CHAPTER XXVI
Touching Poorness of Spirit and true Humility and whereby we may
discern the true and lawful free Men whom the Truth hath made free.
But it is quite otherwise where there is poorness of spirit, and true humility;
and it is so because it is found and known of a truth that a man, of himself
and his own power, is nothing, hath nothing, can do and is capable of nothing
but only infirmity and evil. Hence followeth that the man findeth himself
altogether unworthy of all that hath been or ever will be done for him, by God
or the creatures, and that he is a debtor to God and also to all the creatures
in God's stead, both to bear with, and to labour for, and to serve them. And
therefore he doth not in any wise stand up for his own rights, but from the
humility of his heart he saith, "It is just and reasonable that God and all
creatures should be against me, and have a right over me, and to me, and that I
should not be against any one, nor have a right to anything." Hence it
followeth that the man doth not and will not crave or beg for anything, either
from God or the creatures, beyond mere needful things, and for those only with
shamefacedness, as a favour and not as a right. And he will not minister unto
or gratify his body or any of his natural desires, beyond what is needful, nor
allow that any should help or serve him except in case of necessity, and then
always in trembling; for he hath no right to anything and therefore he thinketh
himself unworthy of anything. So likewise all his own discourse, ways, words
and works seem to this man a thing of nought and a folly. Therefore he speaketh
little, and doth not take upon himself to admonish or rebuke any, unless he be
constrained thereto by love or faithfulness towards God, and even then he doth
it in fear, and so little as may be.
Moreover, when a man hath this poor and
humble spirit, he cometh to see and understand aright, how that all men are
bent upon themselves, and inclined to evil and sin, and that on this account it
is needful and profitable that there be order, customs, law and precepts, to
the end that the blindness and foolishness of men may be corrected, and that
vice and wickedness may be kept under, and constrained to seemliness. For
without ordinances, men would be much more mischievous and ungovernable than
dogs and cattle. And few have come to the knowledge of the truth but what have
begun with holy practices and ordinances, and exercised themselves therein so
long as they knew nothing more nor better.
Therefore one who is poor in spirit and of a
humble mind doth not despise or make light of law, order, precepts and holy
customs, nor yet of those who observe and cleave wholly to them, but with
loving pity and gentle sorrow, crieth: "Almighty Father, Thou Eternal Truth, I
make my lament unto Thee, and it grieveth Thy Spirit too, that through man's
blindness, infirmity, and sin, that is made needful and must be, which in deed
and truth were neither needful nor right." For those who are perfect are under
no law.
So order, laws, precepts and the like are merely
an admonition to men who understand nothing better and know and perceive not
wherefore all law and order is ordained. And the perfect accept the law along
with such ignorant men as understand and know nothing better, and practise it
with them, to the intent that they may be restrained thereby, and kept from
evil ways, or if it be possible, brought to something higher.
Behold! all that we have said of poverty and
humility is so of a truth, and we have the proof and witness thereof in the
pure life of Christ, and in His words. For He both practised and fulfilled
every work of true humility and all other virtues, as shineth forth in His holy
life, and He saith also expressly: "Learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly of
heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."[32] Moreover He did not despise and set at nought the law and
the commandments, nor yet the men who are under the law. He saith: "I am not
come to destroy the law or the prophets, but to fulfil." But he saith further,
that to keep them is not enough, we must press forward to what is higher and
better, as is indeed true. He saith: "Except your righteousness shall exceed
the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into
the kingdom of Heaven."[33] For the law
forbiddeth evil works, but Christ condemneth also evil thoughts; the law
alloweth us to take vengeance on our enemies, but Christ commandeth us to love
them. The law forbiddeth not the good things of this world, but He counselleth
us to despise them. And He hath set His seal upon all He said, with His own
holy life; for He taught nothing that He did not fulfil in work, and He kept
the law and was subject unto it to the end of His mortal life. Likewise St.
Paul saith: "Christ was made under the law, to redeem them that were under the
law."[34] That is, that He might bring them to
something higher and nearer to Himself. He said again, "The Son of man came not
to be ministered unto, but to minister."[35]
In a word: in Christ's life and words and works,
we find nothing but true, pure humility and poverty such as we have set forth.
And therefore where God dwelleth in a man, and the man is a true follower of
Christ, it will be, and must be, and ought to be the same. But where there is
pride, and a haughty spirit, and a light careless mind, Christ is not, nor any
true follower of His.
Christ said: "My soul is troubled, even unto
death." He meaneth His bodily death. That is to say: from the time that He was
born of Mary, until His death on the cross, He had not one joyful day, but only
trouble, sorrow and contradiction. Therefore it is just and reasonable that His
servants should be even as their Master. Christ saith also: "Blessed are the
poor in spirit" (that is, those who are truly humble), "for theirs is the
kingdom of Heaven." And thus we find it of a truth, where God is made man. For
in Christ and in all His true followers, there must needs be thorough humility
and poorness of spirit, a lowly retiring disposition, and a heart laden with a
secret sorrow and mourning, so long as this mortal life lasteth. And he who
dreameth otherwise is deceived, and deceiveth others with him as aforesaid.
Therefore nature and Self always avoid this life, and cling to a life of false
freedom and ease, as we have said.
Behold! now cometh an Adam or an Evil Spirit,
wishing to justify himself and make excuse, and saith: "Thou wilt almost have
it that Christ was bereft of self and the like, yet He spake often of Himself,
and glorified Himself in this and that." Answer: when a man in whom the truth
worketh, hath and ought to have a will towards anything, his will and endeavour
and works are for no end, but that the truth may be seen and manifested; and
this will was in Christ, and to this end, words and works were needful. And
what Christ did because it was the most profitable and best means thereunto, He
no more took unto Himself than anything else that happened. Dost thou say now:
"Then there was a Wherefore in Christ"? I answer, if thou wert to ask the sun,
"Why shinest thou?" he would say: "I must shine, and cannot do otherwise, for
it is my nature and property; but this my property, and the light I give, is
not of myself, and I do not call it mine." So likewise is it with God and
Christ and all who are godly and belong unto God. In them is no willing, nor
working nor desiring but has for its end, goodness as goodness, for the sake of
goodness, and they have no other Wherefore than this.
[32] Matt. xi. 29.
[33] Matt. 5:20.
[34] Galat. 4:4.
[35] Matt. 20:28.