How the schewynges to the bodili wittis and the feelynge of hem may be bothe good
The Ambiguity of Bodily Sensations
Bodily visions and sensory experiences are secondary to true contemplation and carry the risk of diabolical deception.
and evil. From what I've said, you might somewhat understand that visions or revelations of any kind of spirit—whether appearing bodily or in the imagination, while you're asleep or awake—or any other feeling in the bodily senses made as if it were spiritual: a sound in the ear, a savor in the mouth, a scent in the nose, or any tangible heat like fire glowing and warming the breast or any other part of the body, or anything that can be felt by bodily sense, however comforting and pleasing it may be, are not truly contemplation. Nor are they anything but simple and secondary, even when they are good, compared with spiritual virtues and with the spiritual knowing and loving of God. For in virtues and in knowing God with love, there is no deceit. But all such feelings might be good, worked by a good angel, or they might be deceptive, faked by an evil angel when he transforms himself into an angel of light.1 So since they can be both good and evil, it seems they aren't of the best kind; for you should know well that the devil may, when he has leave, fake in bodily feeling the likeness of the same things a good angel can work. For just as a good angel comes with light, so can the devil, and the same is true for the other senses.2 Anyone who had felt both would be able to tell which were good and which were evil, but someone who has never felt either, or has felt only one of them, may easily be deceived.
The Necessity of Spiritual Discernment
Because sensory experiences can be deceptive, one must exercise caution and test every spirit according to the counsel of Scripture.
They are alike in the outward manner of feeling, but they are completely different within; and therefore they are not to be greatly desired, nor lightly received—unless a soul could, by the spirit of discernment, know the good from the evil, so as not to be deceived. Saint John says, "Do not believe every spirit, but test whether it is from God" (1 John 4:1).✦3 Saint John tells us we shouldn't believe every spirit, but should first test whether it comes from God or not.4 Therefore, by means of one test, I'll tell you as it seems to me.
Read the original Latin
and yvel.
By this that I have seid myght thu sumwhat undirstonde that visiones or revelaciouns of ony maner spirite, bodili apperynge or in ymagynynge, slepand or wakand, or ellis ony othere feelinge in the bodili wittes maad as it were goosteli; either in sownynge of the eere, or saverynge in the mouth, or smellynge in the nose, or ellis ony felable heete as it were fier glowand and warmand the breest, or ony othere partie of the bodi, or onythinge that mai be feelyd bi bodili wit, though it be never so comfortable and lykande, aren not verili contemplacion; ne thei aren but symple and secundarie though thei be good, in regard of goostli vertues and in goosteli knowynge and loovyng of God.
For in vertues and in knowynge of God with love is noo disceit. But al swich maner of feelyng thei mowe by gode, wrought bi a good angil, and they may be deceyvable, feyned bi a wikkid angel whan he transfigurith him into an angel of light. Wherfore sithen thei moun be bothe good and yvel, it semeth that thei aren not of the beste; for wyte thou weel that the devyl may, whanne he hath leve, feyne in bodili felinge the liknes of the same thinges whiche a good angil may worche. For as the good angil cometh with light, so can the devel, and so of othere wittes. Whoso hadde felid bothe, he schulde kunne telle whiche were gode and whiche were yvele, but he that nevere feelid neither, or elles but that oon, may lightli be disseyved.
Thei aren like in maner of feelynge oughtward, but thei aren ful diverse withinne; and therfore thei aren not to desire greetli, ne for to resseyve lightli, but yif a soule myght bi spirite of discrecioun knowe the gode from the yvele, that he were not bigiled. Seynt Joon seith thus: Nolite credere omni spiritui, sed probate si ex deo sit/i> (1 John 4:1). Seynt Joon biddeth us, we schulde not leve everi spirit, but we schullen assaien frist whether he be of God or no. Therfore bi oon assaie, I schal telle thee as me thenketh.
Scripture echoes
- ↩1John.4.1 — Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Notes
- 1 ↩ENM 'by gode' is read as 'be good' (by = be); 'deceyvable' as deceptive/capable of deceiving, not merely 'able to be deceived'.
- 2 ↩ENM 'wittes' = the bodily senses (hearing, taste, smell, touch, etc.), continuing the chapter's discussion of sensory spiritual experiences, not intellectual 'wits' alone.
- 3 ↩Normalized source ends with 'sit/i>' (likely a stray markup fragment after Latin sit). Translated the intended Vulgate reading of 1 John 4:1: Nolite credere omni spiritui, sed probate si ex Deo sit.
- 4 ↩ME leve here means 'believe/trust,' not 'leave.'
Scala Perfectionis (The Scale of Perfection) 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.
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