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Chapter 2VitC.1.2

Vita Caroli

The Dust of Kings

A dying king reminds his heir that earthly glory is fleeting and that only a pure conscience, faith, and hope of resurrection truly matter.

When you reign after me, adorned with the diadem of kings, remember that I too ruled before you, and have been reduced to dust and to the mud of worms. In the same way, you will pass away like a shadow, and like a flower of the field. What good is nobility, or an abundance of possessions, unless a pure conscience is present, along with right faith and the hope of a holy resurrection? Do not value your life as the wicked do, who think wrongly: since it is a small thing that you are, because you were created by God and born from nothing, and after this you will be reduced to nothing, as though you had never been.

Sons of God Through Love

The heir is called to become a son of God through keeping Christ's commandments, above all the commandment of love, which conquers even the fear of death.

Know that you have an eternal Father, and His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the firstborn among many brothers, and who wants you to become sharers in His kingdom — if you keep His commandments and do not defile your minds and consciences. By the will of His blood and flesh you will be made sons of God, as John says in the gospel: 'He gave them power to become sons of God.'✦ If, therefore, you wish to be made sons of God, keep the commandments of your Father, which He announced to you through His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the heavenly king, whose type and place you represent on earth. The greatest commandment is this: 'to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and your neighbor as yourself.'✦ If you love God with that love, you will not be afraid to lay down your lives for Him, and you will not fear those who can indeed kill the body but cannot destroy the soul.✦

The Fear of the Lord and the Wisdom to Judge

Walking in the fear of the Lord brings wisdom, just judgment, mercy toward the poor, and divine strength to overcome enemies and discern hidden malice.

But fear your Father, who has the power to save and to cast into eternal hell. If you have truly walked in the fear of the Lord, wisdom will be your beginning, and you will judge your brothers with justice and fairness, just as you yourselves hope to be judged by the Lord; nor will you stray from the path, because the way of the Lord is straight. And your mercy will be upon the needy and the poor, just as you wish to obtain mercy from the Lord for your own poverty and frailty. Your wisdom will be strengthened in the power of the Lord, and he will make your arm like a bronze bow; you will crush fierce wars, and the wicked will fall before you, but the just will rejoice. God will scatter the plans of your enemies, and he will teach you to do justice and judgment. He will reveal to you the secrets of a just inquiry and show them to you, and no cunning man will cloak his malice before your face, because the spirit of wisdom and understanding of the Lord will be in you.1 The eyes of the unjust will be veiled before you, and God will remove understanding from their hearts, and their plans will be senseless.2 But the just man will save his own life, and so there will be the honor of the king, because the king's honor loves judgment.

The Flourishing Scepter and the Danger of Avarice

The king's authority will flourish when he shows mercy to the fallen and the needy, but he must hate avarice and store up wisdom rather than riches.

Your scepters will flourish before the Lord, because you held them out to the fallen and drew the needy one from the snare of the hunters. Your diadems will shine, and your faces will be made radiant, because the eyes of the wise will look upon them and praise the Lord, saying: 'May the Lord add the days of the king over his days.'✦ In the generation of the just, your offspring will be blessed.✦ If you hold avarice in hatred, riches will flow to you — but do not set your heart on them; rather, store up wisdom for yourselves, because in its possession there is great dominion.✦ The avaricious person, however, does not rule — but is subject to the dominion of money.

Holy Companionship and the Discipline of Repentance

The king must flee perverse counsel, embrace God's discipline, and return quickly to the fountain of mercy when he sins.

Flee perverse associations and counsels, because with the holy you will be made holy, and with the perverse you will be corrupted — for sin is a contagious disease.✦ Therefore, take hold of the Lord's discipline, so that when he becomes angry you do not perish from the right way — when his wrath blazes forth in a short time.✦ If it happens that you sin, let it weary your soul, your life, until you return to the fount of mercy and compassion.✦

The Warfare of the Interior Life

The king is warned against persistent sin, anger, envy, and pride, and is called to humility, gentleness, and mutual love, trusting that God exalts the humble.

Although it's human to sin, it's diabolical to keep at it. Don't sin against the Holy Spirit by sinning against the confidence of God, because the Holy Spirit of God withdraws from you. It must be understood that the Holy Spirit is a zealot against sin.✦ Don't give place to anger within yourselves, but to gentleness — and gentleness conquers anger, and patience overcomes malice. Don't envy one another, but rather have love for each other, because envy breeds hatred. Whoever hates is not loved, and will perish in his own fury; but whoever has love, loves, and is beloved by God and by people. If your heart wants to be exalted, humble yourselves, and don't let the foot of pride come near you.✦ Pride is ungrateful to the Creator and to benefactors, and so the proud person has favor neither before God nor before people. But the Lord will crush it in the end, casting the powerful from their thrones and lifting the humble from the dust, so that they may sit with princes and hold the throne of glory.✦

Bodily Discipline and the Blessing of the Blameless

The king must avoid gluttony, self-indulgence, and spiritual sloth, guard against sin from youth, and walk blamelessly in God's law to be enrolled in the book of life.

