The one and fifty chapitre. That men schuld have grete warnes, so that thei understonde not bodili thing that is ment goostly; and namely it is good to be war in understonding of this worde IN and of this worde UP.
Guard Against Bodily Misunderstanding
The author warns the reader to interpret spiritual phrases in a spiritual sense, not bodily, because literal-mindedness leads to error.
And so lean meekly toward this blind stirring of love in your heart. I don't mean in your bodily heart, but in your spiritual heart, which is your will.1 And be very careful that you don't take in a bodily sense what is said spiritually. For truly I tell you that the bodily and fleshly notions of those who have curious and imaginative minds are the cause of much error.2
The Hidden Meaning of 'In' and 'Up'
Using the example of hiding desire from God, the author explains that spiritual directives like 'in' and 'up' are easily misunderstood and that such misunderstanding causes much deception.
You can see an example of this in the way I tell you to hide your desire from God as much as you can.3 For perhaps if I had told you to show your desire to God, you would have taken it more bodily than you do now when I tell you to hide it.4 For you know well that whatever is deliberately hidden is cast into the depth of the spirit. And so it seems to me that you need to be very careful in understanding words spoken with a spiritual meaning, so that you don't take them in a bodily sense, but spiritually, as they're meant. And it's especially good to be careful with this word "in" and this word "up," because in the misunderstanding of these two words hangs much error and much deception in those who set themselves to be spiritual workers, as it seems to me.5 I know something of this by experience, and something by hearsay; and I'd like to tell you a little about these deceptions, as it seems to me.6
The Danger of Misguided Zeal
The author describes a young disciple who, through presumption and curiosity, misunderstands spiritual language and falls into a diabolical work that leads to madness.
A young disciple in God's school, newly turned from the world, who thinks that because of the little time he has given himself to penance and to prayer—having taken counsel in confession—he is therefore fit to take on spiritual work, which he hears people speak of or read about around him, or perhaps reads himself; and so when he reads or hears talk of spiritual work, and especially of this saying—how a person should draw his entire mind within himself, or how he should rise above himself—at once, from blindness in the soul and from fleshly desires and intellectual curiosity, they misunderstand these words, and suppose, because they find in themselves a natural craving for hidden things, that they are therefore called to that work by grace; so much so that if counsel will not agree that they should work in this work, they soon feel a kind of grumbling against their counsel, and think—yes, and perhaps say to others like themselves—that they can find no one who can fully know what they mean.7 And therefore, at once, from the boldness and presumption of their intellectual curiosity, they leave meek prayer and penance too soon, and set themselves—so they think—to a fully spiritual work within their soul: a work that, if truly understood, is neither bodily nor spiritual.8 And, to put it briefly, it is a work against nature, and the devil is its chief worker. And it is the surest way to the death of body and soul, for it is madness and not wisdom, and it leads a person straight into madness.9 And yet they don't think so, for they set themselves in this work to think of nothing but God.
Read the original Middle English
And therfore lene meekly to this blinde steryng of love in thin herte. I mene not in thi bodily herte, bot in thi goostly herte, the whiche is thi wil. And be wel ware that thou conseyve not bodily that that is seyde goostly. For trewly I telle thee that bodely and fleschely conseytes of hem that han corious and ymaginatyve wittys ben cause of moche errour.
Ensaumple of this maist thou see by that that I bid thee hele thi desire fro God in that that in thee is. For, paraventure, and I had boden thee schewe thi desire unto God, thou schuldest have conceyvid it more bodily then thou dost now when I bid thee hele it. For thou wost wel that alle that thing that is wilfuly helid, it is casten into the depnes of spiryt.
And thus me thinketh that it nedith greetly to have moche warnes in understonding of wordes that ben spokyn to goostly entent, so that thou conceyve hem not bodily, bot goostly, as thei ben mente. And namely it is good to be ware with this worde in and this worde up, for in mysconceyvyng of thees two wordes hangeth moche errour and moche disseite in hem that purposen hem to be goostly worchers, as me thinketh. Sumwhat wote I by the profe, and sumwhat by herdsey; and of thees disseites list me telle thee a lityl, as me thinketh.
A yonge disciple in Goddes scole, newe turnid fro the woreld, the whiche weneth that for a litil tyme that he hath goven him to penaunce and to preier, taken by counsel in confescion, that he be therfore abil to take apon hym goostly worching, of the whiche he herith men speke or rede aboute hym, or paraventure redith hymself, and therfore whan he redith or hereth spoken of goostly worching, and namely of this worde, how a man schal drawe alle his witte withinne hymself, or how he schal clymbe aboven himself, -- as fast for blindnes in soule, and for fleschelines and coriousté of kyndely witte, thei misunderstonde thees wordes, and wenen, for thei fynden in hem a kyndly covetyse to hid thinges, that thei ben therfore clepid to that werke by grace; insomoche, that yif counsel wil not acorde that thei schul worche in this werke, as sone thei fele a maner of grocchyng agens theire counsel, and thinken -ye, and paraventure seyen to soche other as thei ben -- that thei kan fynde no man that kan wite what thei mene fully. And therfore as fast for boldnes and presumpcion of theire corious witte, thei leve meek preier and penaunce over-sone, and sette hem (thei wene) to a ful goostly werk withinne in here soule: the whiche werk, and it be trewly conceyvid, is neither bodily worching ne goostly worching. And, schortly to sey, it is a worching agens kynde, and the devel is the cheef worcher therof. And it is the rediest wey to deth of body and of soule, for it is woodnes and no wisdom, and ledith a man even to woodnes. And yit thei wene not thus, for thei purpose hem in this werk to think on nought bot on God.
Notes
- 1 ↩goostly herte is rendered spiritual heart, then glossed by the source itself as the will (wil), not the physical organ.
- 2 ↩conseytes rendered as notions (ME conceits = conceptions/imaginings), not modern self-conceit; corious...wittys as curious and imaginative minds (over-clever speculative faculties).
- 3 ↩ME hele here means hide/conceal (not heal); the example turns on concealing desire so it is not taken in a bodily sense.
- 4 ↩ME and in and I had boden is conditional if; rendered as if I had told you.
- 5 ↩"in" and "up" are kept as quoted lexical items: the chapter warns against taking directional/spatial metaphors of interior recollection as bodily locations or motions.
- 6 ↩"profe" rendered as "experience" (trial/proof by practice), not formal logical proof; "herdsey" as "hearsay."
- 7 ↩The source shifts from a singular young disciple (he) to a plural they for the same type; the rendering keeps that shift rather than smoothing it.
- 8 ↩"and it be trewly conceyvid" is conditional (if it is truly conceived/understood); rendered as "if it is truly understood."
- 9 ↩"woodnes" is Middle English for madness/frenzy (from wod, "mad"); rendered "madness," not archaic "woodness."
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