Vtilis doctrina spiritualis, qualiter respondeat homo contra tres hostes anime, scilicet contra dyabolum, qui temptat de superbia et cupiditate etc., et contra amicos et domesticos, qui suadent, quod homo non sit nimis iustus et humilis etc., et contra emulos, qui cupiunt homini pudorem et dampnum et vitam breuem.
The Three Enemies of the Soul
An introduction to the three spiritual enemies that confront every person.
That person you know has three enemies. The first is always near him, whether he's asleep or awake, yet he doesn't see him. The second is familiar and close by when he's awake, but he doesn't hear him. For the third is not familiar to him, nor does he know him, and this one hates him.
Whipping the Devil
How to resist the devil's temptations of pride and greed through firm spiritual resolve.
The first enemy is the devil, who tempts you with pride, greed, and many other ways. So, keep a whip ready to discipline this enemy in this way: “Devil, you haven't given anything good, nor have you created anything.” “Why should I choose pride just to satisfy your will?” “You, too, seek to destroy me, but Christ calls me to life.” “Therefore, it’s right to flee from your will and to follow the will of God and His commandments.” Therefore, whoever stays awake or sleeps with such an intention wields a whip against the devil, by which he is troubled and driven away.
Building a Wall Against Worldly Counsel
Defending the heart against the discouraging advice of friends and family who prioritize worldly gain over righteousness.
Your second enemy is your own friends, family, and servants, who tell you, "You'll suffer losses if you're too righteous." You could sometimes look out for your own interests and just overlook a lot of things. If you're too humble, however, you'll be looked down upon. So, get rich and make us rich along with you; chase after the world's honors, and we'll be comforted with you. This enemy makes himself heard every day, and so a thick wall must be built against him, so that he isn't heard. This wall, however, is a good will—namely, that you would rather have poverty for the sake of justice than riches with injustice, and rather shame for the sake of humility than honor because of pride. And let them respond to the enemy who offers such advice: "If I am doing anything against God," they say, "I ask you to warn me if I'm being careless, because I would much rather rejoice at your words than be saddened by them."1 Let there be such a wall between you and your enemies that their words are like a wind blowing over a wall, but never reaching your heart to shake it from the love of God.
The Rope of Charity
Overcoming hidden enemies through the strength of charity and endurance in God's will.
The third enemy is the one you don't recognize. These are the people who desire your shame, your loss, and your early death, all so that they might secure honors and worldly prosperity for themselves. So, against this enemy, you should hold onto a strong rope—that is, charity toward God and neighbor—by which you willingly desire to endure whatever God wills you to endure, while wishing to harm no one. Then the disgrace your enemies aim at you will turn into honor, your losses into gains, and your short life into the length of eternal life; the enemy will be so bound by these things that he won't be able to do you any harm.
Read the original Latin
"lle homo, quem tu nosti, habet tres inimicos. Primus est prope eum, vbicumque est, siue dormit, siue vigilat, et ipsum non videt. Secundus est familiaris sibi et prope eum, quando vigilat, sed istum non audit. Tercius enim non est ei familiaris nec ipsum cognoscit, et iste eum odit.
Primus hostis est dyabolus, qui temptat eum de superbia et cupiditate et multis aliis modis. Ideo contra istum hostem habeatur flagellum corrigendo taliter:
'O dyabole, tu nichil boni dedisti nec creasti. Cur ad velle tuum superbiam? Tu quoque me queris perdere, et Christus vocat me ad vitam. Ideo dignum est fugere voluntatem tuam et sequi voluntatem Dei et precepta eius.'
Igitur, quicumque cum tali intencione vigilat vel dormit, ipse mouet flagellum contra dyabolum, quo ipse turbatus effugatur.
Secundus hostis sunt familiares amici sui et seruitores sui, qui dicunt ei: 'Incurres dampna, si multum iustus fueris. Poteris quandoque facere commodum proprium et dissimulare multa.
Si vero nimium fueris humilis, despicieris. Ideo posside diuicias et fac nos diuites tecum, appete honores mundi et consolabimur tecum.'
Iste hostis facit se audire cottidie et ideo contra istum hostem edificandus est murus spissus, vt non audiatur. Murus autem iste est voluntas bona, scilicet quod magis velit habere paupertatem propter iusticiam quam diuicias cum iniusticia, et magis pudorem pro humilitate quam honorem propter superbiam.
Respondeatque sic hosti consulenti: 'Si', inquit, 'facio aliquid contra Deum, rogo, incauta et premone me, quia tunc pocius gaudeo de verbis tuis quam contristor.'
Talis igitur murus sit inter ipsum et hostes eius, vt verba eorum sint quasi ventus, qui flat super murum sed non attingat cor, vt moueatur a caritate Dei.
Tercius hostis est ille, quem non cognoscit. Hii sunt, qui cupiunt sibi pudorem et dampnum et vitam breuem ad hoc, vt ipsi optineant honores mundique prosperitatem.
Ideo contra istum hostem habeat fortem funem, idest caritatem ad Deum et proximum, qua libenter pati desideret ea, que Deus vult eum pati, neminem volens dampnificare.
Et tunc obprobrium, quod ei hostes intentant, vertetur ei ad honorem, dampnum ad vtilitatem, vita breuis ad longitudinem vite, hostisque per talia sic ligatur, quod nocere non valebit."
Notes
- 1 ↩The Latin 'incauta' is feminine, suggesting the speaker is addressing a person (or perhaps the soul) as 'careless' or 'unwary'.
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