Don't gorge yourself on food and drink the way those people do whose god is their belly, whose glory and purpose is the accumulation of filth.✦3 Don't defile your desires, but gird up your loins with the strength of a resolute mind, embracing your calling.✦45 For the Holy Spirit will flee from those who give themselves over to self-indulgence and will not dwell in bodies enslaved to sin. Keep yourselves free from the evil of spiritual sloth, lest its heaviness drag you down into the depths of hell. Guard yourselves, then, from every sin while you are still young, because a small mistake at the beginning will become a great one in the end. But walk in the Lord's law without blemish, so that you may receive his blessing from him who says: 'Blameless are those who walk in the way, who walk in the Lord's law' — so that you may be like a tree planted beside flowing waters, which will bear its fruit in due season, and whose leaf will not wither, but which will be enrolled in the book of life, where the names of the just are written.✦✦✦6 May he deign to grant this to you, who was worthy to open the book and its seals.✦7

Read the original Latin

Cum autem regnabitis post me decorati diademate regum, mementote, quod et ego rexi ante vos, et in pulverem redactus sum et in lutum vermium. Similiter vos cadetis transeuntes ut umbra et velud flos agri. Quid valet nobilitas aut rerum affluencia, nisi assit pura consciencia cum fide recta et spe sancte resurreccionis? Non estimetis vitam vestram sicut impii, non recte cogitantes: cum exiguum sit, quod estis, quia a deo creati et ex nichilo nati sitis et post hoc ad nichilum redigamini, tanquam non fuissetis. Scitote vos habere patrem eternum et filium eius, dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, qui primogenitus est in multis fratribus, qui vos vult participes fieri regni sui, si mandata eius servaveritis, et non inquinaveritis mentes et consciencias, et voluntate sanguinis et carnis vestre efficiemini filii dei, prout Johannes in evangelio dicit: "Dedit eis potestatem filios dei fieri." Si igitur vultis effici filii dei, mandata patris vestri servate, que anunciavit vobis per filium suum, dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, regem celestem, cuius typum et vices geritis in terris. Mandatum vero maius est: "diligere dominum deum ex toto corde et ex tota anima, et proximum sicut semet ipsum." Si ea dileccione deum diligetis, animas vestras, pro ipso ponere non formidabitis, et non timebitis eos, qui corpus quidem possunt interficere, animam vero perdere non valent.

Sed timebitis patrem vestrum, qui potens est salvare et mittere in iehennam sempiternam. Si vero in timore domini ambulaveritis, sapiencia vestrum erit inicium, et iudicabitis fratres vestros in iusticia et equitate, prout ipsi iudicari speratis a domino; nec sic deviabitis in devium, quia via domini recta est. Eritque misericordia vestra super egenos et pauperes, prout optatis misericordiam consequi de egestate et fragilitate vestra a domino. Et sapiencia vestra fortificabitur in robore domini, et ponet ut arcum ereum brachium vestrum et conteretis bella forcia, et cadent impii coram vobis, iusti autem gaudebunt. Cogitaciones quoque inimicorum vestrorum deus dissipabit et docebit vos facere iusticiam et iudicium. Revelabit vobis secreta, scrutinium iustum ostendet vobis et non palliabit vir astutus maliciam suam ante faciem vestram, quia spiritus sapiencie et intellectus domini erit in vobis. Et velabuntur oculi iniustorum coram vobis, tolletque deus de cordibus eorum verbum, et amentes erunt proposiciones eorum. Iustus autem salvabit vitam suam, sicque erit honor regis, quia honor regis iudicium diligit.

Et sceptra vestra florebunt coram domino, quia porrexistis ea lapso et inopem extraxistis de laqueo venancium. Diademataque vestra splendebunt, et facies vestre illustrabuntur, quia oculi sapiencium in ipsa respicient et laudabunt dominum dicentes: "Adiciat dominus dies regis super dies eius." In generacione iustorum benedicetur semen vestrum. Avariciam si odio habueritis, affluent vobis divicie; quibus nolite cor apponere, sed thesaurisate vobis sapienciam, quoniam in possessione eius multa dominacio. Avarus autem non dominatur, sed subditus est pecunie dicioni. Perversa consorcia atque consilia fugite, quia cum sanctis sancti eritis, et cum perversis pervertemini; morbus namque contagiosus est peccatum. Apprehendite igitur disciplinam domini, ne quando irascatur, et pereatis de via iusta, cum in brevi exarserit ira eius. Si peccare vos contigerit, tedeat animam vestram vite vestre, donec recurratis ad fontem pietatis et misericordie.

Quamquam humanum sit peccare, diabolicum tamen est perseverare. Nolite peccare in spiritum sanctum, peccando in confidenciam dei, quia spiritus dei sanctus elongatur a vobis; putandum est, quod spiritus sanctus peccati zelator est. Non date in vobis locum ire, sed mansuetudini, que mansuetudo vincit iram et paciencia maliciam. Nolite invidere alterutrum, sed caritatem pocius habete invicem, quia invidia generat odium. Qui odit, non amatur, et in furore suo peribit, qui vero caritatem habet, diligit, et est dilectus deo et hominibus. Si exaltari cuperit cor vestrum, humiliate vos, nec veniat vobis pes superbie. Superbia ingrata est creatori et benefactoribus, et ideo non habet superbus graciam nec coram deo nec coram hominibus. Conteret autem eam dominus in fine, deponens potentes de sede et exaltans de pulvere humiles, ut sedeant cum principibus et solium glorie teneant.

