Of the myrke image of synne and of the clothinge therof.
The Idol of the Self
The author acknowledges the difficulty of describing the dark image of sin within, identifying it as a personal idol that requires repentance and mercy.
From what I've said, you can see a little of the darkness of this image—not because I've described it to you fully as it is; I can't. Still, you can see more from this little bit if you look carefully. But now you ask, "How do you know that I carry such an image around with me as you describe?" To this I answer: I can take the words of the prophet for myself, which are: Inveni idolum michi (Hosea 12:8). That is to say: I have found a false image—what people call an idol—within myself, foully disfigured and misshapen by the wretchedness of all these sins I have mentioned, by which I am cast down into more wretchedness than I can say; and for that I grieve, repent, and cry for mercy.✦1 Because of this wretchedness that I feel in myself—much more than I have described—I can better tell you about your own image.
Clothed in the Beastly Hide
The author uses the Genesis account of Adam and Eve to explain how all humanity is born into a state of spiritual disfigurement.
For we all come from Adam and Eve, clothed in a beast's hide, as Holy Scripture says of our Lord: Fecit dominus Ade et uxori eius tunicas pelliceas (Genesis 3:21).✦ Our Lord made clothes of a beast's hide for Adam and his wife, as a sign that because of sin he was misshapen like a beast; and we are all born in those beastly clothes, wrapped up and disfigured from our natural shape.✦2
Read the original Latin
Bi this that y have seide mai thou see a litil the myrkenesse of this ymage; nought for y have discreyed it to thee for fulli as it is, can y not. Neverthelees bi this litil mai thou see the more yif thou loke weel. But now seist thou: "Wherbi knowest thou that I bere siche an ymage aboute with me as thou spekest of?" As unto this I answere: y mai take upoun me a word of the prophete, and is this: Inveni idolum michi (Hosea 12:8) This is thus mykil to seie, I have founden a fals ymage, that men calle a mawmet, in mysilf, wel foule disfigured and forschapen with wrecchidnesse of alle thise synnes whiche I have spoken of, bi the whiche I am cast doun into many wrecchidnessis more thanne y can or mai seie; that me thenketh yvel fore and repente and crie merci. Bi this wrecchidnesse that y feele in mysilf, moche more than I have seide, mai I the betere telle thee of thyne image. For alle comen we of Adam and of Eve, cloothid with clothis of a beestis hide, as Hooli Writt seith of oure Lord thus: Fecit dominus Ade et uxori eius tunicas pelliceas (Genesis 3:21). Oure Lord maade to Adam and to his wif clothis of a beestis hide, in tokene that for synne he was forschapen like to a beest; with whiche beestli clothis we alle aren born, and umbilapped and disfigured from oure kyndeli schaap.
Scripture echoes
Notes
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.
- Daily bite-sized excerpts from the contemplative classics, never a wall of text
- A built-in timed stillness practice that grows from 2 minutes to 10
- Gentle progression through the tradition — the app remembers where you are on the ascent