The eight and fifty chapitre. That a man schal not take ensaumple of Seinte Martyn and of Seinte Steven, for to streine his ymaginacion bodily upwardes, in the tyme of his preier.
Spiritual Meanings Behind Bodily Visions
The author explains that the bodily visions of saints like Martin and Stephen were miracles and confirmations of spiritual truths, not examples for us to imitate, and urges us to seek the spiritual meaning behind all such revelations.
Regarding what they say about Saint Martin and Saint Stephen: even though they saw those things with their physical eyes, it was shown only as a miracle and as a confirmation of something spiritual. For they should know very well that Saint Martin's cloak never came to rest on Christ's own body in a substantial way[1] — not because He had any need of it to keep Himself from the cold — but by miracle and as a likeness, for all of us who can be saved, who are spiritually united to the body of Christ.1 And whoever clothes a poor person and does any other good deed for God's love — bodily or spiritually — for anyone in need: they can be sure they do it to Christ spiritually, and they'll be rewarded for it just as substantially as if they had done it to Christ's own body. So He Himself says in the Gospel. And still He didn't think that enough unless He confirmed it afterward by a miracle; and for this reason He showed Himself to Saint Martin by revelation. Every revelation anyone has ever seen in this life through a bodily likeness carries a spiritual meaning. I believe that if the people to whom these were shown—or we, for whom they were intended—had been spiritual enough, or could have grasped their meanings spiritually, they never would have been shown in bodily form at all.[2]2 So let’s peel away the rough bark and feed ourselves on the sweet kernel.
Honoring the Cup That Holds the Wine
The author warns against despising the visible miracles and bodily observances that accompany spiritual works, advising us to cherish them as vessels that contain the spiritual fruit.
But how? Not like these heretics, who are like madmen in this habit: whenever they've drunk from a fine cup, they throw it against the wall and break it. We shouldn't do the same, if we want to do well. For we shouldn't feed on the fruit in such a way that we despise the tree; nor drink in such a way that we break the cup when we've drunk. I call the tree and the cup this visible miracle, and all fitting bodily observances that accord with and do not hinder the work of the spirit. I call the fruit and the drink the spiritual meaning of these visible miracles, and of these fitting bodily observances—such as lifting up our eyes and our hands to heaven. If they're done by the stirring of the spirit, then they're well done; and otherwise they're hypocrisy, and then they're false. If they're true and contain spiritual fruit in them, why should they then be despised? For people will kiss the cup, because there's wine in it.
The Danger of Bodily Imitation in Prayer
The author argues that Christ's ascension and Stephen's vision were not examples for us to stare upward with our eyes, but rather show that the bodily postures of Christ have spiritual meanings, such as standing indicating readiness to help.
And what of that, even though our Lord, when He ascended bodily into heaven, took His way upward into the clouds, while His mother and His disciples saw Him with their bodily eyes?✦ Should we therefore, in our spiritual work, always stare upward with our bodily eyes, looking for Him in case we might see Him sitting bodily in heaven, or else standing, as Saint Stephen did?✦ No, certainly He did not show Himself bodily in heaven to Saint Stephen so that He might give us an example that we should, in our spiritual work, look bodily up into heaven in case we might see Him as Saint Stephen did, either standing or sitting or lying. For how His body is in heaven — standing, sitting, or lying — no one knows. And it doesn't need to be known; nor anything more, except that His body is raised up with the soul, without separation. The body and the soul, which is the Manhood, is also united with the Godhead without separation. About His sitting, His standing, His lying, it doesn't need to be known, except that He is there as He wills, and holds Himself in body as is most fitting for Him to be. For if He showed Himself lying, or standing, or sitting, by a bodily revelation to any creature in this life, it is done for some spiritual meaning, and not for any kind of bodily posture that He has in heaven. Take this as an example. By standing is meant a readiness to help. And for this reason one friend commonly says to another, when he's in bodily battle: "Bear up well, friend, and fight hard, and don't give up the battle too easily; for I will stand by you." He doesn't mean only bodily standing, for this battle may be on horseback and not on foot, and it may be while moving and not while standing still. But he means, when he says that he will stand by him, that he will be ready to help him.
Christ's Standing Is a Promise of Help
The author concludes by explaining that Christ showed Himself standing to Stephen to assure him and all who suffer persecution of His spiritual presence and readiness to help, affirming that all bodily showings are for spiritual meanings.
It was for this reason that our Lord showed Himself bodily in heaven to Saint Stephen while he was undergoing his martyrdom—and not to give us an example of looking up to heaven. It was as if He had said this to Saint Stephen, speaking for all those who suffer persecution for His love[3]: "Look, Stephen!3 As truly as I open this bodily firmament, which is called heaven, and let you see My bodily standing, trust steadfastly that just as truly I stand beside you spiritually, by the power of My Godhead. And I'm ready to help you. And therefore stand firm in the faith, and boldly endure the cruel blows of those hard stones; for I will crown you in bliss as your reward—and not only you, but all those who suffer persecution for Me in any way."✦ And so you can see that these bodily showings were done for spiritual meanings.