Nolite crapulari a cibo et potu, sicut faciunt hii, quorum deus venter est, quorum gloria et finis fecium accumulacio est. Nolite renes vestros coinquinare, sed lumbos vestros precingite, fortitudine mentis concingimini [coniugium] amplectendo. Quoniam spiritus sanctus effugiet luxurie se dantes, nec habitabit in corporibus subditis peccato. Abstinete vos a malo accidie, ne vos trahat gravedine sua in profundum inferni. Cavete ergo vobis ab omni peccato in etate tenera, quia parvus error in principio magnus erit in fine. Sed ambulate in lege domini sine macula, ut benediccionem accipiatis ab eo, qui ait: "Beati inmaculati in via, qui ambulant in lege domini," ut sitis tamquam lignum, quod plantatum est secus decursus aquarum, quod fructum suum dabit in tempore suo, et folium eius non defluet, sed asscriptum erit in libro vite, ubi asscripta sunt nomina iustorum. Quod vobis prestare dignetur, qui dignus fuit aperire librum et signacula eius.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩John.1.12 — But to all who received him, he gave the right to become children of God—to those who believed in his name.
  2. ↩Matt.22.37-Matt.22.39;Mark.12.30-Mark.12.31;Luke.10.27 — And he said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' Matt.22.38 — This is the great and first commandment. Matt.22.39 — And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Mark.12.30 — And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. Mark.12.31 — The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. Luke.10.27 — And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself."
  3. ↩Matt.10.28 — And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, fear the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.
  4. ↩Ps.72.5;1Kgs.1.35 — They shall fear you as long as the sun endures, and before the moon, through all generations. 1Kgs.1.35 — Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, and he shall reign in my place; and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.
  5. ↩Ps.112.2 — His descendants will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
  6. ↩Matt.6.19-Matt.6.20 — Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. Matt.6.20 — But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal.
  7. ↩Lev.11.44;1Pet.1.16 — For I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, for I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground. 1Pet.1.16 — For it is written, 'Be holy, because I am holy.'
  8. ↩Ps.2.12 — Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is kindled quickly. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
  9. ↩Jer.2.13 — For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn out for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold the water.
  10. ↩Eph.4.30 — And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
  11. ↩Prov.16.18 — Before destruction comes pride, and before a fall, a haughty spirit.
  12. ↩Luke.1.52;1Sam.2.7-1Sam.2.8 — He has brought down rulers from their thrones and lifted up the lowly. 1Sam.2.7 — The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low, and also lifts up. 1Sam.2.8 — He raises the poor from the dust, lifts the needy from the ash heap, to seat them with princes and to give them a throne of honor. For the pillars of the earth belong to the LORD, and on them he has set the world.
  13. ↩Phil.3.19 — whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.
  14. ↩1Pet.1.13 — Therefore, preparing your minds for action, be sober-minded and set your hope fully on the grace being brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
  15. ↩Ps.118.1 — Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever.
  16. ↩Ps.1.3 — He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season, and whose leaf does not wither; and whatever he does prospers.
  17. ↩Rev.20.12;Phil.4.3 — And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their works. Phil.4.3 — Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, for they labored with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
  18. ↩Rev.5.2-Rev.5.5 — And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, 'Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?' Rev.5.3 — And no one in heaven, nor on the earth, nor under the earth, was able to open the scroll or to look into it. Rev.5.4 — And I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. Rev.5.5 — And one of the elders said to me, 'Do not weep. Behold, the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so as to open the scroll and its seven seals.'

Notes

  1. 1 ↩scrutinium rendered as 'inquiry' in the sense of examination or investigation; could also mean 'scrutiny' or 'searching examination.'
  2. 2 ↩verbum rendered as 'understanding' here in the sense of rational sense or meaning, given the parallel with amentes ('senseless/foolish') modifying proposiciones.
  3. 3 ↩fecium is a non-standard form, possibly a corruption of stercorum (dung/filth) or faecium (dregs); the sense is something vile and worthless.
  4. 4 ↩renes (kidneys/reins) and lumbi (loins) are biblical metaphors for the seat of appetites and passions; the contrast is between indulging disordered desire and disciplining the whole self for spiritual readiness.
  5. 5 ↩coniugium appears bracketed in the source and is uncertain — possibly a gloss or corruption. The translation reads the clause as referring to embracing one's vocation/state of life rather than the uncertain word.
  6. 6 ↩The quoted 'Beati inmaculati in via' echoes Psalm 118:1 (Vulgate); final resolution deferred to tx-08 Moses resolution.
  7. 7 ↩The image of opening the book and its seals echoes Revelation 5:2–5 (the Lamb who is worthy to open the sealed book); final resolution deferred to tx-08.

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