CHAPTER XXI
THAT CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE IS WORTHIER AND MEEDFULLER THAN
ACTIVE: AND OF BOTH PRELACY AND PREACHING
By some truly it is doubted
which life is more meedful and better; contemplative or active. It seems to not
a few that active is meedfuller because of the many deeds and preachings that
it uses. But these err unknowingly, for they know not the virtue of
contemplative. Yet there are many active better than some contemplative; but
the best contemplative are higher than the best active.
Therefore we say the contemplative life is
altogether the better, the sweeter, the more worthy, and the more meedful as to
the true meed, that is joy of the unwrought good, because the contemplative
more burningly loves God. And more grace is asked if contemplative life be led
rightly, than active.
The reason of more fervent love in contemplative
life than in active is because in contemplative they are in rest of mind and
body, and therefore they taste the sweetness of eternal, before all mortal
love. The active truly serve God in labour and outward running about, and tarry
but little in inward rest, wherefore they can not be delighted save seldom and
shortly; the contemplative soothly love as if they were continually within the
halsing of their Beloved.
Forsooth some gainsetting say: active life is
more fruitful; for it does works of mercy, it preaches and works other such
deeds; wherefore it is more meritorious. I say, nay, for such works belong to
accidental reward, that is, joy of the thing wrought. And so one that shall be
taken into the order of angels can have some meed that he that shall be in the
order of cherubim or seraphim shall not have; that is to say joy of some good
deed that he did in this life, the which another--that without comparison
surpasses in God's love--did not. Also ofttimes it happens that some one of
less meed is good, and preaches; and another preaches not, that mickle more
loves. Is not this one better because he preaches? No; but the one that loves
more is higher and better, although he be less in preaching he shall have some
meed, because he preached not, that the greater was not worthy of.
Therefore it is shown that man is not holier or
higher for the outward works that he does. Truly God that is the Beholder of
the heart rewards the will more than on the deeds. For the more burningly that
a man loves, in so mickle he ascends to a higher reward.
Truly, in true contemplative men, there is a full
sweet heat and the plenteousness of God's love abiding, from the which a joyful
sound is sent into them with untrowed mirth; and this is never found in active
men in this life, because they take not heed only to heavenly things, so that
they might be worthy to joy in Jesu. And therefore active life is worthily put
behind; and contemplative life, in this present and in the life to come is
worthily preferred.
Wherefore in the litter of the true Solomon the
pillars are of silver and the resting place of gold. The pillars of the chair
are the strong upbearers and the good governors of holy kirk; these are of
silver, for in conversation they are clear and in preaching full of sound. The
gold resting place are contemplative men; on the which, being in high rest,
Christ especially rests His Head, and they forsooth in Him singularly rest.
These are of gold, for they are purer and dearer in honesty of living, and are
redder in burning of loving and contemplating.
God forsooth has forordained His chosen to
fulfill divers services. It is not given truly to ilk man to execute or fulfill
all offices, but ilk man has that that is most according to his state.
Wherefore the Apostle says: Unicuique nostrum data est gracia secundum
mensuram donationis Christi; that is to say: `To ilk one of us is grace
given after the measure of Christ's gift.'
Some truly do alms of righteously gotten goods;
others to their death defend the truth; others clearly and strongly preach
God's word, and others show their preaching in their writing; others suffer for
God great penance and wretchedness in this life; others, by the gift of
contemplation, are only busy to God and set themselves straitly to love Christ.
But without doubt, among all estates that are in the kirk, they that are become
contemplative joy with a special gift; they are now worthy with singing to joy
in God's love.
Truly if any man might get both lives, that is to
say contemplative and active, and keep and fulfill them, he were full great;
that he might fulfill bodily service, and nevertheless feel the heavenly sound
in himself, and be melted in singing into the joy of heavenly love. I wot not
if ever any mortal man had this. To me it seems impossible that both should be
together.
Christ truly in this respect is not to be
numbered among men, nor His blest Mother among women. For Christ had no
wandering thoughts, and He was not contemplative in a common manner, as saints
in this life are contemplative; truly He needed not to labour as we need,
because, from the beginning of His Conceiving, He saw God.
No marvel by great exercise of ghostly works
there comes into us a songful joy, and we receive the sweetest sound from
heaven; and so henceforward we desire to stand in rest, that with great
sweetness we may joy. Therefore he that serves active life well is busy to go
up to contemplative life.
He who truly is raised in the manner aforesaid
with the gift of heavenly contemplation, comes not down to active; unless
peradventure he be compelled to take governance of Christians; that I trow has
seldom or never happened. But other contemplatives can well be chosen for that,
because they are less imbued with heat of love. Forsooth lesser saints are
sometimes more able than greater for the office of prelacy, because they that
could not rest perfectly in inward desires shall behave themselves more
accordingly about outward business.