipline, and love.
Know, then, that some people are like a ship that has lost its rudder and its mast—that is, its tree—and wanders here and there amidst the storms of the sea until it reaches the shores of the island of death. Those in this ship are people who have lost all hope and given themselves over to their own desires. Others are like a ship that still has its mast—that is, its tree—along with a rudder and one anchor held by two ropes. But the main anchor is broken, and the rudder comes loose even faster if the force of the water gets between the ship and the rudder. So, take care, because as long as the rudder and the ship are joined together, they share a certain warmth between them due to their mutual connection. The third ship is fully rigged and armored, ready to set sail whenever the time comes. The first anchor, which is the primary one I mentioned above, is the religious discipline guided and smoothed by patience and the fervor of divine love.1 This has fallen apart because the discipline of the fathers has been trampled underfoot, and everyone treats whatever seems useful to them as their religious life; so they drift, like a ship among the waves. The second anchor, which is still sound as I mentioned before, is the will to serve God, held by two ropes—faith and hope—because they believe that I am God and they have hope in me that I am willing to save them.2 I am their rudder, because as long as I am in the boat, the waves of the storms cannot enter, and there is a kind of warmth between me and them. But I, God, hold fast to their ship when they love nothing as much as they love me; I am fastened to them by three nails: fear, humility, and the contemplation of my works. But if they love anything more than me, then the water of dissolution rushes in; then the nails—namely, fear, humility, and divine consideration—are loosened; then the anchor of a good will is broken; and then the ropes of faith and hope are snapped. But those in this ship are far too unstable, which is why they drift toward dangerous places. My friends are in the third ship, which I said was ready to set sail.
Read the original Latin
Filius loquitur: "Ego sum creator omnium spirituum bonorum et malorum. Ego eciam omnium spirituum moderator et rector sum. Ego quoque creator sum omnium illorum animalium et rerum, que sunt et habent vitam, necnon et omnium eorum, que sunt et non habent vitam.
Itaque quecumque sunt in celo, terra et mari, omnia sunt ad voluntatem meam preter hominem solum.
Scito igitur, quod homines quidam sunt sicut nauis, que amiserat gubernaculum et malum, id est arborem, et huc illucque vagatur inter procellas maris, donec venerit ad ripas insule mortis. In ista naui sunt illi, qui desperantes se tradunt animum voluptati.
Alii sunt sicut nauis, que adhuc habet malum, id est arborem, et gubernaculum et unam anchoram cum duabus funibus. Sed capitalis anchora fracta est et gubernaculum cicius soluitur, si impetus aquarum intrauerit inter nauem et gubernaculum.
Ideo caueatur, quia quamdiu gubernaculum et nauis coherent, propter coniunccionem mutuam quasi quendam calorem habent inter se.
Tercia nauis habet paramenta et armatura sua omnia et est parata velificare, cum fuerit tempus.
Et prima anchora, que est capitalis de qua supra dixi, est disciplina religionis ducta et leuigata per pacienciam et feruorem diuine dileccionis.
Hec iam nunc dissoluta est, quia institucio patrum proiecta est sub pedibus et unusquisque quod sibi videtur utile habet pro religione, et sic fluctuant sicut nauis inter fluctus.
Secunda anchora, que est adhuc sana, ut supra dixi, est voluntas seruiendi Deo, ligata duabus funibus, fide scilicet et spe, quia credunt me Deum et habent in me spem, quod velim saluare eos;
quorum gubernaculum ego sum, quia quamdiu ero in naui, fluctus procellarum non intrant et quasi quidam calor est inter me et eos.
Tunc autem ego Deus adhereo naui eorum, quando ipsi nichil diligunt sicut me; quibus ego affigor quasi tribus clauis scilicet timore, humilitate et consideracione operum meorum.
Sed si ipsi aliquid plus quam me diligunt, tunc ingreditur aqua dissolucionis, tunc dissoluitur claui timor scilicet et humilitas et diuina consideracio, tunc frangitur anchora voluntatis bone et tunc rumpuntur funes fidei et spe.
Sed qui in ista naui sunt nimis instabiles sunt; ideo tendunt ad loca periculosa.
In tercia naui, quam dixi, quod erat parata velificare, sunt amici mei."
Notes
- 1 ↩The Latin 'capitalis' here carries the sense of 'chief' or 'principal' anchor, while 'leuigata' suggests a smoothing or easing of the path through the mentioned virtues.
- 2 ↩The Latin 'funibus' (ropes) is used here metaphorically to describe the connection of the soul to God through faith and hope.
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