Hou pride is in ypocrites deedli synne.
The Deception of Spiritual Pride
The author explains how a hypocrite mistakenly identifies the delight of self-love as the joy of God, leading to mortal sin.
The hypocrite also commits a mortal sin through pride. A hypocrite is someone who chooses empty joy in himself as the rest and full delight of his heart, in this way: when a man does many good deeds, bodily and spiritual, and afterward a looking at himself and at his good deeds is put into his mind by the enemy's suggestion—how good he is, how holy, how worthy in people's judgment, and how high in God's sight above other men—he notices this stirring and willingly receives it, because he thinks it is good and from God, insofar as it is true that he does all these good deeds better than other men.1 And when it is received this way by the assent of his will as something good, then there rises from it a love and a delight in his heart for himself—that he is so good and so holy and has so much grace—that it nearly carries his mind away from all other thoughts, both spiritual and fleshly, for a time, and sets it in this empty joy in himself as in a resting place of his heart. This rapture in spiritual pride is delightful, so they keep it, hold onto it, and feed it as much as they can. For the sake of this love and empty delight, they pray, keep vigil, fast, wear a hairshirt, and endure other afflictions—and none of it troubles them much.2 He loves and thanks God sometimes with his mouth, and sometimes wrings a tear from his eyes, and then he thinks he is safe enough.3 But in truth, all of this is for the love of themselves, which they choose and receive as if it were love and joy in God. And that is where the sin lies. They don't willingly choose sin as sin; rather, they choose this delight—this joy—as something good, as the rest of their soul, without any displeasure or resistance of the will, because they think it is joy in God.4
The Fleeting Joy of the Hypocrite
Using the words of Job, the author warns of the inevitable downfall of the proud and notes the difficulty of discerning one's own hypocrisy.
That isn't the case, and therefore he commits a mortal sin. Job says this of a hypocrite: The joy of the hypocrite lasts only a moment.5 If his pride rises to the heavens and his head touches the clouds, in the end he will be destroyed like a pile of dung (Job 20:5-6). The joy of a hypocrite is no more than a moment, for if he climbs into heaven with the rising of his heart, and his head touches the skies, in the end he is cast out like a dunghill. The joy of a hypocrite is only for a moment, for though he worships himself intensely and delights in himself his whole life, and paints himself with all his good deeds in the world's sight and love, in the end it is nothing but sorrow and pain.6 But now you say there are few such people, or else none, so blind that they would choose vain joy in themselves as the joy of God. As for that, I cannot say, and would not even if I knew; but one thing I tell you: there are many hypocrites, and nevertheless they think they are none, and there are many who fear they themselves are hypocrites, and truly they are none. Which is which, only God knows, and no one else.
The Safety of Holy Fear
The chapter concludes with a warning against self-assurance, emphasizing that humility and fear are the antidotes to self-deception.
If you are willing to fear with humility, you won't be deceived; but if you think you're secure, you may easily fall. As Saint Paul says: If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself (Galatians 6:3).✦ Anyone who thinks he is something when he is truly nothing is deceiving himself.✦
Read the original Latin
The ypocrite also synneth deedli in pride. He is an ipocrite that cheseth veyn joie of himsilf as the reste and ful delite of his herte, upon this manere wise: whanne a man dooth many good dedes bodili and goostli, and aftir is yput to his mynde by suggestioun of the enemye a biholdynge of hymsilf and of his good dedes, how good, how holi he is, how worthi in mennes doom, and hou high in Goddis sight above othere men, he perceyveth this styrynge and resseyveth it wilfulli, for he weneth it be gode and of God in as mykil as it is sooth, for he dooth alle thise good dedes betere thanne othere men. And whanne it is receyved thus bi assent of his wil as good, thanne riseth therof a love and a delite in his herte of himsilf that he is so good and so hooli and so moche grace hath, that it neer hande ravesschith his mynde out of alle othere thoughtis, bothe goostli and fleischli, for the tyme, and settith it in this veyn joie of himsilf as in a reste of his herte. This ravyschynge in goostli pride is delectable, and therfore he kepith it, holdeth it, and norischith it as moche as he mai; for this love and this veyn delite he praieth, he waketh, he fasteth, he wereth the heire, and othere affliccions, and al this greveth hym but litil. He looveth and thanketh God sumtyme with his mouth and sumtyme wringeth out a teer of his iyen, and thanne hym thenketh al saaf inowgh. But soothli al this is for love of hymsilf, whiche he cheseth and resseyveth it as it were love and joie in God. And in that is al the synne. He cheseth not synne wilfulli as for synne, but he cheseth this delite that he deliteth inne, this joie, as for god, as the reste of his soule, withouten displesynge or agenstondynge of wille, for he weneth it were joie in God.
And it is not so, and therfore he synneth deedli. Job seith thus of an ypocrite: Gaudium ypocrite ad instar puncti. Si ascendit in celum superbia eius, et caput eius nubes tetigerit, velut sterquilinium in fine perdetur (Job 20:5-6). The joie of an ypocrite is no more thanne a poynt, for yif he stiye into hevene with risynge of his herte, and his hed touche the skies, at the laste ende he is cast oute as a dongeheep. The joie of an ypocrite is but a poynt, for though he worschipe himsilf nevere so moche and joie in hymsilf al his liftyme, and depeynte himsilf with alle hise good deedes in sight and lovynge of the world, at the laste it is not but sorwe and peyne. But now seist thou, there are fewe sich or ellis noon that is so blynd that wolde chese veyn joie in hymsilf as for the joie in God. As unto this I cannot seie, ne wole not yif I knew; but oo thynge I telle thee, there be many ypocrites, and neverthelees thei wene thei been none, and there ben many that dreden as ypocrites themself, and soothli thei ben none. Which is oon and whiche is othir, God knoweth and noon but He.
Whoso wil mekeli drede, he schal not be bigiled, and whoso weneth to be siker he mai lightli falle; for Seynt Poul seith: Qui existimat se aliquid esse, cum nichil sit, ipse se seducit (Galatians 6:3). Whoso weneth hymsilf to be ought whanne he is right nought, he bigileth hymsilf.
Scripture echoes
Notes
- 1 ↩"reste ... of his herte" is the false interior resting-place of the soul; kept as "rest" to preserve Hilton's technical sense of a settled resting of the heart.
- 2 ↩"heire" = hairshirt (ascetic garment); rendered "hairshirt" rather than generic "hair".
- 3 ↩"looveth" taken as love (loven), not praise (lofien), given the paired "thanketh" and the self-love theme of the section; either reading is possible in enm orthography.
- 4 ↩"as for god" read as "as something good" (enm god/gode), parallel to s2's "gode and of God"; less likely "as for God," though the following clause already names the mistaken identification with joy in God.
- 5 ↩Latin punctum here means a point or instant of time; rendered 'moment' to match Job 20:5 sense and Hilton's later English 'poynt'.
- 6 ↩ME depeynte: adorn, display, or portray oneself; here the hypocrite decks himself out with his good deeds for worldly regard.
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