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Chapter 70ScalePerfB1.1.70

Bi what tokenes thou schalt wite yif thou love thyn enemye and what ensample thou

The Call to Perfect Charity

The author urges the reader to cleanse the heart of all anger and venial sin to prepare for the fullness of charity.

You should follow Christ's example so that you can love him, too.1 I'm not saying that this kind of grumbling or fleshly anger is deadly sin; but I do say that they hinder purity of heart and peace of conscience, so that you can't have the full charity by which you ought to come to the contemplative life. Everything I say is for this purpose: that you should cleanse your heart not only from deadly sins, but also from venial ones, as much as you can, so that the root of sin might be somewhat quenched in you by the grace of Jesus Christ.2 For even if you feel no ill will against your fellow Christian for a time, still you can't be sure that the root of anger is quenched in you, nor are you yet master of the virtue of charity. If someone touches you even slightly with anger or a spiteful word, you'll feel at once whether your heart has been made whole by the fullness of charity.3 The more you're stirred and ill-willed against the person, the farther you are from perfect charity toward your fellow Christian; and the less you're stirred, the nearer you are to charity.

Imitating Christ in Loving Enemies

True charity is demonstrated by loving those who wrong us, following the example of Christ's kindness toward Judas.

If you aren't stirred against the person by anger or a hostile outward manner, nor by any secret hate in your heart that leads you to despise, judge, or dismiss him—but instead, the more shame and wrong he does you in word or deed, the more pity and compassion you feel for him, just as you would for someone who has lost his mind.4 And if you find you cannot bring yourself to hate him, because love is so good in itself, but instead you pray for him, help him, and desire his amendment—not just with your mouth as hypocrites do, but with your heart in affection and love. Then you have perfect charity toward your fellow Christian.5 Saint Stephen had this charity perfectly when he prayed for those who stoned him to death.✦ Christ counseled this charity to all who would be his perfect followers when he said: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44).✦ Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you; pray for those who persecute you.✦ And therefore if you want to follow Christ, be like Him in this craft.6 Learn to love your enemies and sinful people, for all of them are your fellow Christians. Look carefully and consider how kind Christ was to Judas—how gentle, how courteous, and how humble He was toward the man He knew was damned. And nevertheless He chose him as His apostle, and sent him to preach with the other apostles. He gave him the power to work miracles and showed him the same kindness in word and deed that He showed the other apostles.7 He did not expose him, nor ever speak evil of him; and yet even if He had done all that, He would have said nothing but the truth.8 What's more, when Judas seized Him, He kissed him and called him His friend.9 Christ showed all this charity to Judas, whom He knew was damned—not with any flattery or pretense, but in the truthfulness of genuine love and pure charity. For though Judas was unworthy, because of his wickedness, to receive any gift from God or any sign of love, it was still right and fitting that our Lord should show Himself as He is.10 He is love and goodness to all His creatures, just as He was to Judas.

The True Measure of Discipleship

External religious practices are empty without the internal reality of loving one's neighbor as Christ commanded.

Try to follow this as best you can; even if your body is confined to a house, your heart—where love resides—should still be able to share in the kind of love for your fellow Christian that I am describing. So whoever then thinks himself a perfect lover and follower of Christ's teaching and His way of life (as some people think they are, insofar as they preach and teach and are poor in worldly goods as Christ was), and yet cannot follow Christ in this love and this charity—loving his fellow Christian, every person, good and bad, friends and foes, without pretence or flattery, without despising that person in his heart, without anger, and without malicious reproof—truly deceives himself.11 The more they think they are near to Him, the farther away they actually are; for Christ Himself said to those who would be His followers and disciples: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you" (John 13:34).✦ This is My command: that you love one another as I have loved you. For if you love as I have loved, then you are My disciples.✦

Discerning Love for God and Neighbor

We must learn to love others in God, distinguishing between the person and their sin, which requires true humility.

But now, you say, how am I supposed to love the one who is bad as well as the one who is good? To that I say: you must love both in charity, but not for the same reason—I will explain how you are to love your fellow Christian as yourself.12 You must love yourself only in God, or for God's sake.13 You love yourself in God when you are righteous by grace and virtue; in that case, you don't love yourself for your own sake, but only for the righteousness and virtue that God gives you.14 Then you love yourself in God, because you do not love yourself but God. You also love yourself for God—as if you were in deadly sin and wanted to be made righteous and virtuous. Then you love yourself not as you are, for you are unrighteous, but as you would be.15 You should love your fellow Christian in exactly the same way. If they are good and righteous, you must love them by charity in God, simply because they are good and righteous; for then you love God in them—as goodness and righteousness—more than you love them if they are bad and in deadly sin, like your enemies who hate you, or others of whom you have clear evidence that they are not in grace.16 Yet you must not love them as they are, nor as if they were good and righteous—for they are bad and unrighteous—but you must love them for God, so that they might become good and righteous.17 You shouldn't hate anything about them except what goes against righteousness—and that is sin. This is how I understand Saint Augustine's teaching: when you love a fellow Christian, keep your love for the person separate from your hatred of the sin.18 Only someone who is truly humble, or who wants to be humble, can love a fellow Christian—no one else can.