Read the original Middle English
For that that thei sey of Seynte Martyn and of Seinte Steven, thof al thei sie soche thinges with theire bodely ighen, it was schewyd bot in myracle and in certefiing of thing that was goostly. For wite thei ryght wel that Seynte Martyn mantel come never on Crystes owne body substancyaly, for no nede that He had therto to kepe him fro colde; bot by miracle and in licnes for alle us that ben abel to be savid, that ben onyd to the body of Criste goostly. And whoso clotheth a pore man and doth any other good deed for Goddes love, bodily or goostly, to any that hath need, sekir be thei thei do it unto Criste goostly, and thei schul be rewardid as substancyaly therfore as thei had done it to Cristes owne body. Thus seith Hymself in the Gospel. And yit thoughte He it not inowgh, bot yif he affermyd it after by miracle; and for this skyle He schewed Hym unto Seynte Martyn by revelacion.
Alle the revelacions that ever sawe any man here in bodely licnes in this liif, thei have goostly bemenynges. And I trowe that and thei unto whome thei were schewid, or we for whome thei were schewid, had ben so goostly, or couthe have conceyvid theire bemenynges goostly, that than thei had never ben schewed bodily. And therfore late us pike of the rough bark, and fede us of the swete kyrnel.
Bot how? Not as thees heretikes done, the whiche ben wel licned to wode men havyng this custume, that ever whan thei have dronken of a faire cup, kast it to the walle and breke it. Thus schul not we do, yif we wil wel do. For we schul not so fede us of the frute that we schul dispise the tree; ne so drynke that we schul breke the cuppe when we have dronken. The tre and the cuppe I clepe this visible miracle, and alle semely bodely observaunces that is acordyng and not lettyng the werke of the spirite. The frute and the drync I clepe the goostly bemening of thees visible miracles, and of thees semely bodely observaunces, as is liftyng up of oure ighen and oure handes unto heven. Yif they be done by steryng of the spyrit, then ben thei wel done; and elles ben thei ypocrisie, and then ben thei fals. Yif thei ben trewe and contynen in hem goostly frute, whi schuld thei than be dispisid?
For men wil kysse the cuppe, for wine is therin.
And what therof, thof oure Lorde, when He assendid to heven bodely, toke His wey upwardes into the cloudes, seing His moder and His disciples with here bodely ighen? Schul we therfore in oure goostly werk ever stare upwardes with oure bodely ighen, to loke after Hym yif we mowe se Hym sit bodely in heven, or elles stonde, as Seinte Steven did? Nay, sekirly He schewid Him not unto Seynte Steven bodily in heven forthi that He wolde geve us ensaumple that we schuld in oure goostly werk loke bodely up into heven, yif we mought se Hym as Seynte Steven did, outher stondyng or sittyng or liggyng. For howso His body is in heven -- stondyng, sittyng, or ligging -- wote no man. And it nedith not to be wetyn; ne no more, bot that His body is anhighed with the soule, withouten departing. The body and the soule, the whiche is the Manheed, is onid with the Godheed withoutyn departyng also. Of His sittyng, His stonding, His liggyng, nedith it not to wetyn, bot that He is there as Him list, and hath Him in body as moste semely is unto Hym for to be. For yif He schewid Hym liggyng, or stondyng, or sittyng, by revelacion bodely to any creature in this liif, it is done for sum goostly bemenyng, and not for no maner of bodely beryng that He hath in heven.
See by ensaumple. By stondyng is understonden a redynes of helping. And herfore it is seide comounly of oo frende to another, whan he is in bodely batayle: "Bere thee wel, felaw, and fight fast, and give not up the bataile over-lightly; for I schal stonde by thee." He meneth not only bodely stondyng, for paraventure this batayle is on hors and not on fote, and paraventure it is in going and not stondyng. Bot he meneth, whan he seith that he schal stonde bi hym, that he schal be redy to helpe him.
For this skyle it was that oure Lorde schewid Him bodely in heven to Seinte Steven, when he was in his martirdome; and not to geve us ensaumple to loke up to heven. As He had seide thus to Seynte Steven, in persone of alle thoo that suffren persecucion for His love: "Loo, Steven! as verrely as I open this bodely fyrmament, the whiche is clepid heven, and lete thee se My bodily stondyng, trist stedfastly that as verrely stonde I biside thee goostly, by the myght of My Godheed. And I am redy to helpe thee. And therfore stonde thou stifly in the feith, and suffre booldely the fel buffetes of thoo harde stones; for I schal coroune thee in blis for thi mede, and not only thee, bot alle thoo that suffren persecucion for Me on any maner."
And thus maist thou se that thees bodely schewynges were done by goostly bemenynges.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Acts.1.9-Acts.1.11 — And after he said these things, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. Acts.1.10 — And as they were looking intently into the sky as he was going, behold, two men stood beside them in white garments. Acts.1.11 — Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way you saw him go into heaven.
- ↩Acts.7.55-Acts.7.56 — But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Acts.7.56 — And he said, 'Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.'
- ↩2Tim.4.8;Rev.2.10 — From now on, there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing. Rev.2.10 — Do not fear at all the things you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, so that you may be tested, and you will have affliction for ten days. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Notes
- 1 ↩"Substantially" vs "in likeness": the author denies that Martin's cloak physically clothed Christ's flesh; the vision was a miraculous likeness meant to teach spiritual union with Christ's body.
- 2 ↩ME 'and' after 'that' is the conditional 'if' (an/and = if), not a simple conjunction; rendering preserves the counterfactual: had the recipients been spiritual enough to take the meaning inwardly, the bodily showing would not have been needed.
- 3 ↩ME "in persone of" rendered as "speaking for" (representative address), not as a formal legal persona.
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