Whanne pride is deedli synne, and hou it is in fleischli lyvande men deedli synne.
The Nature of Mortal Pride
The author introduces the distinction between bodily and spiritual pride, explaining that pride becomes mortal sin when the heart chooses it as its ultimate rest and delight.
Still, I'll tell you a little, as it seems to me. When the stirring of pride is received and turned into a liking, so much that the heart chooses it as full rest and full delight, and seeks no other rest but only pleasure in it, then pride is mortal sin; for he makes and chooses this delight as his God, without any resistance of reason or will, and therefore it is mortal sin.1 But now you say: "What fool would choose pride for his God? No one would do that." To this I say that I neither can nor will tell you specifically who does this, or who sins so mortally in pride; but in general, I will tell you there are two kinds of pride: bodily pride and spiritual pride.2
Pride in Worldly Living
The author clarifies how those living according to the flesh commit mortal sin by prioritizing their own honor and status above the love of God and neighbor.
Bodily pride belongs to those who live by the flesh; spiritual pride belongs to hypocrites and heretics. These three groups commit mortal sin through pride. I am referring to the person living according to the flesh, just as Saint Paul describes when he says: Si secundum carnem vixeritis, moriemini (Romans 8:13).✦ If you live according to your flesh, you will die.✦ So I say this: a worldly person who lives for and primarily seeks honor for himself, and chooses to find his rest and ultimate happiness in it, commits a mortal sin. But you might ask, "Who would choose to love their own honor over God?" To this I say that anyone who loves his own honor so as to seem better and greater in rank, richer and higher than another, and labors at it as hard as he can—if he loves it so much that, to gain it, keep it, and preserve it, he breaks God's commandment, or breaks love or charity toward his fellow Christian, or is ready and fully willing to break it rather than give up his honor, or his name, or his fame, or his rank, or the fulfilling of his will—truly he sins mortally, because he loves his honor and chooses it more than the love of God and of his fellow Christian. And yet even so, this person who sins mortally in this way would say with his mouth that he would not choose pride as his God; but he deceives himself, because in what he does he chooses it first.
Distinguishing Mortal from Venial Pride
The author provides a crucial distinction, noting that pursuing honor without violating charity or God's commandments constitutes venial rather than mortal sin.
However, a worldly person who loves honor and pursues it—provided they don't love it so much that they would commit a deadly sin or break charity toward a fellow Christian to gain or keep it—does not sin mortally. Instead, they sin only venially, to a greater or lesser degree depending on the intensity of their love and delight, along with other circumstances.
Read the original Latin
Nevertheles, a litil schal I telle thee, as me thenketh. Whanne the stirynge of pride is receyved and turned into a likynge, so moche that the herte chesith hit for a ful reste and a ful delite, and seketh noon othir reste, but oonli likynge thereinne, thanne pride is deedli synne; for he maketh and cheseth this delite as his God, withouten agenstondynge of resoun and of wille, and therfore it is deedli synne. But now seist thou: "What fool is he that wole chese pride for his God? No man that lyveth wolde doo so." As unto this I seie y ne cannot, ne wole not, telle thee in special who doth so, ne who synneth so in pride deedli, but in general I schal seie thee ther is two maner of pride, oon is bodili pride, and anothir is gostli pride.
Bodili pride is of fleischli lyvynge men; goostli pride is of ypocrites and heretikes. Thise thre synnen dedli in pride. I mene of siche a fleischli lyvynge man as Seynt Poul speketh of thus: Si secundum carnem vixeritis, moriemini (Romans 8:13). Yif ye lyven aftir youre fleisch, ye schal die. Thanne seie y thus, that a worldli man whiche lyveth and seketh principali the worschipe of himsilf, and cheseth the likynge of it as a reste of his herte and the ende of his blisse, he synneth deedli. But now seist thou: "Who wolde chese love of his worschipe instide of God?" As unto this I sai that he that loveth his worschipe, as for to seme betere and grettere of staat, richere and highere than anothir, and travaileth aboute it as moche as he mai, yif he love it so moche, that for the getynge of it, the kepyng of it, and the savynge of it, he breketh the comaundement of God, or breketh love or charité to his evene Cristene, or is redi and in ful wille for to breke it rathere thanne he schulde forbere his worschipe, or his name or his fame or his staat or of fulfillynge of his wil, soothli he synneth deedli, for he loveth his worschipe and chesith it more than the love of God and of his even Cristene. And yit neverthelees this man that synneth thus deedli, he wolde seie with his mouth that he wolde not chese pride for his God; but he bigileth himsilf, for he chesith it bifore in his dede.
Neverthelees, anothir worldli man that loveth worschipe of hymsilf and pursueth thereaftir, yif he loveth it not so moche that noithir he wold for the getynge or for the savynge of it doo a deedli synne or ellis breke charité to his even Cristene, he synneth not deedli but venyali, more or lasse aftir the mesure of his love and his likynge, with othire circumstancis.
Scripture echoes
Notes
- 1 ↩ME 'deedli synne' rendered as 'mortal sin' (paired with venial in the preceding chapter); 'likynge' as liking/pleasure; 'agenstondynge' as resistance/withstanding.
- 2 ↩ME 'gostli pride' rendered 'spiritual pride' (gostli = ghostly/spiritual); 'bodili pride' as 'bodily pride'. Triple 'ne... ne... ne' coordinated as neither/nor/or.
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