Read the original Latin

schalte take of Crist for to love Hym also.

I seye not that siche maner of grucchynges or fleischli angres aren deedli synnes; but I seie that thei letten clennesse of herte and pees of consciencie, that thou mai not have ful charité, bi the whiche thou schuldest come to lif contemplatif. For that ende is the cause of al my seiynge, that thou schuldest not oonli clense thyn herte from deedli synnes, but also of venyal, as moche as thou mai, that the ground of synne myght bi grace of Jhesu Crist be sumwhat quenchid in thee. For though it be so that thou feelist noon yvel wil agens thyn even Cristen for a tyme, yit art thou not sikir that the ground of ire is quenchid in thee, ne yit arte thou not lord of the vertu of charité. For suffre him touche thee a litil bi ony angrynesse or a schrewid word, and thou schalt feele anoon yif thyn herte be yit maad hool bi fulhede of charité. The more that thou art stirid and yvel willed agens the persone, the ferthere art thou from perfight charité of thyn even Cristene and the lasse that thou art stirid, the neer art thu to charité.

And yif thou be not stirid agen the persoone bi angir or bi feel cheer outeward, ne bi no privey hate in thyn herte for to dispice hym or deme hym or for to sette him at nought; but the more schame and velanye he doth to thee in word or in dede, the more pité and the more compassioun thou haste on hym, as thou woldst of a man that were oute of his mynde. And thee thenketh that thou cannot fynde in thyn herte for to hate hym, for love is so good in the silf, but praie for hym and helpe hym and desire his amendynge, not oonli with thi mouth as ypocrites doon, but with thyn herte in affeccioun and love. And thanne hast thou perfight charité to thyn even Cristene. This charité had Seynt Stevene perfightli whanne he preide for hem that stooned him to the deeth. This charité counceilide Crist to alle thoo that wolden be his perfite folwers whanne he seide thus: Diligite inimicos vestros, benefacite hiis qui oderunt vos, orate pro persequentibus vos (Matthew 5:44). Love youre enemyes and dooth good to hem that haten you; praieth for hem that pursue you. And therfore yif yee wolen folwe Crist, be like to Hym in this craft. Leere for to love thyne enemyes and synful men, for alle thise been thyn even Cristene.

Looke and bithenke thee how goodli Crist was to Judas, hou benynge, hou curteis, and how loweli to hym that He knewe dampnable. And neveretheles He chees him to His apostel, and sente him for to preche with othere apostelis. He gaaf hym powere to worche myracles, He schewed to him the same good chiere in worde and in deede as He dide to the tothire aposteles. He biwreied hym not, ne spak nevere yvel of hym; and yit though He hadde doon alle thise, He had seid nothynge but sooth. And overmore, whanne Judas toke Hym, He kissid hym and called hym His frend. And al this charité schewed Crist to Judas, whiche He knewe for dampnable, in no manere of flaterynge ne feynynge, but in soothfastnesse of good love and clene charité. For though it were so that Judas were unworthi for to have had ony gift of God or ony signe of love for his wikkiddenesse, neverthelees it was worthi and skilful that oure Lord schulde schewe as He is. He is love and goodnes to alle Hise creatures, as He was to Judas.

Folwe aftir sumwhat if thou may, for though thu be stoken in an hous with thi bodi, neverthelees in thyn herte, where the stide of love is, thou schulde mow have part of siche love to thyn even Cristen as y speke of. Whooso weneth thanne hymsilf for to be a perfighte lovere and a folwer of Cristis techynge and His lyvynge (as sum man weneth that he is, in as mykil as he prechith and techith and is pore of wordli goodis as Crist was), and cannot folwe Crist in this love and in this charité for to love his evene Cristene, ecche man, good and badde, frendes and foos, withoutin feynynge or flateringe, dispisynge in his herte agens the man, angrynesse, and maliciousli reprovynge, sothli he bigileth hymsilf. For the ner that he weneth for to bee, the ferthere he is; for Crist seide Himsilf to hem that wolden be His folweres and His disciples thus: Hoc est preceptum meum, ut diligatis invicem, sicut dilexi vos (John 13:34). This is My biddynge, that ye love you togidre, as I lovede you. For yif ye love as I lovede, thanne are ye My disciplis.

