Of the mekenes of this woman kepeing hir alway in the feith of Holy Church; and how he that lovyth his evyn Cristen for God lovith all thing. Ninth chapter.
The Showing's Purpose and Humility
Julian explains that the showing is meant to increase love for God and comfort the simple, and she humbly acknowledges her nothingness apart from oneness with all fellow Christians.
For I'm not made good by the showing unless I love God better. And insofar as you love God better, it is more for you than for me. I don't say this to those who are wise, for they know it well; I say it to you who are simple, for your ease and comfort—for we are all one in comfort. For truly it was not shown to me that God loved me better than the least soul that is in grace, for I am sure that there are many who never had a showing or sight beyond the common teaching of Holy Church who love God better than I do. For if I look only at myself, I am nothing at all; but taken generally, I am—in hope—in oneness of charity with all my fellow Christians.1 For in this oneness stands the life of all humankind that will be saved.
God's Love for All Creation
Julian declares that God is all goodness, loves everything He has made, and that loving all fellow Christians for God's sake encompasses all that is, with saved humanity containing both creation and Creator.
For God is all that is good, as I see it.2 And God has made all that is made, and God loves all that He has made; and whoever generally loves all fellow Christians for God's sake loves all that is.3 For in humankind that will be saved everything is contained—that is to say, all that is made and the Maker of all—for in man is God, and God is in all.4 And I hope by the grace of God that whoever looks on it this way will be truly taught and greatly comforted if he needs comfort.
Faith and the Threefold Revelation
Julian affirms her adherence to Holy Church's faith, describes the three means by which the showing was given (bodily sight, word, spiritual sight), and entrusts the deeper spiritual sight to God's grace for the reader.
I speak of those who will be saved, for in this time God showed me no others. But in all things I believe as Holy Church believes, preaches, and teaches.5 For the faith of Holy Church, which I had already understood and, as I hope, by the grace of God willingly kept in practice and habit, stood continually in my sight, willing and intending never to receive anything that might be contrary to it.6 And with this intention I beheld the showing with all my diligence, for in all this blessed showing I beheld it as one in God's meaning.7 All this was shown by three means, that is to say, by bodily sight, by word formed in my understanding, and by spiritual sight.8 But the spiritual sight — I cannot and may not show it as openly or as fully as I would.9 But I trust in our Lord God Almighty that He will, of His goodness and for your love, make you take it more spiritually and more sweetly than I can or may tell it.
Read the original Middle English
For the shewing I am not goode but if I love God the better. And in as much as ye love God the better, it is more to you than to me. I sey this not to hem that be wise, for thei wote it wele, but I sey it to yow that be simple for ese and comfort, for we arn al one in comfort. For sothly it was not shewid me that God lovid me better than the lest soule that is in grace, for I am sekir that there be many that never had shewing ner sight but of the comon techyng of Holy Church that loven God better than I. For if I loke singularly to myselfe I am right nowte; but in general I am, in hope, in onehede of charite, with al myn evyn Cristen. For in this onehede stond the life of all mankinde that shall be savid.
For God is all that is good, on to my sight. And God hat made al that is made and God lovith al that He hath made; and he that generaly loveith al his evyn Cristen for God, he lovith al that is. For in mankynd that shall be savid is comprehendid al, that is to sey, all that is made and the Maker of al; for in man is God, and God is in al. And I hope be the grace of God he that beholdith it thus shal be truely taught and mightily comforted if he nedith comforte.
I speake of hem that shal be save, for in this time God shewid me none other. But in al thing I leve as Holy Church levith, preachith, and teachith. For the feith of Holy Church, the which I had afornhand understonden and, as I hope, by the grace of God wilfully kept in use and custome, stode continualy in my sight, willing and meneing never to receive onything that might be contrary therunto. And with this entent I beheld the shewing with al my diligens, for in al this blissid shewing, I beheld it as one in Gods meneyng. All this was shewid by thre, that is to sey, be bodily sight, and by word formyd in my understonding, and be gostly sight. But the gostly sight - I cannot ne may not shew it as hopinly ne as fully as I wolde. But I truste in our Lord God Almightie that He shal of His godenes, and for yowr love, make yow to take it more gostly and more swetely than I can or may telle it.
Notes
- 1 ↩charite rendered as charity (theological virtue/bond), not generic kindness; onehede kept as oneness.
- 2 ↩Middle English 'on to my sight' rendered as 'as I see it' (Julian's report of what the showing discloses to her vision).
- 3 ↩Source 'hat' read as 'hath'/'has'.
- 4 ↩'Comprehendid' rendered as 'contained': saved humankind embraces both creation and Creator, because God dwells in humanity and God is in all—not a pantheistic flattening of Maker and made.
- 5 ↩ME leve/levith = believe (not leave); rendered believe to match Holy Church's faith, preaching, and teaching.
- 6 ↩wilfully kept rendered as willingly kept: ME wilfully here means voluntarily/deliberately, not pejorative modern willfully.
- 7 ↩as one in Gods meneyng kept close: Julian's claim that the revelation is a single whole according to God's intention/meaning.
- 8 ↩gostly sight rendered spiritual sight (ME gostly = ghostly/spiritual); bodily/word/spiritual are Julian's three modes of showing.
- 9 ↩hopinly taken as openly (ME opinly/openly); ne...ne rendered as coordinated negation (cannot and may not / as openly or as fully).
Revelations of Divine Love (Showings) companion
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