Of the first partye of contemplacioun.
The First Part of Contemplation
The first stage of contemplation is defined as intellectual knowledge of spiritual truths gained through study.
The contemplative life has three parts. The first is knowledge of God and spiritual things gained through reason, human teaching, and the study of Holy Scripture—but without spiritual affection or the inward savor felt through the special gift of the Holy Spirit.1 This part is held especially by some educated men and great scholars who, through long study and labor in Holy Scripture, arrive at this knowledge—more or less depending on the sharpness of their natural intelligence, the persistence of their study, and the general gift God gives to everyone who has the use of reason.2 This knowledge is good, and it may be called a part of contemplation insofar as it is a sight of truth and a knowing of spiritual things.
Knowledge Without Charity
Intellectual knowledge is merely a shadow of true contemplation if it lacks the inward sweetness of charity.
Nevertheless, it is but a figure and a shadow of true contemplation, for it has no spiritual savor in God, nor the inward sweetness of love, which no one can feel unless they are in great charity. For that is our Lord's own well, to which no stranger comes.3 But this kind of knowing is common to both the good and the bad, for it can be had without charity. Therefore, it is not true contemplation, since heretics, hypocrites, and people who live by the flesh so often have more of this kind of knowledge than many true Christians do—and yet these people have no charity. Saint Paul speaks of this kind of knowing like this: "If I have all knowledge and understand all mysteries, but have not charity, I am nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:2).4 If I had full knowledge of all things—yes, and if I knew all secrets—and I had no charity, I am nothing at all. Nevertheless, if those who have this knowledge keep themselves in humility and charity—such as they have—and flee worldly and fleshly sins with all their strength, it is for them a good path and a great preparation for true contemplation, if they desire and pray devoutly for the grace of the Holy Spirit.
The Dangers of Intellectual Pride
When intellectual knowledge is not tempered by humility and charity, it leads to pride, error, and scandal.
Other people who have this knowledge and turn it into pride and vainglory for themselves, or into covetousness or craving for worldly rank, honors, or riches—who do not humbly receive it in praise of God, nor spend it charitably for the good of their fellow Christians—some of them fall either into errors and heresies, or into other open sins by which they bring scandal on themselves and on all Holy Church.
Transforming Knowledge into Wisdom
Knowledge must be mixed with charity and grace to be transformed from cold, intellectual water into the wine of spiritual wisdom.
Regarding this knowledge, Saint Paul said: Knowledge puffs up, but charity builds up (1 Corinthians 8:1).✦ Knowing alone swells the heart up into pride, but mix it with charity, and then it turns to building up.5 This knowing alone is only water, tasteless and cold; and therefore if they would humbly offer it up to our Lord and ask Him for His grace, He would by His blessing turn the water into wine, as He did for the prayer of His mother at the feast of Architriclinus.6 That is to say, He would turn the tasteless knowing into wisdom, and the cold bare reason into spiritual light and burning by the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Read the original Latin
Contemplatif liyf hath three parties. The first is in knowynge of God and goosteli thynges geten by resoun, bi techynge of man and bi studie of Hooly Writ, withouten goostli affeccion and inward savour feelid bi the special gift of the Hooli Goost. This party han speciali summe lettred men and grete clerkes whiche bi longe studé and travaile in Hooli Writ comen to this knowynge, more or lesse, after the sutelté of kyndeli wit and contynuance of studie after the general gift that God gyveth to everi man that hath use of reson. This knowyng is good, and it may be called a partie of contemplacioun in as mykil as it is a sight of soothfastnesse and knowynge of goostli thynges.
Neverthelees, it is but a figure and a schadewe of verry contemplacioun, for it hath no gosteli savoure in God ne the inwarde swetnesse of love, whiche may no man feele but he be in mykil charité. For that is the propir welle of oure Lord, to the whiche cometh noon alien. But this maner of knowinge is comone to gode and to badde, for it may be had withoute charité. And therfore it is not veri contemplacion, as ofte sithes heretikes, ypocrites, and fleisschly lyvynge men han more sich knowynge than many trewe Cristene men, and yit han thise men noo charité. Of this maner of knowynge speketh Seynt Poul thus: Si habuero omnem scienciam et noverim misteria omnia, caritatem autem non habuero, nichil sum (1 Corinthians 13:2). Yif I hadde ful knowynge of alle thyngis, yhe, and y knewe al privytees and I hadde no charité, I am right nought. Neverthelees, yif they that han this knowynge kepe hem in mekenesse and charité, sich as thei han, and fleen worldli and fleischly synnes up her myght, it is to hem a good wey and a gret disposynge to veri contemplacion yif thei desiren and prayen devouteli after the grace of the Hooli Goost.
Othere men whiche have this knowyng and turnen it into pride and veynglorie of hemsilf, or into coveityse or desirynge of worldli staatis, worschipes or richesses, not mekeli taken it in praisynge of God, ne charitabli spenden it in profight of here evene Cristene, summe of hem fallen oither into errours and heresies, or into othere opyn synnes bi the whiche thei sclaundren hemsilf and al Holi Chirche.
Of this knowynge seyde Seynt Poul thus: Sciencia inflat, caritas autem edificat (1 Corinthians 8:1). Knowynge aloone bolneth up the hert into pride, but medle it with charité and thanne turneth it to edificacion. This knowynge aloone is but water, unsavery and cold; and therfore yif thei wold mekeli offre it up to oure Lord and praye Hym of His grace, He schulde with His blissinge turne the water into wyn as He dide for the praier of His moder at the feest of Architriclyn. That is for to seie, He schulde turne the unsavery knowynge into wisdoom and the colde naked resoun into goosteli light and brennynge bi the gift of the Holi Goost.
Scripture echoes
- ↩1Cor.8.1 — Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that all of us possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.
Notes
- 1 ↩goostli affeccion: rendered as 'spiritual affection' (devotional heart-attachment), not mere emotion; inward savour is Hilton's term for experiential spiritual sweetness.
- 2 ↩Double 'after' (after the sutelté... after the general gift): taken as two coordinated measures of degree—natural capacity/study and God's general gift of reason—not temporal sequence.
- 3 ↩propir welle: Hilton's image of the proper/own spring belonging to the Lord (inward sweetness of charity), not a shared public fountain; alien = outsider/stranger to that life of charity.
- 4 ↩Source quotes a compressed Latin form of 1 Cor 13:2 (omitting prophecy/faith-to-move-mountains matter); English rendering follows the supplied Latin wording, not the fuller modern verse.
- 5 ↩charité here is the theological virtue opposing bare knowledge that puffs up; rendered charity (not generic affection).
- 6 ↩Architriclyn (Lat. architriclinus) is the master of the feast at Cana (John 2); medieval writers often name that wedding miracle by this title.
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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