But now, seist thou, how schal y love him that is badde als wel as him that is gode? As unto this I seie, that thou schalt love bothe in charité, but not for the same cause; as I schal telle thee hou thou schalt love thyne evene Cristene as thysilf. Now thou schalt love thysilf oonli in God, or ellis for God. In God thou loveste thisilf whanne thu art rightful bi grace and vertues; and thou lovest not thisilf, but oonli for that rightwisenesse and vertu that God gyveth thee. Thanne lovest thou thisilf in God, for thou lovest not thisilf but God; also for God thou lovest thisilf, as yif thou were in deedli synne and woldest be maad rightful and vertuous; thanne lovest thou thisilf not as thou art, for thou art unrightful, but as thou woldest be. Right so schalt thou love thyn even Cristene. Yif thei ben goode and rightful, thou schalt love hem bi charité in God, oonli for thei ben goode and rightful; for thanne lovest thou God in hem, as goodnesse and rightwisenesse, more thanne hem yif thei ben badde and in deedli synne, as thyn enemyes that haten thee or othere of the whiche thou haste ful evidence that thei aren not in grace. Yit schalt thou love hem not as thei aren, ne as good men and rightful, for thei are badde and unrightful, but thou schalt love hem for God, that thei myght be gode and rightful.

And so schalte thou nothynge hate in hem, but the thynge that is contrarie to rightwisenesse, and that is synne. This is as I undirstonde the techynge of Seynt Austyn, for to departe the love of the man fro the hate of the synne in the love of thyn evene Cristene. He that is sothfastli meke, or wolde be meke, can love his evene Cristene, and noon but he.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Acts.7.59-Acts.7.60 — And they were stoning Stephen, who was calling upon the name of the Lord, saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Acts.7.60 — Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them.' And having said this, he fell asleep.
  2. ↩Matt.5.44 — But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
  3. ↩Matt.5.44;Luke.6.27-Luke.6.28 — But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Luke.6.27 — But I say to you who are listening: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Luke.6.28 — Bless those who curse you; pray for those who mistreat you.
  4. ↩John.13.34 — A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
  5. ↩John.13.34 — A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩ME 'take of Crist' is read as 'take example of Christ' (common Hilton idiom). 'Hym' is taken as the enemy/neighbor in view from the chapter heading on loving your enemy, not as Christ himself; if 'Hym' were Christ, the sense would be awkwardly circular.
  2. 2 ↩ground of synne rendered as root of sin (underlying disposition, not a single act).
  3. 3 ↩schrewid word: spiteful/malicious word (ME schrewid = wicked, bad, spiteful).
  4. 4 ↩ME 'feel cheer outeward' read as 'foul cheer outward': a hostile outward face or manner (feel/fel = foul; cheer = countenance, demeanor).
  5. 5 ↩Rendered 'charité' as 'charity' for the theological virtue of perfect neighbor-love; 'love' would also be faithful.
  6. 6 ↩'Craft' kept for Hilton's sense of a skill or practiced art (here, the practiced art of loving enemies); 'practice' would also be faithful.
  7. 7 ↩ME 'chiere' means countenance, bearing, or friendly treatment; rendered as 'kindness' for natural modern English while keeping the sense of gracious regard.
  8. 8 ↩Read as counterfactual 'even if' applying to exposing/speaking ill of Judas: Christ withheld that, though it would have been pure truth. Alternative reading takes 'alle thise' as the prior kindnesses and the clause as asserting that Christ's speech remained only truth, not flattery.
  9. 9 ↩Source grammar with capitalized 'He' attributes the kiss and the name 'friend' to Christ. In the Gospel narrative Judas gives the kiss and Christ calls him friend (Matthew 26:49-50); Hilton's wording may compress the scene or deliberately present Christ's answering charity.
  10. 10 ↩ME 'skilful' here means reasonable, just, or fitting, not modern 'skilled'.
  11. 11 ↩Middle English charité here names the theological virtue of charity, not almsgiving; rendered as charity alongside love to keep that force.
  12. 12 ↩charité kept as charity here for the theological virtue of neighbor-love; the contrast is not whether both are loved, but the different grounds of that love.
  13. 13 ↩in God / for God marks two ordered modes of self-love developed in the next sentences: love of the self already made righteous in God, and love of the self still needing to be made righteous for God's sake.
  14. 14 ↩rightful / rightwisenesse rendered as righteous / righteousness (ME rightful = just before God). The second clause takes for as 'for the sake of / on account of' the righteousness God gives, not self-love as an end.
  15. 15 ↩deedli synne rendered as deadly sin (mortal sin). The second half develops the for-God mode: self-love aims at conversion, loving the self not in its present unrighteous state but as it desires to become.
  16. 16 ↩The comparative more thanne hem yif thei ben badde is taken as: when loving the good, you love God-in-them more than you love them when they are bad. The closing clause identifies the bad with enemies and those clearly outside grace. If the intended break is instead 'more than them. If they are bad…', the English would need resegmentation; the continuous syntax favors the comparative reading.
  17. 17 ↩that thei myght be is taken as purpose/final force: love them for God so that / toward their becoming good and righteous—not affirmation of a goodness they presently have. Aligns with the following section's separation of love of the person from hate of the sin.
  18. 18 ↩Middle English departe ... fro means to distinguish or hold apart. The point is Augustine's classic separation of loving the person while hating the sin, not a spatial or emotional withdrawal from the person.

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