CHAPTER III
OF POVERTY
If thou wilt be perfect, go, sell all that
thou hast and give it to the poor and come and follow Christ. In the forsaking
of worldly things and in the following of Christly things, it is shown there is
perfection. Forsooth all that have forsaken their goods follow not Christ, for
many are worse after the forsaking of their good than they were before. Then
certain they serve backbiting, and they dread not to withdraw the good fame of
their neighbours. Then they swell with envy; they gnash with malice; they set
themselves before all others; they praise their state, all others they either
dispraise or condemn. Trowest thou how that the fiend has beguiled such, that
neither have the world nor God, whom by divers wiles he leads to endless
tormentry.
Thou that understandest that I have said, take
thy poverty another way. When He says `go and sell' He marks the changing of
thy desire and of thy thought, as thus: he that was proud now be lowly; that
was wrathful now be meek; he that was envious now be charitable; before
covetous, now generous and discreet. And if he were unclean, now let him
abstain not only from all ill but from all likeness of ill. And if before he
exceeded in meat or drink, now by fasting let him amend. He soothly that loved
the world too mickle, now let him gather himself altogether in Christ's love;
and fasten all the waverings of his heart in one desire for things everlasting.
And so no marvel that willful poverty shall be fruitful to him, and the noy
that he suffers for God be a glorious crown. Beati pauperes spiritu, quoniam
ipsorum est regnum coelorum. That is to say: `Bless be they that are poor
in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.'
What is poverty of spirit but meekness of mind,
by the which a man knows his own infirmity? Seeing that he may not come to
perfect stableness but by the grace of God, all things that might let him from
that grace he forsakes, and he sets his desire only in the joy of his Maker.
And as of one root spring many branches, so of wilful poverty, taken in this
wise, proceed virtues and marvellousness untrowed. Not as some that change
their clothes and not their souls; soothly it seems they forsake riches, yet
they cease not to gather innumerable vices.
What is worse than a proud poor man? What more
cursed than an envious beggar? If thou truly forsake all things for God, see
more what thou despisest than what thou forsakest. Take heed busily how thou
followest Christ in manners. Discite, inquit, a me quia mitis sum, et
humilis corde. `Learn of me,' He says, `for I am meek and lowly of heart.'
He says not `learn of me for I am poor. Truly by itself poverty is no virtue
but rather wretchedness; nor for itself praised, but because it is the
instrument of virtue and helps to get blessedness, and makes many eschew many
occasions of sinning. And therefore it is to be praised and desired. It lets a
man from being honoured, although he be virtuous; but rather it makes him
despised and overled, and cast out among lovers of the world. To suffer all
which for Christ is highly needful.
Therefore Christ to our example led a poor life
in this way, for He knew that for them that abound in riches and liking it is
hard to enter into heave.
Therefore so that men should desire poverty more
greedily He has promised high honour and the power of justice to them that
forsake all things for Him, saying: Vos qui reliquistis omnia et secuti
estis me, sedebitis super sedes duodecim, judicantes duodecim tribus
Israel, that is to say: `Ye that have forsaken all things and followed me,
shall sit on twelve seats, deeming the twelve tribes of Israel.'
They soothly that have wilful poverty and want in
the meekness and lowliness that Christ teaches, are more wretched than they
that have plenty of all riches, nor shall they take the apostles places of
worthiness in the day of doom; but they shall be clad with the doublet of
confusion, that is damnation of body and soul. They soothly that shine in
meekness and lowliness, though they have mickle riches, yet shall they be set
on the right hand of Christ when He deems.
Some men soothly say: we can not leave all, we
are sick; it behoves us to keep our necessaries that we may live, and that is
lawful. But they are the less worthy, for they dare not suffer anguish, poverty
and neediness for God. Yet by the grace of God they may come to the height of
virtue, and lift themselves to the contemplation of heavenly things, if they
forsake secular occupations and errands, and unwearily rise to meditate and
pray; and hold not the goods they have with full love, but having them, forsake
them.
Take heed also: to seek more than enough is foul
covetousness; to keep back necessaries is frailty; but to forsake all things is
perfectness. Therefore whiles they see high things that they can not reach,
they empride not nor presume because of the small things that they have, so
that they may mannerly ascend to the ordering of man's life: of which now
follows.