Of the ferme and depe jugement of God and the variant jugement of man. Forty-fifth chapter.
The Two Judgments
God judges us by our natural substance, kept whole in Him, while we judge by our changeable sensuality; yet Jesus reforms our hard judgments by mercy and grace, and both judgments will be known in heaven.
God judges us according to our natural substance, which is forever kept whole and safe in Him without end, and this judgment is of His righteousness. And we human beings judge according to our changeable sensuality, which seems now one way, now another, according to what it takes from the parts and shows outwardly.1 And this wisdom is mixed, for sometimes it is good and easy, and sometimes it is hard and grievous. And insofar as it is good and easy, it belongs to the righteousness. And insofar as it is hard and grievous, our good Lord Jesus reforms it by mercy and grace through the power of His blessed Passion, and so brings it into the righteousness. And though these two are thus brought into accord and united, yet both shall be known in Heaven without end. The first judgment, which is of God's righteousness, and that is of His high, endless life; and this is that fair, sweet judgment that was shown in all the fair revelation, in which I saw Him assign to us no manner of blame.
The Struggle to Reconcile
Julian cannot fully rest in the revelation of God's no-blame judgment because of the teaching of Holy Church that sinners are worthy of blame, and she desires to see how both are true, receiving only the promise of the lord and servant example.
And though this was sweet and delightful, I still couldn't be fully at ease just by looking at it. That was because of the judgment of Holy Church, which I'd understood beforehand and which was always in my sight. So by this judgment it seemed to me I necessarily had to know myself as a sinner, and by the same judgment I understood that sinners are at times worthy of blame and wrath. And these two I could not see in God.2 And there my desire was more than I can or may tell. For in the higher judgment God showed Himself at the same time, and therefore I necessarily had to accept it; and the lower judgment had been taught me beforehand in Holy Church, and therefore I could in no way leave the lower judgment. Then this was my desire: that I might see in God in what manner the judgment of Holy Church herein teaches is true in His sight, and how it truly belongs to me to know it, whereby both might be preserved in a way that would be worshipful to God and the right way for me.3 And to all this I had no other answer but a marvelous example of a lord and of a servant, as I shall tell later, and that was shown very powerfully.
The Endless Longing and Our True Substance
Julian continues in desire to know both judgments, for they comprehend all things; the more we see our failings, the more we long for bliss, since our natural substance is already blissful in God and shall be without end.
And yet I continue to desire, and will keep desiring this until my end, that by grace I might know these two judgments as it belongs to me. For all heavenly and all earthly things that belong to Heaven are contained in these two judgments. And the more understanding we have of these two judgments by the gracious leading of the Holy Spirit, the more we will see and know our failings. And the more we see them, the more we will, naturally by grace, long to be filled with endless joy and bliss.4 For we are made for that, and our natural substance is now blissful in God, and has been since it was made, and will be, without end.5
Read the original Middle English
God demyth us upon our kynde substance which is ever kept on in Hym hoole and save without end, and this dome is of His rythfulhede. And man jugith upon our changeabil sensualyte, which semyth now on, now other, after that it takyth of the parties and shewyth outward. And this wisdam is medyllid, for sumtyme it is good and esye and sumtyme it is herd and grevous. And in as mekil as it is good and esy it longyth to the rythfulhede. And in as mekyl as it is herd and grevous, our good Lord Jesus reformyth it be mercy and grace throw the vertue of His blissid passion and so bryngith into the rythfulhede. And thow these two be thus accordid and onyd, yet it shal be knowen, both, in Hevyn without end. The first dome, which is of God rythfulhed, and that is of His hey, endless life; and this is that faire swete dome that was shewid in al the fair revelation in which I saw Him assigne to us no manner of blame.
And thow this was swete and delectabil, yet only in the beholdyng of this, I cowd nowte be full esyd. And that was for the dome of Holy Church, which I had aforn understond and was continuly in my syte. And therfore be this dome methowte me behovyd neds to know me a synner, and be the same dome I understode that synners arn worthy sumtime blame and wreth. And these two cowth I not se in God. And there my desir was more than I can or may tell. For the heyer dome God shewid Hymselfe in the same tyme, and therfore me behovyd neds to taken it, and the lower dome was lern me aforn in Holy Church, and therfore I myte in no way levyn the lower dome. Than was this my desire - that I myte sen in God in what manner that the dome of Holy Church herin techyth is trew in His syte, and how it longyth to me sothly to knoyn it, wherby thei myte both be savid so as it wer worshipfull to God and ryte way to me. And to al this I had non other answere but a mervelous example of a lord and of a servant, as I shal seyn after, and that ful mytyly shewid.
And yet I stond in desire, and will into my end, that I myte be grace knowen these two domys as it longyth to me. For al hevenly and al erthly things that longyn to Hevyn arn comprehendid in thes two domys. And the more under stondyng be the gracious ledyng of the Holy Gost that we have of these two domys the more we shal sen and known our faylyngs. And ever the more that we sen hem, the more kyndly be grace we shal longen to be fulfillid of endles joye and bliss. For we arn made therto, and our kindly substance is now blisful in God, and hath ben sithen it was made, and shall, without end.
Notes
- 1 ↩ME 'sensualyte' is Julian's technical term for the changeable lower part of the soul, not mere bodily appetite; 'parties' means the various parts/aspects that feed outward appearance.
- 2 ↩"These two" points back to blame and wrath in the preceding sentence: Julian cannot find them in God, even while the Church's judgment requires her to know herself a sinner.
- 3 ↩ME "savid" here is rendered "preserved": "thei...both" most naturally means the two judgments (higher and lower), kept intact together, not personal salvation.
- 4 ↩enm kyndly here means according to our created nature (Julian's 'kind'), not modern 'kindly' as gentle; rendered 'naturally' to preserve the nature/grace pairing.
- 5 ↩enm kindly substance is Julian's technical term for the soul's essential created nature (as distinct from sensuality); 'natural substance' keeps that sense without the misleading modern force of 'kindly'.
Revelations of Divine Love (Showings) companion
A daily portion of stillness
Chosen Portion delivers one short contemplative reading and a guided moment of silence each day — the ascent, one step at a time.
Chosen Portion is the paced doorway into this collection: it portions the dense mystical treatises into one daily reading plus guided silence, exactly as the 14-day plan teaches.
- Daily bite-sized excerpts from the contemplative classics, never a wall of text
- A built-in timed stillness practice that grows from 2 minutes to 10
- Gentle progression through the tradition — the app remembers where you are on the ascent